Ico Parisi Italian Mid Century Set of Three Armchairs, 1950s

About the Item

Set of three armchairs worked wood frame covered with original velvet of the time attributable to Ico Parisi late 1950s. Additional measurements: seat depth 50 cm – back height 57 cm Domenico (Ico) Parisi was born on September 23, 1916, in Palermo, to Sicilian parents then living in Piedmont. In 1925 the Parisi family moved to Como, where Ico graduated as a building surveyor in 1936. Ico Parisi is to be considered, along with Ponti, Mollino, and De Carli, as one of the major architects of the change of style in Italian furniture in the immediate postwar period. His beginnings are striking: in 1947 he furnishes the Libreria dello Stato in Milan with unconventional solutions. A few months later he was invited by Fede Cheti to participate in the exhibition Lo stile nell'arredamento moderno, where he presented a series of small pieces of furniture that were much admired, some of which were reproposed in 1948 in the 34th Salon des Artistes Décorateurs in Paris. A proponent of a free style, where aerodynamic inventions and daring constructive solutions, often of organic inspiration, are realized thanks to the technical-constructive skills of artisans from Cantur (such as Brugnoli, Colombo, Rizzi) who guaranteed him excellent results, Parisi ranged in design from complex furniture to small furnishing accessories, united by an inexhaustible creative vein. In 1951 he was invited, together with architects Angeli and Saibene, to the 9th edition of the Milan Triennale. Here Parisi's eclecticism is expressed in all its declinations so much so that the furnishings presented are defined by Gio Ponti in Domus as "turbulent, 'not left alone' by the imagination." It is the beginning of a multifaceted design activity that leads him to design a series of furniture for the American firms Singer&Sons and Altamira. And it is also the beginning of new collaborations that would materialize with the newly formed Brianza furniture industry, particularly with the firms Angelo De Baggis of Cantù, Bonacina of Lurago d'Erba, and especially Figli di Amedeo Cassina of Meda. With Cesare Cassina Parisi established a relationship of total collaboration: not only would he be one of the leading designers for paradigmatic furnishings (the famous 813 armchair is an example), but he would be entrusted with the design of the Meda and Rome showrooms in addition to curating the company catalog.

Attributed to:

Ico Parisi (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 33.47 in (85 cm)Width: 27.56 in (70 cm)Depth: 27.56 in (70 cm)Seat Height: 15.36 in (39 cm)

Sold As:

Set of 3

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Velvet,Walnut

Place of Origin:

Italy