Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.
Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia Scarpa worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)
Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.
For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.
Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”
It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.
Find vintage Tobia Scarpa table lamps, sofas, dining chairs and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Steel
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Mohair, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Steel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Brass, Nickel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal, Iron
Mid-20th Century Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Fabric, Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Fabric, Plastic
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Velvet, Teak
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Murano Glass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Chrome, Metal
1960s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Leather, Rosewood
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Murano Glass
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Murano Glass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Aluminum
1960s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Steel, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Leather
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal, Chrome
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal
1960s Italian Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Leather, Teak
1980s Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Brass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Blown Glass, Art Glass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Steel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Leather, Wood
2010s Italian Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Textile, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal, Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Chrome
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Leather, Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Cotton, Wood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Leather, Palisander
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal
1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Leather, Palisander
2010s Italian Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Oak
2010s Italian Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Textile
1970s Italian Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Steel
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Wood
2010s Italian Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Textile
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Aluminum
20th Century Italian Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Leather, Suede
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Steel
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Aluminum
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Aluminum
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Aluminum
1960s European Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Steel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tobia Scarpa Furniture
Leather