Gigi Sabadin for Emme Set of Six 'Pala' Dining Chairs in Ash and Rush

Gigi Sabadin for Emme, set of six 'Pala' dining chairs, ash, rush, brass, Italy, 1970s

The Pala dining chairs designed by Gigi Sabadin for Emme in the 1970s sit comfortably within the more exploratory edge of Italian postwar design. Made from ash with rush seating and small brass joinery details, the chairs combine a restrained material palette with a silhouette that feels unexpectedly animated. The tall, planar back rises like a vertical blade, intersecting with a circular woven seat that appears almost suspended, while the split base grounds the piece in a slightly awkward, deliberate stance.

There is something faintly anthropomorphic about them. One might see a penguin-like figure in profile, but the name Pala (Italian for “shovel”) points to a more utilitarian reference.

Rather than aiming for elegance in a conventional sense, Sabadin seems to embrace a kind of constructive directness. The visible junctions and the almost schematic composition suggest an interest in how parts meet and support each other. At the same time, the woven rush seat introduces a tactile softness that offsets the otherwise graphic outline.

Seen as a set of six, the chairs take on a rhythmic quality, their upright backs forming a sequence of vertical planes around a table.