Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Soriana" Leather Lounge Suite For Cassina, circa 1970s
About the Item
- Creator:Cassina (Maker),Afra & Tobia Scarpa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 39 in (99.06 cm)Width: 66.5 in (168.91 cm)Depth: 27.5 in (69.85 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. H 27.5 in. x W 66.5 in. x D 39 in.
- Seller Location:Englewood, NJ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU888815052152
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
Furniture manufacturer Cassina is a prolific design house for more reasons than one: It not only owns the licenses to an exquisite collection of iconic chairs, sofas, tables and other pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries but also produces original works that are characterized by innovation and the finest Italian craftsmanship.
Cassina’s illustrious legacy includes being one of the first companies to bring industrial design to Italy in the 1950s. Founded in 1927 in Meda, Italy, by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the Italian manufacturing giant originally specialized in bespoke woodworking. In nearly a century since its founding, the company has shown incredible foresight about design trends and the evolution of technology.
In 1964, Cassina signed an exclusive licensing agreement to manufacture furniture by Le Corbusier and his collaborators — such as the LC4 chaise longue made with trailblazing French modernist Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret — a move that would shape the future of the company. Cassina’s I Maestri collection is an ongoing initiative to restyle landmark designs from the 20th century, such as pieces by Gerrit Rietveld (the Red and Blue armchair from 1918), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Erik Gunnar Asplund, Franco Albini and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company preserves the intentions and original styles of their designs but adds updated techniques, materials and processes — rendering them the best possible combination of past, present and future. The brand has also worked with contemporary icons like Zaha Hadid, Gio Ponti and Philippe Starck.
Cassina’s original designs are cutting-edge as well. They include pieces for everyday use, the development of which is guided by comfort and the marriage of Italian craftsmanship with industrial technology.
Some of Cassina’s pieces, both from its contemporary and I Maestri collections, can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Vitra Design Museum. In 2014, the company became part of Haworth in its acquisition of Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, and in 2015, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola joined Cassina as its art director, leading the brand into its next century of inventive style.
Find a collection of new and vintage Cassina furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Englewood, NJ
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Carlo Scarpa Mezza Filigrana Vanity Mirror for Venini, circa 1935By Carlo Scarpa, VeniniLocated in Englewood, NJA fine Italian Mid Century Modern glass "Mezza Filigrana" vanity mirror designed by, Carlo Scarpa for Venini. The mirror frame is internally decorated with pink lattice decoration an...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Table Mirrors
MaterialsBrass
- Murano Sommerso Art Glass Bottle by, Seguso Vetri d'Arte, circa 1970sBy Seguso Vetri d'ArteLocated in Englewood, NJAn Italian Murano Mid-Century Modern Sommerso bottle by, Seguso Vetri d'Arte blown in the Sommerso technique with pink, red coloration cased in clear blown glass bottle with matching...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bottles
MaterialsArt Glass
- Mid 20th Century Italian Art Glass Picture Frame for Venini by, Carlo ScarpaBy Venini, Carlo ScarpaLocated in Englewood, NJA fine Italian Mid Century Modern glass "Mezza Filigrana" picture frame designed by, Carlo Scarpa for Venini. The mirror frame is internally decorated with pink lattice decoration an...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Picture Frames
MaterialsBrass
- Mid-Century Modern Italian Art Glass Penguin by, Livio Seguso for OggettiBy Livio Seguso, OggettiLocated in Englewood, NJAn Italian Mid-Century blown art glass "Penguin" sculpture by, Livio Seguso for Seguso Arte Vetro Murano/Oggetti with clear blown body with applied red and black striping throughout ...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsArt Glass
- Late 20th Century American Studio Craft Carved Wood Entry Hall BenchLocated in Englewood, NJA Late 20th century American studio craft carved wood entry hall bench carved in oak in a very biomorphic and organic form. The bench was made in the ...Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Benches
MaterialsOak
- A Mid Century Modern Monumental American Studios Craft Wood Pad Lock SculptureLocated in Englewood, NJA Monumental American Mid Century Modern Studio Craft carved solid wood sculpture of a pad lock. The sculpture is large in scale. The pad lock is very detailed in its look and appear...Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsWood
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa “Soriana” Sofa for Cassina, 1969By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoAfra & Tobia Scarpa “Soriana” two-seater sofa for Cassina, black leather, Italy, 1969. Although technically designed in the 1960s, the "Soriana" model by the Italian duo Tobia an...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsIron
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa “Soriana” Sofa for Cassina, 1969By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoAfra & Tobia Scarpa “Soriana” three-seater for Cassina, velvet and chromed steel, Italy, 1969. Although technically designed in the 1960s, the "Soriana" model by the Italian duo Tob...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
MaterialsChrome
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa “Soriana” Sofa for Cassina, 1969By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoAfra & Tobia Scarpa “Soriana” three-seater sofa for Cassina, original brown leather and chromed steel, Italy, 1969. Although technically designed in the 1960s, the "Soriana" model b...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
MaterialsChrome
- Soriana Sofa by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Original Fabric, Italy, 1970sBy Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in London, GBA superb 3 seat original Soriana sofa, designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa and produced by Cassina in the 1970s. This example is a rare find indeed - all in great condition with original clean wool fabric. We also have a matching pair of chairs...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsChrome
- Cassina Soriana Sofa by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Italy, 1970sBy Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Antwerp, BESofa; Afra; Tobia; Scarpa; Cassina; Soriana; Settee; Couch; Italy; 1970's; Hollywood Regency; Minimalist; Italian Design; Soriana sofa in original upholstery, designed by Afra &...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa “Soriana” Sofa for Cassina, Champagne Leather, 1969By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoAfra & Tobia Scarpa “Soriana” two-seater sofa for Cassina, champagne leather, Italy, 1969. Although technically designed in the 1960s, the "Soriana" model by the Italian duo Tobi...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsIron
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.