" UP 5 " by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia Red Armchair with Ottoman 1970s
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
NOT A 2000 SERIES Since its first appearance, the Up Series, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce, has been one of the most talked about examples of modern furniture design. The excep...
Fabric
Gaetano Pesce Up 5 and Up 6 Lounge Chair and Ottoman
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Dallas, TX
Gaetano Pesce Up 5 and 6 lounge chair and ottoman. The lounge chair is based off the woman’s form and the imprisonment of women with the symbolized ball and chain ottoman.
Fabric, Foam
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
" UP 5 " by Gaetano Pesce for C&B Italia Red Armchair with Ottoman 1970s
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
NOT A 2000 SERIES Since its first appearance, the Up Series, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce, has been one of the most talked about examples of modern furniture design. The excep...
Fabric
Sold
H 40 in W 42 in D 48 in
B&B Italia 'La Mamma' Up 5/6 Lounge Chair & Ottoman, Red Stripe by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Toronto, CA
Since its first appearance, the Up Series, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce, has been one of the most talked about examples of modern furniture design. The exceptional visual impact...
Fabric, Foam
Gaetano Pesce for B & B Italia Up 5 Chair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
huge stretch fabric covered molded foam armed chair
La Mamma Up 5 Lounge Chair & Ottoman for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
La Mamma Up 5 camel lounge chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, c.2000s, Italy.
Foam, Upholstery
La Mamma Up 5 Bouclé Lounge Chair & Ottoman for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
La Mamma Up 5 powder blue bouclé lounge chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, c.2000s, Italy.
Bouclé, Foam
La Mamma Up 5 Bouclé Lounge Chair & Ottoman for B&B Italia
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
La Mamma Up 5 teddy bear brown bouclé lounge chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, c.2000s, Italy.
Bouclé, Foam
Gaetano Pesce Up 5 Lounge Chair with Ottoman
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Madrid, ES
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for a few years before being discontinued, the lounge chair and pouf Up 5, also known as big mama, blow up and donna, was reissued in 2000 by B&B It...
Fabric, Upholstery
Gaetano Pesce, La Mamma Up 5 and Up 6
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Gaetano Pesce, La Mamma up 5 and up 6 by B and B Italia Iconic armchair and footrest Made in 1969, it has as a nickname " Big Mama" or "Blowup" Red Jersey Measures: Armchair widt...
Other
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
"Big Mama" Up 5+6 Chair and ottoman By Gaetano Pesce For B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in The Hague, NL
Iconic lounge chair + ottoman, model up 5+6 or donna or la mama, designed in 1969 by gaetano pesce for b&b italia.
Metal
Sold
H 40 in W 42 in D 48 in
B&B Italia 'La Mamma' Up 5/6 Lounge Chair&Ottoman, Green Stripe by Gaetano Pesce
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Toronto, CA
Since its first appearance, the Up Series, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce, has been one of the most talked about examples of modern furniture design. The exceptional visual impact...
Fabric, Foam
Sold
H 40.16 in W 46.86 in D 47.25 in
Gaetano Pesce Up 5 and Up 6 2000 Series Lounge Chair and Ottoman 'La Mamma'
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Zagreb, HR
Designed in 1969 by famous Italian designer Gaetano Pesce. Since its first appearance, the UP series, designed in 1969, has been one of the most outstanding expressions of design.
Fabric, Foam
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
Up 5 Lounge Chair with Up 6 Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce UP2000 Series
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Porto, Porto
The Big Mama chair and ottoman designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia. Up 2000 serie. The bulbous-shaped chair, with its connected ottoman, loosely resembles a silhouette...
Fabric, Foam
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
Up 5/6 La Mamma armchair and footrest by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia 2000 edit
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in PARIS, FR
In the early 1960s, the chemist Bayer developed a polyurethane foam with a new resin, allowing the creation of various and simple shapes. In the middle of the decade, the Italian des...
Fabric, Foam
Gaetano Pesce "UP-5" Red Striped Chair and Ottoman
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gaetano Pesce for B & B Italia (Italian, founded 1966) Series "Up" arm chair and ottoman with original striped jersey fabric.
$6,995 / set
H 26 in W 26.75 in D 26.75 in L 26 in
Djinn Armchair and Ottoman by Olivier Mourgue for Airborne
By Olivier Mourgue
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Iconic Djinn armchair and ottman designed by Olivier Mourgue for French company Airborne. Tubular steel frame and original fabric. Imported from Denmark. Needs upholstery. Ottoman me...
