Osvaldo Borsani Modular Rosewood Bookcase Wall Unit with Removable Panels
About the Item
- Creator:Osvaldo Borsani (Designer),Tecno (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 108.63 in (275.93 cm)Width: 139.75 in (354.97 cm)Depth: 14 in (35.56 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:ca. 1960
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Rosewood has been refinished and is in very good condition with only light, age-commensurate wear. Fabric and rosewood panels show fading and wear consistent with age and use, though concealed largely by the mounted elements.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:
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: Brooklyn, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Italian Modular Rosewood Bookcase Wall Unit by Osvaldo Borsani for TecnoBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Brooklyn, NYLarge modular rosewood bookcase/wall unit by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno (ca. 1960, Italy). Composed of six gold aluminum uprights forming five bays/sections. Includes: -locking bar unit with a removable (non-adjustable) shelf and glass surface -three-drawer chest, a locking cabinet with single adjustable/removable shelf -twelve shelves -all original brackets/mounting hardware and two keys. The set can also be divided to create two separate units (1 and 3 sections or 2 and 2 sections). Alternatively, we have a second six rail/five section unit, and the two can be combined to create a grand eleven bay system. Gold aluminum rails and black steel brackets/hardware are all original; rosewood has been refinished and is in very good condition with only light, age-commensurate wear. Note that the aluminum rails are included (the black backings are ledger boards that we mounted in order to work with the conduit we have running along our wall - they are not necessary for standard wall-mounting and will not be included). Decorative objects/seating are for illustration purposes only. Keep reading for more detailed dimensions. H: 108.63" x L: 139.25" x D: 14" / 40" (cabinet door open including rail). Each section measures roughly L: 28.63" including rails / 26.5" space between rails Shelves: H: 1.25" x L: 27.5" x D: 10" / 11.5" including rails Bar Cabinet: H: 27.75" x L: 55" x D: 12.25" (closed) / 25.75" (with door down discounting rail) / 27.5" (bar cabinet door...Category
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