Domenico “Ico” Parisi was one half of a prolific postwar design duo he comprised with his wife, Luisa. Their furniture designs are known for running the stylistic gamut, with celebrated mid-century modern pieces ranging from elegantly skeletal — like dramatic ebonized dining chairs — to plush and shapely, like the iconic 1951 Egg chair, in a plethora of materials.
The son of an art teacher father, Ico Parisi was exposed to art at an early age. Born in 1916 in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, he and his family moved to Como in 1925. There, the young Parisi would begin to develop his interest in architecture and design. After earning a degree as a building inspector in 1936 and working as a civil engineer, Parisi took on an apprenticeship in the studio of Giuseppe Terragni, the modernist, fascist Italian architect, pioneer of the Rationalist movement and creator of the iconic Casa del Fascio.
While working for Terragni, Parisi crossed paths with such contemporary design talents as Lucio Fontana, Bruno Munari and Pietro Lingeri, though he briefly moved away from design and architecture to explore photography and film. His artistic work would soon be interrupted, however, by the outbreak of World War II, during which he served at the front before returning to Como in 1943. There, he resumed work as a designer and architect, founding two architecture groups: the Alta Quota and the Gruppo Como.
Through his creative circles, Parisi met Luisa Aiani, a former student of the prolific architect and furniture designer Gio Ponti, who was affiliated with the Alta Quota. They married in 1947 and founded the studio La Ruota — a cross between a design firm and an intellectual salon — in Como shortly thereafter. In 1950, Parisi finally completed his architectural schooling, studying under the nationalist architect Alberto Sartoris at the Athenaeum Architecture School in Lausanne, Switzerland. He and Aiani began several decades of sophisticated output, designing curved sofas upholstered in yellow velvet and armchairs with slender mahogany frames for enduring Italian manufacturers such as Cassina and others.
Much like Charles and Ray Eames in America, the Parisis worked as a team and relied on experimentation in style and material for many of their designs. Ico Parisi died in Como in 1996.
Find a collection of vintage Ico Parisi coffee tables, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.
Ico Parisi Iride Floor Aluminium Lamp Lower Version by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Iride Floor Aluminium Lamp by Cassina Ico Parisi’s fascination with the integration of design, art and architecture led to the creation of a floor lamp in the 1970s re-ed...
Aluminum
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Tsai Suspension Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Tsai Suspension Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A simple lighting sy...
Aluminum
Ico Parisi Palpebra Red Table Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Palpebra Matt Black Table Lamp by Cassina The creative flair of Ico Parisi in a playful invention of mimicry. This artistic lamp is engineered to open and close, mimicki...
Aluminum
Ico Parisi Iride Floor Lamp by Cassina, Red Aluminium, Higher Version
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Iride Floor Aluminium Lamp by Cassina Ico Parisi’s fascination with the integration of design, art and architecture led to the creation of a floor lamp in the 1970s re-ed...
Aluminum
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Table Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Table Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A simpl...
Aluminum
Ico Parisi, Wall Light, Metal, Glass, Italy, 1960s
By Ico Parisi, Arteluce
Located in High Point, NC
A black-lacquered metal and opaline glass wall light designed by Ico Parisi and produced by Arteluce, Italy, c. 1940s. Overall Dimensions (Inches): 19.5"H x 9.5"W x 13.0"D Back Pla...
Metal
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Table Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Table Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A simpl...
Aluminum
Ico Parisi sconces model 256 by Arteluce Italy 1964
By Ico Parisi
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare large sconces model 256 designed by Ico Parisi and manufactured by Arteluce in Italy in 1964. These elegant lamps have the original frosted glass shades inside, giving a lovely ...
Metal
Aluminium Tsai Table Lamp by Ico Parisi for Cassina, Italy
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Tsai Table Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A simple lighting system ...
Aluminum
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Suspension Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Suspension Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A ...
Aluminum
Ico Parisi Palpebra Aluminium Table Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Palpebra Matt Black Table Lamp by Cassina The creative flair of Ico Parisi in a playful invention of mimicry. This artistic lamp is engineered to open and close, mimicki...
Aluminum
Ico Parisi Iride Floor Lamp by Cassina, Aluminium, Higher Version
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Iride Floor Aluminium Lamp by Cassina Ico Parisi’s fascination with the integration of design, art and architecture led to the creation of a floor lamp in the 1970s re-ed...
Aluminum
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Suspension Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Suspension Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A ...
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s wood and glass chandelier design Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in None, IT
Chandelier with metal and teak frame and white opal glass shade, designed by Ico Parisi, 1960s. CONDITION: In good condition, works, shows signs of wear due to age. SIZING: Height ...
Metal
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Tsai Suspension Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Suspension Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A ...
Aluminum
Aluminium Tsai Table Lamp by Ico Parisi for Cassina, Italy
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Table Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A simpl...
