Afra & Tobia Scarpa 'Artona' Sofa in Elm and Checked Fabric

About the Item

Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto, 'Artona' sofa, elm, checkered fabric, Italy, 1975. Cubic ‘Artona’ sofa by Italian designer couple Afra and Tobia Scarpa. This sofa shows absolute stunning craftsmanship. Highlight is the woodworking. The elm is inlaid with dark lines of wood, which create the effect of ebony. This is best exposed in the curved back. The dark lines are beautifully visible and strengthen the design. Please note that we currently have two sofas in stock. The ‘Artona’ line by the Scarpa duo was in fact the first line ever produced by Maxalto, the specialist division of B&B Italia. Maxalto was originally set up in 1975 as a high-end division of B&B Italia to focus exclusively on the production of artisanal, mostly wood furniture. The Artona was their first project and also functions as a counter-message against the common prevailing use of plastics in furniture design during the postwar period. Afra (1937-2011) & Tobia (1935) Scarpa both studied on the Venice Institute of Architecture. Tobia first worked for the Italian glass manufacturer Venini. From 1960 on the couple opened their own design office. Their work includes architecture and everyday items like furniture and clothing. Tobia & Afra designed for numerous major Italian and international companies like Flos, Gavina, B&B Italia, Cassina and Knoll International. Please note that we advise reupholstery before use. This item might contain some threadbare upholstery with loose seams and small stains. Reupholstery can be done before shipping by our experienced craftsmen and -women in our own in-house restoration atelier. With high attention for the original, they make sure every piece retains its value and is ready for the many years to come. We kindly ask you to contact our design experts for further information about the endless possibilities our restoration and upholstery atelier has to offer. Of course, a locally organized reupholstery is possible as well.

Creator:

Maxalto (Manufacturer),Afra & Tobia Scarpa (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 30.32 in (77 cm)Width: 65.36 in (166 cm)Depth: 33.47 in (85 cm)Seat Height: 17.33 in (44 cm)

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Elm,Fabric

Place of Origin:

Italy

Period:

1970-1979

Date of Manufacture:

1975

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftsmen in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. Check ‘About the item’ or ask our design specialists for detailed information on the condition.

Seller Location:

Waalwijk, NL

Reference Number:

Seller: 450120921stDibs: LU933123108212

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Shop All Afra & Tobia Scarpa

Afra & Tobia Scarpa

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.

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.

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 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.)

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.

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