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Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno 'Canada' Lounge Chair in Leather

Sale price£6,831.98

Osvaldo Borsani, Valeria Borsani, and Marco Fantoni for Tecno, 'Canada' lounge chair, model 'T110', leather, mahogany plywood, Italy, 1966

The Canada series was developed from some rough initial sketches by Valeria Borsani and Marco Fantoni while they were still young university students. When Osvaldo Borsani saw these designs, he invited the budding designers to develop their idea. However, after they made a few uncertain attempts, Borsani took the project in hand and completely reworked it, instilling his own particular character into it. The 'Canada' chair is composed of two sides made of moulded plywood connected by two contoured solid wood crosspieces. The leather is secured to the frame with the characteristic wooden "buttons".

Osvaldo Borsani (1911-1985) was an Italian designer and architect, raised by a family of fine furniture makers in Varedo. At the age of 16, he joined his father’s furniture shop, the Atelier di Varedo, which was fully engaged in designing and furnishing homes inspired by the Italian Art Deco movement. The designer of the atelier was the Italian architect Gino Maggioni (1898-1955) who was known for his Viennese Jugendstil orientation of the early 20th century. In the 1930s, he graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and Politecnico di Milano, where he studied Fine Arts and Architecture respectively. In 1932, the family company was renamed ‘Arredamenti Borsani’ and opened its first studio in Milan. During this period, he encountered Avant-Garde artists of various artistic disciplines like Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), Agenore Fabbri (1911-1998), Aligi Sassu (1912-2000), Roberto Crippa (1921-1972), Fausto Melotti (1901-1986), Arnaldo Pomodoro (1926-) and Giò Pomodoro (1930-2002). These collaborations resulted in the creation of furniture and interior design projects with a high-level of craftsmanship and artistry. In 1953, Borsani founded together with his twin brother Fulgenzio Borsani ‘Tecno’, a design and manufacturing company that produced items based on mechanical innovations and refined technicality. The ‘P40’ adjustable lounge chair (1953) has become the ideological manifesto of Borsani's Tecno program, and still remains the best known, exemplary piece in the Tecno catalogue. Other iconic works that were produced by Tecno were created by Gio Ponti (1891-1979), Vico Magistretti (1920-2006), Carlo de Carli (1910-1999), Gae Aulenti (1927-2012), and many other influential Italian designers. Osvaldo Borsani died in 1985 in Milan. His diverse and sophisticated oeuvre is to be found in permanent collections, such as of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Neue Sammlung in Munich, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Trienalle di Milano Museum.

Kindly note that this piece is in good condition with some signs of age and use. This includes wear on the leather. For further details, we encourage you to reach out to our team of design specialists.

The mahogany type of this piece does not require an export license.

VAT within the EU: When buying or delivering an item within the EU, VAT usually applies and will be added.

Product Details

  • condition Good
  • creator Osvaldo Borsani (Designer) Tecno (Manufacturer)
  • date of manufacture 1960s
  • dimensions Height 32.29 in. Width 31.5 in. Depth 35.24 in. Seat Height 12.8 in.
  • dimensions Height 82 cm Width 80 cm Depth 89.5 cm Seat Height 32.5 cm
  • material Leather Plywood
  • origin Italy
  • period 1960-1969
  • style Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
  • barcode 50116123