Entrepreneur Aurelio Zanotta founded Zanotta in 1954 in Nova Milanese, Italy. Originally called Zanotta Poltrona, it specialized in traditional furniture. By the early 1960s, however, Zanotta had established a reputation for edgy mid-century modern design. Today’s vintage furniture collectors know the brand well for its innovative and wholly sculptural chairs, coffee tables and more.
One of Zanotta’s earliest successes was the Mezzadro stool — better known as the Tractor stool — designed by Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and his brother Achille in the late 1950s. In 1965, Zanotta was among the first furniture companies to work with expanded polyurethane foam and frameless construction, such as for the Throw-Away sofas and armchairs designed by Willie Landels. Another popular design was the Blow chair — designed by Jonathan De Pas, Donato D’Urbino, Paolo Lomazzi and Carla Scolari — viewed by many as a physical expression of late '60s carefree culture.
In 1969, amid the provocative movement we now call Italian Radical Design, Zanotta’s Sacco chair garnered major attention. The boundary-pushing beanbag chair was the brainchild of designers Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro who presented it to Aurelio Zanotta as a transparent vinyl sack loosely filled with small polystyrene balls. He suggested its signature brightly colored leather.
The Sacco chair won the 1970 ADI Design Museum’s Compasso d’Oro award. In 1972, the Museum of Modern Art in New York included it in the landmark exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” curated by designer Emilio Ambasz. In 2020, it received a Compasso d’Oro ADI Lifetime Achievement Award for 50 years of enduring popularity. It is now in museum collections around the world including the Triennale Design Museum of Milan, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.
After Aurelio Zanotta died in 1991, the company remained in his family and has been run by his three children since 2002. Zanotta continues to set the bar high for furniture design with trend-setting pieces.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Zanotta seating, tables and other furniture.
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Scozia 0609 Leather & Chromium Plated Frame
By Gabriele Mucchi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Scozia 0609 Leather & Chromium Plated Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin fi...
Steel
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Leather 0309 & Chromium Plated Frame
By Gabriele Mucchi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Leather 0309 & Chromium Plated Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin finishe...
Steel
Zanotta Susanna Pied De Poule 64804 Fabric Armchair with Black Steel Frame
By Gabriele Mucchi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Pied De Poule 64804 Fabric Armchair with Black Steel Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin finished, or black painted tubular steel. A...
Steel
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Teolo 30607 Fabric & Nickel-Satin Finished Frame
By Gabriele Mucchi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Teolo 30607 Fabric & Nickel-Satin Finished Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin finished, or black painted tubular ...
Steel
Zanotta Medium Sacco in White Vip Fabric by Gatti, Paolini, Teodoro
By Zanotta, Gatti, Paolini, Teodoro
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Medium Sacco in White Vip Fabric by Gatti, Paolini, Teodoro Anatomical easy-chair. Envelope containing highly resistant expanded polystyrene pellets. Outdoor cover in Vip ...
Upholstery
Zanotta Large Sacco in Red Vip Fabric by Gatti, Paolini, Teodoro
By Gatti, Paolini, Teodoro, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Large Sacco in Red Vip Fabric by Gatti, Paolini, Teodoro Anatomical easy-chair. Envelope containing highly resistant expanded polystyren...
Upholstery
Zanotta Large Sacco in Grey Vip Fabric by Gatti, Paolini, Teodoro
By Gatti, Paolini, Teodoro, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Large Sacco in Grey Vip Fabric by Gatti, Paolini, Teodoro Anatomical easy-chair. Envelope containing highly resistant expanded polystyre...
Upholstery
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Leather 0340 & Chromium Plated Frame
By Gabriele Mucchi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Leather 0340 & Chromium Plated Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin finishe...
Steel
Zanotta Sciangai Adjustable Clothes Stand with Frame in White Varnished Ash
By Gionathan de Pas & Donato D’Urbino & Paolo Lomazzi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Sciangai Adjustable Clothes Stand with Frame in White Varnished Ash Folding and adjustable clothes-stand. Frame in oak, grey, white, black ...
Ash
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Scozia 0618 Leather & Chromium Plated Frame
By Gabriele Mucchi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Scozia 0618 Leather & Chromium Plated Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin finish...
Steel
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Scozia 0613 Leather & Chromium Plated Frame
By Gabriele Mucchi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Scozia 0613 Leather & Chromium Plated Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin finish...
Steel
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Scozia 0679 Leather & Chromium Plated Frame
By Gabriele Mucchi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Scozia 0679 Leather & Chromium Plated Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin finish...
Steel
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Leather 0313 & Chromium Plated Frame
By Gabriele Mucchi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Leather 0313 & Chromium Plated Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin finishe...
Steel
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Talento 27602 Fabric & Nickel-Satin Finished Frame
By Zanotta, Gabriele Mucchi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Talento 27602 Fabric & Nickel-Satin Finished Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin finished, or black painted tubula...
Steel
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Leather 0306 & Chromium Plated Frame
By Gabriele Mucchi, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Susanna Armchair in Leather 0306 & Chromium Plated Frame Frame in chromium-plated, or in natural or black nickel- satin finishe...
Steel
Zanotta Mezzadro Stool in White with Chromium Plated Steel Stem & Beech Base
By Zanotta, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Mezzadro Stool in White with Chromium Plated Steel Stem & Beech Base Chromium-plated steel stem. Seat lacquered in the colours: orange,...
Beech
Zanotta Small Elica Table in Clear Glass Top with White Frame by Prospero Rasulo
By Zanotta, Prospero Rasulo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Small Elica Table in Clear Glass Top with White Frame by Prospero Rasulo Base in Cristalplant®, composite material based on polyester and acrylic resins, loaded with mineral...
Glass
Zanotta Small Elica Table in White Plate Glass Top & White Frame
By Prospero Rasulo, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Small Elica Table in White Plate Glass Top & White Frame,Prospero Rasulo Base in Cristalplant®, composite material based on polyester and acrylic resins, loaded with miner...
Glass
Zanotta Large Elica Table in Smoky Glass Top with Black Frame by Prospero Rasulo
By Prospero Rasulo, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Large Elica Table in Smoky Glass Top with Black Frame by Prospero Rasulo Base in Cristalplant®, composite material based on polyester and acrylic resins, loaded with miner...
Smoked Glass
Zanotta Arom Armchair in Black Vale Fabric and Exterior in Black Cowhide
By Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Arom Armchair in Black Vale Fabric and Exterior in Black Cowhide Steel frame. Upholstery with self-extinguishing polyurethane foam/heat-bound polyester fibre with elastic strips suspension. Fixed internal nylon cover. Removable external fabric, Pied de poule or leather cover. The exterior body can be covered with cowhide 95, combined with fabric or leather. Cannot be covered with cowhide 95 in the shade white 0704. Arom is the latest armchair...
Upholstery
Zanotta “Alfa 1326” L- Shape Sofa & Ottoman in Yellow Linen & Black Leather
By Zanotta
Located in Barrowford, GB
This is a rare, pristine “Alfa 1326” L-Shape 4-Seat Sofa in a Mustard-Yellow woven-linen fabric & Ottoman in Black Leather from the world renown Italian furniture house of Zanotta. ...
Linen
Postmodern “625” Coffee / Side Table by Peter Noever for Zanotta, 1980s
By Zanotta
Located in Renens, CH
Coffee / side table designed by Peter Granite for Zanotta during the 1980s. Granite top with a Stove-enamelled cast-iron base. Materials: Granite, cast-iron Origination: Italy, 198...
Granite
‘Acanto’ Dining Table by Enzo Mari for Zanotta
By Zanotta, Enzo Mari
Located in Rotterdam, ZH
Sculptural dining table model 'Acanto' by Enzo Mari (Novara 1932 - Milan 2020) for Zanotta, Italy 1990. The design immediately catches the eye due to the asymmetrical sculptural base...
Metal
Sciangai coat stand by D'Urbino, Lomazzi and De Pas produced by Zanotta in 1973
By Zanotta, Paolo Lomazzi, Gionathan de Pas & Donato D’Urbino & Paolo Lomazzi, Donato D’Urbino
Located in Ravenna, IT
This coat rack has now become an icon of Italian design, awarded the Compasso d'oro in 1979, and is not short of numerous other awards. Its structure consists of a series of stained ...
Wood, Beech
Mid-Century Modern Desk By Zanotta, Italy
By Zanotta
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Desk By Zanotta, Italy When Aurelio Zanotta opened the doors to his eponymous label in 1954, its initial focus was on the production of sofas and armchairs which,...
Leather, Wood
Zanotta Servopluvio Umbrella Stand by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Zanotta
Located in New York, NY
Umbrella stand. Base in polypropylene, container in aluminium and steel support frame, painted in the shade black for outdoors.
Aluminum, Steel
Set of 4 "Mezzadro Tractor" Stools by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Zanotta, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Brussels, BE
Set of 4 "Mezzadro Tractor" stools by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Zanotta, 1970.
Metal
Alessandro Mendini's Cuculia Bowl for Zanotta, 1985
By Zanotta, Alessandro Mendini
Located in Dallas, TX
The Cuculia centerpiece bowl, designed in 1985 by renowned architect and designer Alessandro Mendini, is an extraordinary example of Italian design that continues to inspire. Made of...
Plastic
Zanotta 1009 Club Sofa for Indoor or Outdoor by Prospero Rasulo
By Zanotta, Prospero Rasulo
Located in New York, NY
Armchair and sofa for outdoor and indoor use. Steel internal structure painted for outdoor use. Weave in PVC thread with nylon internal reinforcement, in the shade of brown. Upon request a small seat...
Nylon, PVC
Servofumo dinner holder by Achille Castiglioni produced by Zanotta in 1961
By Zanotta, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Ravenna, IT
Servofumo dinner holder designed by Achille Castiglioni and produced by Zanotta in 1961. From a gray-painted polypropylene base rises a steel support rod, featuring a black-painted a...
Aluminum, Steel
Lialta chair designed by Roberto Barbieri in 2006 and produced by Zanotta
By Zanotta, Roberto Barbieri
Located in Ravenna, IT
Lialta chair designed by Roberto Barbieri in 2006 and produced by Zanotta in Italy. With a polished aluminum alloy frame, the seat features soft, sinuous curves. Its high back gives ...
Aluminum