Rare Mahogany 'TL2' Cavalletto Table / Desk by Franco Albini for Poggi, Italy
About the Item
- Creator:Poggi (Manufacturer),Franco Albini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.55 in (72.5 cm)Width: 70.87 in (180 cm)Depth: 27.96 in (71 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Mahogany,Steel
- Place of Origin:Italy
- Period:1950-1959
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
Franco Albini
While working under the polymath Gio Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian modernism — furniture designer Franco Albini nurtured a love for modern forms combined with traditional craft techniques.
Albini is widely known for working with organic materials such as rattan and cane for his chairs and other seating, but he also played a pivotal role in the Italian rationalist movement of the early 20th century, which saw architects and furniture makers applying a strict emphasis on geometry in their work. Rationalists drew on Ancient Roman architecture but rejected ornament, much in the way that Le Corbusier and celebrated Bauhaus figures such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had in their modernist furniture.
Albini received his degree in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1929, and, in 1931, he founded his practice in Milan, where he tackled workers’ housing and other reconstruction projects. A gifted urban planner, he also developed the Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Rosso and Tesoro di San Lorenzo museums in Genoa. While Albini is revered for his Margherita chair — a Triennale Milano award winner created for Bonacina in 1951 — he also collaborated with manufacturers Poggi and Cassina in the 1940s on seating, tables and more that embodied his artistic vision. Of that mid-century work, the one piece that perhaps best captures this vision is the iconic Luisa chair.
With its cherry red upholstery and sinuous wooden legs that seem to float aboveground, the Luisa is a genuine masterpiece. It is also a testament to Albini’s perfectionism, as it endured several prototypes — including one made by Knoll in the late 1940s — and took approximately 15 years to design. Poggi launched the final version of the armchair in 1955, earning Albini the prestigious Compasso d’Oro from Italy’s Association for Industrial Design. It is produced today by Cassina. Albini named the chair for someone who likely saw the process firsthand: his personal secretary of two decades, Luisa Colombini.
Find vintage Franco Albini furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Pink ‘Ultrafragola’ Mirror Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, ItalyBy Ettore SottsassLocated in London, GBThe curvaceous pink ‘Ultrafragola’ mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass is probably the most iconic of all his many designs. Originally produced in the 1970s by Poltronova, the ‘Ultrafragola’ formed part of a series of Sottsass designs named Mobili Grigi. When illuminated, the neon tubes within the mirror transform the white opaline acrylic shell into a stunning multi-pink display. This unique, individually numbered, re-edition piece is still produced by the same Florentine company today and is sold with a “Certificate of Authenticity”. The perfectly pink ‘selfie’ mirror!Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Mirrors a...
MaterialsGlass, Acrylic
- Pink ‘Ultrafragola’ Mirror Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, ItalyBy Ettore SottsassLocated in London, GBThe curvaceous pink ‘Ultrafragola’ mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass is probably the most iconic of all his many designs. Originally produced in the 1970s by Poltronova, the ‘Ultrafragola’ formed part of a series of Sottsass designs named Mobili Grigi. When illuminated, the lights within the mirror transform the white opaline acrylic shell into a stunning multi-pink display. This unique, individually numbered, re-edition piece is still produced by the same Florentine company today and is sold with a “Certificate of Authenticity”. The perfectly pink ‘selfie’ mirror...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Mirrors a...
MaterialsGlass, Acrylic
- Pink ‘Ultrafragola’ Mirror Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, ItalyBy Ettore SottsassLocated in London, GBThe curvaceous pink ‘Ultrafragola’ mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass is probably the most iconic of all his many designs. Originally produced in the 1970s by Poltronova, the ‘Ultrafragola’ formed part of a series of Sottsass designs named Mobili Grigi. When illuminated, the lights within the mirror transform the white opaline acrylic shell into a stunning multi-pink display. This unique, individually numbered, re-edition piece is still produced by the same Florentine company today and is sold with a “Certificate of Authenticity”. The perfectly pink ‘selfie’ mirror!Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Mirrors a...
MaterialsGlass, Acrylic
- Pink ‘Ultrafragola’ Mirror Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, ItalyBy Ettore SottsassLocated in London, GBThe curvaceous pink ‘Ultrafragola’ mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass is probably the most iconic of all his many designs. Originally produced in the 1970s by Poltronova, the ‘Ultrafragola’ formed part of a series of Sottsass designs named Mobili Grigi. When illuminated, the tubular lights within the mirror transform the white opaline acrylic shell into a stunning multi-pink display. This unique, individually numbered, re-edition piece is still produced by the same Florentine company today and is sold with a “Certificate of Authenticity”. The perfectly pink ‘selfie’ mirror!Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Mirrors a...
MaterialsGlass, Acrylic
- 'Triennale' Floor Lamp Mod. 12128 by Angelo Lelli for Arredoluce, Italy, C.1955By Raymor, Angelo Lelii, ArredoluceLocated in London, GBThe iconic articulated 'Triennale' Floor Lamp was first designed by the great Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce in Monza, Italy. The model '12128' got its name from the Italian exhibition ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsAluminum, Brass
- 'Scalpellato' Glass Dish by Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte, Italy, circa 1935By Pietro Chiesa, Fontana ArteLocated in London, GBA circa 1930 ‘scalpellato’ handcut glass dish designed by Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte. The beautiful aquamarine coloured glass was produced using the ‘scalpellato’ or ‘chiselled’ ...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
MaterialsGlass
- Franco Albini TL2 Cavalletto table Poggi Italy 1950By Franco AlbiniLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantIconic and early example of the TL2 'Cavalletto' table designed by Franco Albini and manufactured by Poggi in Italy around 1950. The table has an amazing dynamic and archtectural sha...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Mid-Century Modern TL2 Cavalletto Desk/Dining Table by Franco Albini for PoggiBy Franco AlbiniLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern TL2 Cavalletto desk/dining table by Franco Albini for Poggi, 1950s.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern TL2 Cavalletto desk/dining table by Franco Albini for PoggiBy Franco AlbiniLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern TL2 Cavalletto desk/dining table by Franco Albini for Poggi, 1950sCategory
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- 20th Century Franco Albini Table Model TL2 "Cavalletto" in Wood for Poggi 1950sBy Poggi, Franco AlbiniLocated in Turin, TurinIconic table designed by the great Italian maestro Franco Albini in the 50s. The model is TL2 better known as "Cavalletto" (in english "Trestle") since it reminds of lightness and wi...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Franco Albini teak dining Table Model TL2 'Cavalletto' for Poggi, Italy 1950sBy Poggi, Franco AlbiniLocated in Chiavari, LiguriaA dining table or desk Model TL2 by Franco Albini, better known as "Cavalletto", is an iconic piece designed by the esteemed Italian maestro in the 1950s. This table embodies the ess...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Trestle Table 'TL2' Franco Albini for Poggi 1950sBy Franco AlbiniLocated in Milano, ITEasel table model 'TL2' designed by Franco Albini and produced by Poggi from the 1950s. Reported to the Compasso d'Oro, this table's main characteristic is that it appears to be a te...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsWood