Pair of Tobia Scarpa Armchairs
View Similar Items
Pair of Tobia Scarpa Armchairs
About the Item
- Creator:Tobia Scarpa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 21 in (53.34 cm)Width: 36 in (91.44 cm)Depth: 30.25 in (76.84 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: C19-PF141stDibs: LU794820049872
Tobia Scarpa
Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.
Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia Scarpa worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)
Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.
For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.
Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”
It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.
Find vintage Tobia Scarpa table lamps, sofas, dining chairs and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
- Pair of Russian Neoclassical Mahogany ArmchairsLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of Russian neoclassical brass-mounted mahogany armchair, 19th century.Category
Antique 19th Century Russian Neoclassical Armchairs
MaterialsMahogany
$19,500 / set - Set of Four Gustav Siegel ArmchairsBy Gustav SiegelLocated in Los Angeles, CASet of four Armchairs by Gustav Siegel in original stained leather patternsCategory
Early 20th Century Austrian Armchairs
Price Upon Request - Armchair in the Style of Frits HenningsenBy Frits HenningsenLocated in Los Angeles, CAArmchair in the style of Frits Henningsen.Category
20th Century Unknown Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood
Price Upon Request - Brazilian Adjustable ArmchairLocated in Los Angeles, CABrazilian adjustable sit back armchair, circa 1940 (With Fur).Category
Vintage 1940s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsRosewood
- Hans Olsen ArmchairBy Hans OlsenLocated in Los Angeles, CADenmark: Hans Olsen armchair in leather.Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather
$8,250 - Nickel-Plated Adjustable ArmchairLocated in Los Angeles, CAReclineable nickel-plated adjustable armchair, German or Austrian, 1930s.Category
Vintage 1930s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsNickel
- Pair of Bastiano Armchairs by Tobia Scarpa for Gavina, 1960By Tobia Scarpa, GavinaLocated in Barcelona, ESPair of Bastiano armchairs designed in 1960 by Tobia Scarpa for Gavina, Italy. Mahogany wood structure and orignal removable leather cushions. Early s...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Mid-Century Modern Italian Pair of C&B Coronado Armchairs by Tobia Scarpa, 1970sBy C&B Italia, Tobia ScarpaLocated in Prato, ITMid-Century Modern Italian pair of C&B Italia "Coronado" armchairs by Tobia Scarpa with their original vintage upholstery. The armchairs are in good vintage conditions, sings and we...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Coronado Lounge Armchairs by Tobia Scarpa for C&b ItaliaBy C&B Italia, Tobia ScarpaLocated in Byron Bay, NSWCoronado lounge armchaairs chairs by Tobia Scarpa for C&B Italia ( first edition ) modello Depositato original vintage upholstery. with their Stru...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsAluminum, Steel
$6,240 Sale Price20% Off - 1970s Pair of Armchairs by Tobia Scarpa with Rubelli Fabric by Luke Edward HallBy Tobia ScarpaLocated in Milan, IT1970s Pair of Armchairs "Coronado" by Tobia Scarpa with Rubelli Fabric by Luke Edward Hall. This fabric is from Rubelli's "Return to Arcadia" collection designed by Luke Edward Hall....Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric
- Set of Three Soriana Armchairs by Tobia Scarpa Published by CassinaBy Tobia ScarpaLocated in Lyon, FRScarpa, published by Cassina. Chromed steel structure and original brown leather seat mounted on two wheels at the front of the armchairs. Very nice vintage condition, some traces of...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of RONDA armchairs by Afra et Tobia ScarpaBy Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Isle Sur Sorgue, FRPair of RONDA armchairs by Afra and Tobia Scarpa *2 pairs available*Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
JF Chen Moves Stools Out of the Corner and into the Spotlight
In Los Angeles, dealer Joel Chen gives the often clever and always versatile seats some long-overdue attention.
In L.A., Gallerist JF Chen Has Long Championed Eclectic Blue-Chip Design
Now working alongside his daughter Bianca, dealer Joel Chen has presented a most covetable array of antiques, art and contemporary creations for more than 40 years.