Skip to main content

Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Italian, 1916-2001

Italian designer Marco Zanuso helped cement his country’s place as a world leader in furniture design that used new materials in revolutionary ways.

Zanuso was part of a generation of furniture designers who encouraged a sharp departure from the traditionalism and classicalism that reigned over the design industry before the war. These designers, who are associated with what we now call mid-century modernism, experimented with new technologies and materials to deliver on the world’s newfound need for streamlined products that represented the future.

After graduating from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1939 with a degree in architecture, Zanuso served in the Navy during World War II. Soon after the war, he opened his own design firm in Milan in 1945. He later became an editor at well-regarded design magazines Domus and Casabella.

Zanuso used this editorial platform to both promote new Italian designs as well as his own pieces, some of which he made using unconventional materials like foam and latex. For instance, his famous Lady armchair from 1951 is a composition of foam rubber and Nastro Cord, a recently invented textile band of rubberized fabric that eliminated the need for metal springs. It was one of several pieces he designed for Italian manufacturer Arflex, along with the 1949 Antropus chair and the 1951 Sleep-o-matic sofa.

Zanuso often collaborated with other like-minded creatives. From 1955 until 1957, he was Olivetti’s architect, designing factories across Brazil, and for nearly two decades, he collaborated with German designer Richard Sapper. The pair’s most famous product is the 4999 children’s chair, manufactured in the 1960s by Kartell in Italy. The stackable chair was the first to be manufactured entirely of injection-molded plastic.

Zanuso and Sapper also partnered on the 1962 Brionvega Doney 14, the first European-made portable transistor TV; its sleek, compact and curvy form deeply influenced the design of television sets that followed, which were far more sculptural in form than the rigid boxes that characterized early models.

From the 1970s onward, Zanuso taught architecture and industrial design at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He still exercised his creative talents, planning the headquarters for computer companies and renovating Italian theaters.

Each of Zanuso’s elegant works were demonstrative of a forward-looking sensibility. His projects saw an integration of novel industrial materials that not only helped emphasize the beauty of good design but also played a role in rendering these well-made products accessible to everyday consumers.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Marco Zanuso furniture, including armchairs, sofas, table lamps and other items.

6
to
4
2
6
6
6
5
6
4
2
4
2
Height
to
Width
to
6
3
2
6
5
1
171
1,310
738
486
447
Creator: Marco Zanuso
Italian Industrial Design Grillo Flip Phone Marco Zanuso
By Marco Zanuso
Located in San Francisco, CA
The Grillo "Cricket" phone the ringer sounds like crickets. designed by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper in 1965, this is a later version that can be used with touch tone architecture...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

German Modern White Telephone Mod. Grillo by Zanuso Sapper for Siemens, 1960s
By Siemens, Richard Sapper, Marco Zanuso
Located in MIlano, IT
German Modern white telephone mod. Grillo by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper for Siemens, 1960s. Telephone mod. Grillo with "shell" shaped in plastic....
Category

1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

Marco Zanuso & Richard Sapper for Brionvega TS 505 Cube Radio, 1976
By Richard Sapper, Marco Zanuso, Brionvega
Located in Naples, IT
The TS 505A is a unique portable transistor radio, designed by designers Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper in 1962 and launched two years later by the Milan-based company Brionvega. The TS 505 - also known as the 'Cube' - is a worldwide icon of industrial design, and is exhibited in the most important museums of contemporary art. It can also be found at the MoMa in New York. A cult object composed of two cubic plastic 'valves' that make it resemble a cuboid shell. The radio bears the Florentine silver...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

c. 1966, 'Grillo' Rotary Telephone by Marco Zanuso & Richard Sapper for Siemens
By Siemens, Richard Sapper, Marco Zanuso
Located in New York, NY
Condition: 08/10. This design is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art [MoMA].
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

Brionvega Algol 11 Portable Red Television
By Brionvega, Richard Sapper, Marco Zanuso
Located in Sacile, PN
Red Algol 11 portable television by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper for Brionvega. A classic of Italian design. It needs some maintenance and a rou...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Brionvega Algol 11
By Brionvega, Richard Sapper, Marco Zanuso
Located in Sacile, PN
White Algol 11 portable television by Marco Zanuso and richard sapper for Brionvega. A classic of Italian design. It needs some maintenance and a r...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Related Items
In Stock in Los Angeles, Grey Kong Mini Portable Charger
By Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Kong mini power bank battery charger In stock in Los Angeles Easily transportable, Kong MINI becomes a Stand hugging the mobile phone and a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

In Stock in Los Angeles, Green Rabbit Mini Portable Charger
By Stefano Giovannoni
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Rabbit Mini power bank battery charger In stock in Los Angeles Power bank. You can carry Rabbit MINI in your bag as an external battery for yo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

Set Of 3 Miniature Amber And Silver Harley Davidson Style Motor Bikes
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Set of 3 Miniature Amber and Silver Harley Davidson Style Motor Bikes 925 stamped silver.
Category

1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Silver

Blue Cobra Table Phone, Ericofon by LM Ericsson
Located in Vienna, AT
Vintage rotary dial mint green ericofone. This is the model Cobra. It is made of blue thermoplastic ABS Designed in the 1950s in Sweden by Hugo Blomb...
Category

1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Steel

White 1930s Glamour Bakelite Telephone by Bell Systems
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Vintage white bakelite 1930s glamor telephone made by Bell Systems for the Western Electric company. This phone is present in many Hollywood Glamor fi...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Bakelite

1970's Sergio Todeschini Bobo Telephone for Telcer, Italy
Located in Praha, CZ
Unique model of dial plastic phone by Sergio Todeschini, made in Italy in the 1970's.
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

Italian mid-century modern brown wooden brass plastic television by Vega, 1950s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern brown wooden white plastic television by Vega, 1950s Rectangular wooden television. The screen has rounded corners and a cream colored plastic frame, under...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass, Metal

Portable typwriter valentine by Ettore Sottsass / Perry King for Olivetti
By Perry King, Ettore Sottsass, Olivetti
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
The Olivetti Valentine is a portable, mechanical, travel typewriter that was manufactured by the Italian company Olivetti from 1969 to 2000. It is known for its unconventional design...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Vintage Erika Model 10 Germany Pearl Green Manual Portable Typewriter in Case
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Erika Model 10 Germany Pearl Green Manual Portable Typewriter in Case. Circa Early 20th Century. Measurements: 6.5" H x 14.5" W x 15" D.
Category

Early 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti Valentine Typewriter, Italy 1960s
By Ettore Sottsass, Olivetti
Located in Naples, IT
Famous and Iconic Portable Typewriter Mod. Valentine designed by Ettore Sottsass and Peter King, for the company Olivetti Italia in 1960, the typewriter is in very good condition wit...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

CYMA WATCH COMPANY - Vintage Alarm Clock - 11 Jewels - Swiss Made - Circa 1950's
By CYMA Watch Co.
Located in Chatham, ON
CYMA WATCH COMPANY - Brass alarm clock - Swiss made - circa 1950's. Features include - manual wind - alarm stop on top and back - 11 jewels - separ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Hans Gugelot designed radio for Braun, 1955
By Braun, Hans Gugelot
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Radio "Super" G11 by Swiss designer Hans Gugelot for Braun in 1955. Braun is of course well known for their iconic, Dieter Rams designed, audio equipment. This piece is not tested, w...
Category

1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic, Wood

Hans Gugelot designed radio for Braun, 1955
Hans Gugelot designed radio for Braun, 1955
H 14 in W 21.375 in D 13.5 in
Previously Available Items
Italian mid-century modern television Doney Zanuso Sapper by Brionvega, 1962
By Richard Sapper, Brionvega, Marco Zanuso
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern orange and black television Doney by Brionvega, 1962 Squared television mod. Doney in orange and black plastic, with metal details on the profile. On the t...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Italian Modern Aqua Green Telephone Grillo by Zanuso Sapper for Siemens, 1965
By Richard Sapper, Siemens, Marco Zanuso
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern aqua green Telephone Grillo by Zanuso Sapper for Siemens, 1965 Telephone mod. Grillo composed of two folding parts in aqua green colored ABS plastic. Inside there is a black plastic circle where the buttons with numbers are placed. The phone Grillo eliminated the distinction between base and handset that had characterized landline phones...
Category

1960s Italian Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

Grillo Folding Telephone by Marco Zanuso Richard Sapper with Box 1966
By Richard Sapper, Marco Zanuso
Located in San Diego, CA
Grillo (Cricket) folding telephone by Marco Zanuso Richard Sapper with the original box from 1966. Part of the MoMA New York permanent collection. A revolutionary space age modern design and perhaps the first flip phone...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

Yellow Telephone Grillo by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper for Siemens, 1965
By Siemens, Richard Sapper, Marco Zanuso
Located in MIlano, IT
Yellow telephone Grillo by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper for Siemens, 1965 Grillo telephone produced in 1965 for Siemens to a design by Marco Zanus...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Black telephone Grillo by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper for Siemens, 1965
By Siemens, Richard Sapper, Marco Zanuso
Located in MIlano, IT
Black telephone Grillo by Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper for Siemens, 1965 Grillo telephone produced in 1965 for Siemens to a design by Marco Zanuso ...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Marco Zanuso "Ariante" Electric Fan, 1973
By Marco Zanuso
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Marco Zanuso, architect and noted Italian industrial designer designed this Fan in 1973. Ariante produced by Vortice Elettrosociali. Fan is in the permanent collection of many Museum...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

Marco Zanuso "Ariante" Electric Fan, 1973
Marco Zanuso "Ariante" Electric Fan, 1973
H 7.32 in W 7.19 in D 4.32 in
Fire Iron by Marco Zanuso, 1951
By Marco Zanuso
Located in Berlin, DE
Brass, iron and cane Fire irons Brass, iron, cane unique piece from Villa Regianni, Jesi Dimensions L.49cm H.52cm Design Marco Zanuso 1951.
Category

1950s Italian Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass, Iron

Fire Iron by Marco Zanuso, 1951
Fire Iron by Marco Zanuso, 1951
H 20.48 in W 19.3 in D 11.82 in
TS 505 Cube Radio by Marco Zanuso & Richard Sapper for Brionvega, 1976
By Richard Sapper, Brionvega, Marco Zanuso
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
This radio has an exterior in white ABS and an internal power supply for six 1.5 Volt batteries (Half Torch). The external power supply is 220 V with a removable internal integrated cable and a tri-band transistor radio...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

'Ariante' Table Fan by Marco Zanuso for Vortice Elettrosociali, Italy, 1970s
By Vortice Elettrosociali, Marco Zanuso
Located in Steenwijk, NL
Very good looking table fan from the 1970s. A design by Marco Zanusso for the company of Vortice Elettrosociali from Italy. A modern design that is still in working condition. It ...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

Orange Cubo Brionvega Radio TS 502 Designer Zanuso & Sapper, Milano, 1964
By Richard Sapper, Brionvega, Marco Zanuso
Located in Milano, IT
An orange Cubo Brionvega radio TS 502. Designer Zanuso & Sapper. Produced in Milano, Italy, 1964.
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Marco Zanuso Decorative Objects

Marco Zanuso decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.

Marco Zanuso decorative objects are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of plastic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Marco Zanuso decorative objects, although red editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original decorative objects by Marco Zanuso were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider decorative objects by Richard Sapper, Joe Colombo, and Vivai del Sud. Prices for Marco Zanuso decorative objects can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $99 and can go as high as $1,112, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $420.

Recently Viewed

View All