Afra & Tobia Scarpa Set of Six Dining Chairs in Red Patinated Leather

Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Molteni, set of six dining chairs, patinated teak and red leather, Italy, circa 1978.

The wonderfully red leather forms a striking combination with the blond wood. Interesting is the 'flat' shape of this chair where the designer has chosen to place the legs cross-angled combined with a horizontal slat at the bottom. This decision gives the chair the appearance of being light-weight, whilst in fact they are very well-constructed and heavy. Another interesting feature is use of nails on the top of each leg, which are executed in a black dark color. All in all a very interesting and high-quality chair. Simplified and solid design by Italian award winning designers couple Arfa & Tobia Scarpa.

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, Knoll International and many interior projects for numerous companies worldwide.