Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina Italy Iconic Bull Lounge Chair, 1987
View Similar Items
Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina Italy Iconic Bull Lounge Chair, 1987
About the Item
- Creator:Cassina (Maker),Gianfranco Frattini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 39.5 in (100.33 cm)Width: 43.5 in (110.49 cm)Depth: 39.5 in (100.33 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40.01 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1987
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:West Hartford, CT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3072322629642
Gianfranco Frattini
Gianfranco Frattini is widely regarded as a mid-century master of Italian modern design. He was an award-winning architect and designer, and specialized in creating furniture and decor that is both decorative and practical — Frattini’s vintage desks, armchairs, nesting tables and other works are celebrated for their sophisticated merging of function and form.
Born in Padua in 1926, Frattini studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He later apprenticed with his teacher and mentor, Gio Ponti. Through Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian architecture and design — Frattini met many notable modernist designers such as Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier, but an introduction to famed Italian entrepreneur Cesare Cassina would prove incredibly significant in helping launch his career.
During the mid-1950s, Frattini began to collaborate with Cassina’s eponymous company. He designed the brand’s acclaimed leather and walnut Model 849 lounge chair — a winner of the Compasso d’Oro award — the Marema nesting tables and the iconic Sesann collection. The latter, an enduring 1970s suite of impossibly welcoming leather-covered seating, is now produced by Tacchini. In addition to Cassina, Frattini created furniture and lighting for other manufacturers such as Bernini, Arteluce, Artemide, Knoll and more.
While many of his designs incorporate glass, tubular steel and other materials, Frattini loved working with wood. The sculptural Albero bookcase — an innovative floor-to-ceiling structure made in walnut that swings on a 360-degree vertical swivel axis — is a striking example of Frattini’s dedication to traditional woodworking techniques. In the early 1970s, he traveled to Japan with friend and collaborator Pierluigi Ghianda — a master Milanese cabinet maker — in order to study the work of artisans in Kyoto. The trip inspired his design of the Kyoto table, a work of solid beech with Canaletto walnut inserts that is part of the permanent collection of the Milan Triennale’s Design Museum. The Kyoto and Albero have been revived by Poltrona Frau.
Frattini’s designs are in the permanent collections of prestigious museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Find vintage Gianfranco Frattini furniture, lighting and decor on 1stDibs.
Cassina
Furniture manufacturer Cassina is a prolific design house for more reasons than one: It not only owns the licenses to an exquisite collection of iconic chairs, sofas, tables and other pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries but also produces original works that are characterized by innovation and the finest Italian craftsmanship.
Cassina’s illustrious legacy includes being one of the first companies to bring industrial design to Italy in the 1950s. Founded in 1927 in Meda, Italy, by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the Italian manufacturing giant originally specialized in bespoke woodworking. In nearly a century since its founding, the company has shown incredible foresight about design trends and the evolution of technology.
In 1964, Cassina signed an exclusive licensing agreement to manufacture furniture by Le Corbusier and his collaborators — such as the LC4 chaise longue made with trailblazing French modernist Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret — a move that would shape the future of the company. Cassina’s I Maestri collection is an ongoing initiative to restyle landmark designs from the 20th century, such as pieces by Gerrit Rietveld (the Red and Blue armchair from 1918), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Erik Gunnar Asplund, Franco Albini and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company preserves the intentions and original styles of their designs but adds updated techniques, materials and processes — rendering them the best possible combination of past, present and future. The brand has also worked with contemporary icons like Zaha Hadid, Gio Ponti and Philippe Starck.
Cassina’s original designs are cutting-edge as well. They include pieces for everyday use, the development of which is guided by comfort and the marriage of Italian craftsmanship with industrial technology.
Some of Cassina’s pieces, both from its contemporary and I Maestri collections, can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Vitra Design Museum. In 2014, the company became part of Haworth in its acquisition of Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, and in 2015, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola joined Cassina as its art director, leading the brand into its next century of inventive style.
Find a collection of new and vintage Cassina furniture on 1stDibs.
- Rare Knoll 65 1950s Chrome Lounge Chair with Daniel Cooper FabricBy Florence KnollLocated in West Hartford, CTRare Knoll 65 lounge chair with new upholstered Daniel Cooper fabric. While the form of the chair is rare, so is the fabric. Enjoy!Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- Adrian Pearsall Craft Associates Iconic Slim Jim High-Back Lounge ChairBy Craft Associates, Adrian PearsallLocated in West Hartford, CTNewly upholstered Pearsall Slim Jim chair, quite magnificent. Set apart by its height, 55" tall. One of Pearsall's most coveted pieces and, the...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Textile, Walnut
- Adrian Pearsall Newly Upholstered in Ivory Boucle Fabric Swivel ChairBy Adrian Pearsall, Craft AssociatesLocated in West Hartford, CTGorgeous newly upholstered in elegant ivory boucle fabric high back swivel chair. Designed by Adrian Pearsall for Craft Associates in PA circa 1960's. Why not own the best.Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsTextile, Bouclé, Wood, Walnut
- Guillermo Eyelash Wing Chair Newly Upholstered Armchair in Black Velvet, 1950sLocated in West Hartford, CTNewly reupholstered Guillermo wing chair, and iconic Hollywood Regency chair. The main fabric is black velvet and there is a burst of neon yellow piping as well. This is a very comfo...Category
Vintage 1950s Hollywood Regency Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Textile, Velvet, Wood
- French Louis XVI Fruitwood Arm Chair with New Herman Miller FabricLocated in West Hartford, CTIconic, vintage Herman Miller rare out of print fabric adorns this gorgeous French Louis XVI fruitwood arm chair. The juxtaposition is nothing short of riveting and this chair will i...Category
Vintage 1950s French Louis XVI Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Fruitwood
$1,400 Sale Price20% Off - Adrian Pearsall Craft Associates Lounge Chair OriginalBy Adrian PearsallLocated in West Hartford, CTIconic Pearsall chair, all original and still in magnificent shape, model 1534-C. The upholstery features a multi-stripe fabric that is still in great shape. There is a headrest at t...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsTextile, Walnut, Fabric
- Gianfranco Frattini 836 Lounge Chairs, Cassina, Italy, 1950sBy Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in London, GBA rare pair of lounge chairs by Gianfranco Frattini, produced by Cassina, Italy, 1950s. In good original condition - wooden frames and original upholstery. Fast shipping worldwide...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina Rare Pair of Mahogany Lounge Chairs Model 831By Cassina, Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in New York, NYGianfranco Frattini for Cassina rare pair of lounge chairs model 831 with frame in mahogany veneer and bent plywood with brass mounts, and camel leather upholstery, Italy, 1955.. The...Category
Antique 1830s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- "Sesann" Lounge Chair by Gianfranco Frattini for CassinaBy Gianfranco Frattini, CassinaLocated in Berkeley, CAThis fantastic "Sesann" lounge chair by Gianfranco Frattini originally graced the lobby of Edward Lararbee Barnes and John Ming-Yee Lee's architectural offices and is the perfect can...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina Lounge Chair in Green Upholstery and TeakBy Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in Waalwijk, NLGianfranco Frattini for Cassina, lounge chair model 877, fabric, teak, Italy, 1959 This grand lounge chair is based on a solid construction, featuring strict lines and angular shape...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Lounge Chair Model 849 By Gianfranco Frattini For Cassina, Italy 1950sBy Gianfranco Frattini, CassinaLocated in Hellouw, NLLounge chair model 849 by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina.Awarded the famous ""Compasso d'Oro"" in 1956 and one of the Italian designs that has withstood the test of time very well. ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina Ivory Kalgan Lambskin Lounge Chairs Model 836By Gianfranco Frattini, CassinaLocated in New York, NYGianfranco Frattini for Cassina rare pair of lounge chairs model 836 with walnut frames, black painted tubular metal legs, and back and seat cushions upholstered in a luxurious ivory...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Brass
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.