Italian Safari or Oasi 85 armchair by Gian Franco Legler for Zanotta, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Gian Franco Legler (Designer),Zanotta (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 23.63 in (60 cm)Depth: 23.23 in (59 cm)Seat Height: 11.82 in (30 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:MIlano, IT
- Reference Number:Seller: 22200026711stDibs: LU4860235509862
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Milan, Italy
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs
Fabric, Beech
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Wood
You May Also Like
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Bamboo
Vintage 1970s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
Canvas, Wood
Vintage 1960s Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Canvas, Ash
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Canvas
Vintage 1970s European Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Leather, Oak
