He died tragically young, and his career as a designer lasted little more than 10 years. But through the 1960s, Joe Colombo proved himself one of the field’s most provocative and original thinkers, and he produced a remarkably large array of innovative chairs, table lamps and other lighting and furniture as well as product designs. Even today, the creations of Joe Colombo have the power to surprise.
Cesare “Joe” Colombo was born in Milan, the son of an electrical-components manufacturer. He was a creative child — he loved to build huge structures from Meccano pieces — and in college he studied painting and sculpture before switching to architecture.
In the early 1950s, Colombo made and exhibited paintings and sculptures as part of an art movement that responded to the new Nuclear Age, and futuristic thinking would inform his entire career. He took up design not long after his father fell ill in 1958, and he and his brother, Gianni, were called upon to run the family company.
Colombo expanded the business to include the making of plastics — a primary material in almost all his later designs. One of his first, made in collaboration with his brother, was the Acrilica table lamp (1962), composed of a wave-shaped piece of clear acrylic resin that diffused light cast by a bulb concealed in the lamp’s metal base. A year later, Colombo produced his best-known furniture design, the Elda armchair (1963): a modernist wingback chair with a womb-like plastic frame upholstered in thick leather pads.
Portability and adaptability were keynotes of many Colombo designs, made for a more mobile society in which people would take their living environments with them. One of his most striking pieces is the Tube chair (1969). It comprises four foam-padded plastic cylinders that fit inside one another. The components, which are held together by metal clips, can be configured in a variety of seating shapes (his Additional Living System seating is similarly versatile).
Vintage Tube chairs generally sell for about $9,000 in good condition; Elda chairs for about $7,000. A small Colombo design such as the plastic Boby trolley — an office organizer on wheels, designed in 1970 — is priced in the range of $700.
As Colombo intended, his designs are best suited to a modern decor. If your tastes run to sleek, glossy Space Age looks, the work of Joe Colombo offers you a myriad of choices.
Find vintage Joe Colombo lamps, seating and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Joe Colombo Mid-Century Bar Stool, White Lacquered Wood, Italy, 1960s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Naples, IT
Joe Colombo bar stool, an Italian design piece from the 1960s, featuring a white lacquered wooden double cylinder frame with a wooden base and a black faux leather upholstered seat.
Leather, Wood
Joe Colombo Bar Stool for Zanotta
By Joe Colombo, Zanotta
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bar stool by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, c.1970s, Italy. The swivel 'Birillo' stool features a small round black leather backrest and cream upholstered seat. The stool has a chrome fram...
Chrome
$1,421
H 19.89 in W 17.13 in D 18.9 in
Mezzadro Tractor Stools by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Zanotta, 1970s
By Zanotta, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Mezzadro Tractor Stools by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Zanotta, 1970s Italian design - Seating - Vintage Measures : 43,5x48cm H:50,5cm Materials : Steel - metal - wood M...
Metal, Steel
Italian mid-century modern round rattan high bar stools, 1960s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern round rattan high bar stools, 1960s Set of four high rattan bar stools with round base. The structure of the stools is given by three circles, the first is...
Rattan
Vintage Flowers and Wood Swivel Bar Stool, Germany, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s. Produced in Germany. Beautiful, well crafted flower Italian upholstery. The stool consists of an upholstered part, a seat and brown wood legs. Not r...
Steel
Brutalist bar stool, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Beautiful hand made mid century oak bar stool with a steel ring foot rest. Nicely finished seat with handy handle cut out. Good original condition. 1960s - Spain Dimensions: Heig...
Oak
$1,200 / set
H 37 in W 20.5 in D 21 in
Jerry Johnson Arcadia Bar Stools, Chrome Frame, Mid-Century 1960s
By Jerry Johnson
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on More Details below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing was from 1st Dibs and they normally set all the costs and ...
Chrome
Mid century brutalist bar stools - set of 2, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Beautiful hand made mid century tripod bar stools with backrests. Good original condition. 1960s - Spain Dimensions: Height: 90cm Seat height: 80cm Width: 60cm Depth: 40cm Ref.: ...
Oak
Italian Designer, Stools, Wood, Italy, 1960s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of wood stools designed and produced in Italy, c. 1960s. Wood refinished. Overall Dimensions (inches): 15.85"H x 19.2"W x 11.8"D All items ship from High Point, North Carol...
Wood
$4,301 / set
H 31.11 in W 13 in D 13 in
Set of 6 Mid-Century Bar Stools in Wood and Bast, 1960s France
Located in Nürnberg, Bayern
Super cool 60s bar stool. Typical normal signs of use.
Wood, Wicker
1960s Bar Stools in Blonde Wood and Hammered Iron
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Barstools, beech, hammered iron, Europe, 1960s This group of barstools from the 1960s are built around a clean geometry: a perfectly round seat, supported by four evenly spaced legs...
