Rare Pair of Osvaldo Borsani P71 Lounge Chairs
View Similar Items
Rare Pair of Osvaldo Borsani P71 Lounge Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Tecno (Manufacturer),Osvaldo Borsani (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 33.5 in (85.09 cm)Width: 26.5 in (67.31 cm)Depth: 32 in (81.28 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Very good vintage condition. Newly upholstered. Walnut is in very good condition with minor wear from age and use. Structurally sound. A full condition report / additional photos upon request.
- Seller Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1543225798002
Osvaldo Borsani
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Osvaldo Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. Borsani first worked for his father’s furniture-making firm, Arredamenti Borsani, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design.
By 1953, when, along with his twin brother, Fulgenzio — the pair also created this visionary mid-century villa — Borsani opened the furniture company Tecno, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair (1953). Borsani would be the firm’s lead designer for 30 years, while fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo di Carli, Robin Day and others.
Similar to Gio Ponti in the earliest years of his career, Borsani first created designs marked by lush and buoyant lines: tables with voluptuous curved legs, sofas with undulating backrests. But Borsani’s best-known and most novel pieces date from Tecno’s initial furniture lines: the adjustable D70 sofa, which folds open to make a daybed, and the P40 recliner. The latter — now included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum — is an articulated lounger with a back, seat and leg rest that can be moved into 486 different positions. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it is also enduringly chic.
Find a collection of vintage Osvaldo Borsani tables, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Tecno
Eugenio Gerli (b. 1923) is an Italian architect and industrial designer known for his long-lasting collaboration with the Italian architect-designer Osvaldo Borsani and the Italian manufacturer Tecno. In 1949, Gerli graduated with a degree in engineering and began his career a year later, opening his own architectural and industrial design practice. Architecturally, the firm focused on residential and public buildings, as well as the renovation of historic Italian buildings. Notable architectural projects include the Cardiology Clinic in Laveno-Mombello (1950), the Ambasciatori Theater in Milan (1954), the renovation and restoration of the Castiglioni Palace (1903). Gerli was joined by his two sons, Enrico and Guido, in the 1970s. In 1957, Gerli began a long and fruitful collaboration with the Borsani brothers, Fulgenzio and Osvaldo Borsani (1911–85), founders of the Italian furniture manufacturing company Tecno. In 1968, Gerli and Osvaldo Borsani exhibited their revolutionary Graphis Office System (1967) at the 14th Triennale di Milano. The system, which was made up of just three basic elements, was heralded as a revolution in office furniture design because the system’s modular components allowed unlimited and customizable combinations, which could grow (or contract) with the company. The system remained a bestseller for decades, and Tecno became synonymous for technologically-advanced design. The partnership between Gerli and Tecno lasted for more than 35 years. During the 1970s, Tecno launched its Centro Progetti Tecno (CPT), an in-house team dedicated to communications and industrial design work. The team, which included Gerli, Valeria Borsani, Kugo Toru, Borsani and his son Marco, became a driving force of technologically advanced ideas in design. Although Borsani remained in charge, the purpose of the department was to present future designs as group creations. The CPT was responsible for a number of the company’s successes, including the molded plastic Modus Office Chair (1972), which won the SMAU Prize in 1973; the steel mesh Waiting System (1983), a modular seating and table concept for large public spaces; and the rebranding of Alitalia worldwide (1982–84), for which Centro Progetti Tecno was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1984. Although Gerli's career as an architect-designer was prolific, his work is often overshadowed by his contemporaries and the legacy of his long-term partner, Osvaldo Borsani.
