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.
Tobia Scarpa Fior Di Loto in Nickel plated Brass for Flos, Italy 1963
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Berlin, DE
The Fior di Loto suspension lamp was designed by Tobia Scarpa and made by Flos. It provides mainly indirect lighting through the detailed perforations on both sides of the lamp. This...
Brass, Nickel
Midcentury White Wool Soriana Sofa and 2 Armchairs By Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Madrid, ES
The sofa set and two Soriana armchairs designed by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. Steel structure and upholstered in white wool, Italian design from the 1960s. This iconic set of Soriana...
Steel
Italian Vintage Floating Shelf 'Fiordiluna' by Tobia Scarpa, 1991
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Italian Vintage Floating Shelf 'Fiordiluna' by Tobia Scarpa, 1991 Minimalistic, floating glass shelf with sophisticated technology in terms of design, construction, stability, and l...
Crystal, Steel
Tobia Scarpa , Table lamp mod. Biagio, prod. Flos, 1960s
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Rivoli, IT
Designed in 1968 by Tobia Scarpa and produced by Flos, the Biagio table lamp consists of a body carved from a single hollowed block of white Carrara marble. The Biagio table lamp is...
Carrara Marble
Vintage Space Age Bollo 870 Wall Lamp by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1970s
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Hamburg, DE
Bollo wall lamp from the Italian manufacturer Flos Flos after a draft by Tobia Scarpa from the late 1970s. The fan -like light head is made of metal and covered with a white structu...
Metal
Sofa model 920 by Tobia Scarpa produced by Cassina, Italy, 1960s
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Milano, IT
Sofa model 920 by Tobia Scarpa produced by Cassina, 1960s Sofa upholstered and covered in gray cotton and wood and metal frame.Designed in the 1960s by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. Goo...
Metal
$4,240Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Lounge Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for the B&B Italia
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant and modern pair of large armchairs designed by Tobia Scarpa for the B&B Italia manufacture in 1974 The pair of armchairs is upholstered in a brown leather. The armchairs are ...
Leather
Low Table by Tobia Scarpa for Knoll
By Knoll, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A substantial square low table having a heavy gridded architectural steel base supporting a thick smoked glass top.
Steel
Afra & Tobia Scarpa Soriana Sofa and Ottoman in Light Tobacco Leather by Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Berlin, DE
Prices vary dependent on the material/color/model of the product. Afra & Tobia Scarpa Soriana sofa and ottoman in light tobacco leather by Cassina in aniline leather. The ottoman is ...
Chrome
Three Seater Sofa by Tobia Scarpa for B&B, Italy
By B&B Italia, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, ES
Three seater Coronado sofa designed in 1966 by Tobia Scarpa for B & B Italia. Upholstered in original black leather.
Metal
$9,825 / item
FLOS Biagio Table Lamp by Tobia Scarpa
By Flos, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Carved seamlessly from a single piece of exquisite Carrara marble, the Biagio lamp by Tobia Scarpa has been a favorite since the design’s debut in 1968. A ...
Marble
Pair Tobia Scarpa Reflective Nickel Plate "Foglio" Wall Sconces, Circa 1966
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Original pair of Tobia Scarpa Nickel Plated Steel Foglio Wall Lamps. Featuring two organic, half-moon waist-banded reflective shades with Off-White enameled interior and rounded back. Ceramic sockets. with two standard (incandescent) bulbs per Lamp. Uplight and Downlight. Up to 75 watts per socket. Soft indirect light. Classic. Sculptural. Fine Italian High Modern...
Metal, Nickel
Tobia Scarpa Purple and Black Crystal 'Occhi' Bottle, 1960, Venini & Co.
By Tobia Scarpa, Venini
Located in Bochum, NRW
Tobia Scarpa. 'Occhi' bottle. Entwurf: 1959-60. Executed by Venini & Co. Rectangular bottle shape with corresponding neck. Clear crystal glass with chessboard-like murrine in black,...
Crystal
$6,000 / set
Pair of Mohair Coronado Armchairs, Tobia Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Los angeles, CA
Pair of Coronado armchairs designed by Tobia Scarpa. Upholstered in brown mohair with loose cushions, Deep, generous proportions balanced by Scarpa’s architectural restraint. A class...
Mohair
Bastiano lounge chair designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Gavina, Italy, 1961
By Gavina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Milano, IT
Bastiano lounge chair designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Gavina, Italy, 1961 The Bastiano lounge chair is one of the most recognisable designs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa, defin...
Leather, Wood
Set of 8 Red Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Tobia Scarpa, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 8 Red Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 The chair, which has now become an icon of Italian style, features Scarpa's typical double trestle structu...
Leather, Wood
$1,210 / item
Flos Foglio - Wall Sconce in Gold by Tobia Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Flos Foglio - Wall Sconce in Gold by Tobia Scarpa Resembling a shirt cuff, the contemporary Foglio wall lamp from design master Tobia Scarpa is a mixture of timeless and contempor...
Steel
‘Foglio’ Wall Lights by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1966 – Set of Four
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Almelo, NL
‘Foglio’ Wall Lights by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1966 – Set of Four (White, Excellent Condition) Offered is a set of four original ‘Foglio’ wall sconces...
Steel
Minimalist Outdoor Armchair by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A stylish, minimalist outdoor armchair designed for the younger generation that invites the spontaneity typical of a day to be enjoyed outdoors. In 1967, Afra and Tobia Scarpa craf...
Fabric, Wood
$18,870 / item
Tacchini Customizable T–Table by Tobia Scarpa
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
price listed for grey stained Two simple elements skilfully fit into each other, a bond studied down to the smallest detail that connects the top and the legs to ensure maximum stab...
Oak
$8,800Sale Price|20% Off
Biagio Table Lamp by Tobia Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Biagio table lamp by Tobia Scarpa. Designed and manufactured in Italy, 1968. Carved from a single piece of Carrara marble. Original EU cord. We recom...
Carrara Marble
$10,007 / item
Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Soriana armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. Manufactured in Italy. The idea of comfort itself becomes a sofa. Soriana came into being in 1969, thanks to an intuitive vision...
Metal
'Andre' Square Dining Table by Tobia Scarpa for Knoll
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Hanover, MA
Designed in 1967 for Gavina, the "Andre" dining table by Tobia Scarpa produced by Knoll. Chromed steel frame and chromed tubular steel legs, round black leather pads on top of legs s...
Chrome
$4,059 / item
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Floor Lamp For Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Floor Lamp For Cassina A floor lamp designed by Tobia Scarpa, that takes shape as a seemingly simple structure with sophisticated, innovative technology. The lam...
Silver
Tobia Scarpa Bastiano sofa, canvas and wood, 1960, Gavina
By Tobia Scarpa, Gavina
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
Bastiano 2 seater sofa by Tobia Scarpa with original upholstery in canvas. Supporting structure in wood, flying cushions with polyurethane bottom and top in feather on covered steel...
Canvas, Wood
Tobia Scarpa Battuto Vase for Venini
By Venini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Chicago, IL
Tobia Scarpa Battuto Vase for Venini, model no. 8067, blown glass with acid frosted surface, engraved 'venini italia' Dimensions: 12.25" high 7.2...
Blown Glass
Set of 4 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Tobia Scarpa, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 4 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 The chair, which has now become an icon of Italian style, features Scarpa's typical double trestle struc...
Leather, Wood
Italian modern table lamp Capalonga by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1980s
By Flos, Tobia Scarpa
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern table lamp Capalonga by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1980s Table lamp model Capalonga with lampshade composed of two white ceramic strips and two round metal parts. The stru...
Metal
1980's Postmodern Tobia Scarpa for Knoll Andre Dining Table
By Tobia Scarpa, Massimo Vignelli, Piotr Sierakowski, Knoll
Located in Burbank, CA
Vintage Post Modern dining table for sale. The table was designed in 1968 by Tobia Scarpa for Gavina, and then went to be manufactured by Knoll. It's the Andre dining table with a st...
Metal
$20,619Sale Price / set|30% Off
Tacchini Set of Six Limited edition Pigreco Chairs by Tobia Scarpa in STOCK
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
Pigreco set of 6 - limited edition of 200 - numbered #78-85 UPHOLSTERED in Dedar Gimel in color 03: Ardoise CANALETTO WALNUT BASE T135 The essential nature of a sign. The proportio...
Textile, Walnut
Tacchini Dialogo Leather & Walnut Armchair by Tobia Scarpa in STOCK
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in New York, NY
DIALOGO ARMCHAIR 47x51 CAT. Z - PELLE ANILINA 02 WALNUT STRUCTURE T169 FIRE RETARDANT FOAM CAL117 A rectangular frame with rounded edges, masterful joints, and strictly visible dowe...
Leather, Walnut
$11,303Sale Price / set|20% Off
Vintage Coronado Brown Leather Living Room Set Tobia Scarpa Labeled C&B Italia
By Tobia Scarpa, C&B Italia
Located in Ceglie Messapica, IT
1970 Vintage Coronado Brown Leather Living Room Set by Tobia Scarpa for C&B Italia Rare Vintage Coronado Living Room Set. Outstanding three seats “Coronado” large sofa along wit...
Leather
Mid-Century Modern Italian Three-Seat "Coronado" Sofa by Tobia Scarpa for B&B
By Tobia Scarpa, B&B Italia
Located in Prato, IT
Mid-Century Modern Italian three-seat flamingo pink velvet "Coronado" sofa by Tobia Scarpa for B&B. Project from 1960s The sofa can come as a living room set together with its pair ...
Velvet, Wood
PIGRECO Chair designed by Tobia Scarpa made by Tacchini
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Carson, CA
Pigreco Designed by Tobia Scarpa Pigreco expresses itself in the essentiality of the line, the balance between solids and voids, and the harmony between straight lines and curves, de...
Upholstery, Wood
Bastiano Sofa by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Knoll, 1970s
By Tobia Scarpa, Knoll, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
Bastiano sofa, designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Knoll, 1970s. Sofa features a solid black-stained wooden structure and original red upholstered cushions.
Fabric, Wood
Afra and Tobia Scarpa Design in Year 1965 for Cassina Italy Low Table Model 771
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Biella, IT
Afra and Tobia Scarpa design in year '65 for Cassina Italy low table mod. 771 with reversible wood top Material is rosewood and is in good vintage condition with sign of use ...
Wood
Tobia Scarpa “Pigreco” Dining Chairs for Gavina, 1960, Set of 6
By Gavina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Tobia Scarpa “Pigreco” dining chairs for Gavina, metal and walnut, Italy, 1960, set of six. Created for the furniture design course of Franco Alb...
Walnut
Green Tamburo Floor Lamp by Tobia Scarpa for Flos outdoor indoor
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Milano, Lombardia
“Tamburo” floor lamp with green finish, designed by Tobia Scarpa for Flos around 1960. Tamburo by Flos is an outdoor lamp designed by Tobia Scarpa in 1973 with a lacquered metal stru...
Metal
Pigreco - Chair by Tobia Scarpa for Tacchini
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, MB
Pigreco Armchair Design by Tobia Scarpa (1959) The Pigreco Armchair is Tobia Scarpa's very first design, created in 1959 and now produced by Tacchini. An icon of Italian design, Pig...
Fabric, Wood
Biagio Table Lamp by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, Marble, Italy, 1970s
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Brussels, BE
Biagio Table Lamp by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, Marble, Italy, 1970s
Marble
Coronado Two-seater Sofa by Tobia Scarpa in Cognac Leather, 1969
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, ES
Two seater Coronado sofa designed in 1966 by Tobia Scarpa for B & B Italia, Mobilplast edition, Spain. Upholstered in cognac leather.
Leather
Set of 4 Red Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 4 Red Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 The chair, which has now become an icon of Italian style, features Scarpa's typical double trestle structu...
Leather, Wood
Venini Vase 516.01 Acquamare Murano Glass Vase design Tobia Scarpa - Damiani
By Venini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, MB
Brand: Venini Designer: Tobia Scarpa & Ludovico Diaz De Santilliana Model: Vase 516.01 Collection: Beats / Canoes Made in: Italy Add an artistic and sophisticated touch to your inte...
Glass
Tobia Scarpa "Andre" Square Dining Table for Gavina, 1968
By Tobia Scarpa, Gavina
Located in Sacile, PN
Andre square dining table designed by Tobia Scarpa for Gavina, dated 1968. Smoked glass top on chrome structure.
Chrome
Bastiano leather armchair by Afra e Tobia Scarpa for Gavina 60s, 70s
By Gavina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Padova, IT
When Tobia Scarpa first designed the Bastiano Sofa in 1962, he wanted to provide seating that was sophisticated and elegant, yet casual and comfortable. In keeping with the spirit th...
Beech, Leather
Set of Six Dining Chairs by Tobia Scarpa, Italy, 1970s – Original Upholstery
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Almelo, NL
Set of Six Dining Chairs by Tobia Scarpa, Italy, 1970s – Original Upholstery This exceptional set of six dining chairs was designed by renowned Italian architect and designer Tobia ...
Fabric, Beech
Soriana Sofa by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy 1960s, Green Leather and Steel
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Madrid, ES
Three-seater “Soriana” sofa designed by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1960s. Green eco-leather upholstery with signature chrome-plated steel clamp structure. Awarded the Compasso ...
Steel
Bastiano Set of 2 sofas and 2 armchairs tobia scarpa for simon gavina
By Simon Gavina Editions, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Ghedi, IT
The Bastiano seating set, designed by Tobia Scarpa for Gavina in the late 1960s, stands as one of the absolute masterpieces of 20th-century Italian design. This beautiful composition...
Velvet
Minimalist Outdoor Armchair by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A stylish, minimalist outdoor armchair designed for the younger generation that invites the spontaneity typical of a day to be enjoyed outdoors. In 1967, Afra and Tobia Scarpa craf...
Fabric, Wood
Nictea Pendant Light by T. Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Nictea adjustable pendant light by T. Scarpa for Flos Inspired by space exploration in the 1960s Scarpa's design is spare and clean, combining space and light.
Metal
Set of 4 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Tobia Scarpa, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 6 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 The chair, which has now become an icon of Italian style, features Scarpa's typical double trestle struc...
Leather, Wood
$1,929 / item
Tobia Scarpa Bastiano low table, wood, 1960, Gavina
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
Bastiano low table by Tobia Scarpa in wood. Two pieces available.
Wood
Customizable Tacchini Dialogo Armchair by Tobia Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in New York, NY
PRICE LISTED FOR STARTING leather and walnut stained A rectangular frame with rounded edges, masterful joints, and strictly visible dowels and screws reinforces the typical double ...
Textile, Leather, Walnut
Set of 6 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 6 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 The chair, which has now become an icon of Italian style, features Scarpa's typical double trestle struc...
Leather, Wood
$3,133 / item
Pigreco - Chair by Tobia Scarpa for Tacchini
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, MB
Pigreco Armchair Design by Tobia Scarpa (1959) The Pigreco Armchair is Tobia Scarpa's very first design, created in 1959 and now produced by Tacchini. An icon of Italian design, Pig...
Fabric, Wood
Set of 2 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Tobia Scarpa, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 2 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 The chair, which has now become an icon of Italian style, features Scarpa's typical double trestle struc...
Leather, Wood
Original "André" table, designed by Tobia Scarpa for Gavina
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Paris, FR
Tobia Scarpa for Gavina chrome and glass top dining or conference table, called the "Andre" table. The frame of the top slides in an 'x' shape into the four cylindrical legs. The bar...
Chrome
"Andre" dining table by Tobia Scarpa for Knoll
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in BE
This Knoll dining table by Tobia Scarpa features a fume glass top resting on a chrome architectural frame with the original round orange leather pads on each leg. The piece is in goo...
Chrome
VENINI Opachi Ivory Murano Glass Vase by Tobia Scarpa, Signed 2002, Italy
By Tobia Scarpa, Venini
Located in Venezia, IT
Venini Opachi vase, model 513.04, in ivory Murano opaline glass, designed by Tobia Scarpa in 1960 and produced in 2002. Part of Venini’s refined Opachi collection, these vases are a...
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Occhi by Tobia Scarpa – Quadrangular shaped vase
By Tobia Scarpa, Venini
Located in Uccle, BE
Occhi by Tobia Scarpa – Quadrangular shaped vase “Occhi” vase by Tobia Scarpa. Quadrangular shaped vase from the occhi series. Made up of an arrangement of white and clear glass murr...
Art Glass, Blown Glass