Massimo Vignelli and Lella Vignelli are legendary names in branding and were prolific creators of home furnishings, products and interiors. The duo’s modernist furniture collaborations, which span 50 years, have also left a profound mark on design and wider visual culture. Furniture created by the couple is often labeled as Massimo Vignelli’s alone, though he fought to have Lella recognized for her work, even throwing away magazines that neglected to give her due credit.
As Massimo wrote of their lifelong collaboration in his book Designed By: Lella Vignelli: “It is not holding a pencil with four hands that makes a partnership; it is sharing the creative act and exercising creative criticism which is reflected in the end result.”
After meeting in Italy, Lella (1934–2016) and Massimo began working together in 1961 and a decade later formed Vignelli Associates in New York. A self-described “information architect,” Massimo was committed to streamlining complex ideas into clear, visually arresting forms. (Witness the graphic identity that he cocreated with Bob Noorda for the New York City Transit Authority as well as his influential 1972 subway map.) The Vignellis’ most recognizable piece, for example, may be the Handkerchief chair, a stackable office chair made of compression-molded plastic that has the look of a cloth floating in air. It was created for Knoll in 1983 after they designed the brand’s logo.
Evidence of the couple’s influence can also be found in their Saratoga line (1964), the first collection of lacquered furniture, which helped herald in the trendy “glossy” look of the decade (and beyond). When the Vignellis created the Poltrona Frau Interview chair in 1988 for an Italian television station, it became widely sought after, “which goes to show you the power of the TV media,” the couple once said. Much like their elemental graphic designs, the Kono (1984) and Pisa tables (1985) — both created for Casigliani — cull the form of the table down to geometric shapes.
Many of the Vignellis’ designs are considered modern masterpieces and are included in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and other important institutions.
Find vintage Massimo Vignelli furniture today on 1stDibs.
1970s by Massimo Vignelli for Casigliani Marble Smoking Ashtray, Set of 3
By Massimo Vignelli
Located in Brescia, IT
Marble smoking set Rare series Perfect condition Measures: Ashtray: Height 8 cm / diameter 22 cm Ashtray: Height 9 cm / diameter 13 cm Ashtray: Height 8 cm / diameter 10 cm.
Marble
1970s Italian Ceramic Smoking Set: Blue Ashtray & Lighter
Located in Roma, IT
Smoking Set is a decorative object realized in the 1970s. A ceramic blue colored smoking set composed by a lighter and an ashtray. Dimensions: Lighter: h.7.5 x 7 cm Ashtray: h. ...
Ceramic
$793 / set
H 25.99 in Dm 10.56 in
Set of Two "Griglia" Floor Ashtrays by Enzo Mari for Danese, Italy, 1970s
By Danese Milano, Enzo Mari
Located in Milan, IT
Set of two Griglia floor ashtrays by Enzo Mari for Danese. Upper part can be also used as a table ashtray.
Aluminum
$384Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 2.75 in Dm 4.72 in
1970s Purple Murano Glass Smoking Set by Antonio Imperatore
By Cristallerie Antonio Imperatore
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Stunning purple smoking set by Antonio Imperatore in Murano glass. Made in Italy The items are in excellent condition. The table lighter works perfectly, This smoking set is go...
Murano Glass
Table top smoking set, ashtray and table lighter, Italy 1970
Located in Firenze, IT
Table top smoking set, ashtray and table lighter Italy 1970 metal The lighter is shipped empty and without the flint. H 8 cm x 6 × 6 cm H 3.5 cm x 12 × 12 cm Conditions: exce...
Silver Plate
$1,500
H 19.5 in Dm 5 in
Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien Standing Floor Ashtray, Smoking Stand, Austria, 1970s
By Werkstätte Hagenauer Wien, Franz Hagenauer
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful handcrafted standing ashtray / smoking stand with a wonderfully elegant and slender silhouette from the 1970s, marked and stamped, designed and produced by the renowned W...
Aluminum, Steel, Iron
1970s Brass Smoking Set by Pierre Cardin: Lighter & Ashtray
By Pierre Cardin
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Gorgeous smoking set by Pierre Cardin in brass and metal. This exceptional two-piece desk smoking set is an authentic testament to the 1970s avant-garde industrial design era o...
Metal, Brass
1970s Purple Murano Glass Smoking Set by Antonio Imperatore
By Cristallerie Antonio Imperatore
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Gorgeous purple smoking set by Antonio Imperatore in Murano glass. Made in Italy The items are in excellent condition. The table lighter works perfectly This smoking set is stu...
Murano Glass
$480 / set
H 1.57 in W 3.14 in D 3.14 in
1970s Italian Crystal Glass Smoking Set by Antonio Imperatore.
By Cristallerie Antonio Imperatore
Located in Milano, IT
Stunning, ultra-chic vintage smoking set designed by Antonio Imperatore during the 1970s. Expertly crafted in Italy, this two-piece set perfectly captures the bold, geometric, and gl...
Rock Crystal
Antonio Imperatore Murano Glass Smoking Set, Italy, 1970s, Excellent
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Stunning smoking set by Antonio Imperatore in Murano Glass. Made in Italy The items are in excellent condition. The table lighter works perfectly. This smoking set is gorgeous ...
Murano Glass
$384Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 2.75 in Dm 3.14 in
1970s Stunning Purple Smoking Set By Antonio Imperatore in Murano Glass.
By Cristallerie Antonio Imperatore
Located in Milano, IT
1970s Gorgeous purple smoking set by Antonio Imperatore in Murano glass. Made in Italy The items are in excellent condition. The table lighter works perfectly This smoking set is stu...
Murano Glass
Sergio Asti for Up & Up Marble Bow or Ashtray l, Italy, 1970s
By Sergio Asti, Up&Up
Located in Naples, IT
Beautiful roundbowl or ashtray in black marble and white veins designed by Sergio Asti for Up&Up.
Marble
Sphere Brass Ashtray Set by Tommaso Barbi, Italy, 1970s
By Tommaso Barbi
Located in Marinha Grande, PT
Elegant and rare set of five stacked brass ashtrays designed by Italian designer Tommaso Barbi in the 1970s. The five modular elements stack together to form a sculptural brass spher...
Brass
1970s by Massimo Vignelli for Casigliani Marble Smoking Set Ashtray
By Massimo Vignelli
Located in Brescia, IT
Marble smoking set Rare series Perfect condition Measures: H 10 / 14 cm H 5 / 15 cm.
Marble