Pair of Marco Zanuso Martingala Chairs
View Similar Items
Pair of Marco Zanuso Martingala Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Marco Zanuso (Designer),Arflex (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 31 in (78.74 cm)Depth: 34 in (86.36 cm)Seat Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1954
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU80721060570
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. He 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.
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.
- Pair of Vintage Pierre Jeanneret Sewing Stools Model PJ-SI-68-A from ChandigarhBy Pierre JeanneretLocated in Brooklyn, NYOriginal architectural teak sewing stools designed by Pierre Jeanneret. These stools were created for the famous modernist capital city of Chandigarh, I...Category
Vintage 1950s Indian Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsTeak
- Christopher Prinz “Wrinkled Chair” in Rainbow Iridescent 'Raw'By Christopher PrinzLocated in Brooklyn, NYWrinkled steel chair by Omaha-based designer Christopher Prinz, who achieves this unusual texture by repeatedly creasing a thin sheet of steel, resulting in a strong, rigid, and uniq...Category
2010s American Chairs
MaterialsSteel
Price Upon Request - Chair by RO/LU "Sitting as Seeing (After Rietveld)"By RO/LULocated in Brooklyn, NYPowder-coated, welded-steel chair by RO/LU from the series "Surfaces On Which Your Setting and Sitting Will Be Uncertain". 2 available. This is the last project that the now-defunct ...Category
2010s American Chairs
MaterialsSteel
$7,500 / item - Vintage Photograph of Salomé, 1984, NYCBy Jeannette Montgomery BarronLocated in Brooklyn, NYOriginal vintage photograph taken by Jeannette Montgomery of German artist Salomé in NYC, 1985. Vintage silver gelatin print. Framed. Image: 9 × 9 inches Paper: 14 × 11 inches ...Category
Late 20th Century American Photography
MaterialsOther
- Vintage Framed Photograph of Cindy ShermanBy Jeannette Montgomery BarronLocated in Brooklyn, NYOriginal vintage photograph taken by Jeannette Montgomery Barron of Cindy Sherman in NYC in 1984. Modern digital print. Framed. Artist Proof #1. Measures: Image: 39.5 x 39.5 inch...Category
Late 20th Century American Photography
MaterialsOther
- Vintage Framed Photograph of Andy WarholBy Jeannette Montgomery BarronLocated in Brooklyn, NYOriginal vintage photograph taken by Jeannette Montgomery Barron of Andy Warhol in NYC in 1985. Vintage gelatin silver print. Framed. Edition 8/25. Image: 9 x 9 inches, Paper: 11...Category
Late 20th Century American Photography
MaterialsOther
- Marco Zanuso Pair of Martingala armchairs for Arflex, Italy, 1950sBy Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in Chiavari, LiguriaAn elegant pair of early Martingala armchairs by Marco Zanuso for Arflex, designed in the 1950s and reupholstered in high-quality grey fabric, are now in excellent vintage condition....Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBrass
- Martingala Chair by Marco Zanuso for Arflex, Italy, circa 1950By Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in Amsterdam, NLStunning early edition martingala chair by Marco Zanuso, manufactured by Arflex, Italy, circa 1950. The chair is newly upholstered in high quality ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Marco Zanuso Single Martingala Armchair, Italy 1950'sBy Marco ZanusoLocated in New York, NYA Martingale armchair by Marco Zanuso for Arflex. It takes its name from the pleated feature on its back.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Italian Midcentury Lounge Chairs Marco Zanuso StyleBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Echt, NLPair of elegant midcentury Italian lounge chairs in excellent condition. The chairs are redone in a fresh light blue wool and provided with new foam. The metal frame is lacquered ...Category
20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Armchairs
MaterialsBrass, Metal
- Marco Zanuso for Arflex Pair of Lounge Chairs in Black LeatherBy Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in Waalwijk, NLMarco Zanuso for Arflex, pair of lounge chairs, model 'Regent', leather, metal, Italy, designed in 1960 This admirable lounge chair named ‘Regent’ is designed by the talented Italia...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Marco Zanuso for Arflex 'Senior' Lounge Chairs, Italy, circa 1951By Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in New York, NYA pair of the iconic 'Senior' lounge chairs, designed by Marco Zanuso and manufactured by Arflex, in Italy, 1951. This pair have been fully restored and newly upholstered in our prof...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric
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.
Photographer to Know: Jeannette Montgomery Barron
Her stunning portraits of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and other artists chronicle a crucial chapter of New York’s cultural history.