Aluminum
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Table Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Champagne Painted Tsai Table Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A simpl...
Aluminum
Aluminium Tsai Table Lamp by Ico Parisi for Cassina, Italy
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mario Tsai, Aluminium Tsai Table Lamp by Cassina UNIT OF LIGHT A collection of modular metal lamps in which the base unit alludes to the shape of a brick. A simple lighting system ...
Aluminum
Ico Parisi Palpebra Matt Black Table Lamp by Cassina
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Palpebra Matt Black Table Lamp by Cassina The creative flair of Ico Parisi in a playful invention of mimicry. This artistic lamp is engineered to open and close, mimicki...
Aluminum
Ico Parisi Set of Three Iride Floor Lamp by Cassina, Aluminium
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Set of Three Iride Floor Aluminium Lamp by Cassina Ico Parisi’s fascination with the integration of design, art and architecture led to the creation of a floor lamp in th...
Aluminum
Ico Parisi Iride Floor Lamp by Cassina, Red Aluminium, Lower Version
By Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Ico Parisi Iride Floor Aluminium Lamp by Cassina Ico Parisi’s fascination with the integration of design, art and architecture led to the creation of a floor lamp in the 1970s re-ed...
Aluminum
20th Century Ico Parisi Pair of Pendant Lamps in Methacrylate for Terraneo, 60s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Turin, Turin
Ico Parisi was born in Palermo, Italy, in 1916, but as early as 1925 with his family he moved to Como, where in 1936 he graduated as a building surveyor and served an apprenticeship ...
Steel
Multicolor “Iride” Floor Lamp by Ico Parisi for Lamperti Robbiate
By Ico Parisi
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
A rare and iconic “Iride” floor lamp designed by Ico Parisi for Lamperti Robbiate in the 1970s. One of Parisi’s most striking lighting creations, the...
Metal
Floor Lamp Model "Iride" by Ico Parisi, Manufactured by Lamperti, Italy
By Ico Parisi
Located in Brussels, BE
Floor Lamp Model "Iride" by Ico Parisi, Manufactured by Lamperti, Italy
Aluminum, Steel
Mid-Century " Antares" Table Lamp by Ico Parisi, Wood and Fabric, 1950s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century " Antares" Table Lamp by Ico Parisi, Wood and Fabric, 1950s
Fabric, Wood
$1,423 / set
H 9.26 in W 8.86 in D 6.89 in
Italian Midcentury Minimal Wall Sconces with Frosted Glass and Metal, 1960s
By Azucena, Ignazio Gardella
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Beautiful pair of minimal, elegant mid-century wall sconces, Made in Italy during the 1960s. Reminds to Ignazio Gardella style. The light bases are made of varnished metal and are ve...
Metal
$4,943 / set
H 14.18 in W 14.18 in D 3.55 in
Fontana Arte Italian Midcentury Metal Glass Sconces Wall Lamps 1960s
By Fontana Arte
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian midcentury modern design sconces wall lamps or ceiling lamps ‘1940" model produced by Fontana Arte with varnished metal, chrome-plated brass, moulded glass, 1950s Italy produ...
Metal
$1,824
H 12.6 in Dm 16.54 in
Castiglioni Large Chrome "Light Ball" Wall or Ceiling Lamp, Flos, Italy 1960s
By Arteluce, Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Roma, IT
Fantastic Mid-Century "Light Ball' sconce or ceiling lamp in chrome designed by Achille Castiglioni for Flos in Italy during the 1960s. This is the largest versions of the light ba...
Metal, Chrome
Kalmar 1960s Glass Floral Wall Light
By J.T. Kalmar
Located in New York, NY
1960s German wall lights composed of a heavy thick glass floral element and a polished brass frame by Kalmar. One light source. Newly Rewired.
Brass
Mario Botta for Artemide ‘Shogun’ Floor Lamp
By Mario Botta, Artemide
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Mario Botta for Artemide, 'Shogun' floor lamp, aluminum, steel, Italy, 1986 Mario Botta referred to lamps as “people”. He said: "Shogun is a person. He has a head, body and feet, ...
Aluminum, Steel
Stilnovo style wall light, Italy circa 1960s
By Stilnovo
Located in Long Island City, NY
Stilnovo style wall light. Made in Italy in 1960s. Opalescent glass, nickel plated brass. One medium socket. Complimentary US rewiring upon request. 1 sconces is available. Price is ...
Metal, Nickel
Shogun Floor Lamp by Mario Botta for Artemide, 1980s
By Mario Botta, Artimide
Located in Littleton, CO
An iconic postmodern design by Swiss architect and designer Mario Botta, the Shogun floor lamp was produced by Artemide in Italy during the 1980s and has since become one of the comp...
Metal, Enamel, Iron
Walter Von Nessen Floor Lamp Early Version
By Nessen Studio, Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
Early and rare version of the now iconic Machine Age Nessen swing arm floor lamp. The construction of this example dates the lamp from the...
