Archizoom Vintage White "Superonda" Sofa, Poltronova, Italy, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 34 in (86.36 cm)Width: 30 in (76.2 cm)Depth: 93 in (236.22 cm)Seat Height: 14 in (35.56 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very small tear to bottom of smaller section.
- Seller Location:Skokie, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8194234519602
Poltronova
Poltronova is known for embracing the creativity that opposites can introduce to a space. Its radical modernist furniture and lighting fixtures are simultaneously grounded in classic aesthetics and inspired by what were then new and provocative artistic movements in mid-century Italy, when the company was founded. This tension resulted in unique and extraordinary pieces at the manufacturer, from eccentric, glove-shaped armchairs to striking dining tables that feature a mix of materials and textures.
Italian designer Sergio Cammilli founded Poltronova in Tuscany in 1957. That same year, it won the Compasso d’Oro for the Panchetto chair designed by Luciano Nustrini. Revolutionary Italian architect Ettore Sottsass — a maestro of postmodern design who would later establish the Memphis Group — came on board as an art director in 1958. Poltronova manufactured many of his furniture and ceramic designs. Sottsass’s lighting, seating and other works for Poltronova showcase the designer’s bold experimentation with solid wood, glass, metal and laminate materials.
Other established names in Italian furniture design collaborated with Poltronova’s Sottsass and Cammilli, including Giovanni Michelucci, Gae Aulenti and Angelo Mangiarotti. However, the company truly set itself apart in its collaborations with Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, groups that were part of an irreverent, avant-garde movement in art and design that took shape during the 1960s in Florence, Turin and Milan. Collectives associated with the movement — which would one day be called Italian Radical design — drew on Pop art and minimalism and explored working with unconventional materials to create colorful, quirky and uniquely shaped objects and furnishings. At the time, Poltronova also worked with up-and-coming names in the art world, like painter Max Ernst and sculptor Mario Ceroli.
Poltronova showcased its groundbreaking designs in many exhibitions, such as “La Casa Abitata,” which was held in Florence in 1965. At Milan's Eurodomus trade show in 1970, Poltronova debuted an entire bedroom collection designed by Sottsass — including his sensuous Ultrafragola mirror. The brand’s furnishings were included in a 1972 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art called "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape," and in 1977, Poltronova again won the Compasso d’Oro for a book called Fare Mobili con Poltronova (Making Furniture with Poltronova).
Poltronova's enduring and acclaimed furniture designs came to be loved far outside Italy. During the 1960s, importer Charles Stendig represented the company and helped introduce it to the American market.
In 2005, Poltronova established the Centro Studi Poltronova to recreate some of the company's iconic furniture. The brand has also recently collaborated with English architect Nigel Coates, who worked with a Poltronova master craftsman in Italy to design a series of limited-edition furniture in 2011, including the Domo chair.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Poltronova tables, seating, storage cabinets and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Skokie, IL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Ettore Sottsass model "Califfo" sofa for Poltronova, Italy, 1960sBy Poltronova, Ettore SottsassLocated in Skokie, ILEttore Sottsass model "Califfo" sofa for Poltronova, Italy, 1960s Additional Information: Materials: Lacqured wood, upholstery Dimensions: 22" H x 979" W x 31 1/2" D Condition: Ver...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWood
- Marco Zanuso three-seat original "Lady" sofa for Arflex, Italy, 1960sBy Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in Skokie, ILMarco Zanuso three-seat original "Lady" sofa for Arflex, Italy, 1960s. Original fabric retains Arflex logo. Reupholstered in houndstooth.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- "D-70" Sofa with Rare Chrome Frame by Osvaldo Borsani, 1960sBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Skokie, ILOsvaldo Borsani newly upholstered "D-70" sofa with rare chrome frame for Tecno, Italy, 1960s. This adjustable sofa to-daybed was designed by Osvaldo Borsani. The classic Italian mi...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
- “Paradise” Sofa by Kerstin Hörlin-Holmquist, Sweden, 1958By Kerstin Horlin HolmquistLocated in Skokie, ILKerstin Hörlin-Holmquist "Paradise" sofa designed in 1958 and produced by Nordiska Kompaniet.Category
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery, Birch
- Rare "Cornaro 220" Sofa by Carlo Scarpa for Simon International, 1970sBy Carlo ScarpaLocated in Skokie, ILCarlo Scarpa rare "Cornaro 220" Sofa by for Simon International, Italy, 1970s Additional Information: Materials: Stained mahogany, velvet, brass, leather Dimensions: 26" H x 119...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMahogany
- P11 "Face Cromate" 1970s Sofa by Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Azucena, New UpholsteryBy Luigi Caccia Dominioni, AzucenaLocated in Skokie, ILLuigi Caccia Dominioni freshly upholstered model P11 "Face Cromate" sofa for Azucena, Italy, 1970s Additional Information: Materials: Chrome-plated brass, newly upholstered boucl...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBrass
- Superonda sofa by Archizoom pour Poltronova 1960By Archizoom Associati, PoltronovaLocated in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FRSofa model Superonda by Archizoom for Poltronova in the 60s Iconic piece All in foam covered by a grey fabric (new)Category
Mid-20th Century French Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Foam
- Superonda sofa, Archizoom & Associati, Poltronova 1970sBy Poltronova, Archizoom AssociatiLocated in Milano, LombardiaSuperonda sofa, Archizoom & Associati, Poltronova 1970s. Superonda is distinguished by its bold absence of a body. At the center of its design are two sinuous waves, precisely sculpt...Category
Vintage 1970s Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsFaux Leather, Foam
- Superonda Black Sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova, 1960 ItalyBy Poltronova, Archizoom AssociatiLocated in The Hague, NLMagnificent space age sofa Model SuperOnda with curved and eccentric lines. Designed in 1967 by the radical Florentine Archizoom group for Poltronova, it is the first sofa without a ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFaux Leather, PVC
- Superonda sofa by Archizoom Associati for PoltronovaBy Archizoom AssociatiLocated in Chicago, ILItaly, 1967. Original red vinyl upholstery. This particular piece comes from the Walker Art Center’s 2016 exhibit, Hippie Modernism: the Struggle for Utopia. “Designed in 1967 by ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Sofas
MaterialsFoam, PVC
- Superonda Sofa with Organic Shape and Multicouloured Pattern Fabric by ArchizoomBy Poltronova, Bethan Laura Wood, Archizoom AssociatiLocated in Ibiza, Spain'Superonda' model sofa designed in 1967 by the Florentine radical group Archizoom and edited by Poltronova. Composed of two wavy elements cut from a single piece of polyurethane. Ter...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Italin Mid-Century Superonda Sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova, 1967Located in MIlano, ITItalin mid-century superonda sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova, 1967. Modular sofa "superonda" model, composed of two S-shaped shapes in glossy...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsPVC