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Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto Pair of 'Artona' Sofas in Walnut

Sale price$39,500.00

Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto, pair of 'Artona' sofas, walnut, beige-sand fabric, Italy, 1975/1979

Cubic ‘Artona’ sofas by Italian designer couple Afra and Tobia Scarpa. The wooden frame exhibits clean, vertical and horizontal lines, emphasizing the symmetry and balance of the design. The distinctive Artona lines, seen as black accents running along the length of the wooden components, add an element of elegance to the design and highlight the exceptional craftsmanship behind the piece.

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 are a duo of Italian architects and designers mostly known for their postmodern style. Afra Bianchin was born in 1937 in Montebelluna while Tobia Scarpa, son of the architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in 1935 in Venice. The couple met when they were both studying at the Venice Institute of Architecture and married afterwards. From 1957 until 1961, Tobia worked as a glass designer at the Murano glassworks of Venini. However, in 1960, the duo started to collaborate, and they set up one of the most successful and well-known professional studios. Together, they worked for companies such as Flos Gavina, B&B Italia, and Knoll. The couple won numerous amounts of awards like the Compasso d’Oro and the International Forum Design. Throughout their career, the duo carried out commissions for well-known companies, including Benetton. Overall, their designs are known for their modernist aesthetic, prioritizing elegance and comfort. However, at the same time, their pieces are admired for the ease with which they lean towards classical designs. Moreover, the creations show their deep understanding for materials. Today, many of their works can be found in major museums such as Museum of Mod­ern Art of New York, Musée du Lou­vre, National Museum of Design New York and many more.

Product Details

  • condition Good
  • creator Afra & Tobia Scarpa (Designer)
  • creator Maxalto (Manufacturer)
  • date of manufacture 1970s
  • dimensions Height 33.07 in. Width 92.32 in. Depth 33.46 in. Seat Height 17.52 in.
  • dimensions Height 84 cm Width 234.5 cm Depth 85 cm Seat Height 44.5 cm
  • material Walnut Fabric
  • period 1970 - 1979
  • place of origin Italy
  • style Post-Modern
  • barcode 50119245

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