'Mah Jong' 12 Piece Living Room Set by Missoni for Roche Bobois France, Signed
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 27.75 in (70.49 cm)Width: 40 in (101.6 cm)Depth: 40 in (101.6 cm)Seat Height: 14 in (35.56 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 12
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 2000s
- Condition:Very good vintage condition with light age and minor wear. Ready to be used immediately in a high-end designer project.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1330232634632
Missoni
In 1953, Ottavio “Tai” Missoni (1921–2013) and Rosita Missoni (b. 1931) opened a small knitwear shop in Gallarate, Italy, paving the way for what would become an iconic style of colorful chevron knit.
Missoni began with a tracksuit, which featured zippers down the legs because, as Rosita recalls it, “Tai was too lazy to take off his shoes when putting them on.” The couple’s fashion really took off, though, once they discovered the Raschel knitting machine on a trip to a shawl factory. The machine enabled the Missonis to knit multiple colors in a zigzag pattern, a motif that would go on to become synonymous with the Missoni brand across everything from its alluring vintage day dresses and sweaters to its purses, seating and rugs.
Missoni held its first fashion show in Florence in 1967 and caused a bit of a sensation when the models’ Lurex dresses proved translucent under the lights at the Pitti Palace. Scandal aside, the show went down in history as a hit, and the Missonis soon made their debut in the United States with the help of legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who gave the variegated Missoni stripe the Vogue seal of approval, saying, “Who says a rainbow has seven colors? It has many shades.” (It was also Vreeland who reportedly introduced the Missonis to Neiman Marcus president Stanley Marcus, effectively shepherding the brand to the American market.)
Missoni’s many-shaded rainbow would soon become an emblem of the 1970s fashion scene, earning the brand a permanent place in the fashion canon. In 1973, the New York Times proclaimed: “Missoni’s weaved garments have ended up universal materialistic trifles, as Vuitton sacks and Gucci shoes.”
The brand branched into the home market in 1983, with Rosita overseeing this new venture, Missoni Home, which included furniture, textiles and accessories. Daughter Angela succeeded her mother at the helm of the brand, where she still serves as president and creative director today; her brother Luca is CEO, while her daughter Margherita is creative director of offshoot M Missoni.
Find vintage Missoni clothing and accessories today on 1stDibs.
Hans Hopfer
German designer and artist Hans Hopfer had a profound impact on furniture design that still guides the choices we make about our spaces today. Affectionately dubbed “seating landscapes,” Hopfer’s forward-looking collections of inviting, modular low-profile seating, such as the widely revered Mah Jong sofa for Roche Bobois, allowed for optimal customized arrangements in one’s living room, an innovation that reshaped relaxation at home in a significant and lasting way.
Hopfer designed modern furniture for a manufacturer in Nuremberg during the 1960s. He met Phillippe Roche in 1970 and began his collaboration with the Roche Bobois company. When the popularity of cable television took hold in more major American cities during the 1970s, sofas and other seating became integral to contemporary living-room decor. Roche Bobois’s newly launched Les Contemporains series positioned its own sofas front and center, and it also offered plush lounge chairs designed by Mario Bellini.
Bold works from Roche Bobois during the decade included one of its most enduring and well-known pieces — the Mah Jong sectional sofa created by Hopfer in 1971. Anchored by few central elements, this modular lounge sofa can be combined or stacked, giving the buyer total freedom over its appearance and the ability to maximize comfort with its plump cushions. Inspired by a tile-based game that originated in China, the Mah Jong has been in production since its debut. It is still handmade in a workshop in Italy today.
Composed of low seating elements and large cushions, Hopfer’s Mah Jong sofa has seen some high-profile fabric updates by Missoni, Jean Paul Gaultier and Japanese clothing designer Kenzo Takada, who worked with Roche Bobois to craft fabrics emblazoned with geometrically dynamic patterns to be used as upholstery for the firm’s iconic piece of furniture.
Primarily a sculptor and painter by trade, Hopfer worked and lived between Buenos Aires, Nuremberg and Paris. In addition to the work he did for Roche Bobois — which included his Informel armchairs and sofas — he also created modular furniture for the Wiener Werkstatte, a collective of artists and designers born from the Vienna Secession art movement in Austria during the early 20th century.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Hans Hopfer lounge chairs, armchairs and sofas.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Long Beach, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- 'Mah Jong' Living Room Set by Jean Paul Gaultier for Roche Bobois, SignedBy Hans Hopfer, Roche Bobois, Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis large 22-piece living room set designed by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois, is called the "Mah Jong" sectional sofa with fabric and leather selections by Jean Paul Gaultier. Signed with Roche Bobois / Jean Paul Gaultier labels and repeat fabric. Included in this set are twenty two (22) pieces in total which include 12 square seat cushions (which also function as large ottomans and can be stacked), 4 straight backs, 2 corner backs, and 4 throw pillows. Unique to this set, which is quite rare, of the twenty two total pieces, two are light blue leather cushions with two light blue leather seat backs. The best part of this set is that you can mix and match the cushions and seat backs to make any style arrangement you wish, and create a customized room which you can change as frequently as your heart desires... you can create small and large sofas, loveseats, lounge chairs and ottomans using the cushions and seat backs. We also have other large Mah Jong sets available which can be combined with this set, if desired. Contact us for more details. Ideal for all kinds of uses... consider this set for a large screening room, den or living room, bedroom seating, entertainment room, commercial uses such as a hotel or boutique lounge, you can even spread the pieces around the house and put some in a large walk-in closet / dressing room, kids room, classroom or training room, and for those limited on space in an apartment - you can stack the cushions and then spread them out when you have company. A great way to make the most of space by keeping versatile with this Roche Bobois Mah Jong seating system. Originally designed in 1971 by Hans Hopfer the 'Mah Jong' seating system is as iconic today as it was then. Here is what Roche Bobois has to say about this design and the designer: Painter, sculptor, designer... Hans Hopfer designed sofas that are, for many, the indisputable “signature” of Roche Bobois’ collections. In the 1970s, Hopfer’s innovative and informal approach to comfort had a profound influence on the way people furnished and arranged their living space. In 1971, he created the Mah Jong, a sofa based on the total freedom of function and form. Starting with three basic elements that can be combined or stacked, the Mah Jong allows limitless options of composition. It can be an armchair, sofa, lounge chair or bed; a space in which to rest, to play or to lounge. It encourages experimentation and breaks the rules of formal living, reflecting the nonconformist era in which it was born. Avant-garde when first created, iconic today, and “dressed” by Missoni Home, Kenzo Takada and Jean Paul Gaultier, this “free form” modular seating is the reference point for fully modular and creative design. This large Mah Jong sectional sofa system by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois would work great in a Post-Modern, Mid-Century Modern, Space Age Mod, Scandanavian Modern or Danish Modern home or penthouse apartment but could also look fantastic in a Contemporary or Zen / Minimalism room. Also consider mixing it up in a Traditional, Transitional, Hollywood Regency, Classical or Art Deco room with a splash of juxtaposition. Would also be an apt choice in a commercial project such as a hotel lobby lounge or members club, creative design studio or high-rise executive office. Use this set to create sofa sections, settee sections, easy chair sections, ottomans and chaises, even a large daybed or room sized night-bed using...Category
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