Tobia Scarpa - 4 seater Bastiano Sofa, 1969 for Knoll International in Leather
View Similar Items
Tobia Scarpa - 4 seater Bastiano Sofa, 1969 for Knoll International in Leather
About the Item
- Creator:Afra & Tobia Scarpa (Designer),Knoll (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.35 in (72 cm)Width: 107.09 in (272 cm)Depth: 30.71 in (78 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1969
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Munster, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1391236674902
Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.
Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.
Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)
For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.
Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”
It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.
Find vintage Afra & Tobia Scarpa furniture today on 1stDibs.
Knoll
As a company that produced many of the most famous and iconic furniture designs of the 20th century, Knoll was a chief influence in the rise of modern design in the United States. Led by Florence Knoll, the firm would draw stellar talents such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen into its compass. Their work would help change the face of the American home and office.
The company was formed in 1938 by the German immigrant Hans Knoll. He first worked with his fellow ex-pat, the Danish designer Jens Risom, who created furniture with flowing lines made of wood. While Risom served in World War II, in 1943 Knoll met his future wife, Florence Schust. She had studied and worked with eminent emigré leaders of the Bauhaus, including Mies, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. She won Knoll over with Bauhaus notions of industrial arts, and an aesthetic that featured flat and tubular metal frames and angular forms. When Hans died in a car crash in 1955, Florence Knoll was appointed head of the company. It was as much through her holistic approach to design — a core division of the firm was dedicated to planning office systems — as Knoll's mid-century modern furnishings themselves that she brought about the sleek and efficient transformation of the American workplace.
Today, classic Knoll furnishings remain staples of modern design collections and decor. A history of modern design is written in pieces such as the elegant Barcelona chair — created by Mies and Lilly Reich — Saarinen’s pedestal Tulip chair, Breuer’s tubular steel Wassily lounge chair and the grid-patterned Diamond chair by Harry Bertoia.
As you can see from the collection of these designs and other vintage Knoll dining chairs, sofas and tables on 1stDibs, this manufacturer's offerings have become timeless emblems of the progressive spirit and sleek sophistication of the best of modernism.
- Soriana Lounge Chair + Ottoman by Tobia + Afra Scarpa 1969 by Cassina, ItalyBy Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Munster, NRWLounge chair 'Soriana' with ottoman, designed in 1969 by Afra & Tobia Scarpa and manufactured by Cassina, Italy. The chrome-plated metal structure holds the foam structure firmly in...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Børge Mogensen, Coupé Sofa in Chocolate Leather, 1971 for Fredericia, DenmarkBy Fredericia Stolefabrik, Fredericia, Børge MogensenLocated in Munster, NRWBørge Mogensen - coupé sofa, designed in 1971 for Fredericia, Denmark Børge Mogensen designed the luxurious Coupé Sofa with the distinctive high 106 cm back, especially for cozy, ...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Loveseats
MaterialsLeather
- Early Eero Saarinen Office Desk Chair for Knoll InternationalBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Munster, NRWEero Saarinen office desk dhair for Knoll International. The chair is in original leather and stainless steel in good condition. It is adjustable in height and has been modified on t...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Florence Knoll Sideboard Wall Mounted 1952 Seagrass Teak by Knoll InternationalBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Munster, NRWExtremely rare wall-hung sideboard (Mod°123) from 1952, designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll International - this version was produced in 1952 in a small edition by Knoll in Stuttgar...Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsSeagrass, Teak
- Florence Knoll Sideboard Wall Bar Unit Teak 1954 Knoll International Mid CenturyBy Florence Knoll, KnollLocated in Munster, NRWWall mounted sideboard unit by Florence Knoll, made by Knoll International, Stuttgart in 1954. Rare opportunity to acquire an original Knoll Internat...Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsTeak
- Hartmut Lohmeyer 3seat Sofa Teak Kvadrat Cane 1962 Wilkhahn Mid Century ModernBy Wilkhahn, Hartmut LohmeyerLocated in Munster, NRWThree seat Sofa designed by Hartmut Lohmeyer for Wilkhahn in 1962. Hand crafted in Germany by Wilkhahn. The sofa is sensuous and organically shaped. It features a slightly tilted...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsCane, Teak
- 3-Seater Bastiano Sofa by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Knoll International, 1960sBy Knoll, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in amstelveen, NLA three-seater sofa from the Bastiano series, designed by the Italian designer duo Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Knoll, Italy, circa 1960. The frame is made of black painted oak wood, a...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsOak
- Knoll International 2-Seater Sofa Model 'Bastiano' Tobia Scarpa Leather CognacBy Tobia Scarpa, KnollLocated in Köln, NRWKnoll International 2-seater sofa model 'Bastiano' Tobia Scarpa leather cognac A classic and chic two-seater sofa from the Bastiano series, desig...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Knoll International 3-Seater Sofa Model 'Bastiano' Tobia Scarpa Leather CognacBy Tobia Scarpa, KnollLocated in Köln, NRWKnoll International 3-seater sofa model 'Bastiano' Tobia Scarpa leather cognac A classic and chic three-seater sofa from the Bastiano series, designed by the iconic Italian designer...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Knoll International 2-Seater Sofa Model 'Bastiano' Tobia Scarpa Leather CognacBy Tobia ScarpaLocated in Köln, NRWKnoll International 2-seater sofa model 'Bastiano' Design Tobia Scarpa leather cognac A classic and chic two-seater sofa from the Bastiano series, designed by the iconic Italian des...Category
Vintage 1960s European Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- BASTIANO Sofa in black leather by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for KNOLL – Italy, 1962By Knoll, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Pijnacker, Zuid-HollandBASTIANO Sofa in black leather and solid walnut by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for KNOLL – Italy, 1962 Designer: Afra and Tobia Scarpa Manufacturer: KNOLL Country: Italy Model: Bastiano three seat sofa Design period: 1975 Date of manufacturing: circa 1960-70 Material: Leather / Solid walnut Condition: Good / refinished wood / normal signs of age and use / some crackle in the leather / No tears or holes Introducing the Knoll Bastiano...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Walnut
- Tobia Scarpa 'Bastiano' two seater sofa by Knoll, 1970sBy Tobia Scarpa, KnollLocated in HEVERLEE, BEMid century black leather and ebonized wood frame 2 seater 'bastiano' sofa designed by Tobia Scarpa and produced by Knoll. The design dates from 1962, this one was produced in the...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Wood