Osvaldo Borsani console shelf with drawers in carved wood and glass, Italy 1940s
About the Item
- Creator:Atelier Borsani Varedo (Manufacturer),Osvaldo Borsani (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 4.73 in (12 cm)Width: 50.79 in (129 cm)Depth: 15.36 in (39 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940s
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Chiavari, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6764238498992
Osvaldo Borsani
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Osvaldo Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. Borsani first worked for his father’s furniture-making firm, Arredamenti Borsani, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design. By 1953, when, along with his twin brother, Fulgenzio — the pair also created this visionary mid-century villa — Borsani opened the furniture company Tecno, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair (1953). Borsani would be the firm’s lead designer for 30 years, while fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo di Carli, Robin Day and others.
Similar to Gio Ponti in the earliest years of his career, Borsani first created designs marked by lush and buoyant lines: tables with voluptuous curved legs, sofas with undulating backrests. But Borsani’s best-known and most novel pieces date from Tecno’s initial furniture lines: the adjustable D70 sofa, which folds open to make a daybed, and the P40 recliner. The latter — now included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum — is an articulated lounger with a back, seat and leg rest that can be moved into 486 different positions. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it is also enduringly chic.
Find a collection of vintage Osvaldo Borsani tables, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Chiavari, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Osvaldo Borsani sofa, Italy, 1940sBy Arredamenti Borsani, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Chiavari, LiguriaOriginating from Italy in the 1940s, the aesthetically refined sofa designed by renowned Italian designer Osvaldo Borsani epitomizes the enduring charm of mid-century Italian furnitu...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Osvaldo Borsani wooden and red glass side tables with a drawer, Italy, 1950sBy Atelier Borsani Varedo, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Chiavari, LiguriaA beautiful pair of wooden and glass side tables with a drawer, produced in the 1950s in Italy by Arredamenti Borsani Varedo, and designed by the renowned designer Osvaldo Borsani. ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsGlass, Walnut
- Osvaldo Borsani E22 Double Sided Freestanding Wall Unit for Tecno, Italy, 1950sBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Chiavari, LiguriaThis double-sided freestanding E22 bookcase is a rare and peculiar example of Borsani's innovative design and the Tecno manufacturing expertise. Its construction of metal, wood, and ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Osvaldo Borsani lacquered and gilded frame mirror, Italy, 1950sBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Chiavari, LiguriaA splendid trapezoidal mirror with a lacquered and gilded frame is an authentic Italian creation from the 1950s, designed by Osvaldo Borsani. This impressive full-length mirror is c...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Neoclassical Wall Mirrors
MaterialsBrass
- Osvaldo Borsani large modular credenza for Tecno Spa, Italy 1950sBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Chiavari, LiguriaA large modular credenza designed by Osvaldo Borsani and manufactured by Tecno Spa during the late 1950s. Crafted predominantly from teak, this modular unit comprises four distinct...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsWood
- Osvaldo Borsani T95 teak and chromed steel desk for Tecno SPA, Italy, 1956By Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Chiavari, LiguriaThis T95 desk is a remarkable creation by the renowned designer Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy. Conceived in the 1956 and crafted towards the latte...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Shelf attr. Osvaldo Borsani 1960By Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Berlin, DEThis rare and very functional shelf with drawers and compartments made of teak is in the style of the time. Similarities with the design of Charles Eames and Osvaldo Borsani are rec...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Shelves
MaterialsTeak
- Mahogany Shelf with Bronze Tips by Osvaldo Borsani, 1950sBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Montelabbate, PUShowcase bookcase 1 of 2 left and right in blond mahogany 50s bronze tips The guides of the sliding glasses are in brass, have 2 doors with greek classicism decoration. The style, de...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsBrass, Bronze
- Osvaldo Borsani Coat Hanger, Italy, 1960sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in New York, NYExceptional coat hanger by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. It is composed of a tempered glass shelf with seven rotating brass hooks.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsGlass
- 1940s Italian Plate Rack, Kitchen Shelf, Dresser with Drawers Wax polishedLocated in Vigonza, Padua1940s Art Deco period , plate rack or kitchen shelf , dresser with 5 drawers, all solid pine polished with wax. Excellent patina Measures cm: H 50, W 1...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Art Deco Shelves
MaterialsPine
- 1940s, Italian Plate Rack, kitchen Shelf, dresser 4 Drawers, painted, decoratetLocated in Vigonza, PaduaMid Century Italian Plate & Pot Rack, for kitchen room or tavern, tyrolean style, in massive pine painted and decorated, with four drawers MEASURES in cm : H 100 W 142 D 28Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Country Shelves and Wall Cabinets
MaterialsPine
- Osvaldo Borsani Tea Table Wood Glass, 1940, ItalyBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Milano, ITOsvaldo Borsani tea table wood glass, 1940, Italy.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Other Dry Bars
MaterialsWood
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Mid-Century Master Osvaldo Borsani Gets His Due at Donzella
The New York City gallery has devoted its latest show to the work of the modernist Italian designer.
Peek inside Osvaldo Borsani’s Mod Italian Villa
The iconic mid-century estate outside of Milan opens its doors to the public for a very special homage.