Dining Chairs from Hotel 'Abano Terme', 1960 with Certificate Rinaldi Archive

Extremely rare set of six dining chairs which were custom-made by RIMA, Padua, Italy, circa 1960 for an interior commission for the
Hotel ' Italia Abano Terme' in Padua, Italy. Please see image 10.

This extremely rare model was exhibited at the 'RIMA: ricerca e stile ' exhibition held at the Palazzo Cigola Fenaroli Valotti in Brescia,Italy in October 2015 and is illustrated on page 196 in the book 'Gastone Rinaldi - Designer alla RIMA' by Giuseppe e Jacopo Drago (;please see image 2) who have also kindly provided a hand signed signed and numbered unique certificate of authenticity in collaboration with the Gastone Rinaldi archives.

You can briefly see this model in a press release video for this exhibition which can be found on youtube if you search for "Rima ricerca e stile". Please see screenshot (image 9)

Guiseppe Drago and his son Jacopo are the recognised worldwide experts on the work of RIMA and Gastone Rinaldi and very strongly attribute this custom RIMA design to Gastone Rinaldi who at that that time was the senior designer for RIMA, the similarity to the P34 model by Rinaldi is strikingly obvious , for example the Drago brothers have confirmed that the pressed metal seat on these chairs is actually exactly the same steel pressing as that featured on Rinaldi's 'P34' chair furthermore the suspended enveloping backrest also connects this model to Gastone Rinaldi, a detail also found on his model 'DU 55' and 'P16' chairs from the 1950s. These chairs are not illustrated in the standard RIMA catalog of the period again suggesting a unique one off custom-made production for the hotel 'Italia Abano Terme' making these chairs extremely rare .

Signor Guiseppe Drago also confirms that these chairs still retain their original upholstery complete with original zippers.

We can have these chairs restored in your own choice of fabric provided it will stretch enough to accomodate the sculptural form of the seat, please contact us with your requirements.

LITERATURE :

'Gastone Rinaldi - Designer alla RIMA' , pg 196 ,Giuseppe e Jacopo Drago, ,Capitoliumart 2015

EXHIBITED

:'RIMA: ricerca e stile ' exhibition held at the Palazzo Cigola Fenaroli Valotti in Brescia,Italy in October 2015

Press release:

Spotlight on Rima, an historical metal furniture company in Padova, whose business spanned over 60 years. In the magnificent rooms of Cigola Fenaroli Valotti Palace, in Brescia, 100 Rima models are now on display within themed sections: interiors, school and work, cinema, collaborations with external designers, and more.
Rima started as a small artisan company and later on it gained a prominent position among industries that helped define the idea of Italian interiors in the postwar era. In the early Fifties, the company was a leading brand. It quickly gained visibility thanks to quality products that were in line with a new aesthetic language. In addition it could count on the support that came from some of the leading names in design.
Gio Ponti, Alberto Rosselli, Campo and Graffi, Franco Albini were some of the designers that were in contact with the Rima studios, and they created some specific models, produced by the company in Padova, through close collaborations.
Archival research as well as testimonies gathered from people who took part in the productive experience firsthand, enabled the curators, Giuseppe and Jacopo Drago, to integrate the story of Rima. Based on these researches, they produced a book (with contributions by Michele De Lucchi and Marco Romanelli) which helps to focalize the company’s main designer, Gastone Rinaldi.