- Rare Pair of Distex Lounge Chairs by Gio PontiBy Gio Ponti, CassinaLocated in Chicago, ILThis rare pair of iconic Distex lounge chairs by Gio Ponti for Cassina, Italy circa 1950s, represent a pivotal moment in design history, encapsulating the radical postwar aesthetic t...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Upholstery, Wood, Velvet, Beech
Sold$45,000 / set - Pair Rustic Modernist Solid Oak Lounge Chairs by Dittmann & CoBy AWA HollandLocated in Chicago, ILEmbrace the bold character of the 1970s with this stunning pair of rustic modernist solid oak lounge chairs by Dittmann & Co for AWA Radboud, ha...Category
Vintage 1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsOak
$1,350 Sale Price / set46% Off - Rustic Modernist Solid Oak Lounge Chairs by Dittmann & CoBy AWA HollandLocated in Chicago, ILThese rustic modernist solid oak lounge chairs by Dittmann & Co for AWA Radboud, crafted in the Netherlands during the 1970s, are a testament to robust des...Category
Vintage 1970s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsOak
$675 Sale Price / item32% Off - Pair Scandinavian 1920s Solid Wenge Modernist Club ChairsLocated in Chicago, ILA rare and exquisite pair of hand-crafted Scandinavian Modernist/Art Deco club lounge chairs, circa 1920s. These solid wenge wood chairs, possibly one of a kind, offer a unique blend...Category
Vintage 1920s Swedish Art Deco Club Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Upholstery, Wood, Wenge
$7,000 Sale Price / set43% Off - Rare Pair of Stilnovo Monumental Eight Light Wall SconcesBy StilnovoLocated in Chicago, ILA rare and exceptional pair of monumental eight-light wall sconces by the renowned Italian design house, Stilnovo, dating back to the 1950s. With their impressive dimensions of 79....Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass, Aluminum
Sold$25,000 / set - Exceptional Rare Framed Lee Rosen Architectural TilesBy Lee Rosen, Design TechnicsLocated in Chicago, ILIntroducing an extraordinary treasure from the annals of mid-century modern design—an exceptional framed collection of 36 architectural ceramic tiles...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsCeramic, Terracotta, Walnut
- Pair of Osvaldo Borsani Lounge ChairsBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Chicago, ILPair of Osvaldo Borsani lounge chairs manufactured by Tecno 1966 Chrome plated round disc feet, reupholstered in Italian boucle. Borsani commissioned for Joseph James Akston, La Rotunda...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
$8,800 / set - Pair of Osvaldo Borsani 'Canada' Lounge Chairs for Tecno, Italy, 1960sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Chicago, ILPair of Osvaldo Borsani 'Canada' Lounge Chairs for Tecno, Italy, 1960s Model P110 Molded wood painted black, with black aniline leather Molded manufacturer's mark to each fastener ‘T...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Important Pair of Osvaldo Borsani P71 Armchairs in Walnut, Tecno, Italy, 1954By Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in The Hague, NLThis important pair of armchairs was designed by Osvaldo Borsani and produced by Tecno in Como, Italy in 1954. The very rare P71 was one of the first designs produced by Tecno after ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Chenille, Upholstery, Walnut
- Osvaldo Borsani Pair of Mid-Century P71 Walnut Armchairs for Tecno, 1954By Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Madrid, ESAn original pair of P71 walnut armchairs designed by Osvaldo Borsani and one of the first editions of Tecno.,founded in 1953 by Osvaldo Borsani and his brother Fulgencio Borsani. W...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- Pair of "P40" Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno 1950sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Rovereta, SMP40 lounge chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. Adjustable backrest armrests and seat, expandable footrest. Leather cover...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Rare Pair of Lounge Chairs Model P24 by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy, 1960sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Milan, ITLounge chairs model P24 by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. Surprising combination of sleek wood armrests on metal frame. Chairs can also be connected together creating a comfortable settee.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetallic Thread
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Mid-Century Master Osvaldo Borsani Gets His Due at Donzella
The New York City gallery has devoted its latest show to the work of the modernist Italian designer.
Peek inside Osvaldo Borsani’s Mod Italian Villa
The iconic mid-century estate outside of Milan opens its doors to the public for a very special homage.