Steel
Italian Grey & White Metal Outdoor Wall Light, 1960s
Located in Varese, Lombardia
This wall light was designed in Italy in the 1960s. It was meant for outdoor use with a more resistant kind of paint, but can be used indoors as well. It is made from painted metal a...
Metal, Aluminum
Red & Black metal 1980s Megaron floor lamp by G. Frattini for Artemide
By Gianfranco Frattini, Artemide
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Black plastic round base, rare red painted metal body and aluminum floor lamp designed by Gianfranco Frattini in 1979 and produced by Artemide. Good vintage condition: signs of wear ...
Metal, Aluminum
Iconic Sonneman Orbiter Floor Lamp Early Version
By Robert Sonneman, Sonneman Lighting
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional mid century, post modern, space age style floor lamp designed by Robert Sonneman, for the Sonneman Lighting Co. circa 1960's. The lamp features an adjustable arc arm, th...
Steel, Chrome
Italian Wall Light in Metal and Brass, 1960s, Made in Italy
By Gio Ponti, Stilnovo
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Brass wall sconces Producer: Origin Italy Age: 1960s. Description: This modernist wall light was produced in Italy in the 1960s. It is made from solid...
Metal
Ico Parisi wall sconce lamp with extensible brass arm
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
Ico Parisi (1916-1996) Rare wall sconce lamp with extensible brass arm and cherry wood structure, lacquered metal hat. Stilnovo manufacture, 1950s. 95/140x40 stem 40
Metal, Brass
Ico Parisi Floor Lamp Iride for Lamperti - Italian Design 1970s
By Lamperti, Ico Parisi
Located in Milan, IT
The floor lamp mod. Iride is a joyful invention by Ico Parisi for Lamperti and embodies the desire for revolution and inspiration of the 1970s. With a lightweight aluminum and metal ...
Metal, Aluminum
20th Century Ico Parisi Table Lamp Mod. Palpebra for Lamperti, 70s
By Lamperti, Ico Parisi
Located in Turin, Turin
Ico Parisi was born in Palermo, Italy, in 1916, but as early as 1925 with his family he moved to Como, where in 1936 he graduated as a building surveyor and served an apprenticeship ...
Chrome
Mid-Century Mod. "Iride" by Ico Parisi Reimbow Floor Lamp, 70s, Italy
By Lamperti, Ico Parisi
Located in Palermo, IT
Rare "Iride" floor lamp, cylindrical red lacquered metal base, tubular structure with aluminum discs lacquered in the colors of the rainbow. Rear element in chromed metal, central ne...
Metal, Aluminum
Pair of Stilnovo Wall Sconces
By Ico Parisi
Located in London, GB
Set of 2 Stilnovo wall sconces in tubular brass with 2 bulbs each. We have an additional set of 4 with three tubes/bulbs each which can be added to the set. This is an ideal collecti...
Brass
Sold
H 22.84 in Dm 23.63 in
Glass Green Chandelier Italian Design Round Arteluce Ico Parisi 1964 Cromed
By Ico Parisi
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Glass green chandelier Italian design round Arteluce Ico Parisi 1960 Cromed, model n2041/b, 1964. 20 light bulbs E14 max 80 Watt each.
Crystal
Ico Parisi Mod. No. 256 Wall Lights for Arteluce, Italy, 1964
By Arteluce, Ico Parisi
Located in Milan, IT
Pair of Ico Parisi mod. no. 256 wall lights for Arteluce, Italy, 1964.
Metal
Ico Parisi Table Lamp, circa 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Brussels, BE
Ico Paris such lamps existed in various size as the wood polygonal shapes can be piled up to achieve the size. This one is all original with original wood button (see picture). The s...
Wood
Two Model 244 Sconces by Ico Parisi for Arteluce
By Arteluce, Ico Parisi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Two rare and important model 244 sconces by Ico Parisi for Arteluce. Designed and manufactured in Italy circa 1960. Brass and glass. Wired for US junction boxes. This ingenious desig...
Brass
Ico Parisi Arteluce Sconces Mod. 259, Italy 1959
By Ico Parisi
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare pair of sconces designed by Italian top designer Ico Parisi for Arteluce, Italy 1959. This is for model number 259 and was documented in the Arteluce catalogue from 1959. The la...
Metal
Pair of Sconces ‘Model #256’ by Ico Parisi for Arteluce
By Arteluce, Ico Parisi
Located in Albany, NY
Sconces have the original Arteluce sticker. Documented in Arteluce catalog.
Ico Parisi Arteluce Sconce Mod. 259, Italy
By Ico Parisi
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare sconce designed by Italian top designer Ico Parisi for Arteluce, Italy 1959. This is for model number 259 and was documented in the Arteluce catalogue from 1959. The lamp is als...
Metal