1960's Afra and Tobia Scarpa "121" Dining Chairs for Cassina
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1960's Afra and Tobia Scarpa "121" Dining Chairs for Cassina
About the Item
- Creator:Afra & Tobia Scarpa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.89 in (81.01 cm)Width: 18.9 in (48.01 cm)Depth: 21.66 in (55.02 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6573230222262
Afra & 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.
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.
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 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.)
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.
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- Afra & Tobia Scarpa "121" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1965, Set of 8By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoAfra & Tobia Scarpa "121" dining chairs for Cassina, red leather, Italy, 1965, set of eight. Iconic and charming, the model "121" by Afra & Tobia Scarpa shows once again the Scarpa's typical double trestle structure with the characteristic rounded joint. The straightforward and minimal design is like a cubical volume; the supports, on the other hand, are slender, anatomically shaped surfaces. The seat and back are shaped in plywood and attached by bolts to crosspieces along the center that offer extreme comfort. The back has a cut in the lower part, required due to the presence of a reinforcement that reacts to torsion stress, which is strongest at this point. We can do custom restoration and special reupholstering. Our atelier guarantees the excellence of Italy through the traditional art of craftsmanship. We do offer a dedicated customization service thanks to our team of expert craftsmen and artisans. Contact Modernab Gallery...Category
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On Hold$26,000 / set - Afra & Tobia Scarpa "121" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1965, Set of 4By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoAfra & Tobia Scarpa "121" dining chairs for Cassina, black leather, Italy, 1965, set of four. Iconic and charming, the model "121" by Afra & Tobia Scarpa shows once again the Scarpa...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Walnut, Plywood
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