Important Pair of Osvaldo Borsani P71 Armchairs in Walnut, Tecno, Italy, 1954
About the Item
- Creator:Tecno (Manufacturer),Osvaldo Borsani (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 33.86 in (86 cm)Width: 26.38 in (67 cm)Depth: 31.11 in (79 cm)Seat Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1954
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:The Hague, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1803323362572
Osvaldo Borsani
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Osvaldo Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. Borsani first worked for his father’s furniture-making firm, Arredamenti Borsani, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design.
By 1953, when, along with his twin brother, Fulgenzio — the pair also created this visionary mid-century villa — Borsani opened the furniture company Tecno, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair. Borsani would be the firm’s lead designer for 30 years, while fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo De Carli, Robin Day and others.
Similar to Gio Ponti in the earliest years of his career, Borsani first created designs marked by lush and buoyant lines: tables with voluptuous curved legs, sofas with undulating backrests.
But Borsani’s best-known and most novel pieces date from Tecno’s initial furniture lines: the adjustable D70 sofa, which folds open to make a daybed, and the P40 recliner. The latter — now included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum — is an articulated lounger with a back, seat and leg rest that can be moved into 486 different positions. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it is also enduringly chic.
Find a collection of vintage Osvaldo Borsani tables, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Tecno
From his early start at his father’s boutique furniture and cabinetry atelier — Arredamenti Borsani (ABV) — Italian designer Osvaldo Borsani began to steadily dream to life the movement-inducing pieces that would eventually lead to him founding his innovative furniture company, Tecno, with his twin brother, Fulgenzio.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. He first worked for the family furniture-making firm, ABV, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design. Borsani took over Arredamenti Borsani in 1937.
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
While he is today recognized as a master of mid-century modernist Italian furniture, Borsani is most famous these days for cofounding Tecno. (He and Fulgenzio also created Villa Borsani, a visionary mid-century estate cherished for its modern lines and exquisite custom furnishings.)
When Borsani opened Tecno, an office-focused maker of industrial design, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair.
When they were originally released, Tecno pieces like the P40 and the award-winning D70 sofa bed were acclaimed as cutting-edge, and they are still considered groundbreaking in their adaptability and functionality. The firm quickly garnered widespread acclaim for its tech-forward designs and quality craftsmanship.
Borsani would be Tecno’s lead designer for 30 years, while partnering on projects with the likes of architect Eugenio Gerli and fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo De Carli, Robin Day and others.
Borsani designed pieces for Tecno until shortly before his death in 1985, when his daughter Valeria and her husband, Marco Fantoni, took over the creative work.
Today, the family’s legacy is preserved by Borsani’s architect grandson Tommaso Fantoni, who, along with Norman Foster, curated a blockbuster retrospective of Osvaldo Borsani’s work at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum in 2018.
Find vintage Tecno chairs, tables, desks and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: The Hague, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Gio Ponti Armchair, Model 803 by Cassina, Italy, 1954By Cassina, Gio PontiLocated in The Hague, NLThis rare armchair was designed by Gio Ponti and produced by Cassina, Italy in 1954. The model was numbered 803 and is one of the most iconic and recognizable Ponti designs produced ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Upholstery, Walnut
- Pair of Giulia Veronesi Perla Armchairs in Green Loro Piana Velvet, Italy, 1950sBy Giulia Veronesi, ISA Bergamo, Loro PianaLocated in The Hague, NLThis rare pair of 'Perla' armchairs was designed by Giulia Veronesi and produced by ISA Bergamo, Italy in the early 1950s. Its sensual curves and the elegantly tapered legs give the chair a sculptural and modern feel. These striking armchairs have been fully reconditioned and newly upholstered in a sumptuous clover green Loro Piana velvet. The Perla model is one of the iconic chair designs of the Italian Modern era. Literature reference: Domus No. 274, October 1952, page 4. Additional note: The designer of the Perla model has been credited as G. Veronesi in the ISA advertisement in Domus. Previously, Guglielmo Veronesi was assumed to be the full name. However recent research has indicated it was in fact Giulia Veronesi who designed the Perla chair...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Beech, Fabric, Upholstery
- Pair of Ico Parisi Armchairs in Blue Velvet for Ariberto Colombo, Italy, 1951By Ariberto Colombo, Ico ParisiLocated in The Hague, NLThese sumptuous armchairs were designed by Ico Parisi in 1951. This particular model was manufactured by Ariberto Colombo in Cantu, Italy. The pronounced curves and lines of the des...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMohair, Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
- Exceptional Guglielmo Ulrich Armchair in Velvet and Fluted Walnut, Italy, 1940sBy Guglielmo UlrichLocated in The Hague, NLThis exceptionally rare armchair was designed by Guglielmo Ulrich in the 1940s. The elegant design is marked by the distinct, curved lines of the winged backrest and the rounded li...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Walnut
- Important Ottorino Aloisio Wingback Chair in Green Mohair, Colli, Italy, 1957By Colli TorinoLocated in The Hague, NLThis exceptional wingback chair was designed by Ottorino Aloisio in 1957. The chair was manufactured by the Turin workshop of Pier Luigi Colli. The ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Upholstery, Wood, Walnut, Mohair, Silk, Velvet
- Pair of Angelo Mangiarotti Armchairs, La Sorgente Dei Mobili, Italy, 1970sBy La Sorgente Dei Mobili, Angelo MangiarottiLocated in The Hague, NLThis very rare pair of armchairs was designed by Angelo Mangiarotti and produced by the Italian manufacturer La Sorgente dei Mobili in the early 1970s. The design is marked by the ge...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wool, Linen, Upholstery, Wood
- Osvaldo Borsani Pair of Mid-Century P71 Walnut Armchairs for Tecno, 1954By Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Madrid, ESAn original pair of P71 walnut armchairs designed by Osvaldo Borsani and one of the first editions of Tecno.,founded in 1953 by Osvaldo Borsani and his brother Fulgencio Borsani. W...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- Certified Osvaldo Borsani Armchairs, model P71By Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Milano, ITDiscover the elegance of mid-century Italian design with these exceptional Osvaldo Borsani armchairs from the 1950s, model P71 of Tecno. Renowned for his innovative design and superi...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Stunning Red Armchairs P71 by Osvaldo Borsani - Mid century Italian Design 1950sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Milan, ITThese unique armchairs, crafted by Osvaldo Borsani and manufactured by Tecno in Como, Italy, date back to 1954. The P71 model stands as one of Tecno's early creations, showcased at t...Category
Vintage 1950s Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Armchair in Velvet UpholsteryBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Waalwijk, NLOsvaldo Borsani for Tecno, armchair model P32, velvet, metal, brass, Italy, 1956 Osvaldo Borsani designed the "Poltrona P32" in 1956 for Tecno. The refined formed seating shell with...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric
- Armchair P40, Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno, 1950sBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Milano, LombardiaArmchair P40, Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno, 1950s. An innovative armchair by Osvaldo Borsani, equipped with advanced technology to maximize the possibilities of the classic chaise longue. ...Category
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Rare Variant Pair of Armchairs P32 Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Italy, 1950By Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Rovereta, SMRare variant pair armchairs P32 Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy, 1950, whit brass legs.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood