Paolo Piva for Wittmann Leather Sofa and Lounge Chairs, Austria, circa 1980

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Paolo Piva for Wittmann Leather Sofa and Lounge Chairs, Austria, circa 1980

About the Item

Wonderful leather sofa and pair of lounge chairs in excellent condition by Paolo Piva for Wittmann, circa 1980. Imported by Stendig and retaining their original labels under each piece. This set features very fine channel tufting at the back of both the couch and the club chairs, creating a corrugated look which begins where the backs and the arms finish their graceful curve. All of the pieces are set atop casters, allowing for ease of movement and relocation according to occasion and mood. These pieces have the "Stendig Made in Austria" manufacturer plaques underneath. This elegant set would be great used together or individually in the house as part of a Classic or contemporary living room, den, family room, man (or woman!) cave, office or bedroom. They would also be an Apt choice in a corporate, retail or hospitality location such as a boutique hotel lobby, cocktail bar, members club, workspace studio, executive office or in a luxe clothing emporium. Measurements: Couch 33.5" H x 91" W x 36.5" D Seat height 18" Seat depth 21.5" Club chairs 33.5" H x 41.25" W x 36" D Seat height 18" Seat depth 21.5 Excellent original condition. As expected, minor signs of use commensurate with age are evident. Subtle traces of age and use bring more vibrancy to the leather. One leather cover missing on connection between sofa and caster. Subtle traces of wear on the backs.

Creator:
Paolo Piva (Designer),Wittmann (Manufacturer),Stendig Co. (Retailer)
Dimensions:
Height: 33.5 in (85.09 cm)Width: 91 in (231.14 cm)Depth: 36.5 in (92.71 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 3
Style:
Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Leather
Place of Origin:
Austria
Period:
1980-1989
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1980
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent original condition. As expected, minor signs of use commensurate with age are evident. Subtle traces of age and use bring more vibrancy to the leather. One leather cover missing on connection between sofa and caster. See full listing above.
Seller Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU133028712453

Shop All Stendig Co.

Stendig Co.

Stendig Co. played a pivotal role in introducing modern European furniture to the American market, thanks to the business acumen of founder Charles Stendig.

Around 1950, the Brooklyn, New York–born Stendig (b. 1924) worked for Raymor, a purveyor of modern china and accessories that is best known for distributing designer Russel Wright’s American Modern line of ceramics. While at Raymor, Stendig focused on the company’s less popular pieces that were made in Italy and Scandinavia, recognizing their potential for the American market. In 1955, he left the company and decided to establish Stendig Co.

That year, a chance encounter with a Finnish trade representative led him to furniture company Asko — one of the largest companies operating in Scandinavia. Asko invited him and Joseph Carreiro, a professor at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts), to help refine their designs. At Asko’s production facility in Finland, Stendig met several renowned Finnish designers such as Ilmari Tapiovaara, Tapio Wirkkala and Eero Aarnio, the iconic Ball chair creator. Stendig’s trip there was a success, and Stendig Co. began importing Finnish furniture to the United States.

In 1956, the first Stendig Co. showroom opened in Manhattan. A year later, during a trip to Zurich, Stendig came across a Bauhaus–inspired furniture store featuring pieces by Swiss designers Kurt Thut, Hans Eichenberger and Robert Haussmann, the store’s co-owner. Following a meeting with Haussmann, Stendig became the retailer’s exclusive U.S. distributor.

Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, Stendig Co. imported and sold furniture from influential European designers, including Swiss designer Bruno Rey, Italian architect and industrial designer Vico Magistretti and Hungarian-American architect and designer Marcel Breuer, creator of the Wassily lounge chair.

By the late 1960s, Stendig Co. moved its headquarters to an expansive space on Manhattan’s East Side and opened showrooms in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, each home to the company’s striking collection of mid-century European armchairs, sofas, dining room chairs, coffee tables and other furnishings. Stendig’s founder was by then representing Italian manufacturers Poltronova and Gufram and bringing revolutionary works of Italian Radical design to American shores.

In 1971, Charles Stendig sold the company to Burlington Industries. He retired in 1976. Today Stendig’s European imports are coveted by interior designers and vintage furniture collectors, and he will be forever known as the man who introduced modern European design to the United States.

Find a range of vintage Stendig Co. furniture on 1stDibs.