Bocca SofaBy Studio 65
First imagined as a statement piece for an upscale fitness center in Milan, the lip-shaped Bocca sofa — designed by Studio 65 architect Franco Audrito (b. 1943) in 1970 — has a delightfully dizzying history.
The piece was inspired by an erotic, ruby-red-colored life-size sculpture that surrealist artist Salvador Dalí crafted of pioneering performer and writer Mae West’s famously full lips. But the origins of Dalí’s provocative sculpture, commissioned in the 1930s by the artist’s British patron Edward James, lie in Dalí’s collage Mae West’s Face which May be Used as a Surrealist Apartment, a mixed-media work based on a portrait of West that the artist found in a magazine.
As part of the fitness center that Audrito was designing, the “lips sofa” he wanted to include would be part of a “Temple of Beauty,” and the architect initially called it “Marilyn” for Marilyn Monroe as well as for Marilyn Garosci, the facility’s owner. It was later renamed Bocca (“mouth” in Spanish) to pay homage to its Dalí roots.
The sofa was manufactured by Gufram, an Italian furniture company founded in 1966 that is renowned for its pursuit of bold, cutting-edge pieces that blur the line between art and design, function and form. Sensual and playful, the Bocca sofa embodies that creative quest.
Since 1970, the Bocca has been used as a prop in television, film and more, and is celebrated all over the world. It’s included in the permanent collections of a number of museums. Today, two versions of the sofa that differ slightly from one another with respect to materials are manufactured by Gufram (polyurethane and elastic fabric) and Heller (resin polymer plastic).
Studio 65 Bocca Sofa
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Models and Miniatures
Foam
1990s Italian Sofas
Fabric
2010s Italian Sofas
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Textile
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Models and Miniatures
Oak
1990s Italian Post-Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Laminate, Wood
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Models and Miniatures
Mahogany
Antique Late 18th Century English Hepplewhite Models and Miniatures
Mahogany
Antique Late 19th Century French Art Nouveau Models and Miniatures
Mercury Glass, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery
2010s Italian Sofas
Wool
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Foam
Vintage 1940s American Native American Historical Memorabilia
Glass, Wood, Oak, Paper
Late 20th Century Italian Models and Miniatures
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Qing Models and Miniatures
Hardwood
Antique Early 19th Century Italian Directoire Models and Miniatures
Ebony, Fruitwood, Walnut, Pine
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Sofas
Other
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
Fabric, Foam
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
Steel
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Upholstery
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
Fabric, Foam
Late 20th Century Italian Sofas
Formica