Italian Mid-Century Modern Pecorelle Set by Cini Boeri for Arflex, 1972
View Similar Items
Italian Mid-Century Modern Pecorelle Set by Cini Boeri for Arflex, 1972
About the Item
- Creator:Arflex (Maker),Cini Boeri (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 24.41 in (62 cm)Width: 51.19 in (130 cm)Depth: 27.56 in (70 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 3
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1972
- Condition:Minor losses.
- Seller Location:MIlano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4860222482102
Cini Boeri
Had Cini Boeri been a man, the Milanese architect and furniture designer, who died in 2020 at age 96, might be regarded today on par with such visionaries of the mid-20th century as Gio Ponti or Marco Zanuso. She worked with both. Although she’s well known and deeply respected in Italy, her renown elsewhere has been more akin to a cult following.
“I admire the work she did across architecture, interiors and furniture,” designer Faye Toogood says of Boeri’s impact. “She practiced architecture during a time when it was considered that women were too fragile to work outside.”
Boeri was one of very few women of her era to graduate from Milan Polytechnic with an architecture degree, which she did in 1951. Her illustrious career hinged on the strict economy of her designs and limited palette of materials. For example, her innovative 1971 Serpentone sofa for Arflex was crafted from just one material, polyurethane foam, and sold by the meter. Her ingenious 1987 Ghost chair for Fiam was cut from a single sheet of thick glass.
But in Boeri’s earlier days, her pieces displayed a more youthful exuberance. The circa 1968 Cubotto cabinet, produced in small numbers by Arflex, is an elegantly irregular arrangement of eight drawers of varying dimensions. The wooden cube, two feet square, was finished in laminate — in vivid orange, blue, sand or white — with color-coordinated casters and handles of black-enameled brass. Its design reflects a Space Age interest in flexible, space-saving, multiuse furnishings.
“It’s a very clean piece of design,” says Kaisha Davierwalla, owner and founder of Vaspaar Italy. “Even with its strong, square lines, somehow the vibrant colors and asymmetry have the feel of a feminine touch.”
Find vintage Cini Boeri seating, lighting and tables on 1stDibs.
Arflex
From its unorthodox beginnings, Italian manufacturer Arflex grew into one of the leaders of 20th-century furniture design. Its furniture came to be known for its integration of new materials and bold appeal, and today a variety of vintage Arflex chairs, sofas and tables are emblems of mid-century modernism.
Arflex was established in Milan in 1947 by Pirelli employees Carlo Barassi, Pio Reggiani, Renato Teani and Aldo Bai. Barassi, a Milan Polytechnic graduate and visionary engineer at the Italian tire manufacturer, explored innovative technology and new uses for synthetic materials in domestic products (for Kartell, he codeveloped a ski rack for automobiles). The four founders partnered with a young architect named Marco Zanuso, who also desired to create furniture that featured an application of novel materials such as elastic tape and polyurethane foam.
One of Arflex’s inaugural pieces was Zanuso’s Lady armchair, a seat made of polyurethane foam that was manufactured in pieces and assembled at the very end of the production process. It won a gold medal at the 1951 Milan Triennale. A couple of years later, Arflex collaborated with Studio BBPR to create the office-chic Elettra and Neptunia chairs. The flourishing furniture company quickly established a reputation for compelling products and attracting and working with up-and-coming designers such as Roberto Menghi, who created Hall, a luxurious line of seating that would earn the Compasso d’Oro – Honorable Mention in 1959.
In the 1960s, Arflex continued to welcome the use of new and cutting-edge materials. Popular designs from this decade include Carlo Bartoli's fiberglass and polyester resin Gaia lounge chair and Cini Boer’s Bobo Relax lounger, one of history’s first seating pieces made of polyurethane foam (it has no internal frame). Boer, a pioneer of furniture design in Italy, also created the Strips sofa for the brand in 1972. Part of a plush modular seating system, the Strips sofa became an Arflex icon and was awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1979.
Arflex continues to work with innovative designers to this day. Among their more recent collaborations is with Swedish design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. The company's legendary creations are also on display at museums worldwide. The Lady chair, for example, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
On 1stDibs, you can find a collection of vintage Arflex lounge chairs, armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture.
- Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs Altopiano by Franco Poli for Bernini, 1970sBy Bernini, Franco PoliLocated in MIlano, ITItalian Mid-Century Modern armchairs Altopiano by Franco Poli for Bernini, 1970s Two armchairs Altopiano, upholstered in their original gray leather: fully upholstered, with wooden legs in a hemisphere with slightly lighter leather on one of the two seats. Designed by Franco Poli for Bernini, 1970s. Excellent condition, vintage patina leather...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
MaterialsLeather
- Italian modern red living room Marenco by Mario Marenco for Arflex, 1970sBy Mario Marenco, ArflexLocated in MIlano, ITItalian modern red living room Marenco by Mario Marenco for Arflex, 1970s Living room composed of two two-seater sofas and an armchair mod. Ma...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Living Room Sets
MaterialsMetal
- Italian mid-century modern black leather armchair Cesare Casati for Arflex 1960sBy Cesare Casati, ArflexLocated in MIlano, ITItalian mid-century modern black leather armchair Cesare Casati for Arflex 1960s Swivel armchair in black leather. The seat and backrest are composed of a single curved and welcoming...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Italian Modern Armchairs Movie Chair by Mario Marenco for Poltrona Frau, 1980sBy Poltrona Frau, Mario MarencoLocated in MIlano, ITItalian modern armchairs movie chair by Mario Marenco for Poltrona Frau, 1980s Set of 6 armchairs mod. Movie Chair with rectangular seat, armrests and bac...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Italian mid century modern white cotton and solid beech pair of armchairs, 1960sLocated in MIlano, ITItalian mid century modern white cotton and solid beech pair of armchairs, 1960s. Pair of armchairs with rectangular section frame and legs in walnut-stained solid beech and with sea...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsCotton, Beech
- Italian Modern Leather and Steel Armchairs by Kazuhide Takahama for Gavina 1970sBy Kazuhide Takahama, GavinaLocated in MIlano, ITItalian modern pair of white leather and satin steel armchairs by Kazuhide Takahama for Gavina, 1970s Pair of armchairs in white leather wi...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Set of two 'Pecorelle Armchiars' designed by Cini Boeri for Artflex, 1968By Arflex, Cini BoeriLocated in Milan, ITSet of two 'Pecorelle Armchiars' designed by Cini Boeri for Artflex, 1968 . The original armchairs in their shape have been reupholstered with an ocher fabric. The feet are made of w...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Arflex Pecorelle Armchair in Denver Fabric with Black Metal Legs by Cini BoeriBy Arflex, Cini BoeriLocated in Brooklyn, NYThe architect Cini Boeri tells that she was inspired by Christo Vladimirov Javasev's and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon's works, masters in the art of landscape painting. Nature pr...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Arflex Pecorelle Armchair in Denver Fabric and Black Fur Corners by Cini BoeriBy Cini Boeri, ArflexLocated in Brooklyn, NYThe architect Cini Boeri tells that she was inspired by Christo Vladimirov Javasev's and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon's works, masters in the art of landscape painting. Nature pr...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Strips Armchair by Cini Boeri for Arflex, 1970By Cini BoeriLocated in Arezzo, ItalyStrips armchair designed by Cini Boeri for Arflex in 1970, the project won the gold compass in 1979, fabric and upholstery in excellent condition.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Cotton
$1,922 Sale Price50% Off - 1st Series of Pecorelle Sofa, Cini Boeri for ArflexBy Cini BoeriLocated in VILLEURBANNE, FRSofa model Pecorelle designed in the 1970s by Cini Boeri for Arflex, awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1979 and now an emblematic model of the brand. This is a first edition, preserve...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Sofas
MaterialsWood
- Arflex Pecorelle Sofa in Denver Fabric with Black Metal Legs by Cini BoeriBy Cini Boeri, ArflexLocated in Brooklyn, NYThe architect Cini Boeri tells that she was inspired by Christo Vladimirov Javasev's and Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon's works, masters in the art of landscape painting. Nature pr...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
With Cini Boeri’s Clever 1960s Corner Cabinet, There’s No Need to Choose Sides
The Italian designer’s playful piece offers an elegant storage solution.
John Pawson’s New Jaffa Hotel Brings Contemporary Design to an Ancient Israeli Neighborhood
The architect has imbued the minimalist-chic Tel Aviv stay with his signature style, while at the same time honoring the site's long history.