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Original 'Birillo' Barstools Set by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, c. 1971, Signed

About the Item

A rare collectors set of five (5) 'Birillo' bar-height barstools designed in 1971 by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, Italy, retailed by ICF New York. Signed underneath with Zanotta embossed logo and design information on each chair and ICF New York retailer labels on some of the chairs. These examples are original early year productions and ideal for collectors and modern art and design investors. These examples feature red vintage patent leatherette upholstery and white fiberglass bases. It's very hard to find a single Birillo stool let alone find a matched set of five bar-height barstools. If you are looking for a large set of modern bar height barstools, don't hesitate because once these are gone it will be a difficult opportunity to replicate. This early Post-Modern quintessential design is often misspelled 'Brillo' and even sometimes 'Brillio' but as seen documented in the 1978 Zanotta catalogue, the correct spelling is 'Birillo'. This set of five Joe Colombo Birillo bar height stools would work great in a Post-Modern, Mid-Century Modern, Space Age Mod, Scandanavian Modern or Danish Modern home or penthouse apartment but could also look fantastic in a Contemporary or Zen / Minimalism room. Also consider mixing it up in a Traditional, Transitional, Hollywood Regency, Classical or Art Deco room with a splash of juxtaposition. Would also be an apt choice in a commercial project such as a hotel lobby lounge or members club, creative design studio or high-rise executive office. DOCUMENTATION: Zanotta catalogue, 1978, page 7 MEASUREMENTS: H 41.25" x W 18.5" x D 18.5" Seat Height: 30.25" Seat Depth: 17" CONDITION: Leatherette is in very good vintage condition with light patina and wear. A couple small hard to notice blemishes but very attractive and presentable. One stool is slightly darker in color. We believe the original owner kept this one stool stored away. The color difference is minor and works nicely with the rest of the set. Fiberglass is very good vintage condition with light patina and wear and minor sun fading, also with small hard to see blemishes from regular view. Black rubber banding also in very good vintage condition with hard to see age expected wear. Chrome is bright and clean and overall very attractive with very light patina. Overall every stool is very presentable and attractive, and the entire set is ready for immediate use.

Creator:
Zanotta (Manufacturer),ICF New York (Retailer),Joe Colombo (Designer)
Design:
Brillio Stool Series
Dimensions:
Height: 41.25 in (104.78 cm)Width: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)Depth: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)Seat Height: 30.25 in (76.84 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 5
Style:
Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Chrome,Faux Leather,Fiberglass,Rubber,Steel
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1971
Condition:
Good vintage condition with attractive age and patina. Ready for immediate use. See description for more details.
Seller Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1330227356402
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Shop All Joe Colombo

Joe Colombo

He died tragically young, and his career as a designer lasted little more than 10 years. But through the 1960s, Joe Colombo proved himself one of the field’s most provocative and original thinkers, and he produced a remarkably large array of innovative furniture, lighting and product designs. Even today, the creations of Joe Colombo have the power to surprise.

Cesare “Joe” Colombo was born in Milan, the son of an electrical-components manufacturer. He was a creative child — he loved to build huge structures from Meccano pieces — and in college he studied painting and sculpture before switching to architecture. In the early 1950s, Colombo made and exhibited paintings and sculptures as part of an art movement that responded to the new Nuclear Age, and futuristic thinking would inform his entire career. He took up design not long after his father fell ill in 1958, and he and his brother, Gianni, were called upon to run the family company. Colombo expanded the business to include the making of plastics — a primary material in almost all his later designs. One of his first, made in collaboration with his brother, was the Acrilica table lamp (1962), composed of a wave-shaped piece of clear acrylic resin that diffused light cast by a bulb concealed in the lamp’s metal base. A year later, Colombo produced his best-known furniture design, the Elda armchair (1963): a modernist wingback chair with a womb-like plastic frame upholstered in thick leather pads.

Portability and adaptability were keynotes of many Colombo designs, made for a more mobile society in which people would take their living environments with them. One of his most striking pieces is the Tube chair (1969). It comprises four foam-padded plastic cylinders that fit inside one another. The components, which are held together by metal clips, can be configured in a variety of seating shapes. Tube chairs generally sell for about $9,000 in good condition; Elda chairs for about $7,000. A small Colombo design such as the plastic Boby trolley — an office organizer on wheels, designed in 1970 — is priced in the range of $700. As Colombo intended, his designs are best suited to a modern decor. As you see on 1stDibs, if your tastes run to sleek, glossy Space Age looks, the work of Joe Colombo offers you a myriad of choices.