Entrepreneur Aurelio Zanotta founded Zanotta in 1954 in Nova Milanese, Italy. Originally called Zanotta Poltrona, it specialized in traditional furniture. By the early 1960s, however, Zanotta had established a reputation for edgy mid-century modern design. Today’s vintage furniture collectors know the brand well for its innovative and wholly sculptural chairs, coffee tables and more.
One of Zanotta’s earliest successes was the Mezzadro stool — better known as the Tractor stool — designed by Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and his brother Achille in the late 1950s. In 1965, Zanotta was among the first furniture companies to work with expanded polyurethane foam and frameless construction, such as for the Throw-Away sofas and armchairs designed by Willie Landels. Another popular design was the Blow chair — designed by Jonathan De Pas, Donato D’Urbino, Paolo Lomazzi and Carla Scolari — viewed by many as a physical expression of late '60s carefree culture.
In 1969, amid the provocative movement we now call Italian Radical Design, Zanotta’s Sacco chair garnered major attention. The boundary-pushing beanbag chair was the brainchild of designers Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro who presented it to Aurelio Zanotta as a transparent vinyl sack loosely filled with small polystyrene balls. He suggested its signature brightly colored leather.
The Sacco chair won the 1970 ADI Design Museum’s Compasso d’Oro award. In 1972, the Museum of Modern Art in New York included it in the landmark exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” curated by designer Emilio Ambasz. In 2020, it received a Compasso d’Oro ADI Lifetime Achievement Award for 50 years of enduring popularity. It is now in museum collections around the world including the Triennale Design Museum of Milan, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.
After Aurelio Zanotta died in 1991, the company remained in his family and has been run by his three children since 2002. Zanotta continues to set the bar high for furniture design with trend-setting pieces.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Zanotta seating, tables and other furniture.
H 27.96 in W 31.5 in D 63 in
Carlo Mollino, Reale Glass Dining Table by Zanotta, Italy (Old Edition)
By Carlo Mollino, Zanotta
Located in Argelato, BO
Carlo Mollino Reale Square Glass Dining Table by Zanotta, Mid Century Modern This table represents an authentic icon of Italian design, conc...
Glass, Wood
H 27.56 in W 69.89 in D 34.45 in
Reale Dining Table by Carlo Mollino for Zanotta, Italy, 1990s
By Zanotta, Carlo Mollino
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
The Reale table is an exercise in structural subtraction. The frame develops as a system of slender shaped members meeting at precise nodes, held together by exposed brass bolts that...
Glass, Walnut
H 20 in W 27.5 in D 28.5 in
1950s Italian Occasional Table in the Style of Carlo Mollino
By Carlo Mollino
Located in Hanover, MA
1950s Italian modernist three leg table made of mahogany stained beechwood and an asymmetric glass top which is roughly the shape of a heart or a guitar pick. Two insect-like arms re...
Mahogany
H 31.5 in W 99 in D 32 in
Mid-Century Italian Modern Carlo Mollina Design Large Sculptural Dining Table
By Carlo Molino
Located in Forney, TX
Embodying sophisticated elegance and sleek aesthetic, we present this spectacular Italian modernist Carlo Mollino (1905-1973) design dining table. After the important original circa ...
Brass
H 30.5 in W 65.82 in D 31.5 in
Italian Modern Dining Table Designed By Mario Gottardi For Roncoroni Cantu
By Mario Gottardi, Cantu
Located in Houston, TX
Italian Modern Dining Table Designed By Mario Gottardi For Roncoroni Cantu. Offered is an Italian mid century modern dining table or center table with a sculptural base, splayed legs...
Fruitwood
H 29.14 in W 86.62 in D 35.44 in
Customizable Zanotta Reale CM Table Homage to Carlo Mollino - 1948
By Zanotta, Carlo Molino
Located in New York, NY
Table. Frame in solid natural or black varnished oak, or in solid natural Canaletto walnut; wax-finished varnish. Extra clear plate glasstop, with inclined cut edges, or smoky grey p...
Glass, Oak
H 29.14 in W 63 in D 31.5 in
Carlo Mollino Rectangular "Reale" Table in Wood and Glass for Zanotta, 1980
By Carlo Mollino
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Rectangular table model Reale in wood and glass, designed by Carlo Mollino in 1948 and produced by Zanotta. The articulated and complex shapes of this project amaze for the construct...
Glass, Wood
H 29.73 in W 73.43 in D 37.21 in
Dining table by Gaetano & Alessandro Besana, 1960
Located in Premariacco, IT
An elegant dining table designed by Gaetano and Alessandro Besana in the 1960s, a refined example of postwar Italian design. Crafted from mahogany, it stands out for its clean, sle...
Mahogany
H 28.75 in W 78.75 in D 33.47 in
Piana Table Designed by Alfredo Simonit & Giorgio del Piero for Bross
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Stunning Bross table by7 Alfredo Simonit and Giorgio Del Piero timber and glass table, perfect clean lines to get the sense of perfect elegance. Incred...
Crystal
H 27.96 in W 70.87 in D 27.96 in
Franco Albini Cavalletto Table, Wood by Cassina
By Franco Albini, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table designed by Franco Albini in 1950. Relaunched in 2008. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. This table, with its minimal lines and an extremely light look, underscores the ext...
Metal
Rare Titina Ammannati & Giampiero Vitelli Dining Table in Teak
By Rossi di Albizzate
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Titina Ammannati & Giampiero Vitelli for Rossi di Albizzate, dining table, teak, lacquered steel, Italy, 1950s The Italian design duo Titina Ammannati and Giampiero Vitelli conc...
Steel
Early Franco Albini for Knoll Model '80' Desk
By Knoll, Franco Albini
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Franco Albini for Knoll, model 80, glass, lacquered wood, lacquered steel, Italy, 1949 Franco Albini’s model 80 desk combines glass, steel and wood which resu...
Chrome
Enzo Mari for Driade 'Cugino' Table in Glass and Steel
By Driade, Enzo Mari
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Enzo Mari for Driade, table 'Cugino', glass, steel, Italy, 1973. A pure and understated design by Enzo Mari for Driade. This table features a clear construction. The base consists o...
Steel
Atelier C. Demoyen Dining Table
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Atelier C. Demoyen, dining table, solid elm, France, 1970s Atelier C. Demoyen (Claude de Moyen) gained prominence as a workshop recognized for crafting, among others, Pierre Chapo's...
Elm
Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova 'Torbecchia' Dining Table in Walnut
By Giovanni Michelucci, Poltronova
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, 'Torbecchia' dining table, walnut, Italy, 1964 A streamlined table with architectural flair designed by Giovanni Michelucci (1891-1990) for Poltr...
Walnut
Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Zanotta Large 'Bramante' Table in Maple
By Zanotta
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Zanotta, 'Bramante' dining or studio table, maple, Italy, design 1950, production 1980s A remarkable and cutting-edge design by the celeb...
Maple
Alessia Genova takes us on a tour of her design for the eminent furniture maker’s new shoppable townhouse in Greenwich Village.
Gunnel Nyman was known as a glass artist, but this piece is a striking example of her early training in furniture design.
Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
