Martinelli Luce Metafora Coffee Table by Lella and Massimo Vignelli, Italy, 1970
View Similar Items
Martinelli Luce Metafora Coffee Table by Lella and Massimo Vignelli, Italy, 1970
About the Item
- Creator:Massimo and Lella Vignelli (Designer),Martinelli Luce (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 8.67 in (22 cm)Diameter: 39.38 in (100 cm)Length: 8.67 in (22 cm)
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1970
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. The base of the pyramidal leg shows some dents, please check the pictures.
- Seller Location:Le Grand-Saconnex, CH
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3815130111222
Massimo and Lella Vignelli
Massimo Vignelli and Lella Vignelli’s legacy can be seen everywhere in the logos of Bloomingdale’s, Ford and American Airlines, among others. In addition to their work in branding, they were prolific creators of modernist home furnishings, products and interiors, and the duo’s collaborations, which span 50 years, have left a profound mark on design and wider visual culture.
After meeting in Italy, Lella (1934–2016) and Massimo (1931–2014) began working together in 1961 and a decade later formed Vignelli Associates in New York. A self-described “information architect,” Massimo was committed to streamlining complex ideas into clear, visually arresting forms. (Witness the graphic identity that he cocreated with Bob Noorda for the New York City Transit Authority as well as his influential 1972 subway map.) The Vignellis’ most recognizable piece, for example, may be the Handkerchief chair, a stackable office chair made of compression-molded plastic that has the look of a cloth floating in air. It was created for Knoll in 1983 after they designed the brand’s logo.
Evidence of the couple’s influence can also be found in their Saratoga line (1964), the first collection of lacquered furniture, which helped herald in the trendy “glossy” look of the decade (and beyond). When the Vignellis created the Poltrona Frau Interview chair in 1988 for an Italian television station, it became widely sought after, “which goes to show you the power of the TV media,” the couple once said. Much like their elemental graphic designs, the Kono (1984) and Pisa tables (1985) — both created for Casigliani — cull the form of the table down to geometric shapes.
Vignelli furniture is often labeled as Massimo Vignelli’s alone, though he fought to have Lella recognized for her work, even throwing away magazines that neglected to give her due credit. As he wrote of their lifelong collaboration in his book Designed By: Lella Vignelli: “It is not holding a pencil with four hands that makes a partnership; it is sharing the creative act and exercising creative criticism which is reflected in the end result.”
Find vintage Massimo and Lella Vignelli seating, tables and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
- Set of Three Slate and Rosewood Coffee Tables "Universe" by Kai Kristiansen 1960By Magnus Olesen, Kai KristiansenLocated in Le Grand-Saconnex, CHSet of three slate and rosewood coffee tables "Universe" by Kai Kristiansen. The Univers-series was the last and best by far, example of the collaboration between Kai Kristiansen an...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsSlate
- Mid-Century Modern Glas Propeller Coffee Tableby Knut Hertserberg, 1970, GermanyBy Knut Hesterberg, Ronald SchmittLocated in Le Grand-Saconnex, CHThis round coffee table is the rare glass version of the "Popeller", iconic midcentury table designed by Knut Hersterberg. The thick glass legs is particularly tricky to engineer, an...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsGlass
- Mid-Century Modern Wheat Gilt Side Tables Set, by Hans Kögl, Germany, 1970By Hans KöglLocated in Le Grand-Saconnex, CHSet of two gilded side tables, made of a bunch of wheat heads and a round glas top. Typical of the Venetian revival of the seventies, nowadays Hollywood Regency. These tables are ver...Category
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMetal
$1,848 Sale Price / set47% Off - Cream Travertine Table Lamp By Fratelli Mannelli, Italy, 1970By Fratelli ManelliLocated in Le Grand-Saconnex, CHIconic table lamp, designed and made by the Fratelli Manelli in Italy around 1970. The lamp is made of travertine, with concentric circles engravements, in a cream colour. The shade...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsTravertine
- Angelo Mangiarotti Round Pedestal Dining Table, Marble and Glass, Italy, 1970By Angelo MangiarottiLocated in Le Grand-Saconnex, CHRound pedestal dining table, with a white Carrara marble leg, and round thick glass top. In this work, the designer put the focus on the architecture of the leg, simple and classica...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsCarrara Marble
$9,353 Sale Price29% Off - Mid-Century Modern Carlo Scarpa Cream Travertine Dining Table "Argo", 1970By Carlo ScarpaLocated in Le Grand-Saconnex, CHMid-Century Modern oval travertine dining room table, model Argo. Designed in 1970 by Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978) for the "Ultrarazionale" collection, produced and sold by Cattelan Ital...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsTravertine
- Martinelli Luce Metafora 1979 Table by Lella and Massimo VignelliBy Martinelli Luce, Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in Brooklyn, NYThe four forms of the Euclidean geometry, the cube, the cylinder, the sphere and the pyramid, made of four different marbles, represent the basis of the table finished with a big she...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tables
MaterialsCarrara Marble
From $10,295 / item - Metafora Coffee Table by Lella & Massimo VignelliBy Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in Fort Lauderdale, FLMetafora coffee table By Lella and Massimo Vignelli, made in Italy. Marble and travertine shapes: Cube, pyramid, sphere and cylinder. New glass.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMarble
- Metafora coffee table by Massimo and Lella Vignelli for Casigliani Italy, 1970sBy Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in amstelveen, NLSculptural Metafora travertine coffee table designed by Lella and Massimo Vignelli. in the 1970s. Inspired by the four forms of Euclidean geometry, the cube, the pyramid, the cylinde...Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsTravertine, Marble
- Massimo & Lella Vignelli "Metafora" Italian Travertine Stone Coffee TableBy Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in Los Angeles, CAMassimo & Lella Vignelli "Metafora" Italian Travertine Stone Coffee TableCategory
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsStone
- Massimo & Lella Vignelli 'Metafora' coffee table for Casigliani, Italy 1979.By Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in Renens, CHA stunning and sculptural Metafora coffee table designed by Lella and Massimo Vignelli. Inspired by the four forms of Euclidean geometery, the cube, the pyramid, the cylinder and th...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMarble
- Metafora Coffee Table in Carrara White Marble by Lella and Massimo VignelliBy Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in Outremont, QCMetafora coffee table in Carrara white marble by Lella and Massimo Vignelli for Casigliani, 1979 The four forms of the Euclidean geometry, the Cube, the Cylinder, the Sphere and the...Category
Vintage 1970s European Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsCarrara Marble