Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 19

Rare Walnut Archair from University of Padova Attributed to Gio Ponti Ca 1935-7

About the Item

Rare and lovely hand crafted walnut armchair from the Univerity of Padova (Padua), Italy circa 1935-7. This design of this chair adheres very strongly to Gio Ponti's design aesthetic of the period , Ponti created most of the furnishings for the University of Padova Univeristy in the 1930s including the interior for the famous 'palazzo Laviano ' Given our experience in handling the works of Gio Ponti we feel confident that this design originates from Ponti's drawing board. We aquired the chair in February 2015 from a local italian dealer to Padova who had cleared out a large section of the Univeristy of Padova, we also acquired a couple of Ponti desks also from the Univerisity of Padova at the same time ,both of which we subsequently sold . We decided to keep this chair in our personal collection . The last two photos in the listing show the chair in Italy when we acquired it. There is a minor crack , due to age, located midway up the vertical face of one of the armrests, please refer to detail photo, this does not affect the structural stability , overall this is a lovely useable and sturdy example of an extremely rare and early italian modernist design.
  • Attributed to:
    Gio Ponti (Designer)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 34.26 in (87 cm)Width: 21.26 in (54 cm)Depth: 19.3 in (49 cm)Seat Height: 17.92 in (45.5 cm)
  • Style:
    Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1935-1937
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses.
  • Seller Location:
    bergen op zoom, NL
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU930134131582
More From This SellerView All
  • Colorful Set of Eight Vintage Gio Ponti Style Chiavari Chairs, Made in Italy
    By Gio Ponti
    Located in bergen op zoom, NL
    A mixed set of eight vintage Chiavari dining chairs made in Italy in the 1960s-1970s Black and clear lacquered birch wood frames with plastified paper-cord woven seating  Most ...
    Category

    Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

    Materials

    Papercord, Plastic, Birch

  • Pair of Leggera Black Ebonized Wooden Dining Chairs by Gio Ponti, Italy, 1950s
    By Gio Ponti, Cassina
    Located in bergen op zoom, NL
    Pair of Gio Ponti Model 646 "Leggera" chair for Cassina in 1957. Black ebonized wooden frames with an unusual plastic finished papercord woven seat in remarkable good condition V...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

    Materials

    Papercord, Plastic, Wood

  • Gio Ponti ''Ninfea'' Chairs, 1958, Published with Certificate from Ponti Archive
    By Fratelli Reguitti, Gio Ponti
    Located in bergen op zoom, NL
    Beautiful pair of 1958 Gio Ponti "Ninfea Pieghevole" folding lounge chairs finished in italian walnut with the original red fabric. This pair come with a hand signed certificate from...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

    Materials

    Brass

  • 12 Brass & Mohair Campanula Chairs by Pagani (Partner of Gio Ponti) Arflex 1952
    By Carlo Pagani, Arflex
    Located in bergen op zoom, NL
    Amazing set of eight restored 'Campanula' dining chairs designed by Italian architect Carlo Pagani (architectural partner of both Gio Ponti and Lina Bo Bardi) for Arflex, Italy in 19...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

    Materials

    Metal, Brass

  • Pair of Raoul Guys 'Antony', Chairs Designed for Cite University, Paris , 1954
    By Raoul Guys
    Located in bergen op zoom, NL
    Rare and important pair of Raoul Guys 'Antony' chairs designed in 1954 for the world famous 'Cite' university's 'Jean Zay / Antony' residence 'in Paris . This stunning design was produced concurrently by 'Airborne' in France and 'Trefac' in Belgium (on official license) ' Beautiful sculptural form design with enameled steel rod frame and thermoformed plywood seat and backrests .both chairs are finished in their original faux leather fabric. A rare opportunity to acquire a pair complete with original upholstery, We can recover the chairs should we receive a request to do so. This pair were produced by 'Trefac' in Belgium , we found a 'Trefac' manufacturer's catalog dated 1957 which illustrates this model (please see image 6). 'Trefac' produced these chairs for the Belgian market under license from 'Airborne',France. The 'Jean Zay/ Antony' university residence was designed by the French architect Eugene Beaudoin and built in 1954. The interior furniture and lighting for the “Antony” residence was designed by the most influential of the group of “new” French designers , key figures such as Jean Prouve , Charlotte Perriand and Serge Mouille . Several of the chairs chosen for the ”Antony” building in Paris were designed by Raoul Guys including this design and his famous sculptural form wicker and steel lounge chair, please refer to images 2 and 3. These chairs were commissioned by the French government ,through the guidance of master French Sculptor and archtect , Andre Bloc, who greatly admired Guys' sculptural yet practical designs. Bloc was also involved in selecting furniture for the 'Cite' university's 'Maison Bresil' and 'Maison Mexique' university buildings in 1953 again furnished with designs by Jean Prouve , Charlotte Perriand and Serge Mouille among others. Bloc also advised 'Air France' to select Guys' 'oro' series of designs finished in bent steel and wicker for use in their 48 airports across the African continent ,they were famously used in the 'Brazzaville' complex of hotels and the Hotel N'Gor in Dakar again alongside furniture designed by Jean Prouve and Charlotte Perriand again selected by Andre Bloc. Please refer to the the last two images where you can see our collection of chairs that Raoul Guys designed for the 'Anthony' building in Paris and Air France's 'Brazzaville' complex and HotelT N'Gor in Dakar . Charles Bernard founded his company 'Airborne' in order to bring modern design to the population of France. Bernard asked his close friend and famous sculptor and architect Andre Bloc to seek out talented young designers who could produce furniture with an artistic or sculptural quality. Bloc was already working in this field with the “group espace” who saw art and sculpture as a social phenomena and aimed to bring art into the everyday living experience . For example it was Bloc who commissioned Charlotte Perriand to produce the famous 'Mexico' and 'Tunisie' bookcases for the Cité Internationale Universitaire , Paris for which Bloc also produced the colour scheme and he also worked closely with the Steph Simon gallery in Paris famous for showcasing the work of Prouve,Perriand and Noguchi among others. . Bloc had at this time recently come across a young designer Raoul Guys who’s work he greatly admired and which offered a sculptural quality to furniture design and asked him if he would like to collaborate with Airborne . In the book “les decorateurs des Annees 50” by Patrick Favardin it mentions that Andre Bloc presented Raoul Guys as a very interesting creator. Guy’s chairs had a suprising and sculptural quality in the free spirit of the after war period. LITERATURE: 'Airborne i945-75' ,page 35...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Chairs

    Materials

    Steel

  • 6 White Folding Chairs Attributed to Aldo Jacober for Alberto Bazzani Italy 1966
    By Aldo Jacober
    Located in bergen op zoom, NL
    6 Folding Chairs attributed to Aldo Jacober for Alberto Bazzani 1960's Original white stained solid Birch Wood in a nice original and honest vintage condition The folding design m...
    Category

    Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

    Materials

    Birch

You May Also Like
  • Pair of Occasional Chairs Attributed to Gio Ponti
    By Gio Ponti
    Located in Sag Harbor, NY
    Stunning pair of occasional chairs attributed to Gio Ponti newly re-upholstered in oyster color calfskin leather contrasting beautifully with ...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

    Materials

    Leather, Wood

  • A Pair of Chrome Chairs Attributed to Gio Ponti
    By Gio Ponti
    Located in Palm Springs, CA
    A pair of Italian chrome chairs with woven white plastic seats attributed to Gio Ponti.
    Category

    Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs

    Materials

    Chrome

  • Three Chairs Attributed to Gio Ponti, 1950s
    By Gio Ponti
    Located in Baranzate, IT
    Three wooden chairs with fabric upholstery. Attributed to Gio Ponti. 1950s. Beautiful living room chairs in good condition.
    Category

    Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Chairs

    Materials

    Fabric, Wood

  • Pair of Brass Dining/ Side Chairs Attributed to Gio Ponti
    By Gio Ponti
    Located in Toronto, ON
    This splendid pair of brass side chairs with captains or ships wheel backs in original black vinyl fabric ( condition noted). Easy to reupholster! Attributed to Italian design icon ...
    Category

    Vintage 1960s Italian Chairs

    Materials

    Brass

  • Set of Five I.S.A. Bergamo Chairs Attributed to Gio Ponti 1950s
    By I.S.A. Italy, Gio Ponti
    Located in Montecatini Terme, IT
    Five chairs with a fantastic design produced in the 1950s by the well know italian manufacturer ISA Bergamo and attributed to Gio Ponti. The chairs are in very good conditions, rece...
    Category

    Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

    Materials

    Leather, Wood

  • Gio Ponti, Exceptional Pair of Rare Wingback Armchairs in Walnut, Italy, 1940s
    By Gio Ponti
    Located in New York, NY
    Gio Ponti (1891 - 1979) A rare and extraordinary pair of wingback armchairs by modernist master Gio Ponti, in polished walnut with white bouclé upholstery. The chairs' striking fili...
    Category

    Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

    Materials

    Bouclé, Walnut

Recently Viewed

View All