Fabric
$6,741 / set
H 40.56 in W 51.19 in D 47.25 in
Up Du5 and Du6 Armchair and Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B, 1970s
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Roma, IT
Armchair Gaetano Pesce for b&b - ITitalia series UP DU5 and DU6. Measures: 103 x 120 x 130 cm. It includes ottoman diameter 60 cm. An icon on international post-war design, and one...
Metal
$7,660 / set
H 40.16 in W 47.25 in D 43.31 in L 40.16 in
UP5 La Big Mamma Chair & UP6 Ottoman Gaetano Pesce, 2000s
Located in PARIS, FR
Designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce for C&B Italia — soon to become B&B Italia — the UP5/6, known as "La Mamma" or "Donna," remains one of the most politically charged objects ...
Fabric, Foam
$6,803 / set
H 31.5 in W 39.38 in D 33.47 in L 31.5 in
Senzafine armchair with foot rest by Gaetano Pesce 2010s
Located in PARIS, FR
Born in La Spezia in 1939, Gaetano Pesce spent six decades dismantling the conventions of Italian design from his studios in Venice, Paris and finally New York. Trained as an archite...
Foam
Up5 La Mamma Chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1960s. Italy Reupholstered in furrish brown fabric.
Fabric
$7,872 / set
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
MINT Black UP5 La Big Mamma UP 2000 Chair & UP6 Ottoman Gaetano Pesce B&B Italia
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Basel, BS
Beautiful original Gaetano UP5 + UP6, marked and labeled. Chair and ottoman set, sold together. Incredible like new condition. Mint, exquisite condition. This is a truly stunning exa...
Fabric, Upholstery, Foam
$3,201
H 39.77 in W 33.47 in D 64.97 in
Calla Red Leather Armchair by Stefano Giovannoni for Domodinamica, 1980s
By Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Roma, IT
Rare armchair realized by Stefano Giovannoni for Domodinamica in 1980s. Aluminum, leather, metal, polyurethane. Very good condition.
Metal, Aluminum
$3,542 / set
H 26.78 in W 35.44 in D 37.41 in
Italian Design UP1 Lounge Chairs by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, 2000s
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Renens, CH
UP1 Lounge Chairs, designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce for C&B Italia (now B&B Italia): These lounge chairs are known for their distinctive, sculptural round form, and due to their s...
Fabric, Foam
$2,795
H 28 in W 36 in D 34 in
Original Issue B&B Italia Armchair Series UP 2000 UP 3 by Gaetano Pesce, 1969!
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in New York, NY
A Rare, Original Production of a design icon, Series Up 2000, Up 3 Armchair / Lounge Chair by the legendary designer Gaetano Pesce for the premiere Italian manufacturer, B&B Ital...
Upholstery, Foam, Beech
$13,712
H 36.23 in W 33.08 in D 28.35 in
Franco Albini PL19 or Tre Pezzi Armchair in Red Fabric by Poggi 1970s
By Franco Albini and Franca Helg, Poggi
Located in Cascina, Pisa
PL19 or Tre Pezzi armchair with frame in black lacquered tubular steel, seat and back in padded red fabric. Designed by Franco Albini and Franca Helg in 1959 for the Nuove terme Lui...
Steel
$12,800
H 35 in W 35 in D 39 in
Italian 'Tumble' Lounge Chair + Ottoman by Adriano Piazzesi from Tre D, 1973
By Adriano Piazzesi
Located in Chicago, IL
A ‘Tumble’ lounge chair and ottoman designed by Adriano Piazzesi and produced by Tre D in Italy in 1973, a piece that sits somewhere between furniture and gesture. Low to the ground...
Chrome
$2,471
H 26.5 in W 36 in D 35 in
B&B / B&C Italia Up3 Up 2000 Series Arm Chair in Black by Gaetano Pesce
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Basel, BS
Gorgeous UP3 Armchair by Gaetano Pesce in black. What a beauty!!!! The B&B Italia Up3 Armchair, part of Gaetano Pesce’s renowned Up 2000 series, exemplifies the innovation and bold...
Fabric, Foam
UP1 armchair Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia 1969
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Milano, Lombardia
The UP1 Armchair, designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia, represents one of the most significant design icons of the 20th century. This armchair is part of the celebrated U...
Fabric
$7,199 / item
H 33.86 in W 30.32 in D 40.16 in
Marco Zanuso Antropus Armchair for Cassina, Italy, in red
By Cassina, Marco Zanuso
Located in Berlin, DE
Armchair designed by Marco Zanuso in 1949, relaunched in 2015. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Prices vary dependent on the chosen material.
Fabric
Meritalia Shadow Chair by Gaetano Pesce, Red Polyurethane, Italy
By Meritalia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Toronto, ON
The "Shadow" chair by Gaetano Pesce is an innovative piece of design, crafted by Meritalia. Like many of Pesce's works, it plays with form, colour and texture, aiming to create a uni...
Leather, Resin, Latex
"Ribbon" Lounge Chair and Ottoman by Pierre Paulin for Artifort
By Pierre Paulin, Artifort
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This iconic and innovative ribbon chair and matching ottoman designed by Pierre Paulin for Artifort is a stunning organic form of contoured tubular steel that is ergonomically design...
Steel
$7,950 / set
H 30.32 in W 26.78 in D 29.53 in
1940s Kozelka & Kropacek Armchairs in Texel Sheepskin & Brown Patinated Frame
By Karel Kozelka & Antonin Kropacek, Jindřich Halabala
Located in Almelo, NL
Mid-Century Czech design by Kozelka & Kropacek, reupholstered in luxurious Texel sheepskin with warm brown patinated bentwood frames. Comfort, craftsmanship, and timeless style. De...
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Bentwood
Bertu Counter Stools, White Oak Counter Stool, Chile Stool
By Bertu Furniture
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
Bertu Counter Stools, White Oak Counter Stool, Chile Stool This White Oak Chile Counter Stool is beautifully constructed from solid wood in Ohio, USA. The stool is chunky and modern...
Wood, Oak
$39,994 / set
H 26.4 in W 36.2 in D 36.2 in
Mario Bellini Blue Cotton Velvet Camaleonda Sofa for B&B Italia, 1972, Set Of 7
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Vicenza, IT
Camaleonda sofa, designed by Mario Bellini and manufactured by B&B Italia in 1972. The set features seven modules with backrest (four big modules and three small ones) and one armres...
Cotton, Velvet, Foam
$1,676 / item
H 15.75 in Dm 43.31 in
Contemporary Art Deco Mint green and Red powder coated Carousel 5 arms pendant
By Mambo Unlimited Ideas
Located in Lisbon, PT
Carousel suspension lamp has a delicate balance of form and function that produces a quiet, modern light ambiance for all to savour, with its Contemporary Art Deco lines. The struct...
Metal
$16,235 / item
H 53.15 in W 125.99 in D 59.06 in
Oval Brass and Parchment Chandelier by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires
By Diego Mardegan
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Beautiful chandelier by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires, this other version of the spider chandelier has longer arms on the sides giving the oval shape. The metal arms paint...
Metal, Brass
Pink Marble Pedestal Cone Side Table
By Kiwano Concept
Located in Eindhoven, NB
Introduce monumental elegance and a grounded detail to your interior with the stunning pink marble CONE side table. The sculptural geometric shape of this contemporary design piece ...
Marble
$4,000
H 50.01 in W 61.42 in D 29.93 in
Japanese Antique Large Black Tansu 1860s-1900s / Cabinet Sideboard Wabi Sabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is an old large Tansu made in Japan. This furniture was made during the Meiji period (1860s-1900s). The material used is cedar wood. The iron metal fittings in the center add an...
Iron
$24,868Sale Price|25% Off
H 6.3 in W 15.75 in D 5.91 in
Fossilised Skull of Prehistoric Marine Reptile the Mosasaur, 70Million Years Ago
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Upper Cretaceous, about 70-65 million years ago (Maastrichtian) Morocco The skull is reconstructed in good proportions with fossil pieces found in a phosphate mine in Morocco. I att...
Bone
Pink Quartz Bubble Sconces by Phoenix
Located in New York, NY
Pair of pink quartz bubble sconces with the polished brass finishes. Created by Phoenix gallery NYC. Each sconce installed four sockets. Use four 60w LED warm light bulbs. Total 240...
Rock Crystal
$944Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 14.97 in Dm 35.44 in
Boo Bed • Hand-Carved Dog Bed in Teak with Sheepskin Upholstery, by Odditi
By Odditi
Located in CAROOL, NSW, AU
The Boo Bed is a contemporary architectural throne for your doggo. Upholstered in luxurious long haired sheepskin for your fur baby’s comfort. Featuring hand-carved details and made ...
Sheepskin, Teak
Murano Sputnik Spherical Green Glass and Brass Chandelier
Located in Roma, Lazio
A fantastic emerald green sputnik, with a surprising design and for its very low height, which allows it to fit in both high and low ceilings. Very elegant, it will furnish and decor...
