Afra and Tobia Scarpa Africa Chairs with Cognac Leather Seating
View Similar Items
Afra and Tobia Scarpa Africa Chairs with Cognac Leather Seating
About the Item
- Creator:Maxalto (Manufacturer),Afra & Tobia Scarpa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.11 in (79 cm)Width: 22.45 in (57 cm)Length: 31.11 in (79 cm)Seat Height: 18.12 in (46 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 6
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1975
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. the seating is newly reupholstered.
- Seller Location:Antwerp, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU933418660192
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.
Find vintage Afra & Tobia Scarpa furniture today on 1stDibs.
- Cassina 'Soriana' Cognac Leather Sofa by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, 1970sBy Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Antwerp, BEScarpa; Cassina; Tobia Scarpa; Afra Scarpa; Minimalist; Italian Design; Hollywood Regency; Post-modern; Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Soriana, reupholstered in aniline leather....Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsChrome
- Soriana Lounge Chair by Afra and Tobia ScarpaBy Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Antwerp, BEAfra and Tobia Scarpa, reupholstered cognac aniline leather, Cassina, Italy, 1970s The Soriana collection was meant to express beauty and comfort by using a whole bundle of fabric...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa Coffee Table for Maxalto, 1970sBy Maxalto, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Antwerp, BEPine wood coffee table by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto, Italy, 1970s Postmodern coffee table by the famous children of Carlo Scarpa. Inspired by Donald Judd and Rietveld. Table...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsPine
- Rustic Modern Cognac Leather ChairLocated in Antwerp, BEblack lacquer steel and patinated cognac leather chairs, set of six, Belgium, 1960s Unusual set of six side chairs, thick leather seating, sol...Category
Mid-20th Century European Rustic Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Dining Chairs in Cognac Leather and Steel, France, 1950sLocated in Antwerp, BEA remarkable set of four dining chairs in excellent condition. The organic steel frame goes hand in hand with the timeless cognac leather seating and back support. A very playful and...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Cognac Leather Dining Chairs, Italy, 1960sBy Carlo ScarpaLocated in Antwerp, BECognac leather chairs, attributed to Carlo Scarpa, Italy, 1960s Cognac leather chairs, attributed to Carlo Scarpa, made in Italy, 1960s. Carlo Scarpa attributed dining chairs in bea...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Walnut
$829 Sale Price / item20% Off
- Artona Africa chairs, walnut wood and black leather, Afra and Tobia ScarpaBy Maxalto, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in amstelveen, NLAfra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto, Artona 'Africa chairs', black leather, walnut, ebony, and brass, Italy, the 1970s In this model, the pattern of thicknesses of the veneers achieves ...Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Africa" Dining Chairs for Maxalto, 1975, Set of 4By Maxalto, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoAfra & Tobia Scarpa "Africa" dining chairs for Maxalto, black leather, walnut, burl and brass, Italy, 1975, set of four. Originally hand finished and assembled one-by-one, "Africa"...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Africa" Dining Chairs for Maxalto, 1975, Set of 6By Maxalto, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoAfra & Tobia Scarpa "Africa" dining chairs for Maxalto, black leather, walnut, burl and brass, Italy, 1975, set of six. Originally hand finished and assembled one-by-one, "Africa...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Africa" Dining Chairs for Maxalto, 1975, Set of 2By Maxalto, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoAfra & Tobia Scarpa "Africa" dining chairs for Maxalto, black leather, walnut, burl and brass, Italy, 1975, set of two. Originally hand finished and assembled one-by-one, "Africa...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Afra and Tobia Scarpa Walnut Africa Dining Chair for Maxalto, 1976, Set of 6By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, MaxaltoLocated in Vicenza, ITSet of six Africa dining chairs, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa and produced by the Italian manufacturer Maxalto in 1976. They feature a clear walnut briar structure and a black ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Afra and Tobia Scarpa Walnut Africa Dining Chair for Maxalto, 1976, Set of 4By Maxalto, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Vicenza, ITSet of four Africa dining chairs, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa and produced by the Italian manufacturer Maxalto in 1976. They feature a clear walnut briar structure and a black ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBrass