secretaire 530 by Gianfranco Frattini, 1956 for Bernini
About the Item
- Creator:Gianfranco Frattini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.75 in (73 cm)Width: 51.19 in (130 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1956
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Misinto, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9226236762842
Gianfranco Frattini
Gianfranco Frattini is widely regarded as a mid-century master of Italian modern design. He was an award-winning architect and designer, and specialized in creating furniture and decor that is both decorative and practical — Frattini’s vintage desks, armchairs, nesting tables and other works are celebrated for their sophisticated merging of function and form.
Born in Padua in 1926, Frattini studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He later apprenticed with his teacher and mentor, Gio Ponti. Through Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian architecture and design — Frattini met many notable modernist designers such as Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier, but an introduction to famed Italian entrepreneur Cesare Cassina would prove incredibly significant in helping launch his career.
During the mid-1950s, Frattini began to collaborate with Cassina’s eponymous company. He designed the brand’s acclaimed leather and walnut Model 849 lounge chair — a winner of the Compasso d’Oro award — the Marema nesting tables and the iconic Sesann collection. The latter, an enduring 1970s suite of impossibly welcoming leather-covered seating, is now produced by Tacchini. In addition to Cassina, Frattini created furniture and lighting for other manufacturers such as Bernini, Arteluce, Artemide, Knoll and more.
While many of his designs incorporate glass, tubular steel and other materials, Frattini loved working with wood. The sculptural Albero bookcase — an innovative floor-to-ceiling structure made in walnut that swings on a 360-degree vertical swivel axis — is a striking example of Frattini’s dedication to traditional woodworking techniques. In the early 1970s, he traveled to Japan with friend and collaborator Pierluigi Ghianda — a master Milanese cabinet maker — in order to study the work of artisans in Kyoto. The trip inspired his design of the Kyoto table, a work of solid beech with Canaletto walnut inserts that is part of the permanent collection of the Milan Triennale’s Design Museum. The Kyoto and Albero have been revived by Poltrona Frau.
Frattini’s designs are in the permanent collections of prestigious museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Find vintage Gianfranco Frattini furniture, lighting and decor on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Misinto, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Gianfranco Frattini 804 Rolltop desk for Bernini, 1962By Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in Misinto, ITThe 804 secretaire is one of the most significant pieces of Gianfranco Frattini's creativity. Designed in 1962 for Bernini, it highlights Frattini's exceptional design prowess and th...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Secretaires
MaterialsAluminum
- Tracks writing desk, by Naghi Habib for Bernini, 1999By Naghi HabibLocated in Misinto, ITThe Tracks writing desk, designed by Naghi Habib in 1999, is part of a product family created for Bernini, based on the concept of an elegant home that caters to the modern need for ...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Desks
MaterialsWood
- 0+1 C sideboard by Franco Poli for Bernini, 2003By Franco PoliLocated in Misinto, ITThe 0+1 C sideboard was part of a living room product family designed by Franco Poli for Bernini in 2003. This series was characterized by the gentle lines, as seen in the long struc...Category
Early 2000s Italian Dressers
MaterialsPlexiglass, Nutwood
- Zag bookcase by Karim Rashid for Bernini, 2009By Karim RashidLocated in Misinto, ITThe works of the artist Karim Rashid, of Egyptian origin, are aimed at conveying his heritage and personal sensibility through the use of bold lines and glossy lacquer finishes in primary colors. Zag is a minimal bookshelf...Category
Early 2000s Italian Bookcases
MaterialsLaminate, Hickory
- Cupboard Pranzo by Silvio Coppola for Bernini, 1964By Silvio CoppolaLocated in Misinto, ITPranzo is a cupboard clearly inspired by the Lombard cabinetmaking tradition in walnut wood, reflecting Silvio Coppola's essential approach to design; a design free from fleeting sty...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Credenzas
MaterialsHickory
- Giulietta chair by Franco Poli for Bernini, 2005By Franco PoliLocated in Misinto, ITThe Giulietta chair is a product designed by Franco Poli for Bernini in 2005. The product line is essential, with compact and enveloping proportions fo...Category
Early 2000s Italian Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Gianfranco Frattini Desk Model 530 Bernini production 1963.By Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in Vigevano, PVGIANFRANCO FRATTINI A desk with shelf model 530 for BERNINI, 1961. Rosewood, Rosewood veneer wood. Dated 1963 in a drawer. Literature: Domus 378 (May 1961), advertisement Domus 389 ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsKingwood
- Gianfranco Frattini Desk Model 530 Bernini Italy 1957By Gianfranco Frattini, BerniniLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantStunning medium sized writing desk model 530 designed by Gianfranco Frattini and manufactured by Bernini, Italy 1957. This desk is made of nicely grained rosewood and cherrywood vene...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsRosewood
- Desk Model 530, Gianfranco Frattini Bernini Edition, 1957By Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in Saint ouen, FRDesk model 530 - Gianfranco Frattini - Circa 1957 Bernini edition (label in right drawer) Rosewood H95xW130xD79.5cm In a perfect state The desk features a removable storage un...Category
Vintage 1950s European Other Desks
MaterialsRosewood, Wood
- Gianfranco Frattini Writing Desk Model 530 Bernini, Italy, 1963By Gianfranco Frattini, BerniniLocated in Albano Laziale, Rome/LazioBehold, a masterpiece of design and function, the Classic Writing Desk Model 530, a creation of the renowned Gianfranco Frattini, crafted by the s...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsWalnut
- Wooden Secretary Desk by Gianfranco Frattini for BerniniBy Bernini, Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in Madrid, ESElegant mahogany wood desk with aluminum inserts designed by Gianfranco Frattini for Bernini in 1960. Hardwood and wood veneer, details on feet and the bottom in aluminum. Pull-out t...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsAluminum
- Midcentury Modern Wooden Desk by Gianfranco Frattini for BerniniBy Gianfranco Frattini, BerniniLocated in Madrid, ESHardwood writing desk designed by Gianfranco Frattini and produced by Bernini, Italy. The desk features a removable top part with extra drawers and storage compartments. This desk ca...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsHardwood