Afra & Tobia Scarpa 'Artona' Sofa in Elm and Checked Fabric
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Cubic ‘Artona’ sofa by Italian designer couple Afra and Tobia Scarpa. This sofa shows absolute stunning craftsmanship. Highlight is the woodworking. The elm is inlaid with dark lines of wood, which create the effect of ebony. This is best exposed in the curved back. The dark lines are beautifully visible and strengthen the design.
The ‘Artona’ line by the Scarpa duo was in fact the first line ever produced by Maxalto, the specialist division of B&B Italia. Maxalto was originally set up in 1975 as a high-end division of B&B Italia to focus exclusively on the production of artisanal, mostly wood furniture. The Artona was their first project and also functions as a counter-message against the common prevailing use of plastics in furniture design during the postwar period.
Afra (1937-2011) & Tobia (1935) Scarpa both studied on the Venice Institute of Architecture. Tobia first worked for the Italian glass manufacturer Venini. From 1960 on the couple opened their own design office. Their work includes architecture and everyday items like furniture and clothing. Tobia & Afra designed for numerous major Italian and international companies like Flos, Gavina, B&B Italia, Cassina and Knoll International.
Please note that we advise reupholstery before use. This item might contain some threadbare upholstery with loose seams and small stains. Reupholstery can be done before shipping by our experienced craftsmen and -women in our own in-house restoration atelier. With high attention for the original, they make sure every piece retains its value and is ready for the many years to come. We kindly ask you to contact our design experts for further information about the endless possibilities our restoration and upholstery atelier has to offer. Of course, a locally organized reupholstery is possible as well.
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Six decades, one working method
Tobia went on to work as a glass designer at the Venini glassworks in Murano, succeeding Massimo Vignelli and absorbing a hands-on understanding of materials; the couple opened their own design office in Montebelluna in 1960. His first project, the Pigreco chair, was shown at the Milan Triennale in 1959, developed for Franco Albini's university course.
Their collaboration ranged from the intimate to the industrial: the Bastiano sofa for Gavina (1961), the Coronado sofa for B&B Italia (1966), the Soriana armchair for Cassina (1968, Compasso d'Oro), an entire furniture collection in fine materials for Maxalto, and lighting for Flos including the Nuvola (1962), Seki-Han (1963) and Biagio (1968) lamps. In architecture, they designed Benetton's industrial and management complex in Castrette di Villorba and led the restoration of the Mercato Vecchio museums in Verona and the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice. The couple worked together until Afra's death in 2011; Tobia received a Compasso d'Oro for lifetime achievement in 2008 and continues to design and teach in Venice.
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