Promotional Mini Up Chair by Gaetano Pesce 2005
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A very cool and extraordinarily rare promotional item by Gaetano Pesce for the 2005 Milan Triennale
Plastic
$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
legendary designer Gaetano Pesce for the premiere Italian manufacturer, B&B Italia circa 1969. The piece
Upholstery, Foam, Beech
$2,606
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
Fabric, Foam
$8,299 / 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
Fabric, Upholstery, Foam
$5,002
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
UP5 La Mamma UP 2000 Chair & UP6 Ball Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Izegem, VWV
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969, right from the onset the Up series has been one of the most
Fabric, Foam, Latex, Polyester
$6,027 / set
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
UP5_6 armchair from the UP 2000 series, by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Langemark-Poelkapelle, BE
This iconic UP5_6 armchair from the UP 2000 series, designed by Gaetano Pesce and re-released by B
Fabric, Foam
Wieland Unimold Wedge Form Lounge Chair
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Hanover, MA
comfortable for lounging. Original upholstery reminiscent of Gaetano Pesce's UP chair. Very clean overall
Upholstery, Plywood
$6,216 / set
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
"Big Mama" Up Chair By Gaetano Pesce For B&B Italia, Italy, circa 2000
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
It was 1968 when Gaetano Pesce began experimenting at his Paris atelier with vacuum-packing the
Fabric, PVC
Unavailable
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
Gaetano Pesce Up Armchair + Ottoman, “La Mamma” B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in PEGO, Alicante
One of a kind lounge chair by Gaetano Pesce, the Up armchair and ottoman or “La Mamma” chair for B
Fabric
UP3 Up 2000 Series by B&B Italia by Gaetano Pesce
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in North Wollongong, New South Wales
The UP 2000 Series - UP 3 armchair covered with fabric by B&B Italia, designed by Gaetano Pesce
Gaetano Pesce “UP 1” Lounge Chair, Italy, 1970
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Madrid, ES
The “UP 1” lounge chair, designed by Gaetano Pesce in the 1970s, is a sculptural and avant-garde
Fabric, Wood
Sold
H 19.3 in W 63 in D 34.65 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 For B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brussels, BE
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" sculpture lounge chair "Foot".
Foam
B&B Italia Donna Up Chair Five by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Las Vegas, NV
This is an all original up five armchair designed by Gaetano Pesce, also known as Donna, Pesce said
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
Fabric, Foam
Gaetano Pesce Up 7 Chair
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Sculpture-seat by Gaetano Pesce in black polyurethane, original from the 1970s. Produced by B&B
Rubber
Sold
H 33.08 in W 64.18 in D 26.38 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Munster, NRW
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia The legendary "UP-7" foot is made of flexible
Foam, Coating
Sold
H 33.08 in W 64.18 in D 26.38 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "Up-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Munster, NRW
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia. The legendary "UP-7" foot is made of flexible
Foam, Coating
Sold
H 33.08 in W 64.18 in D 26.38 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "Up-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Munster, NRW
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia. The legendary "UP-7" foot is made of flexible
Foam, Coating
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
"Big Mama" Up Chair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, Italy, c.2000
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
It was 1968 when Gaetano Pesce began experimenting at his Paris atelier with vacuum-packing the
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
Fabric, Foam
B&B Italia Up3 Up 2000 Series Arm Chair by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Basildon, London
The B&B Italia Up3 Armchair, part of the iconic Up 2000 series designed by Gaetano Pesce, is a
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. The curvaceous
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. The
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
Sold
H 40.5 in W 47.25 in D 51.13 in
B&B Italia UP 2000 Series Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Special Edition Striped
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Chattanooga, TN
on her foot. Gaetano Pesce explains the project as follows: "At that time, I was telling a personal
Fabric
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
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
Fabric, Upholstery
Sold
H 40.5 in W 47.25 in D 58.13 in
Stripe Gaetano Pesce Series 2000 Up Chair & Ottoman by B & B Italia "La Donna"
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Palm Springs, CA
This Iconic Gaetano Pesce designed "UP" chair and ottoman was purchased by my Palm
B&B Italia by Gaetano Pesce Yellow Up Junior Armchair
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Basildon, London
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969, the original UP5_6 chair has become an iconic 20th century
Fabric
Sold
H 33.08 in W 64.18 in D 26.38 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Munster, NRW
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia The legendary "UP-7" foot is made of flexible
Foam, Coating
Sold
H 33.08 in W 64.18 in D 26.38 in
Gaetano Pesce, 1969 for B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge Chair "Foot"
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Munster, NRW
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B&B Italia The legendary "UP-7" Foot is
Foam, Coating
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
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
Fabric, Foam
Sold
H 41.34 in W 43.31 in D 51.19 in
Silver Up Five Armchair and Up Six Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By B&B Italia
Located in Dronten, NL
Icon of modernity, metaphor of the female figure that is endowed with a comfortable womb and is yet a prisoner. The UP collection was designed in 1969. Great original condition, mark...
Fabric, Foam
Up Series Chair and Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Waltham, MA
Up series lounge chair and ottoman by Italian designer Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia.
Foam, Fabric
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
Fabric, Foam
Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia "UP-7 Piede" Sculpture Lounge, 1969
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969 for B & B Italia the UP-7 Piede is made of flexible cold -shaped
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
Italian designer Gaetano Pesce. Since its first appearance, the UP series, designed in 1969, has been one
Fabric, Foam
$12,004Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 57.49 in W 129.93 in D 85.44 in
21st O'Connell I Bed Rattan Wood Leather Handmade in Portugal by Wood Tailors
Located in RIO TINTO, PT
Daniel O'Connell was an Irish political leader and one of the most prominent figures in the fight for Irish independence during the 19th century. Known as "The Liberator," O'Connell ...
Brass
$2,692Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 9.45 in W 21.66 in D 21.66 in
Acerbis LOKUM S Coffee Table in Amber by Sabine Marcelis
By Sabine Marcelis, Acerbis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Matter, light and colour come together in an intense interaction of materials. This collection embodies the elegance of pure forms, elevated through the use of hand-blown glass. Sabi...
Glass, Art Glass
$1,659
H 34.45 in W 66.54 in D 13.78 in
1960s Woven Wicker Single Headboard Rattan Midcentury Rustic Provence
Located in London, GB
A single woven wicker headboard from Provence, with integrated circular bedside tables. French, c. 1960s. Between bedsides 100cm.
Wicker
$680
H 10.24 in W 3.94 in D 3.15 in
Nils Thorsson 'Baca' Table Lamp for Royal Copenhagen Denmark 1960s
By Royal Copenhagen, Nils Thorsson
Located in Tilburg, NL
Nils Thorsson 'Baca' Table Lamp for Royal Copenhagen, Denmark, 1960s. This is a wonderful and quintessentially mid century Scandinavian table lamp by Nils Thorsson for Royal Copenha...
Pottery
"Big Mama" Armchair & Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brussels, BE
"Big Mama" Armchair & Ottoman by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
Fabric
$10,828Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 57.49 in W 76.78 in D 85.44 in
21st Century O'Connell II Bed Wood Leather Handmade in Portugal by Wood Tailors
Located in RIO TINTO, PT
Daniel O'Connell was an Irish political leader and one of the most prominent figures in the fight for Irish independence during the 19th century. Known as "The Liberator," O'Connell ...
Leather, Rattan, Wood
$11,635Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 31.5 in W 124.41 in D 45.28 in
21st Century Dakota Sofa Armrest Aged Brushed Brass Nobuck Made in Portugal
Located in RIO TINTO, PT
Often known as the "Land of Stone and Light", Badlands is part of the National Park of South Dakota. With a breathtaking view, its rugged beauty draws visitors from worldwide. Tra...
Brass
$3,013
H 13.78 in W 14.18 in D 14.97 in
Gilles CAFFIER (1963) free-form ceramic vase, signed and dated
By Gilles Caffier
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Gilles CAFFIER (1963) hand-pierced, free-form ceramic vase, signed and dated, numbered 3/20 interior glass dated 2012 handwritten signature Gilles Caffier is a French designer, born...
Ceramic
20th Century Italian Sapporo Sofa
By Sapporo
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Lovely mid-20th Century Italian Sapporo three seater sofa. In oak and reupholstered in light grey bouclet with soft comfortable cushions. Circa 1970.
Upholstery, Oak
Mid Century Modern Zanesville Architectural Pottery Diamond Planter Vase 1970s
By Zanesville Stoneware Company
Located in Troy, MI
Zanesville Stoneage Modern architectural diamond planter or vase USA circa 1960s Modernist vessel in natural glazed stoneware with signature ribbed texture A more uncommon design f...
Stoneware
Gaetano Pesce Moonshine wall sconce 1999
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Naples, FL
Rare wall sconce by Gaetano Pesce Studio, New York. This example was originally hardwired but has been rewired with a plug and switch for more functionality. A functional sculpture t...
Steel
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.
While this specific seating is known to all for its comfort and familiar form, the history of how your favorite antique or vintage lounge chair came to be is slightly more ambiguous.
Although there are rare armchairs dating back as far as the 17th century, some believe that the origins of the first official “lounge chair” are tied to Hungarian modernist designer-architect Marcel Breuer. Sure, Breuer wasn’t exactly reinventing the wheel when he introduced the Wassily lounge chair in 1925, but his seat was indeed revolutionary for its integration of bent tubular steel.
Officially, a lounge chair is simply defined as a “comfortable armchair,” which allows for the shape and material of the furnishings to be extremely diverse. Whether or not chaise longues make the cut for this category is a matter of frequent debate.
The Eames lounge chair, on the other hand, has come to define somewhat of a universal perception of what a lounge chair can be. Introduced in 1956, the Eames lounger (and its partner in cozy, the ottoman) quickly became staples in television shows, prestigious office buildings and sumptuous living rooms. Venerable American mid-century modern designers Charles and Ray Eames intended for it to be the peak of luxury, which they knew meant taking furniture to the next level of style and comfort. Their chair inspired many modern interpretations of the lounge — as well as numerous copies.
On 1stDibs, find a broad range of unique lounge chairs that includes everything from antique Victorian-era seating to vintage mid-century modern lounge chairs by craftspersons such as Hans Wegner to contemporary choices from today’s innovative designers.