- Want more images or videos?Request additional images or videos from the seller
Large Gaetano Pesce 'Cannaregio' Modular Sofa for Cassina

About
Details
- CreatorCassina (Manufacturer),Gaetano Pesce (Designer)
- DimensionsHeight: 43.31 in. (110 cm)Width: 137.8 in. (350 cm)Depth: 37.8 in. (96 cm)
- StylePost-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques
- Place of Origin
- Period1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture1980s
- ConditionWear consistent with age and use. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftsmen in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. We guarantee a very high-quality standard, ask our design specialists for detailed information.
- Seller LocationWaalwijk, NL
- Reference Number
Shipping & Returns
- ShippingShips From: Waalwijk, Netherlands
- Return Policy
A return for this item may be initiated within 10 days of delivery.
About the Designer
Gaetano Pesce
Gaetano Pesce is of a generation of Italian architects who in the early 1960s rebelled against the industrial perfection of modernism by conceiving new furniture and objects that were at once expressive and eccentric in form; or you might say they were more like art than functionalist design.
Born in the picturesque coastal Italian city of La Spezia in 1939, Pesce was a precocious talent who could have forged a career as an artist but opted instead to go to Venice to study architecture because, as he has said, it was “the most complex of all the arts.” Rather than having new worlds opened to him at design school, however, he found the rationalist curriculum oppressive in its insistence on standardization and prescribed materials and technologies.
Pesce wanted to explore the latest of both materials and technologies to create objects and buildings never before imagined, with what he called “personalities” that spoke to the issues of the day. He was keen to examine ways to diversify mass production so that each manufactured work could be distinct. In 1964, he met Cesare Cassina, of the forward-looking furniture company C&B in Milan (now known as B&B), for whom he would create many important designs, beginning with a collection of what he called “transformational furniture” — two chairs and a loveseat — made entirely out of high-density polyurethane foam. To make the pieces easy to ship and cost-efficient, he proposed that after being covered in a stretch jersey, they be put in a vacuum, then heat-sealed flat between vinyl sheets. Once the foam was removed from its packaging, the piece returned to its original shape — hence, the name Up for the series, which debuted in 1969.
In addition to these pieces, Pesce proposed for the collection something he referred to as an “anti-armchair,” which took the shape of a reclining fertility goddess, the iconic Donna. Producing its complex form turned out to be a technical challenge. Bayer, the foam’s manufacturer, deemed it impossible to accomplish. Pesce persisted and came up with a new procedure, demonstrating not only the designer’s key role in researching the nature and potential of new materials but also his vital importance in “doubting rules.” The Up chair and accompanying ottoman were born, and they were revolutionary in more ways than one.
In the early 1970s, Pesce began exploring one of his key concepts, the idea of the industrial originals. Employing a mold without air holes, and adding a blood-red dye to the polyurethane, he cast a bookcase that resembled a demolished wall, the rough edges of the shelves and posts resulting from fissures in the material made by trapped air. Through his research into polyurethane, Pesce figured out a way to make a loveseat and armchair using only a simple wood frame and strong canvas covering as a mold. Since the fabric developed random folds during the injection process, the pieces were similar but not identical. Cassina named the suite of furnishings Sit Down and introduced it in 1975. By experimenting with felt soaked in polyurethane and resin, Pesce conceived I Feltri, another collection of armchairs introduced by Cassina in 1987.
Pesce has gone on to live a life that defies expectation and convention and along the way has become one of the most seminal figures in art and design.
Find vintage Gaetano Pesce chairs, sofas, vases and more on 1stDibs.

Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
- Mario Bellini for Cassina Modular Sofa 'Quartet' in LeatherBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Waalwijk, NLMario Bellini for Cassina, 'Quartet' sofa model 932, leather, metal, Italy, 1964 Mario Bellini designed this modular sofa for Cassina. The sofa is a reinterpretation of classic fu...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Vigo Magistretti for Cassina Sofa in Dark Grey UpholsteryBy Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Waalwijk, NLVico Magistretti for Cassina, two-seater sofa, model 'Veranda', fabric, aluminum, Italy, 1983. Beautiful esthetically balanced two-seater sofa designed by Vico Magistretti for Cas...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsAluminum
- Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina Sofa in Walnut and Brown LeatherBy Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Waalwijk, NLAfra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, three-seat sofa brown leather, walnut, Italy, 1966. This high quality sofa is designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina in 1966. The design is bu...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Walnut
- Cini Boeri for Arflex Modular 'Strips' SofaBy Arflex, Cini BoeriLocated in Waalwijk, NLCini Boeri for Arflex, modular 'strips' sofa, upholstery, Italy, 1970s Stunning 'Strips' sofa designed by Cini Boeri for Arflex. This set consists out of seven elements, of which si...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsChrome
- Cini Boeri for Arflex Modular 'Strips' Three Elements Sofa with OttomanBy Cini Boeri, ArflexLocated in Waalwijk, NLCini Boeri for Arflex, modular 'strips' sofa with ottoman, chrome, fabric upholstery, Italy, 1970s Stunning 'Strips' sofa designed by Italian designer Cini Boeri for Arflex. The s...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsChrome
- Massimo Morozzi for Cassina Modular ‘Tangram’ Dining TableBy Massimo Morozzi, CassinaLocated in Waalwijk, NLMassimo Morozzi for Cassina, ‘Tangram’ dining table, painted beech, Italy, 1983 The ‘Tangram’ table awakes more than just one association. The design by Massimo Morozzi is modular...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBeech
You May Also Like
1990s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
Fabric
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs
Felt
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Sectional Sofas
Metal
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs
Felt, Resin
1990s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
Leather
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
Leather, Wood
Recently Viewed
View MoreRead More

Ruth Lande Shuman’s Manhattan Apartment Is a Happy Rainbow — Thanks to Gaetano Pesce
Over the years, Shuman has filled her Park Avenue penthouse with the Italian designer's radically colorful creations. Here's how it all came to together.

With Their Rambunctious Faux Naïf Aesthetic, Young Makers Are Changing the Way We Think about Design
Following in the footsteps of Italian master Gaetano Pesce, these mostly millennial talents are embracing an intentionally imperfect style with wildly creative results.
The 1stDibs Promise
Learn MoreExpertly Vetted Sellers
Confidence at Checkout
Price-Match Guarantee
Exceptional Support
Buyer Protection
Trusted Global Delivery