Pair of Marco Zanuso Maggiolina White Leather Chairs by Zanotta, Italy, 1947
View Similar Items
Pair of Marco Zanuso Maggiolina White Leather Chairs by Zanotta, Italy, 1947
About the Item
- Creator:Marco Zanuso (Designer),Zanotta (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 27.96 in (71 cm)Depth: 42.13 in (107 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Hellouw, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5583222565552
Marco Zanuso
Italian designer Marco Zanuso helped cement his country’s place as a world leader in furniture design that used new materials in revolutionary ways.
Zanuso was part of a generation of furniture designers who encouraged a sharp departure from the traditionalism and classicalism that reigned over the design industry before the war. These designers, who are associated with what we now call mid-century modernism, experimented with new technologies and materials to deliver on the world’s newfound need for streamlined products that represented the future.
After graduating from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1939 with a degree in architecture, Zanuso served in the Navy during World War II. Soon after the war, he opened his own design firm in Milan in 1945. He later became an editor at well-regarded design magazines Domus and Casabella.
Zanuso used this editorial platform to both promote new Italian designs as well as his own pieces, some of which he made using unconventional materials like foam and latex. For instance, his famous Lady armchair from 1951 is a composition of foam rubber and Nastro Cord, a recently invented textile band of rubberized fabric that eliminated the need for metal springs. It was one of several pieces he designed for Italian manufacturer Arflex, along with the 1949 Antropus chair and the 1951 Sleep-o-matic sofa.
Zanuso often collaborated with other like-minded creatives. From 1955 until 1957, he was Olivetti’s architect, designing factories across Brazil, and for nearly two decades, he collaborated with German designer Richard Sapper. The pair’s most famous product is the 4999 children’s chair, manufactured in the 1960s by Kartell in Italy. The stackable chair was the first to be manufactured entirely of injection-molded plastic.
Zanuso and Sapper also partnered on the 1962 Brionvega Doney 14, the first European-made portable transistor TV; its sleek, compact and curvy form deeply influenced the design of television sets that followed, which were far more sculptural in form than the rigid boxes that characterized early models.
From the 1970s onward, Zanuso taught architecture and industrial design at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He still exercised his creative talents, planning the headquarters for computer companies and renovating Italian theaters.
Each of Zanuso’s elegant works were demonstrative of a forward-looking sensibility. His projects saw an integration of novel industrial materials that not only helped emphasize the beauty of good design but also played a role in rendering these well-made products accessible to everyday consumers.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Marco Zanuso furniture, including armchairs, sofas, table lamps and other items.
Zanotta
Entrepreneur Aurelio Zanotta founded Zanotta in 1954 in Nova Milanese, Italy. Originally called Zanotta Poltrona, it specialized in traditional furniture. By the early 1960s, however, Zanotta had established a reputation for edgy mid-century modern design. Today’s vintage furniture collectors know the brand well for its innovative and wholly sculptural chairs, coffee tables and more.
One of Zanotta’s earliest successes was the Mezzadro stool — better known as the Tractor stool — designed by Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and his brother Achille in the late 1950s. In 1965, Zanotta was among the first furniture companies to work with expanded polyurethane foam and frameless construction, such as for the Throw-Away sofas and armchairs designed by Willie Landels. Another popular design was the Blow chair — designed by Jonathan De Pas, Donato D’Urbino, Paolo Lomazzi and Carla Scolari — viewed by many as a physical expression of late '60s carefree culture.
In 1969, amid the provocative movement we now call Italian Radical Design, Zanotta’s Sacco chair garnered major attention. The boundary-pushing beanbag chair was the brainchild of designers Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro who presented it to Aurelio Zanotta as a transparent vinyl sack loosely filled with small polystyrene balls. He suggested its signature brightly colored leather.
The Sacco chair won the 1970 ADI Design Museum’s Compasso d’Oro award. In 1972, the Museum of Modern Art in New York included it in the landmark exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” curated by designer Emilio Ambasz. In 2020, it received a Compasso d’Oro ADI Lifetime Achievement Award for 50 years of enduring popularity. It is now in museum collections around the world including the Triennale Design Museum of Milan, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.
After Aurelio Zanotta died in 1991, the company remained in his family and has been run by his three children since 2002. Zanotta continues to set the bar high for furniture design with trend-setting pieces.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Zanotta seating, tables and other furniture.
