Yellow Leather Loveseat Two-Seat Sofa Osvaldo Borsani Italian Modern
View Similar Items
Yellow Leather Loveseat Two-Seat Sofa Osvaldo Borsani Italian Modern
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 31 in (78.74 cm)Width: 54 in (137.16 cm)Depth: 39 in (99.06 cm)Seat Height: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1985
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor structural damages. fair vintage condition. Minor age appropriate wear. Some wrinkling to leather.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4190312479632
Osvaldo Borsani
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Osvaldo Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. Borsani first worked for his father’s furniture-making firm, Arredamenti Borsani, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design.
By 1953, when, along with his twin brother, Fulgenzio — the pair also created this visionary mid-century villa — Borsani opened the furniture company Tecno, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair (1953). Borsani would be the firm’s lead designer for 30 years, while fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo di Carli, Robin Day and others.
Similar to Gio Ponti in the earliest years of his career, Borsani first created designs marked by lush and buoyant lines: tables with voluptuous curved legs, sofas with undulating backrests. But Borsani’s best-known and most novel pieces date from Tecno’s initial furniture lines: the adjustable D70 sofa, which folds open to make a daybed, and the P40 recliner. The latter — now included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum — is an articulated lounger with a back, seat and leg rest that can be moved into 486 different positions. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it is also enduringly chic.
Find a collection of vintage Osvaldo Borsani tables, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Tecno
Eugenio Gerli (b. 1923) is an Italian architect and industrial designer known for his long-lasting collaboration with the Italian architect-designer Osvaldo Borsani and the Italian manufacturer Tecno. In 1949, Gerli graduated with a degree in engineering and began his career a year later, opening his own architectural and industrial design practice. Architecturally, the firm focused on residential and public buildings, as well as the renovation of historic Italian buildings. Notable architectural projects include the Cardiology Clinic in Laveno-Mombello (1950), the Ambasciatori Theater in Milan (1954), the renovation and restoration of the Castiglioni Palace (1903). Gerli was joined by his two sons, Enrico and Guido, in the 1970s. In 1957, Gerli began a long and fruitful collaboration with the Borsani brothers, Fulgenzio and Osvaldo Borsani (1911–85), founders of the Italian furniture manufacturing company Tecno. In 1968, Gerli and Osvaldo Borsani exhibited their revolutionary Graphis Office System (1967) at the 14th Triennale di Milano. The system, which was made up of just three basic elements, was heralded as a revolution in office furniture design because the system’s modular components allowed unlimited and customizable combinations, which could grow (or contract) with the company. The system remained a bestseller for decades, and Tecno became synonymous for technologically-advanced design. The partnership between Gerli and Tecno lasted for more than 35 years. During the 1970s, Tecno launched its Centro Progetti Tecno (CPT), an in-house team dedicated to communications and industrial design work. The team, which included Gerli, Valeria Borsani, Kugo Toru, Borsani and his son Marco, became a driving force of technologically advanced ideas in design. Although Borsani remained in charge, the purpose of the department was to present future designs as group creations. The CPT was responsible for a number of the company’s successes, including the molded plastic Modus Office Chair (1972), which won the SMAU Prize in 1973; the steel mesh Waiting System (1983), a modular seating and table concept for large public spaces; and the rebranding of Alitalia worldwide (1982–84), for which Centro Progetti Tecno was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1984. Although Gerli's career as an architect-designer was prolific, his work is often overshadowed by his contemporaries and the legacy of his long-term partner, Osvaldo Borsani.
- Confidential Loveseat Sofa, Cordovan Leather, Alberto Rosselli, Saporiti, ItalyBy Saporiti, Alberto Rosselli SaporitiLocated in Brooklyn, NYConfidential 2-seat sofa, Cordovan Leather, Alberto Rosselli for Saporiti Italy, 1972. Original leather appears to have the shine, feel and variation in deep oxblood color that is t...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsLeather
$11,788 Sale Price30% Off - Saturn Sofa by Gaston Rinaldi for Rima, Italy, 1957, Maharam Blue Divina MelangeBy Gastone Rinaldi, RIMALocated in Brooklyn, NYSaturn (Saturno) sofa by Gaston Rinaldi for Rima, Italy, 1957, recently reupholstered in luxurious Maharam Divina Melange Blue. Scalamandre Tigre pillows in main photo are for displ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
$13,640 Sale Price44% Off - Gray Brick & Mortar Sofa, Rich Woods & Seb Wrong, Established & Sons, UK, 2009By Richard Woods, Established & Sons, Sebastian WrongLocated in Brooklyn, NYGray Brick & Mortar Sofa, Rich Woods & Seb Wrong, Established & Sons, UK, 2009. Iconic Postmodern design. Produced for a short period in 2009-2010. Made in ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsTextile
$5,120 Sale Price20% Off - Ligne Roset Limited Edition Canapé Patate Sofa Frédéric Ruyant, Gold Silver 2005By Ligne RosetLocated in Brooklyn, NYFrédéric Ruyant for Ligne Roset limited edition Canapé Patate sofa, silver, 2005. Also known as “Soft Machine.” Rare piece. Gorgeous warm silver vegan leat...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Organic Modern Loveseats
MaterialsTextile
- Zanotta, Jonathan de Pas, Cento Sectional Sofa, Brown Leather, 1973, ItalyBy Zanotta, Gionathan de Pas & Donato D’Urbino & Paolo LomazziLocated in Brooklyn, NYZanotta Jonathan de Pas Cento sectional sofa, brown leather, 1973, Italy. Four-piece sectional sofa. Very rare. Italy, 1990s. Brown leather. 'Zanotta' fabric labels and decking fabri...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsLeather
$7,670 Sale Price35% Off - Le Mah Jong Modular Sofa Hans Hopfer Roche Bobois Missoni Silk Velvet, CorduroyBy Hans Hopfer, Missoni, Roche BoboisLocated in Brooklyn, NYMah Jong modular sofa set by Hans Hopfer, designed in 1971 for Roche Bobois and in a current customized mix of textiles from Sonia Rykiel and the house of Missoni. Features multiple cushions that can be arranged in endless number of ways Mix and match and stack (or don’t) at your leisure...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsSilk, Velvet
$41,020 Sale Price / set30% Off
- Two-Seater Sheepskin Sofa by Osvaldo Borsani for TecnoLocated in London, EnglandOsvaldo Borsani (1911-1985) was an Italian architect and designer who made significant contributions to the fields of furniture design and interior architecture during the mid-20th c...Category
Vintage 1960s Loveseats
MaterialsIron
- Classic Danish 1960s Two-Seat Sofa or Loveseat in Cognac Colored LeatherBy Børge Mogensen, Illum WikkelsøLocated in Bridgeport, CTClassic Danish Børge Mogensen style sofa in cognac colored leather. Very much in the style of Illum Wikkelso also with the tapered angled legs very similar to this...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Midcentury Leather Two Seat SofaLocated in Chicago, ILMidcentury sofa / loveseat in green leather from a Milan airport.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Plastic
- Danish Modern Sofa LoveseatLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis mid-century modern Danish sofa features clean lines and unique tapered legs. Scandinavian modern style adds a retro flare to any home or office space. Perfect two-seat sofa for ...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
- Two-Seat SofaBy Guillerme et ChambronLocated in New York, NYThis piece is a two-seat upholstered sofa by Guillerme et Chambron made circa 1950 and it is in great condition. Measures: Seat: 16.25 H x 48 W x 22.5 D inches Armrest: 22.5-23 H...Category
Vintage 1950s French Loveseats
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
Price Upon Request - Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Italian Blue Sofa 1970sBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITItalian sofa designed by Osvaldo Borsani (attributed) and produced by Tecno with original fabric and metal frame with manufacturer’s mark, production Italy ca 1970s. Please note tha...Category
Antique 1870s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Mid-Century Master Osvaldo Borsani Gets His Due at Donzella
The New York City gallery has devoted its latest show to the work of the modernist Italian designer.
Peek inside Osvaldo Borsani’s Mod Italian Villa
The iconic mid-century estate outside of Milan opens its doors to the public for a very special homage.