Iron
$6,238 / set
H 31.89 in W 23.63 in D 23.63 in
4 Mid Century Italian Wicker And Rattan Bar Stools C.1960
Located in London, GB
A set of Four Mid Century Italian Wicker And Rattan Bar Stools C.1960 In very good condition commensurate with age.
Wicker, Rattan
Sergiu Stairs by Bruno Munari for Zanotta, 1990s
By Bruno Munari, Zanotta
Located in Milan, Italy
Bruno Munari designed this ingenious accessory in 1989. After removing the container, you can sit on the stairs and clean your shoes, the utensils are stowed in the container. It is ...
Steel
Mezzadro stool, Achille Castiglioni for Zanotta, 1958
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Stool, single piece, Achille Castiglioni, Zanotta, Italy, 1958, chrome-plated steel, yellow enameled sheet metal seat and beech wood base, Zanotta trademark on the frame, famous for ...
Metal, Steel
Joe Colombo for Zanotta Pair of Barstools in Leather and Chrome
By Zanotta, Joe Colombo
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Joe Colombo for Zanotta, barstools, model 'Birillo', leather, chrome, fiberglass, Italy, 1971. Pair of remarkable swiveling 'Birillo' barstoo...
Steel, Chrome
Joe Colombo Pair of Black Bar Stools, Italy 1960s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Naples, IT
Pair of bar stools with double cylinder black lacquered wood frame with circular wood and chrome metal base, ivory faux leather seat. Drawn by Joe Colombo.
Metal
Pair of Stools by Joe Colombo, 1960, Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Roma, IT
Pair of vintage stools designed by Joe Colombo. Lacquered wood, metal and viny leather upholstery. Fully original and in very good condition.
Metal
Pair of Stools by Joe Colombo, 1960, Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage pair of stools realized by Joe Colombo in 1960s. Lacquered wood, metal and viny leather upholstery. Very Good condition except for some minor signs of time in the white lac...
Metal
Sold
H 41.74 in W 20.08 in D 18.51 in
Joe Colombo model Birillo set of four bar stools Zanotta Italy 1971
By Zanotta, Joe Colombo
Located in Etten-Leur, NL
Iconic set of four bar stools model Birillo designed by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, Italy 1971. These pop art bar stools feature a white fibreglass base with black rubber edge, heavy du...
Steel
Joe Colombo Bar Stool, Italy 1960s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Naples, IT
Bar stool with double-cylinder wooden frame covered in white with dark wood base and black faux leather seat. Designed by Joe Colombo.
Faux Leather, Acrylic, Wood
Bar Set by Joe Colombo, 1960s
By Joe Colombo
Located in bruxelles, BE
White and black bar set, consisting of two stools, a central unit and a rear unit with lighting. This set was designed by Joe Colombo and is made of leat...
Leather, Glass, Plastic, Wood
Sold
H 41.34 in W 17.33 in D 19.69 in
Space Age "Birillo" Bar Stool by "Joe" Colombo for Zanotta, Italy, 1970
By Zanotta, Joe Colombo
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
The “birillo” bar stool (italian for “bowling pin”), designed in 1970 for italian company zanotta is one of his last designs: colombo died in 1971 at only 41 years of age. futuristic...
Metal, Chrome
Birillo Stools by Joe Colombo
By Joe Colombo
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Set of 2 Birillo stools designed by Joe Colombo for Zanotta. Red leather and steel these are beautiful pieces. Very good condition, wear consistent w...
Metal, Steel
Birillo Stool by Joe Columbo by Zanotta Italy
By Joe Colombo
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A mod pop art bar or counter Birillo stool by iconic Italian designer Joe Colombo with square seat bottom and lollipop styled seat back in white vinyl . ...
Steel
Sold
H 41.25 in W 18.5 in D 18.5 in
Original 'Birillo' Barstools Set by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, c. 1971, Signed
By ICF New York, Zanotta, Joe Colombo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A rare collectors set of five (5) 'Birillo' bar-height barstools designed in 1971 by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, Italy, retailed by ICF New York. Signed underneath with Zanotta embossed logo and design information on each chair and ICF New York retailer labels on some of the chairs. These examples are original early year productions and ideal for collectors and modern art and design investors. These examples feature red vintage patent leatherette upholstery and white fiberglass bases. It's very hard to find a single Birillo stool let alone find a matched set of five bar-height barstools. If you are looking for a large set of modern bar height barstools, don't hesitate because once these are gone it will be a difficult opportunity to replicate. This early Post-Modern quintessential design is often misspelled 'Brillo' and even sometimes 'Brillio' but as seen documented in the 1978 Zanotta catalogue, the correct spelling is 'Birillo'. This set of five Joe Colombo Birillo...
Steel, Chrome
Stool "Birillo" Design Joe Colombo for Zanotta, 1970s
By Zanotta, Joe Colombo
Located in taranto, IT
"birillo" stool produced by Zanotta from the 70s, designed by Joe Colombo , structure in metal and steel, seat in black leather, branded underneath Very good condition, as shown ...
Metal, Steel