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Afra e Tobia Scarpa Artona desk Maxalto Italy 1975

About the Item

Beautiful writing desk model 7737 from the Artona series designed by Afra e Tobia Scarpa and manufactured by Maxalto in Italy, 1975. The top has a striking burl-wood veneer with a mesmerizing pattern. The bottom features walnut veneer compartments with leather-covered doors and leather “loop" handles. The edges show the typical Artona signature with dark lines in the wood, slightly angled. The warm orange/brown color of the top complements the cognac brown leather and walnut wood. The desk features a thin drawer in the middle and storage space on both sides, with two shelves on the left and one on the right behind the leather-covered doors. This desk combines aesthetics with practicality, making it perfect for working in style. Very nice quality designed desk in very good original condition. The chair on the pictures is not included but can be purchased here. The ‘Artona’ line, crafted by the Scarpa duo, holds historical significance as it marked the beginning of Maxalto, a specialized branch of B&B Italia. Maxalto, founded in 1975, was dedicated to crafting artisanal, predominantly wooden furniture. The ‘Artona’ series was their first project for Maxalto and also served as a counterpoint to the prevailing trend of using plastics in furniture design during the postwar era. Afra and Tobia Scarpa are award winning postmodern Italian architects and designers. Their pieces can be found in museums across the United States and Europe, including collections in MoMa and the Louvre Museum. They have collaborated with companies such as B&B Italia, San Lorenzo Silver, Molteni, and Knoll International. They have won a number of awards such as the Compasso d’Oro in 1969 to the International Forum Design in 1992. Their design work consists of architecture and everyday household items including, furniture, clothing, interior design, art glass. They focused on the technical and aesthetic possibilities of materials in their designs. The couple was greatly influenced by Tobia’s father, Carlo Scarpa, a Venetian architect and designer. Read more…

Creator:

Maxalto (Manufacturer),Afra & Tobia Scarpa (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 28.75 in (73 cm)Width: 59.06 in (150 cm)Depth: 29.53 in (75 cm)

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)

Materials and Techniques:

Leather,Walnut

Place of Origin:

Italy

Period:

1970-1979

Date of Manufacture:

1975

Condition:

Repaired: Small professional repair at the rim. Wear consistent with age and use.

Seller Location:

Roosendaal, NL

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU933039735422

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Shop All Afra & Tobia Scarpa

Afra & Tobia Scarpa

Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.

Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.

Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)

For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.

Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”

It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.

Find vintage Afra & Tobia Scarpa lounge chairs, dining chairs, floor lamps and other furniture today on 1stDibs.