Massimo and Lella Vignelli 'Metaphora' Coffee Table in Carrara Marble and Glass
About the Item
- Creator:Massimo and Lella Vignelli (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 8.67 in (22 cm)Width: 38.59 in (98 cm)Depth: 38.59 in (98 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1979
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Echt, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1805330347142
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Echt, Netherlands
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Large Impressive Carrara Marble Coffee Table Made in Italy, 1970sLocated in Echt, NLFantastic round coffee table in excellent condition. Made in Italy in the late 1970s This particular table consists of a white carrara marble top and round carrara marble bases. T...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsCarrara Marble
- 1970s Faux Crocodile Skin and Marble Coffee TableLocated in Echt, NL1970s Italian coffee table in very good condition. The wooden top is laminated with grey coloured faux crocodile skin. The feet are made of wood which is covered with thin strips o...Category
20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMarble
- Graphic Lucite and Glass Coffee Table, Italy 1970sBy Charles Hollis JonesLocated in Echt, NLRare graphic coffee table in excellent condition. The table has a round glass top which is supported by a base formed by crossed lucite beams which give a beautiful effect. The w...Category
20th Century French Minimalist Tables
MaterialsGlass, Lucite
- Round Impressive French Artisan Coffee Table in Solid Oak, 1960sLocated in Echt, NLImpressive handmade coffee table in very good original condition. The table is made of solid French oak. The thick round top has a beautiful warm color and is made of narrow beam...Category
20th Century French Brutalist Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood, Oak
- Sculptural Coffee Table Produced by Tri-Mark, 1970sBy Tri-MarkLocated in Echt, NLSculptural coffee table by Tri-Mark Designs. Heavy chrome steel base polished to a mirror finish. Thick glass top The base can be inverted to create a different look. From now...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsChrome
- Willy Ballez Marble and Glass Coffee Table, 1970s BelgiumLocated in Echt, NLSculptural coffee table by Willy Ballez in very good condition. Handmade in Belgium in the 1970s. The abstract base is made from solid marble in a Grey and Purple color. The ov...Category
20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsStone, Marble
- Midcentury "Metaphora" Coffee Table by Massimo Et Lella Vignelli, TravertineBy Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern "Metaphora" Coffee Table by Massimo et Lella Vignelli for Martinelli Luce, 1970S.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsTravertine
- "Metaphora" Black Marquina Marble & Glass Coffee Table by Lella & M. VignelliBy Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in Firenze, TuscanyImpressive metaphora coffee table in very good condition and with a great patina! This coffee table was designed by Lella & Massimo Vignelli in 1979. Four forms of the Euclidean geometry, the cube, the cylinder, the sphere and the pyramid, made of black marquina marble, represent the basis of the table. The marble forms support a thick clear glass top of 1,5 cm. The four elements are independent and can be positioned freely, without the table losing its own identity regardless the position of the elements it consists of. Lella Vignelli (born Elena Valle, August 13, 1934 – December 22, 2016) was an Italian architect, designer, and businesswoman. She collaborated closely throughout much of her life with her husband Massimo Vignelli, with whom she founded Vignelli Associates in 1971. She was known for the "spare, elegant style" of her architectural and Industrial Design work, as well as her management skills and entrepreneurial expertise. She is famously quoted as saying that, "If you do it right, it will last forever." Starting in the mid-1950s, Lella Vignelli's professional concentration was interior, furniture, and product design. She was also involved in the formation of the ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale), an Italian professional design organization which was founded in 1956. Some of the Vignellis' notable designs from this period are their brand identity commissions for clients such as Knoll International, for which they led a comprehensive review of the company's visual presence starting in 1965; the graphic identity and logo of American Airlines, designed in 1967; as well the design of as a collection of melamine plastic stacking dinnerware for Articoli Plastici Elettrici in 1964 (later marketed in America by Heller). The Vignelli Stacking Dinnerware was still in production in 2023, nearly 60 years after it was first introduced. In 1971, the Vignellis established Vignelli Associates and opened offices in New York, Paris, and Milan. The firm's commissions included corporate identity programmes for Bloomingdale's department store in 1972, Lancia automobiles in 1978, and Ducati motorcycles in 1992, as well as the signage system for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997. Lella continued to focus on the three-dimensional design work of the practice, and also served as Chief Executive. In 1978, the Vignellis founded Vignelli Designs, a separate company which focused on product and furniture design, and for which Lella served as president. Their furniture designs included the Handkerchief chair for Knoll (1985); the Serenissimo table...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian 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
- Mid Century "Metaphora" Coffee Table by Massimo et Lella Vignelli, TravertineBy Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in Brussels, BEMid Century "Metaphora" Coffee Table by Massimo et Lella Vignelli, Travertine, 1980sCategory
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsTravertine
- Mid-Century Modern "Metaphora" Coffee Table by Massimo Et Lella VignelliBy Massimo and Lella VignelliLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern "Metaphora" coffee table by Massimo et Lella Vignelli for Martinelli Luce.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsTravertine
- 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
