Luigi Caccia Dominioni Catilina Chair for Azucena, Italy, 1958
View Similar Items
Luigi Caccia Dominioni Catilina Chair for Azucena, Italy, 1958
About the Item
- Creator:Luigi Caccia Dominioni (Designer),Azucena (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 27.96 in (71 cm)Width: 22.05 in (56 cm)Depth: 18.12 in (46 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1958
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Milan, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU952720767512
Luigi Caccia Dominioni
To join the centenarian club is a remarkable feat in itself, but to live for over a century and leave a lasting impact on the world of Italian mid-century modern furniture design — just as pioneering industrial designer and architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni had — is extraordinary. His vintage table lamps, coffee tables, chairs and other furnishings are demonstrative of exemplary technique, theory and quality workmanship — all characteristics of the Milanese designer’s signature style.
Caccia Dominioni graduated from Milan’s oldest university, the Polytechnic University of Milan, in 1936. A leading center for design innovation during the first half of the 20th century, the institution’s alumni includes notable Italian architects and designers such as Gio Ponti, Vittoriano Vigano and brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. In 1937, the Castiglioni brothers and Caccia Dominioni opened a multi-award winning studio together and presented groundbreaking designs for radios in Bakelite shells at the 1940 Milan Triennial.
The Second World War forced Caccia Dominioni to pause his professional ambitions in order to serve in the Italian military, and the postwar years saw much of his most esteemed designs take shape. In 1947, alongside Ignazio Gardella and Corrado Corradi Dell’Acqua, Caccia Dominioni founded the furniture manufacturing company Azucena, where he designed iconic pieces such as the Catalina chair and a range of lighting that includes the Lp10 wall light, the Lsp3 wall light and the Lsp6 flush mount light.
Like a fine Italian wine, Caccia Dominioni got even better with time. He collaborated with the likes of Olivari and Lualdi well into his 80s, debuting legendary pieces such as the C.d.o. chair and the Super door. And while many of his celebrated architectural works materialized during the 1950s and 1960s — such as the Teatro Filodrammatici and the Galleria Strasburgo — one of Caccia Dominioni’s best known structures, the fountain in Milan’s Piazza San Babila, was built near the end of 20th century when the designer was 83 years old.
Caccia Dominioni was a winner of the Compasso d’Oro, one of the oldest and most prestigious awards in the design industry. When he died at 103 in 2016, he left behind an exceptional legacy of furniture design and architectural innovations.
Find vintage Luigi Caccia Dominioni chandeliers and pendants, floor lamps, armchairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Azucena
Vintage Azucena furniture is elegant and inviting — the esteemed mid-century Milanese manufacturer’s wall lights, armchairs and side tables, which are marked by simple symmetry and thoughtfully contrasting materials, can likely be found in the living rooms of design lovers all over Italy.
Azucena was founded in 1947 by three leading figures of 20th-century Italian architecture: Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Ignazio Gardella and Corrado Corradi Dell’Acqua. The trio initially established Azucena in order to furnish the interiors of buildings they’d designed but found a robust business opportunity in manufacturing individual pieces from those collections for postwar consumers. And as the company founders borrowed the brand name from a conniving character in the Giuseppe Verd opera Il Trovatore, it is appropriate, then, that the furniture for which Azucena is known is practical but exudes a hint of playfulness.
The best of Italian modernism combines cheekiness and bold functionality with provocative and thoughtful design, and Azucena is deeply rooted in that tradition. While its brass-and-walnut mid-century-modern-era dining tables and stackable coffee tables — created by the likes of Dell’Acqua and Vico Magistretti — are exceptionally unobtrusive in small spaces and framed in clean lines, Dominioni designed chunky, enveloping armchairs during the 1970s upholstered in striking red fabric.
Among Azucena's most successful and iconic designs is also Dominioni's most famous piece of furniture: the minimalist Catalina chair. After it debuted at the Milan Triennial in 1957, the Catalina chair, with its generously curving enameled steel frame and plush leather cushion, became an instant sensation. Dominioni’s other enduring designs for Azucena include the Monachella lamp, the ABCD armchair and the versatile Cilindro ottoman.
Italian furniture manufacturer B&B Italia acquired Azucena in 2018 and has reissued a number of designs from the legendary brand’s portfolio, such as the Imbuto lamp, the Catalina armchair and the Cavalletto table.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Azucena lighting, tables, seating and more.
- Luigi Caccia Dominioni Coat Rack for Azucena, Italy, 1950sBy Azucena, Luigi Caccia DominioniLocated in Milan, ITLuigi Caccia Dominioni wall coat rack for Azucena in nickel-plated brass and black resin globes, Italy, 1950s.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsNickel
- Luigi Caccia Dominioni Coat Rack for Azucena, Italy, 1950sBy Luigi Caccia Dominioni, AzucenaLocated in Milan, ITLuigi Caccia Dominioni Model A4 coat rack for Azucena in nickel-plated brass and black resin globes, Italy, 1950s.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsNickel
- Luigi Caccia Dominioni LS2 Pendant Lamp for Azucena, Italy, 1952By Azucena, Luigi Caccia DominioniLocated in Milan, ITLuigi Caccia Dominioni LS2 pendant lamp for Azucena, Italy, 1952.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsNickel
- Side Table T9 by Luigi Caccia Dominioni for Azucena, Italy, 1950sBy Azucena, Luigi Caccia DominioniLocated in Milan, ITSide table T9 by Luigi Caccia Dominioni for Azucena, Italy, 1950s.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMetal, Nickel
- Monumental Luigi Caccia Dominioni Brass Umbrella Stand for Azucena, Italy, 1949By Azucena, Luigi Caccia DominioniLocated in Milan, ITMonumental Luigi Caccia Dominioni brass umbrella stand for Azucena, Italy, 1949 Reference: Domus No. 239 October 1949.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Luigi Caccia Dominioni LS10 Ceiling Lamp for Azucena, Italy, 1960sBy Azucena, Luigi Caccia DominioniLocated in Milan, ITLuigi Caccia Dominioni LS10 ceiling lamp for Azucena, Italy, 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Catilina Lounge by Luigi Caccia Dominioni for AzucenaBy Luigi Caccia Dominioni, AzucenaLocated in Brooklyn, NYElegant and essential, the Catilina “large” chair designed by Luigi Caccia Dominioni was presented in 1957 at the XI Triennale in Milan and is con...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Armchairs
MaterialsIron
- Azucena Catilina Upholstered Stool by Luigi Caccia DominioniBy Azucena, Luigi Caccia DominioniLocated in Novedrate, ITFrom the moment it was first presented at the XI Triennale in Milan in 1953, Catilina became one of Luigi Caccia Dominioni’s classics. He loved the design so much that guests in his studio would settle down by his desk to chat in these chairs. At first glance you would be forgiven for assuming this unusual object to be unfinished. Instead Caccia Dominioni created both a new chair and defined how to sit in it. Catilina is not designed for relaxation and letting go but for thoughtfulness and elegance. You could almost be transported back to ancient Rome ensconced in the seat of the Roman senator, Lucio Sergio Catilina, after whom the chair is named. In turn, the chair harks back to medieval thrones...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
MaterialsLeather
- D_Ca3l "Large Catilina Low" Armchair by Luigi Caccia Dominioni, AzucenaBy Azucena, Luigi Caccia DominioniLocated in Skokie, ILLuigi Caccia Dominioni model D_CA3L "large Catilina low" armchair for Azucena, Italy, 1958 / 2000s Additional Information: Materials: Enameled steel, velvet upholstery Dimension...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Azucena Catilina Small Armchair with Upholstered Seat by Luigi Caccia DominioniBy Luigi Caccia Dominioni, AzucenaLocated in Novedrate, ITFrom the moment it was first presented at the XI Triennale in Milan in 1953, Catilina became one of Luigi Caccia Dominioni’s classics. He loved the design so much that guests in his studio would settle down by his desk to chat in these chairs. At first glance you would be forgiven for assuming this unusual object to be unfinished. Instead Caccia Dominioni created both a new chair and defined how to sit in it. Catilina is not designed for relaxation and letting go but for thoughtfulness and elegance. You could almost be transported back to ancient Rome ensconced in the seat of the Roman senator, Lucio Sergio Catilina, after whom the chair is named. In turn, the chair harks back to medieval thrones...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather
- Luigi Caccia Dominioni Set of Six Catilina Chairs in Steel and Fabric AzucenaBy Luigi Caccia Dominioni, AzucenaLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITSet of six Catilina chairs with frame in painted steel, seat top in multi-layered wood, and upholstery-shaped polyurethane cushions covered with red fabric. This iconic seat was designed by Luigi Caccia Dominioni, and produced by Azucena since 1958. Luigi Caccia Dominioni firstly presents this seat at the XI Triennale in Milan in 1957 and from this moment Catilina became one of Luigi Caccia Dominioni’s classics. Caccia Dominioni created a new chair and also defined how to sit in it. Catilina is not designed for relaxation and letting go but for thoughtfulness and elegance. You could almost be transported back to ancient Rome ensconced in the seat of the Roman senator, Lucio Sergio Catilina, after whom the chair is named. In turn, the chair harks back to medieval thrones...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Azucena Catilina Small Armchair with Seat Cushion by Luigi Caccia DominioniBy Luigi Caccia Dominioni, AzucenaLocated in Novedrate, ITFrom the moment it was first presented at the XI Triennale in Milan in 1953, Catilina became one of Luigi Caccia Dominioni’s classics. He loved the design so much that guests in his studio would settle down by his desk to chat in these chairs. At first glance you would be forgiven for assuming this unusual object to be unfinished. Instead Caccia Dominioni created both a new chair and defined how to sit in it. Catilina is not designed for relaxation and letting go but for thoughtfulness and elegance. You could almost be transported back to ancient Rome ensconced in the seat of the Roman senator, Lucio Sergio Catilina, after whom the chair is named. In turn, the chair harks back to medieval thrones...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMohair