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 for Gavina "Vanessa" Double Bed, Italy 1970s
By Tobia Scarpa, Gavina
Located in Naples, IT
Double bed mod.Vanessa in curved lacquered metal of the designer Tobia Scarpa for Gavina. Tobia Scarpa worked for much of his career alongside his wife Afra Bianchin (Montebelluna,...
Metal
Tobia Scarpa for Venini 802.1 Pendant
By Tobia Scarpa, Venini
Located in New York, NY
Hand blown frosted glass, chromed metal.. *2nd matching pendant available.
Metal, Chrome
Italian 20th Century Beige "Soriana" Leather Sofa By Tobia Scarpa For Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
A beautiful “Soriana“ leather sofa by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, made in Italy around the latter part of the 20th century. Finished in a very rare cognac colour leather, it is lovely ...
Metal
Russola pendant lamp, Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1962
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Milano, Lombardia
"Russola" hanging lamp, designed in 1961 by Tobia Scarpa and produced by Flos in 1962. It appears as a deep-drawn metal shell, lacquered black on the outside and white on the inside...
Aluminum, Brass, Metal
Bilobo Pendant by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1960s
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Bilobo glass pendant designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa and manufactured by Flos in the 1960s. The oval anodized aluminium base has two retractable attachment points, which can, almo...
Aluminum
Tobia Scarpa “ Venini “ Vase Murano Battuto, 1959, Italy
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Milano, IT
Venini vase “Tobia Scarpa”.
Murano Glass
Large Tamburo Floorlamp by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, Italy 1970s
By Flos, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Hellouw, NL
Tobia Scarpa is a near-mythical figure in the world of design. Celebrated for a wide-ranging body of work—much of it created alongside his wife, Afra—Scarpa’s contributions occupy a central place in the history of Italian modernism. It’s no surprise that Flos, a pioneering force in Italian lighting, has collaborated with Scarpa multiple times throughout his illustrious career. Design One of the most commanding examples of his bold, forward-thinking aesthetic is the Tamburo lamp, shown here in its rarest and largest version—an impressive 250 cm in height. As its name suggests (tamburo meaning “drum” in Italian), the design centers around a striking circular form, mounted at a precise 60-degree angle atop a sharply geometric stem.On both sides of the wide green housing, dark green rings...
Metal
'Tamburo' Floorlamp Medium-Sized by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, Italy 1970s
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Hellouw, NL
Tobia Scarpa is a near-legendary figure in the world of design. Renowned for a wide range of creations—many developed in collaboration with his wife, Afra—his work occupies a prominent place in the history of Italian design. It comes as no surprise that Italian lighting manufacturer Flos has frequently enlisted Scarpa’s visionary talent throughout his career. Design One striking example of his avant-garde style is the Tamburo lamp. True to its name—tamburo meaning "drum" in Italian—the lamp features a bold, round, abstract form set at a 60-degree angle on a distinctive stem. Green rings are attached to both sides of the green frame using Allen bolts, creating a design that feels both futuristic and evocative of the Memphis movement—bold, unconventional, and defiant of norms. A matte plastic diffuser is fixed at the front by the dark green ring...
Metal
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Pendant Lamp: Modern Aluminium & Brass Design
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Line Lamp For Cassina A pendant light designed by Tobia Scarpa, that takes shape as a seemingly simple structure with sophisticated, innovative technology, availa...
Aluminum, Brass
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Pendant Lamp: Modern Aluminium & Brass Design
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Line Lamp For Cassina A pendant light designed by Tobia Scarpa, that takes shape as a seemingly simple structure with sophisticated, innovative technology, availa...
Aluminum, Brass
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Table Lamp for Cassina, Mid-Century Modern Design
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Table For Cassina A table lamp designed by Tobia Scarpa, that takes shape as a seemingly simple structure with sophisticated, innovative technology. The lamp is ...
Metal
$5,564 / item
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Triangle Wall Lamp For Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Triangle Wall Lamp For Cassina A wall lamp designed by Tobia Scarpa, that takes shape as a seemingly simple structure with sophisticated, innovative technology, a...
Silver
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Table Lamp for Cassina, Mid-Century Modern Design
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Table For Cassina A table lamp designed by Tobia Scarpa, that takes shape as a seemingly simple structure with sophisticated, innovative technology. The lamp is ...
Metal
$5,564 / item
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Triangle Wall Lamp For Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Triangle Wall Lamp For Cassina A wall lamp designed by Tobia Scarpa, that takes shape as a seemingly simple structure with sophisticated, innovative technology, a...
Silver
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Table Lamp for Cassina, Mid-Century Modern Design
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Tobia Scarpa Eitie Table For Cassina A table lamp designed by Tobia Scarpa, that takes shape as a seemingly simple structure with sophisticated, innovative technology. The lamp is ...
Metal
Customizable Tacchini Glossy Lacquer Dialogo Armchair by Tobia Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in New York, NY
PRICE LISTED FOR STARTING FABRIC and glossy lacquer A rectangular frame with rounded edges, masterful joints, and strictly visible dowels and screws reinforces the typical double tr...
Leather, Textile, Walnut
Tobia Scarpa Geometrie Nascoste limited edition signed print, 2020
By Tobia Scarpa, Paradisoterrestre
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
An artistic project by the Venetian architect who, on the occasion of the exhibition Tobia Scarpa _ Dall’arte della misura silenziosamente (Paradisoterrestre Gallery – Bologna, 2020)...
Aluminum
$1,367Sale Price / item|30% Off
Molteni & C MHC.3 MISS Dining Chair by Tobia Scarpa
By Molteni & C, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Boston, MA
Designed by Tobia Scarpa Miss chair, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa in 1986. The form is linked to a system of soft, unbroken, linear rhythms. The legs are slim and divaricated, ...
Leather, Oak
Tobia Scarpa Scudo Magico, iron & brass limited edition sculpture, 2020
By Paradisoterrestre, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Ozzano Dell'emilia, IT
Materials: metal structure with brass welds, circular base in natural iron, brass sphere that allows manual rotation of the sculpture An artistic project by the Venetian architect who, on the occasion of the exhibition Tobia Scarpa _ Dall’arte della misura silenziosamente(Paradisoterrestre Gallery – Bologna, 2020), creates three limited edition artworks for Paradisoterrestre, starting from an interpretation of Melencolia I, enigmatic masterpiece realized by Albrecht Dürer in 1514. Tobia Scarpa breaks down the representation, extrapolating two of the key elements present in Dürer’s engraving related to the geometric-mathematical field: the polyhedron and the magic square. Scudo Magico...
Metal, Brass, Iron
Italian Modern Carrara Marble Table Lamp Biagio by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1970s
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Carrara marble table lamp Biagio by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1970s Iconic and fantastic table lamp mod. Biagio with direct light and rounded structure obtained from a s...
Carrara Marble
Italian mid-century modern Glass Chandelier Bilobo by Tobia Scarpa Flos, 1960s
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern Glass Chandelier Bilobo by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1960s Chandelier mod. Bilobo with rounded diffuser in Murano bollicine glass. The structure that supports...
Aluminum
Tobia Scarpa Nictea Pendant Lamp in Nickel-Plated Brass by Flos 1960s
By Flos, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Nictea pendant lamp in nickel-plated brass, and glass was designed by Tobia Scarpa in 1961 and produced by Flos. The Nictea lamp gives filtered and concentrated light thanks to the ...
Brass, Nickel
Italian mid-century modern Glass Chandelier Bilobo by Tobia Scarpa Flos, 1960s
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern Glass Chandelier Bilobo by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1960s Chandelier mod. Bilobo with rounded diffuser in Murano bollicine glass. The structure that supports...
Aluminum
Italian Mid-Century White Metal Jucker Table Lamp by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1963
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century white metal Jucker table lamp by Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1963 Jucker adjustable table lamps in white metal. Produced by Flos in 1963 on a project by Tobia Scarpa. Tobia Scarpa it is an important Italian designer famous for the Soriana sofa, the africa chairs and more iconic lamps like the beautiful Biagio lamp...
Metal
Italian Dark Green Murano Vase by Tobia Scarpa Buttato Series, Venini, 1960
By Tobia Scarpa, Venini
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
incredible vase signed by scarpa 1960 in murano glass from the series battuto for Venini signature on the bottom of vase.
Murano Glass
Biagio Table Light by Tobia Scarpa for FLOS
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Vancouver, BC
Designed by Tobia Scarpa in 1968. Table lamp providing direct light. Lamp body carved seamlessly from a single block of Carrara marble. Elegant and unique, this light is a sculptu...
Carrara Marble
21st Century Occhi Small Glass Vase in Coral/Crystal by Tobia Scarpa
By Venini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in murano, IT
Tobia Scarpa creates a fine exchange of glances: glass lenses with thin coloured rims form an interplay of softly rounded volumes. Tall or short, rounded or slender, this vase never ...
Glass
21st Century Occhi Large Glass Vase in Coral/Crystal by Tobia Scarpa
By Venini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in murano, IT
Tobia Scarpa creates a fine exchange of glances: glass lenses with thin coloured rims form an interplay of softly rounded volumes. Tall or short, rounded or slender, this vase never ...
Glass
21st Century Occhi Medium Glass Vase in Coral/Crystal by Tobia Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa, Venini
Located in murano, IT
Tobia Scarpa creates a fine exchange of glances: glass lenses with thin coloured rims form an interplay of softly rounded volumes. Tall or short, rounded or slender, this vase never ...
Glass