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.
"Alfiere" wall cabinet with shelves , Ettore Sottsass for Zanotta, 1982.
By Ettore Sottsass, Zanotta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Rare "Alfiere" wall cabinet with red Verona marble base, two patterned laminated wood shelves and nickel-plated tubular element. Design by Ettore Sottsass for Zanotta, 1982.
Marble, Metal
A Pair of Carved Gilt Wood Wall Shelves
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A pair of giltwood wheat motif wall shelves, Italy, mid 20th Century, the good size measuring 15 inches high, 12.5 inches wide, and 6 iches deep.
Giltwood
$4,800
H 42 in W 52.5 in D 10 in
Bert England for Johnson Furniture Forward Trend Wall Mounted Cabinet
By Bert England
Located in St. Louis, MO
Bert England for Johnson furniture wall-mounted cabinet, leather covered doors with brass stud hardware. Please note , the white cabinet is sold, I have another in an olive green. Ph...
Brass
Pair of Blue Velvet Wall Shelves or Brackets
Located in New York, NY
Pair of blue velvet wall shelves or brackets. Handmade and covered in silk-rayon velvet. Measures: 12" x 6" x 9" H each.
Velvet, Wood
$840
H 10 in W 8.5 in D 6 in
Antique Black Forest Carved Deer Head Wall Shelves / Brackets with Oak Leaves
Located in Essex, MA
A striking pair of wall-mounted shelves crafted in the Black Forest style, each featuring a finely carved stag’s head in high relief, framed by richly detailed oak leaves and acorns....
Wood
$8,895
H 78.15 in W 98.82 in D 11.82 in
20th Century, Italian Production Wall Bookcase with adjustable shelves, 60s
By Midcentury Italian school
Located in Turin, Turin
Wall Bookcase composed of 3 bays with height-adjustable shelves. Designed and produced in Italy in the 60 s. It is realized in lacquered metal structure with brass bases and 14 woo...
Metal, Brass
$1,495
H 17 in W 58.75 in D 13.25 in
Italian Mid Century Wall Cabinet In Walnut with Glass Doors and Interior Shelves
Located in Troy, MI
Found in Italy, this wall-mounted cabinet dates from the 1960s. Cabinet has a walnut base with sliding clear glass doors and glass interior shelves. Unknown maker.
Glass, Walnut
Chrome & Brass Wall Mounted Shelves
Located in Hanover, MA
Blingy and glamorous 1970s custom made wall mounted shelves consisting of chromed steel single-track shelf standard which is embedded within a chann...
Brass, Stainless Steel, Chrome
$3,558Sale Price|20% Off
H 71.86 in W 70.87 in D 19.69 in
Mid Century Wall Unit Cabinet by Nils Jonsson for Troeds
By Nils Jonsson, Troeds Bjarnum 1
Located in Mortsel, BE
Very nice wall cabinet, some wear and tear see pictures please
Wood, Rosewood
Vintage Wall Cabinet
By Charlotte Perriand
Located in Houston, TX
Floating bookcase in the style of Charlotte Perriand with oak shelves and aluminum doors. The doors are a combination of sliding and open style. The piece has a warm vintage oak fini...
Metal
$213,484
H 113 in W 40.16 in D 20.87 in
20th Century, Ettore Sottsass "Tower Furniture" Series Wall Cabinet
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Turin, Turin
Ettore Sottsass grew up in Turin, and graduated in architecture from the Turin Polytechnic in 1939. In 1947, he founded his own studio in Milan. In 1956, Sottsass moved to New York w...
Metal
Pair 19th Century Japanese Wall Shelves
Located in Houston, TX
Late 19th Century Japanese carved wood wall shelves with inlay and painted foliage motifs.
Wood
Pair Early 20th Century Moroccan Wall Shelves
Located in Houston, TX
Pair 1920s or earlier Moroccan wood inlay wall shelves. These wonderful Múdejar design shelves feature abstract geometry, horseshoe, multifoil arches, and honeycombed vaults called m...
Wood