Vico Magistretti Golem
20th Century Brazilian Modern Chairs
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Lacquer
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood, Walnut
Vintage 1960s Chairs
Leather, Suede, Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Leather, Beech
Vintage 1960s Italian Post-Modern Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood, Bentwood, Paint
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood, Bentwood, Paint
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Fabric, Velvet, Lacquer, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Wood
2010s Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Bronze
2010s American Table Lamps
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Fabric
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Brass, Steel
2010s Italian Modern Chaise Longues
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Brass
Vintage 1970s French Space Age Architectural Elements
Metal, Aluminum
2010s Turkish Modern Floor Lamps
Linen, Ash
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Sets
Fiberglass
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Rock Crystal
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Architectural Elements
Metal
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s Italian Side Chairs
Wood, PVC
Vintage 1970s Italian Dining Room Sets
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Post-Modern Chairs
Leather, Lacquer
Vintage 1960s Italian Industrial Dining Room Chairs
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1970s European Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood, Leather
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Lacquer
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Upholstery, Bentwood, Cork
Mid-20th Century Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Chairs
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Dining Room Chairs
Bentwood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Lacquer
Vico Magistretti Golem For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Vico Magistretti Golem?
Vico Magistretti for sale on 1stDibs
As one of the founding fathers of modern Italian design, prolific architect and industrial designer Ludovico Magistretti (known by his nickname Vico) was guided by his philosophy, “There is no excuse for bad design.” His architectural projects are widely revered, and an ingenious meld of form and function can be found in his stylish and deceptively simple table lamps, sofas, armchairs and other mid-century furnishings.
Born in Milan, Magistretti followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather (both architects) to study architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. At the outbreak of World War II, he fled to Switzerland, and it was there he met his role model and mentor, renowned humanist architect Ernesto Nathan Rogers. Magistretti was inspired by Rogers’s vision to revive postwar Italy, and they collaborated on several reconstruction projects. Among Magistretti’s first architectural designs is a “poetic” round church, which he created for the QT8, an experimental Milanese neighborhood.
When Magistretti returned to Milan in 1945, he worked at his father’s architectural firm. It wasn’t until the early 1950s that he expanded his talents into design while working with furniture artisans.
In the 1960s, Magistretti began his 30-year working relationship with famed entrepreneur Cesare Cassina of the Cassina furniture manufacturing company. In their design approach, the two men shared a vision of the relationship between modernity and tradition and enjoyed a close bond (Magistretti designed Cassina’s luxurious villa in 1965). However, their friendship was not without contention.
Legend has it that upon seeing the prototype for Magistretti’s Maralunga sofa, Cassina hated it so much that he punched it, breaking the back of the sofa, which crumpled into itself.
“Right, great, it looks perfect to me like that,” an unfazed Magistretti allegedly responded, and the Maralunga’s slumped, adjustable-height backrest was born. Incidentally, the Maralunga sofa won Italy’s Compasso d’Oro award as did his Eclisse lamp for Artemide and his Atollo lamp for Oluce.
Magistretti died in 2006, but his designs live on in galleries, museums and private residences and offices around the world.
Find a range of vintage Vico Magistretti furniture and lighting on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Seating for You
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.