Set of 8 Chairs in teak and black boucle by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1960
View Similar Items
Set of 8 Chairs in teak and black boucle by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1960
About the Item
- Creator:Poltronova (Maker),Ettore Sottsass (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 25.6 in (65 cm)Width: 25.6 in (65 cm)Depth: 24.02 in (61 cm)Seat Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 8
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:amstelveen, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5790236565322
Ettore Sottsass
An architect, industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, Ettore Sottsass led a revolution in the aesthetics and technology of modern design in the late 20th century.
Sottsass was the oldest member of the Memphis Group — a design collective, formed in Milan in 1980, whose irreverent, spirited members included Alessandro Mendini, Michele de Lucchi, Michael Graves and Shiro Kuramata. All had grown disillusioned by the staid, black-and-brown “corporatized” modernism that had become endemic in the 1970s. Memphis (the name stemmed from the title of a Bob Dylan song) countered with bold, brash, colorful, yet quirkily minimal designs for furniture, glassware, ceramics and metalwork. They mocked high-status by building furniture with inexpensive materials such as plastic laminates, decorated to resemble exotic finishes such as animal skins. Their work was both functional and — as intended — shocking. Even as it preceded the Memphis Group's formal launch, Sottsass's iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell and radical pops of pink neon — embodies many of the collective's postmodern ideals.
Sottsass's most-recognized designs appeared in the first Memphis collection, issued in 1981 — notably the multihued, angular Carlton room divider and Casablanca bookcase. As pieces on 1stDibs demonstrate, however, Sottsass is at his most imaginative and expressive in smaller, secondary furnishings such as lamps and chandeliers, and in table pieces and glassware that have playful and sculptural qualities.
It was as an artist that Ettore Sottsass was celebrated in his life, in exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in 2006, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art a year later. Even then Sottsass’s work prompted critical debate. And for a man whose greatest pleasure was in astonishing, delighting and ruffling feathers, perhaps there was no greater accolade. That the work remains so revolutionary and bold — that it breaks with convention so sharply it will never be considered mainstream — is a testament to his genius.
Poltronova
Poltronova is known for embracing the creativity that opposites can introduce to a space. Its radical modernist furniture and lighting fixtures are simultaneously grounded in classic aesthetics and inspired by what were then new and provocative artistic movements in mid-century Italy, when the company was founded. This tension resulted in unique and extraordinary pieces at the manufacturer, from eccentric, glove-shaped armchairs to striking dining tables that feature a mix of materials and textures.
Italian designer Sergio Cammilli founded Poltronova in Tuscany in 1957. That same year, it won the Compasso d’Oro for the Panchetto chair designed by Luciano Nustrini. Revolutionary Italian architect Ettore Sottsass — a maestro of postmodern design who would later establish the Memphis Group — came on board as an art director in 1958. Poltronova manufactured many of his furniture and ceramic designs. Sottsass’s lighting, seating and other works for Poltronova showcase the designer’s bold experimentation with solid wood, glass, metal and laminate materials.
Other established names in Italian furniture design collaborated with Poltronova’s Sottsass and Cammilli, including Giovanni Michelucci, Gae Aulenti and Angelo Mangiarotti. However, the company truly set itself apart in its collaborations with Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, groups that were part of an irreverent, avant-garde movement in art and design that took shape during the 1960s in Florence, Turin and Milan. Collectives associated with the movement — which would one day be called Italian Radical design — drew on Pop art and minimalism and explored working with unconventional materials to create colorful, quirky and uniquely shaped objects and furnishings. At the time, Poltronova also worked with up-and-coming names in the art world, like painter Max Ernst and sculptor Mario Ceroli.
Poltronova showcased its groundbreaking designs in many exhibitions, such as “La Casa Abitata,” which was held in Florence in 1965. At Milan's Eurodomus trade show in 1970, Poltronova debuted an entire bedroom collection designed by Sottsass — including his sensuous Ultrafragola mirror. The brand’s furnishings were included in a 1972 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art called "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape," and in 1977, Poltronova again won the Compasso d’Oro for a book called Fare Mobili con Poltronova (Making Furniture with Poltronova).
Poltronova's enduring and acclaimed furniture designs came to be loved far outside Italy. During the 1960s, importer Charles Stendig represented the company and helped introduce it to the American market.
In 2005, Poltronova established the Centro Studi Poltronova to recreate some of the company's iconic furniture. The brand has also recently collaborated with English architect Nigel Coates, who worked with a Poltronova master craftsman in Italy to design a series of limited-edition furniture in 2011, including the Domo chair.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Poltronova tables, seating, storage cabinets and more.
- Set of 6 Torbecchia Chairs by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, 1960sBy Giovanni Michelucci, PoltronovaLocated in amstelveen, NLSet of 6 dining chairs from the Torbecchia series, designed by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova in 1964. Solid walnut structure with seats upholstered in rush. The solid wood chai...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsStraw, Walnut
- Torbecchia Chairs in walnut and rush, Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, 1960sBy Giovanni Michelucci, PoltronovaLocated in amstelveen, NLSet of 8 dining chairs from the Torbecchia series, designed by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova in 1964. Solid walnut structure with seats upholstered in rush. The solid wood chai...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsStraw, Walnut
- Set of 4 dining chairs by Silvio Coppola for Bernini, 1960sBy Bernini, Silvio CoppolaLocated in amstelveen, NLSilvio Coppola for Bernini, set of 6 dining chairs, stained wood, black leather, Italy, 1960s This set of chairs was designed by Silvio Coppola for Bernini in the 1960s. These chair...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech
- Set of 6 Pinewood and Papercord Dining Chairs, France, 1960sBy Charlotte PerriandLocated in amstelveen, NLRare set of pine dining chairs with woven paper cord seats. The elegant designed open shape of the frame in combination with the naturally colored seats makes this chair very versati...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsPapercord, Pine
- Marble Montenegro Console Table by Ettore Sottsass for Ultima Edizione, 1980sBy Ettore SottsassLocated in amstelveen, NLMarble console table, Montenegro model, by Ettore Sottsass, Ultima Edizione, Italy, 1980 The top is made of black marble and held by two white marble pedestals. Iconic designer Etto...Category
Vintage 1980s European Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
MaterialsMarble
- Set of 8 pine wood carver chairs by Rainer Daumiller, 1960sBy Rainer DaumillerLocated in amstelveen, NLFantastic set of 8 solid pine wood chairs, designed in the 60s by Rainer Daumiller for Hirtshals Savværk . The design is clearly inspired by Charlotte Perriand. Beautiful organic sha...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsPine
- Ettore Sottsass model "Califfo" sofa for Poltronova, Italy, 1960sBy Poltronova, Ettore SottsassLocated in Skokie, ILEttore Sottsass model "Califfo" sofa for Poltronova, Italy, 1960s Additional Information: Materials: Lacqured wood, upholstery Dimensions: 22" H x 979" W x 31 1/2" D Condition: Ver...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWood
- Mandarin Chairs by Ettore Sottsass for KnollBy Ettore Sottsass, KnollLocated in Chicago, ILc. 1980s. Price is for the set. Contact us if you’d like to purchase a single item. Reupholstered and new foam.Category
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
$1,700 / set - Set of Six Mandarin Dining Chairs by Ettore Sottsass for KnollBy Ettore Sottsass, KnollLocated in Kansas City, MOSet of six dining chairs designed by Ettore Sottsass, the founder of the Memphis Group, Milan, Italy. These chairs are in very good completely original condition. Super sturdy constr...Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Ettore Sottsass Canada Armchair in Blue Velvet and Wood Poltronova 1960sBy Poltronova, Ettore SottsassLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITCanada settee armchair with a structure in wood, seat and back in padded blue-green velvet. It was designed by Ettore Sottsass Jr in 1959 and produced by the Italian company Poltro...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Wood
- Ettore Sottsass for Knoll, Set of 6 Mandarin Chairs in Original Red FabricBy Ettore Sottsass, KartellLocated in Toronto, CAConceived by Italian architect and designer, Ettore Sottsass and manufactured in 1986 by Knoll, the Mandarin chair is a highly functional design with distinctive one-piece arm-rail t...Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Ettore Sottsass Califfo Sofa in Wood and Multicoloured Velvet Poltronova 1960sBy Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITTwo-seater Califfo sofa with a structure in a orange/red lacquered wood seat and back are structured by cushions upholstered with velvet fabric in a mixed...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Velvet