Brass
Geometric Mid Century Open Bookcase
Located in Westwood, NJ
Finished in Batavia Black with a Sandbar finish interior, this bookcase showcases rhythmic, crescent-shaped oval cut-outs that form an architectural silhouette—an homage to the sculp...
Wood
Donbar Faceted Fireplace in Patinated Iron
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Donbar fireplace, iron, Belgium, 1970s A 1970s fireplace by Donbar made in Belgium in the 1970s. Crafted from patinated black iron, this fireplace embraces a mesmerizing interplay o...
Iron
$5,945
H 28.35 in W 70.08 in D 38.59 in
Le Bambole sofa in velvet By Mario Bellini For B&B Italia, 1970s
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in ABCOUDE, UT
Beautiful Le Bambole sofa in coral/pink coloured velvet designed by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia in the 1970s. This beautiful edition is reupholstered in a high quality cotton velve...
Velvet
$5,713
H 26.78 in W 25.2 in D 29.14 in
Sculptural lounge ' Etcetera ' chair By Jan Ekselius Sweden 1970S
By Jan Ekselius
Located in Antwerpen, Antwerp
Swedish designer Jan Ekselius studied at the art academy in Stockholm and later at the Royal College of Art in London. He made his international breakthrough in the early 1970s with ...
Fabric
Lawless Sofa by Evan Fay
By Evan Fay
Located in Geneve, CH
Lawless sofa by Evan Fay Each is a unique hand-sculpted creation Dimensions: W 1676, D 863, H 1016 mm W 66”, D 34”, H 40” inches Materials: Steel, brass, foam, Knoll stretch appeal ...
Brass
Gaetano Pesce was of a generation of Italian architects who in the early 1960s rebelled against the industrial perfection of modernism by conceiving new furniture and objects that were at once expressive and eccentric in form; or you might say they were more like art than functionalist design.
Born in the picturesque coastal Italian city of La Spezia in 1939, Pesce was a precocious talent who could have forged a career as an artist but opted instead to go to Venice to study architecture because, as he has said, it was “the most complex of all the arts.” Rather than having new worlds opened to him at design school, however, Pesce found the rationalist curriculum oppressive in its insistence on standardization and prescribed materials and technologies.
Pesce wanted to explore the latest of both materials and technologies to create objects and buildings never before imagined, with what he called “personalities” that spoke to the issues of the day. He was keen to examine ways to diversify mass production so that each manufactured work could be distinct.
In 1964, Pesce met Cesare Cassina, of the forward-looking furniture company C&B Italia in Milan (now known as B&B Italia), for whom he would create many important designs, beginning with a collection of what he called “transformational furniture” — two chairs and a loveseat — made entirely out of high-density polyurethane foam. To make the pieces easy to ship and cost-efficient, he proposed that after being covered in a stretch jersey, they be put in a vacuum, then heat-sealed flat between vinyl sheets. Once the foam was removed from its packaging, the piece returned to its original shape — hence, the name Up for the series, which debuted in 1969.
In addition to these pieces, Pesce proposed for the collection something he referred to as an “anti-armchair,” which took the shape of a reclining fertility goddess, the iconic Donna.
Producing the piece's complex form turned out to be a technical challenge. Bayer, the foam’s manufacturer, deemed it impossible to accomplish. Pesce persisted and came up with a new procedure, demonstrating not only the designer’s key role in researching the nature and potential of new materials but also his vital importance in “doubting rules.” The Up chair and accompanying ottoman were born, and they were revolutionary in more ways than one.
In the early 1970s, Pesce began exploring one of his key concepts, the idea of the industrial originals. Employing a mold without air holes, and adding a blood-red dye to the polyurethane, he cast a bookcase that resembled a demolished wall, the rough edges of the shelves and posts resulting from fissures in the material made by trapped air.
Through his research into polyurethane, Pesce figured out a way to make a loveseat and armchair using only a simple wood frame and strong canvas covering as a mold. Since the fabric developed random folds during the injection process, the pieces were similar but not identical. Cassina named the suite of furnishings Sit Down and introduced it in 1975. By experimenting with felt soaked in polyurethane and resin, Pesce conceived I Feltri, another collection of armchairs introduced by Cassina in 1987.
Pesce went on to live a life that defied expectation and convention and along the way became one of the most seminal figures in art and design.
Find vintage Gaetano Pesce chairs, sofas, vases and more on 1stDibs.
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.