Nerone and Patuzzi furniture is a shining example of the experimental side of mid-century modern design. While the style is known mainly for its clean lines and simple forms, this Italian duo showcased how artistic it could be. Together, they designed beautiful abstract and figurative sculptures, as well as sculptural coffee tables and wall lights.
Gianni Patuzzi (1932–2022) and Giovanni Ceccarelli (1937–1996), who went by the name Nerone, worked together under the NP2 Group. They met while they were both students at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia and were acquainted again in Turin in 1959. The two struck up a fruitful partnership, and in 1962, they started the NP2 Group out of a studio in the Borgaro Torinese northwest of the city.
The idea behind the NP2 group was to integrate art with architecture and furniture making, bringing it out of museums and making it more accessible. The studio of the two young designers quickly became an exciting hub of innovation, attracting talented designers and artists like Marcel Breuer and Emilio Vedova.
In 1964, Nerone’s younger brother, Piercarlo Ceccarelli, joined the NP2 Group as a manager and administrator. Ceccarelli was instrumental in creating relationships with galleries, showrooms and architects throughout Europe and the United States. The group began receiving both public and private commissions.
By the late 1960s, the work of Nerone and Patuzzi was being exhibited around the world, earning recognition and awards. Their designs included everything from furniture and fittings to monumental sculptures. They utilized a wide range of techniques, including woodworking, metalworking and marble engraving.
Around this time, Nerone and Patuzzi began working on individual side projects, but they continued collaborating as the NP2 Group until 1974.
In an interview with the European Parliamentary Research Service in 2016, Patuzzi reflected fondly on his time collaborating with Nerone, remembering that they worked hard but with great enthusiasm.
On 1stDibs, find Nerone and Patuzzi decorative objects, tables, lighting and more.
Nerone & Patuzzi dining table 'Scultura Blocchi' for Gruppo NP2, Italy 1960s
By Nerone Giovanni Ceccarelli, Gruppo NP2, Giancarlo Patuzzi, Nerone and Patuzzi
Located in Rotterdam, ZH
Unique dining table 'Scultura Blocchi' by Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2, Italy ca. 1969. Outstanding sculptural solid wooden base out of two unique matching pieces with strong geom...
Smoked Glass, Wood
$30,977Sale Price|20% Off
H 15.75 in W 41.34 in D 35.44 in
Nerone e Patuzzi / Gruppo NP2 C10 Coffee Table For Forme e Superfici, Italy 1971
By Nerone and Patuzzi
Located in Hellouw, NL
Nerone e Patuzzi C10 coffee table Giovanni Ceccarelli, better known by his pseudonym Nerone, was born in Pisa in 1937 and Gianni Patuzzi saw the light...
Zinc
Gastone Rinaldi Dining Table Italy 1960s
By Gastone Rinaldi
Located in Čelinac, BA
Gastolane Rinaldi Dining Table With Smoked Glass Italy 1970s
Chrome
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2 Sculptural Coffee Table
By Nerone and Patuzzi
Located in London, GB
Designed by Italian duo Nerone and Patuzzi, this sculptural coffee table is truly a work of art. Its asymmetrical wooden base extends beyond the glass top, emphasizing the piece’s th...
Iron
$4,327
H 26.78 in W 51.58 in D 51.58 in
Tobia Scarpa Mid-century Modern Italian Dining Table "Andrè" for Gavina, 1960s
By Tobia Scarpa, Gavina
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Mid-century dining table in steel and smoked glass by Tobia Scarpa for Gavina. It is part of the 'Andre' line, circa 1960s. Large dining table made with tubular legs in polished stee...
Metal, Chrome
Richard Schultz for Knoll Petal Dining Table, 1960s
By Richard Schultz, Knoll
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Richard Schultz for Knoll Petal Dining Table
Iron
Wrought Iron Savonarola Dining Table, Italy 1960s
Located in Utrecht, NL
The Savonarola originates from a chair found in the convent of San Marco in Florence which was used by the 15th century Italian Dominican priest Girolamo Savonarola. Savonarola-style...
Iron
Florence Knoll Dining Table for Roche Bobois - 1960s
By Florence Knoll, Roche Bobois
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Measures : 188x107,5cm H:73,5cm Materials : Arabescato marble - Chrome This magnificent table was designed by pioneering American designer and entrepreneur Florence Knoll. She crea...
Marble, Chrome
$3,962
H 28.55 in Dm 47.25 in
"Tulip" Dining Room Table by Eero Saarinen for Knoll International, Italy, 1960s
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Brescia, Brescia
An original early-edition “Tulip” dining table designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll International and produced in Italy during the 1960s. Conceived to eliminate what Saarinen defined ...
Carrara Marble, Metal
Expandable Dining Table by Milo Baughman for Directional, c. 1960s
By Milo Baughman
Located in Deland, FL
Seats up to 10 people. The dining table was designed by Baughman for Directional and is comprised of the finest hand selected fletches of book matched veneers in: walnut, rosewood, English brown oak...
Walnut
Nerone & Patuzzi Coffee Table for Gruppo NP2, 1972
By Gruppo NP2, Nerone and Patuzzi
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Nerone & Patuzzi Coffee Table for Gruppo NP2, glass and wood, Italy, 1972. The Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2 Coffee Table is a masterpiece of wood and glass from Italy, 19...
Glass, Wood
Dining Table 'Andre' by Tobia Scarpa for Gavina, Italy, 1960s
By Gavina, Knoll, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Antwerp, BE
The 'Andre' dining table, designed by Tobia Scarpa for Gavina Italy in 1968 and later manufactured by Knoll International, showcases a sleek, minimalist design with a solid chrome fr...
Chrome
$38,500
H 16.07 in W 41.74 in D 35.83 in
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2 'C10T' Coffee Table in Wood and Crystal Glass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2, coffee table, wood, glass, iron, Italy, 1970s Designed by the Italian duo Nerone and Patuzzi, this sculptural coffee table is a true statement p...
Iron
Bamboo 'patio' dining table, Italy, 1960s
By Vivai del Sud
Located in amstelveen, NL
A beautifully crafted mid-century dining table from Italy, dating to the 1960s. Made entirely from natural bamboo, this piece showcases exceptional handwoven craftsmanship with a war...
Bamboo
Elinor McGuire NP-10 Center / Dining Table
By John and Elinor McGuire, McGuire
Located in Highland, IN
This elegant piece is the perfect center table, and can also serve as a dining table. One of Elinor McGuire's most iconic and enduring designs for McGuire of San Fransisco, the NP-10...
Rattan, Glass
Ignazio Gardella Dining Table for Azucena, Italy, 1960s
By Ignazio Gardella, Azucena
Located in Milan, IT
Minimal Ignazio Gardella dining table for Azucena, Italy 1960s Similar examples are at the PAC pavillion in Milan.
Metal