Cocoon Floor Lamp Nuvola by Tobia Scarpa, Italy
View Similar Items
Cocoon Floor Lamp Nuvola by Tobia Scarpa, Italy
About the Item
- Creator:Tobia Scarpa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 58.27 in (148 cm)Diameter: 22.45 in (57 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:Paris, FR
- Reference Number:Seller: 17771stDibs: LU206535455623
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.
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.
More From This Seller
View All20th Century French Modern Floor Lamps
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Wrought Iron, Iron
Vintage 1970s French Art Deco Floor Lamps
Murano Glass
Vintage 1960s French Scandinavian Modern Floor Lamps
Steel
20th Century Italian Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Wrought Iron
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Game Tables
Felt, Ebony
You May Also Like
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Floor Lamps
Steel
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Silver
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Silver
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Floor Lamps
Aluminum
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Metal
