Ico Parisi '869' Sofa for Cassina, 1960s
About the Item
- Creator:Cassina (Maker),Ico Parisi (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.89 in (81 cm)Width: 77.96 in (198 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80 cm)Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Reupholstered. Refinished.
- Seller Location:Milano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1721233184742
Ico Parisi
Domenico “Ico” Parisi was one half of a prolific postwar design duo he comprised with his wife, Luisa. Their furniture designs are known for running the stylistic gamut, with celebrated mid-century modern pieces ranging from elegantly skeletal — like dramatic ebonized dining chairs — to plush and shapely, like the iconic 1951 Egg chair, in a plethora of materials.
The son of an art teacher father, Ico Parisi was exposed to art at an early age. Born in 1916 in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, he and his family moved to Como in 1925. There, the young Parisi would begin to develop his interest in architecture and design. After earning a degree as a building inspector in 1936 and working as a civil engineer, Parisi took on an apprenticeship in the studio of Giuseppe Terragni, the modernist, fascist Italian architect, pioneer of the Rationalist movement and creator of the iconic Casa del Fascio.
While working for Terragni, Parisi crossed paths with such contemporary design talents as Lucio Fontana, Bruno Munari and Pietro Lingeri, though he briefly moved away from design and architecture to explore photography and film. His artistic work would soon be interrupted, however, by the outbreak of World War II, during which he served at the front before returning to Como in 1943. There, he resumed work as a designer and architect, founding two architecture groups: the Alta Quota and the Gruppo Como.
Through his creative circles, Parisi met Luisa Aiani, a former student of the prolific architect and furniture designer Gio Ponti, who was affiliated with the Alta Quota. They married in 1947 and founded the studio La Ruota — a cross between a design firm and an intellectual salon — in Como shortly thereafter. In 1950, Parisi finally completed his architectural schooling, studying under the nationalist architect Alberto Sartoris at the Athenaeum Architecture School in Lausanne, Switzerland. He and Aiani began several decades of sophisticated output, designing curved sofas upholstered in yellow velvet and armchairs with slender mahogany frames for enduring Italian manufacturers such as Cassina and others.
Much like Charles and Ray Eames in America, the Parisis worked as a team and relied on experimentation in style and material for many of their designs. Ico Parisi died in Como in 1996.
Find a collection of vintage Ico Parisi coffee tables, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.
Cassina
Furniture manufacturer Cassina is a prolific design house for more reasons than one: It not only owns the licenses to an exquisite collection of iconic chairs, sofas, tables and other pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries but also produces original works that are characterized by innovation and the finest Italian craftsmanship.
Cassina’s illustrious legacy includes being one of the first companies to bring industrial design to Italy in the 1950s. Founded in 1927 in Meda, Italy, by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the Italian manufacturing giant originally specialized in bespoke woodworking. In nearly a century since its founding, the company has shown incredible foresight about design trends and the evolution of technology.
In 1964, Cassina signed an exclusive licensing agreement to manufacture furniture by Le Corbusier and his collaborators — such as the LC4 chaise longue made with trailblazing French modernist Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret — a move that would shape the future of the company. Cassina’s I Maestri collection is an ongoing initiative to restyle landmark designs from the 20th century, such as pieces by Gerrit Rietveld (the Red and Blue armchair from 1918), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Erik Gunnar Asplund, Franco Albini and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company preserves the intentions and original styles of their designs but adds updated techniques, materials and processes — rendering them the best possible combination of past, present and future. The brand has also worked with contemporary icons like Zaha Hadid, Gio Ponti and Philippe Starck.
Cassina’s original designs are cutting-edge as well. They include pieces for everyday use, the development of which is guided by comfort and the marriage of Italian craftsmanship with industrial technology.
Some of Cassina’s pieces, both from its contemporary and I Maestri collections, can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Vitra Design Museum. In 2014, the company became part of Haworth in its acquisition of Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, and in 2015, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola joined Cassina as its art director, leading the brand into its next century of inventive style.
Find a collection of new and vintage Cassina furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Milan, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 10 days of delivery.
- Ico Parisi '869' armchair for Cassina, 1960sBy Ico ParisiLocated in Milano, IT1960s armchair model 869 designed by Ico Parisi and produced by Figli di Amedeo Cassina. Seat supported by a system of uprights with an octagonal section in walnut carved in correspo...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Foam, Walnut
- Maralunga sofa by Vico Magistretti for Cassina Anni 80By Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Milano, ITSofa with backrest equipped with adjustable position headrest; foam padding, velvet upholstery.Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsVelvet
- Divano '872' Gianfranco Frattini per Cassina, anni 50, color panna e legnoBy Cassina, Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in Milano, ITDivano tre posti disegnato da Gianfranco Frattini e prodotto da Cassina a partire dalla fine degli anni '50. Gambe in metallo smaltato e legno, imbottitura in espanso, rivestimento i...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Trumeau Ico Parisi per Fratelli Rizzi Anni 40By Fratelli Rizzi, Ico ParisiLocated in Milano, ITTrumeau disegnato da Ico Parisi per una produzione Fratelli Rizzi anni ’40. Caratterizzato da due montanti laterali esterni, con foggia organica. Il mobile presenta un vano superior...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsGlass, Wood
- Coronado 3 Seater Sofa by B&B Leather Foam Italy 1960sBy Tobia ScarpaLocated in Milano, IT3 seater sofa, foam padding, leather upholstery. Good conditions, with small signs of usage.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Foam
- 1950s trolley model 65 Ico Parisi for Angelo de BaggisBy Ico Parisi, Angelo De BaggisLocated in Milano, ITVintage service trolley with sloping arms and magazine rack function made of stained wood, glass and brass.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsBrass
- Leather Sofa Model 919 by Ico Parisi for Cassina, Italy, 1960sBy Cassina, Ico ParisiLocated in Milan, ITScarce leather sofa model 919 by Ico Parisi for Cassina. The piece was manufactured by Cassina upon commission for interiors projects by Ico Parisi. Sold together with a certificate ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Ico Parisi SofaBy Cassina, Ico ParisiLocated in New York, NYRare 865 sofa by Ico Parisi for Cassina. Black & white painted steel, fabric. Produced by Cassina. Recently re-upholstered. Metal appears to have been re-painted at some point, but s...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Rare Italian Red Sofa by Ico Parisi for Cassina Mod. 875, PublishedBy Ico Parisi, CassinaLocated in Milano, ITRare four-seater sofa by Ico Parisi for Cassina model 875 of the 60s. The structure is metal, and the cover is red cotton fabric. The sofa through the clean lines and defined very ri...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
- Ico Parisi Sofa Model 865By Cassina, Ico ParisiLocated in New York, NYIco Parisi Sofa Model 865. Enameled metal and upholstery. Manufacture: Figli di Amedeo Cassina Lit: Roberta Lietti: Ico Parisi Design - Catalogue R...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Benches
MaterialsMetal
- Ico Parisi sofaBy Ico ParisiLocated in London, GBBeautiful and very elegant Ico Parisi sofa, with brass legs, Italy, 19590'sCategory
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBrass
- Sofa in Grey-Green, Model '875', Ico Parisi, 1960By Cassina, Ico ParisiLocated in Berlin, DEThis minimalistic and elegant three-seater sofa has a matt chromed metal structure and new upholstery and cover. The cover is made of 100% wool in a cool grayish green. Excellent con...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.