1951, Marco Zanuso, Lady Chair in Soft Velvet/Terra Fabric for Arflex
About the Item
- Creator:Arflex (Manufacturer),Marco Zanuso (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.29 in (82 cm)Width: 31.11 in (79 cm)Depth: 30.71 in (78 cm)Seat Height: 13.39 in (34 cm)
- 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:Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU205535924653
Marco Zanuso
Italian designer Marco Zanuso helped cement his country’s place as a world leader in furniture design that used new materials in revolutionary ways.
Zanuso was part of a generation of furniture designers who encouraged a sharp departure from the traditionalism and classicalism that reigned over the design industry before the war. These designers, who are associated with what we now call mid-century modernism, experimented with new technologies and materials to deliver on the world’s newfound need for streamlined products that represented the future.
After graduating from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1939 with a degree in architecture, Zanuso served in the Navy during World War II. Soon after the war, he opened his own design firm in Milan in 1945. He later became an editor at well-regarded design magazines Domus and Casabella.
Zanuso used this editorial platform to both promote new Italian designs as well as his own pieces, some of which he made using unconventional materials like foam and latex. For instance, his famous Lady armchair from 1951 is a composition of foam rubber and Nastro Cord, a recently invented textile band of rubberized fabric that eliminated the need for metal springs. It was one of several pieces he designed for Italian manufacturer Arflex, along with the 1949 Antropus chair and the 1951 Sleep-o-matic sofa.
Zanuso often collaborated with other like-minded creatives. From 1955 until 1957, he was Olivetti’s architect, designing factories across Brazil, and for nearly two decades, he collaborated with German designer Richard Sapper. The pair’s most famous product is the 4999 children’s chair, manufactured in the 1960s by Kartell in Italy. The stackable chair was the first to be manufactured entirely of injection-molded plastic.
Zanuso and Sapper also partnered on the 1962 Brionvega Doney 14, the first European-made portable transistor TV; its sleek, compact and curvy form deeply influenced the design of television sets that followed, which were far more sculptural in form than the rigid boxes that characterized early models.
From the 1970s onward, Zanuso taught architecture and industrial design at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He still exercised his creative talents, planning the headquarters for computer companies and renovating Italian theaters.
Each of Zanuso’s elegant works were demonstrative of a forward-looking sensibility. His projects saw an integration of novel industrial materials that not only helped emphasize the beauty of good design but also played a role in rendering these well-made products accessible to everyday consumers.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Marco Zanuso furniture, including armchairs, sofas, table lamps and other items.
Arflex
From its unorthodox beginnings, Italian manufacturer Arflex grew into one of the leaders of 20th-century furniture design. Its furniture came to be known for its integration of new materials and bold appeal, and today a variety of vintage Arflex chairs, sofas and tables are emblems of mid-century modernism.
Arflex was established in Milan in 1947 by Pirelli employees Carlo Barassi, Pio Reggiani, Renato Teani and Aldo Bai. Barassi, a Milan Polytechnic graduate and visionary engineer at the Italian tire manufacturer, explored innovative technology and new uses for synthetic materials in domestic products (for Kartell, he codeveloped a ski rack for automobiles). The four founders partnered with a young architect named Marco Zanuso, who also desired to create furniture that featured an application of novel materials such as elastic tape and polyurethane foam.
One of Arflex’s inaugural pieces was Zanuso’s Lady armchair, a seat made of polyurethane foam that was manufactured in pieces and assembled at the very end of the production process. It won a gold medal at the 1951 Milan Triennale. A couple of years later, Arflex collaborated with Studio BBPR to create the office-chic Elettra and Neptunia chairs. The flourishing furniture company quickly established a reputation for compelling products and attracting and working with up-and-coming designers such as Roberto Menghi, who created Hall, a luxurious line of seating that would earn the Compasso d’Oro – Honorable Mention in 1959.
In the 1960s, Arflex continued to welcome the use of new and cutting-edge materials. Popular designs from this decade include Carlo Bartoli's fiberglass and polyester resin Gaia lounge chair and Cini Boer’s Bobo Relax lounger, one of history’s first seating pieces made of polyurethane foam (it has no internal frame). Boer, a pioneer of furniture design in Italy, also created the Strips sofa for the brand in 1972. Part of a plush modular seating system, the Strips sofa became an Arflex icon and was awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1979.
Arflex continues to work with innovative designers to this day. Among their more recent collaborations is with Swedish design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. The company's legendary creations are also on display at museums worldwide. The Lady chair, for example, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
On 1stDibs, you can find a collection of vintage Arflex lounge chairs, armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: IJmuiden, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- 1980, Fabrizio Ballardini for Arflex, 2 Couches Ribalta in Original Soft FabricBy Fabricio Ballardini, ArflexLocated in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NLThis item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- 1933, W.H. Gispen for Gispen Culemborg, Easy Chair 409 in Terra CottaBy Willem H. Gispen, Gispen CulemborgLocated in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NLThis item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach,...Category
Vintage 1930s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- 1959, Pierre Paulin for Artifort, Early Globe Chair in Pink FabricBy Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NLThis item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach, find more details on his family name plus eu, is for sale soon too. :-) Original early Globe chair...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- 1932, W.H. Gispen for Gispen, 412 Easy Chair in It's Original FabricLocated in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NLThis item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach,...Category
Vintage 1930s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- Original French Art Deco Lounge Chair and Original Soft Comfy Fabric, circa 1935By Thonet, GispenLocated in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NLThis item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach...Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsChrome
- 1959, Cordemeyer for Gispen, Easy Chair 140, Original Blue 1960s FabricBy A.R. Cordemeijer, Gispen CulemborgLocated in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NLThis item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Marco Zanuso Lady Chair Arflex, Italy, 1951By Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantIconic so called 'Lady chair' designed by Marco Zanuso and manufactured by Arflex, Italy, 1951. This lady chair has chrome-plated legs and original upholstery in grey. The upholstery...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Marco Zanuso for Arflex, Italy, Pair of ''Lady'' Armchairs in Blue Cotton VelvetBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Chiavari, LiguriaAn exquisite pair of Lady lounge chairs, originally designed by the renowned Marco Zanuso for Arflex, Italy in 1951. These remarkable chairs have undergone meticulous reupholstering,...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Marco Zanuso for Arflex 'Senior' Lounge Chairs, Italy, circa 1951By Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in New York, NYA pair of the iconic 'Senior' lounge chairs, designed by Marco Zanuso and manufactured by Arflex, in Italy, 1951. This pair have been fully restored and newly upholstered in our prof...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- Marco Zanuso for Arflex ‘Square’ Lounge ChairBy Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in Waalwijk, NLMarco Zanuso for Arflex, 'Square' lounge chair, fabric, metal, wood, Italy, 1962 This eccentric chair by Marco Zanuso is well-executed embodying a so...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Marco Zanuso for Arflex 'Fourline' Chair in Black LeatherBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Waalwijk, NLMarco Zanuso for Arflex, leather and chrome-plated steel, Italy, 1964. This lounge chair by Zanuso remains among the best examples of armchairs designed by the architect. It is not ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
- Marco Zanuso for Arflex 'Fourline' Chair in Black LeatherBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Waalwijk, NLMarco Zanuso for Arflex, lounge chair, black leather, steel, Italy, 1964 This lounge chair by Zanuso remains among the best examples of armchairs designed by the architect. It is no...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel