Lady Chair by Marco Zanuso for Arflex in New Upholstery
View Similar Items
Lady Chair by Marco Zanuso for Arflex in New Upholstery
About the Item
- Creator:Arflex (Manufacturer),Marco Zanuso (Designer)
- Design:Lady ArmchairLady Series
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 30.71 in (78 cm)Length: 31.5 in (80 cm)Seat Height: 14.18 in (36 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Berlin, DE
- Reference Number:Seller: cc.oz.1stDibs: LU159128259903
Lady Armchair
While the scoop-like form of the Lady armchair, designed in 1951 by Italian architect and furniture maker Marco Zanuso (1916–2001), might not be the most visually arresting chair on the auction block today, it’s one of the classic pieces of mid-century modern furniture and was quite revolutionary for its time.
Like many designers of the day, Zanuso was fascinated with new materials like polyurethane foam and elastic tape. In the 1940s, he began experimenting with them through a collaboration with Italian manufacturer Arflex that would endure for years. For the Arflex line, Zanuso designed not only the Lady armchair — which won the gold medal at the Milan Triennale the year of its debut — but also the 1949 Antropus chair and the 1951 Sleep-o-matic sofa. While these works were radical for their materials, their construction methods were also groundbreaking. The Lady armchair, for instance, was manufactured in pieces and assembled at the very end of the production process, whereas traditional furniture was more frequently constructed as a whole.
Zanuso spent his entire career creating a new definition of modernism through his works and his words. He studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan with some of the country’s most forward-thinking designers, opened his own firm in 1945 and even served as the editor of design magazines Domus and Casabella, sharing his philosophy of modern design in their pages. He certainly succeeded in creating a lasting impact on the design world, particularly through pieces like the Lady armchair. It’s manufactured today by Cassina.
Marco Zanuso
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. He 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.
- Marco Zanuso Senior Chair for Arflex, Italy, 1950sBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Berlin, DENewly upholstered Marco Zanuso senior chair for Arflex, Italy - 1960s. Fabric is Holly Hunt, Forgiving Sins, color latte.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Marco Zanuso Lady Armchair for Cassina, Italy, newBy Cassina, Marco ZanusoLocated in Berlin, DEPrices vary dependent on the color/material of the chair. Armchair designed by Marco Zanuso in 1951, relaunched in 2015. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. An icon of 1950s Italian ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
$7,323 / item - Marco Zanuso Settee for Arflex in new Dark Petrol Fabric, Italy, 1960sBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Berlin, DEMarco Zanuso Regent settee for Arflex, Italy, 1960s. Early edition Regent Settee designed by Marco Zanuso for Arflex, circa 1960. The piece is on walnut glides with a new upholstery ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- Marco Zanuso Woodline Armchair for Cassina, Italy, newBy Cassina, Marco ZanusoLocated in Berlin, DEArmchair designed by Marco Zanuso in 1964, relaunched in 2015. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Please ask for pricing in other materials and colors. The seat is available in leathe...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Ash, Walnut, Leather, Wood
$10,145 / item - 1 of 2 Newly Upholstered Regent Sofa by Marco Zanuso for Arflex in Petrol ColorBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Berlin, DEMarco Zanuso Regent 3-seater for Arflex, Italy, 1960s. The piece is on walnut glides and newly upholstered in Kvadrat steelcut fabric. The price is for one sofa. We also have a two-s...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Marco Zanuso Antropus Armchair for Cassina, Italy, in redBy Cassina, Marco ZanusoLocated in Berlin, DEArmchair designed by Marco Zanuso in 1949, relaunched in 2015. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. The price given applies to the chair as shown in the first picture. Please ask for pr...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- Marco Zanuso for Arflex Easy Chair in Coral Red UpholsteryBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Waalwijk, NLMarco Zanuso for Arflex, easy chair, model 'Martingala' , fabric, chrome, lacquered metal, Italy, 1950s. Eccentric easy chair designed by Italian designer Marco Zanuso in the fifti...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- Marco Zanuso for Arflex 'Regent' Lounge Chair in Patterned UpholsteryBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Waalwijk, NLMarco Zanuso for Arflex, lounge chair model 'Regent', fabric, metal, wood, Italy, 1960 Admirable ‘Regent’ lounge chair designed by Marco Zanuso ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Marco Zanuso Lady Chair Arflex, Italy, 1951By Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantIconic so called 'Lady chair' designed by Marco Zanuso and manufactured by Arflex, Italy, 1951. This lady chair has chrome-plated legs and original upholstery in grey. The upholstery...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Marco Zanuso for Arflex Pair of 'Lady' ArmchairsBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Waalwijk, NLMarco Zanuso for Arflex, pair of easy chairs, fabric, metal, Italy, 1951 A quintessential representation of 1950s Italian Design, the 'Lady' armchair stands as a celebrated testamen...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
$11,800 / set - Two "Senior" Armchairs by Marco Zanuso for Arflex, New Upholstery, Italy, 1950sBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Milan, ITSet of two Senior armchairs by Marco Zanuso for Arflex.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- 1951, Marco Zanuso, Lady Chair in Soft Velvet/Terra Fabric for ArflexBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NLThis item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach,...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
$3,272 Sale Price23% Off
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Why Marco Zanuso’s Coromandel House Was Ahead of Its Time — As Was He
The South African home is a testament to the Italian designer and architect’s foresight and eco-sensitivity.
Original in Berlin’s Lars Triesch Has Turned a Passion for Design into a Booming Business
His two gallery spaces in the German capital bring together thousands of pieces ranging from mid-century classics and Murano glass to covetable reproductions manufactured in-house.