Ico Parisi / Federico Munari Sofa in Orginal Fabric, 1950s

About the Item

Ico Parisi / Federico Munari sofa in original fabric and tapered wooden legs, Italy 1950s Italian 1950s organic sofa, attributed to Ico Parisi. (also sometimes attributed to Federico Munari). This fine sofa is in an organic form with original fabric and conical beech feet. Please note that the material shows signs of wear and use and that we advise reupholstery before use. This elegant sofa would be an eye-catching addition to any interior, such as the living room, family room, screening room, or office. It also perfectly fits in a hospitality or corporate location like a boutique hotel lobby, cocktail bar, members club, or luxury loft. When you choose for used mid-century design, you use what is already there, making it sustainable. You may not give the furniture a second, but even a third or fourth life. Mid-century design furniture is often a high-quality product that lasts several lives for a reason. Some furniture has a rich history, and the story is still visible or tangible with some. The signs of wear give a glimpse into the previous owner's life.

Creator:

Federico Munari (Designer),Ico Parisi (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 37.01 in (94 cm)Width: 86.62 in (220 cm)Depth: 35.44 in (90 cm)Seat Height: 16.93 in (43 cm)

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Beech,Fabric

Place of Origin:

Italy

Period:

1950-1959

Date of Manufacture:

1950

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use.

Seller Location:

Almelo, NL

Reference Number:

Seller: 26571stDibs: LU3696332744422

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Ico Parisi

Domenico “Ico” Parisi was one half of a prolific postwar design duo he comprised with his wife, Luisa. Their furniture designs are known for running the stylistic gamut, with celebrated mid-century modern pieces ranging from elegantly skeletal — like dramatic ebonized dining chairs — to plush and shapely, like the iconic 1951 Egg chair, in a plethora of materials.

The son of an art teacher father, Ico Parisi was exposed to art at an early age. Born in 1916 in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, he and his family moved to Como in 1925. There, the young Parisi would begin to develop his interest in architecture and design. After earning a degree as a building inspector in 1936 and working as a civil engineer, Parisi took on an apprenticeship in the studio of Giuseppe Terragni, the modernist, fascist Italian architect, pioneer of the Rationalist movement and creator of the iconic Casa del Fascio.

While working for Terragni, Parisi crossed paths with such contemporary design talents as Lucio Fontana, Bruno Munari and Pietro Lingeri, though he briefly moved away from design and architecture to explore photography and film. His artistic work would soon be interrupted, however, by the outbreak of World War II, during which he served at the front before returning to Como in 1943. There, he resumed work as a designer and architect, founding two architecture groups: the Alta Quota and the Gruppo Como.

Through his creative circles, Parisi met Luisa Aiani, a former student of the prolific architect and furniture designer Gio Ponti, who was affiliated with the Alta Quota. They married in 1947 and founded the studio La Ruota — a cross between a design firm and an intellectual salon — in Como shortly thereafter. In 1950, Parisi finally completed his architectural schooling, studying under the nationalist architect Alberto Sartoris at the Athenaeum Architecture School in Lausanne, Switzerland. He and Aiani began several decades of sophisticated output, designing curved sofas upholstered in yellow velvet and armchairs with slender mahogany frames for enduring Italian manufacturers such as Cassina and others.

Much like Charles and Ray Eames in America, the Parisis worked as a team and relied on experimentation in style and material for many of their designs. Ico Parisi died in Como in 1996.

Find a collection of vintage Ico Parisi coffee tables, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.