- Pair of Eugenio Gerli Model 126 Lounge Chairs Società Compensati Curvi, ItalyBy Società Compensati Curvati, Eugenio GerliLocated in Hellouw, NLThese beautiful bentwood chairs were designed in 1958 by the Italian architect Eugenio Gerli for Società Compensatie Curvi. This company, which was located in Monza at the time, specialized in manufacturing highly stylized chairs made of bentwood with a modular choice offered to the customer. For example, there was a catalog showing that at that time you could choose from different types of bases and bodies. These specific lounge chairs are made up of seven layers of glued and bent teak veneer. A special example of craftsmanship and artistry in which technique and aesthetics effortlessly come together. The body is attached to a beautiful slender black-painted metal base by means of four bolts. The considerable contrast between the base and the seating area seems to make the chair float. The opening at the back of the seat allows for an angelic light...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Italian Modern Osvaldo Borsani Arm Chair Model P24 by Tecno, Italy, 1961By Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Hellouw, NLImpressive Italian Modern Osvaldo Borsani arm chair Model P24 by Tecno from Italy 1961. Wooden armrests in combination with the metal frame make this an interesting and timeless piec...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Brutalist Oak Chairs with Faux Leather in the Style of Charles Dudouyt, 1950sBy Charles DudouytLocated in Hellouw, NLA set of two beautiful rustic brutalist oak chairs in faux leather upholstery in the style of Charles Dudouyt from the 1950s. These lounge chairs c...Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFaux Leather, Oak
- Set of 8 “Irma” Dining Chairs by Achille Castiglioni for Zanotta, Italy 1970sBy Achille Castiglioni, ZanottaLocated in Hellouw, NLThe "Irma" chair, designed by the renowned Italian designer Achille Castiglioni in the 1970s and produced by the esteemed Italian furniture company Zanotta, stands as a timeless test...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Grete Jalk Model 118 armchairs in Teak for France & Daverkosen, 1950sBy Grete Jalk, France & DaverkosenLocated in Hellouw, NLCharming pair of Grete Jalk Model 118 armchairs in teak and fabric for France & Daverkosen from 1955. These two comfortable chairs are the first o...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Teak
- Kaare Klint 'Safari' Lounge Chair for Red Rasmussen, Denmark, 1960sBy Kaare KlintLocated in Hellouw, NLThis is the 1960s 'Safari' chair for Red Rasmussen by Danish designer Kaare Klint, which he originally designed in the 1930s. The chair is entirely foldable, making it a lightweight ...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Leather
- Marco Zanuso Maggiolina White Leather Chair by Zanotta, 1947By Marco Zanuso, ZanottaLocated in Vienna, ATElegant Maggiolina chair by Zanotta designed by Marco Zanuso, originally designed in 1947. Cowhide sling supports one large Nappa leather cushion. A s...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Marco Zanuso Maggiolina Sling Black Leather Chair by Zanotta, 1947By Marco Zanuso, ZanottaLocated in Vienna, ATElegant Maggiolina chair by Zanotta designed by Marco Zanuso, originally designed in 1947. Later production. Cowhide sling supports one large Nappa le...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Zanotta Leather Lounge Chair Model Maggiolina Design 1947 by Marco ZanusoBy Marco Zanuso, ZanottaLocated in Munich, BavariaThis is a very comfortable Lounge Chair with ottoman an a Iconic object. Designed in 1947 by Marco Zanuso Model Maggiolina.Produced after 1970 by Zanotta. The black leather cushion...Category
Vintage 1940s German Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
- Zanotta Maggiolina Lounge Chair in White Leather & Steel Frame by Marco ZanusoBy Marco Zanuso, ZanottaLocated in Brooklyn, NYZanotta Maggiolina Lounge Chair in White Leather & Steel Frame by Marco Zanuso Ø 11/16” 18/8 polished or black painted steel tubular frame, or with natural or black nickel-satin fin...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Marco Zanuso for Zanotta Leather Maggiolina Lounge Chair & Footstool, Set of 2By Marco Zanuso, ZanottaLocated in London, GBOriginally designed by Marco Zanuso in 1947 for a competition sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Maggiolina lounge chair has gone on to become a design icon and h...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Marco Zanuso for Zanotta Brown Leather Maggiolina Lounge Chair & FootstoolBy Marco Zanuso, ZanottaLocated in London, GBOriginally designed by Marco Zanuso in 1947 for a competition sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Maggiolina lounge chair has gone on to become a design icon and h...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Why Marco Zanuso’s Coromandel House Was Ahead of Its Time — As Was He
The South African home is a testament to the Italian designer and architect’s foresight and eco-sensitivity.
With Zanotta House, an Italian Design Dream Home Lands in New York City
Alessia Genova takes us on a tour of her design for the eminent furniture maker’s new shoppable townhouse in Greenwich Village.