Poltronova is known for embracing the creativity that opposites can introduce to a space. Its radical modernist furniture and lighting fixtures are simultaneously grounded in classic aesthetics and inspired by what were then new and provocative artistic movements in mid-century Italy, when the company was founded. This tension resulted in unique and extraordinary pieces at the manufacturer, from eccentric, glove-shaped armchairs to striking dining tables that feature a mix of materials and textures.
Italian designer Sergio Cammilli founded Poltronova in Tuscany in 1957. That same year, it won the Compasso d’Oro for the Panchetto chair designed by Luciano Nustrini. Revolutionary Italian architect Ettore Sottsass — a maestro of postmodern design who would later establish the Memphis Group — came on board as an art director in 1958. Poltronova manufactured many of his furniture and ceramic designs. Sottsass’s lighting, seating and other works for Poltronova showcase the designer’s bold experimentation with solid wood, glass, metal and laminate materials.
Other established names in Italian furniture design collaborated with Poltronova’s Sottsass and Cammilli, including Giovanni Michelucci, Gae Aulenti and Angelo Mangiarotti. However, the company truly set itself apart in its collaborations with Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, groups that were part of an irreverent, avant-garde movement in art and design that took shape during the 1960s in Florence, Turin and Milan. Collectives associated with the movement — which would one day be called Italian Radical design — drew on Pop art and minimalism and explored working with unconventional materials to create colorful, quirky and uniquely shaped objects and furnishings. At the time, Poltronova also worked with up-and-coming names in the art world, like painter Max Ernst and sculptor Mario Ceroli.
Poltronova showcased its groundbreaking designs in many exhibitions, such as “La Casa Abitata,” which was held in Florence in 1965. At Milan's Eurodomus trade show in 1970, Poltronova debuted an entire bedroom collection designed by Sottsass — including his sensuous Ultrafragola mirror. The brand’s furnishings were included in a 1972 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art called "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape," and in 1977, Poltronova again won the Compasso d’Oro for a book called Fare Mobili con Poltronova (Making Furniture with Poltronova).
Poltronova's enduring and acclaimed furniture designs came to be loved far outside Italy. During the 1960s, importer Charles Stendig represented the company and helped introduce it to the American market.
In 2005, Poltronova established the Centro Studi Poltronova to recreate some of the company's iconic furniture. The brand has also recently collaborated with English architect Nigel Coates, who worked with a Poltronova master craftsman in Italy to design a series of limited-edition furniture in 2011, including the Domo chair.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Poltronova tables, seating, storage cabinets and more.
20th Century, Mario Ceroli for Poltronova Chest of Drawers mod. Annabella
By Poltronova, Mario Ceroli
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Mario Ceroli (born 1938) is a renowned Italian sculptor and set designer known for his iconic, stylized human figures and objects crafted from raw, unpainted wood (pine). Emerging in...
Wood
20th Century, Mario Ceroli for Poltronova Chest of Drawers mod. Annabella
By Poltronova, Mario Ceroli
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Mario Ceroli (born 1938) is a renowned Italian sculptor and set designer known for his iconic, stylized human figures and objects crafted from raw, unpainted wood (pine). Emerging in...
Wood
Ettore Sottsass Chest of Drawers, Model CS 108, for Poltronova, Wood & Marble, 1964
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Ettore Sottsass grew up in Turin, and graduated in architecture from the Turin Polytechnic in 1939. In 1947, he founded his own studio in Milan. In 1956, Sottsass moved to New York w...
Marble
Chest of Drawers model "Serena" by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, 1955
By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci
Located in Roma, IT
Chest of drawers model "Serena" realized by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova in 1955. Realized in walnut wood and in excellent condition. Signature engraved.
Metal
Giovanni Michelucci Serena Chest of Drawers for Poltronova, 1955
By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
The Serena chest of drawers was designed by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova in 1955. Made in walnut wood, it features six drawers — four smaller above and two larger below. Signed...
Walnut
Nice English Sideboard / Chest of Drawers, 20th Century
Located in Berlin, DE
Nice English sideboard / chest of drawers 20th century Solid wood with mahogany veneer. English chest of drawers, 20th century 19th century, Victorian. Slightly protruding cover p...
Wood, Mahogany
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A refined 20th-century Swedish Gustavian-style chest of drawers, showcasing the timeless elegance and craftsmanship of this iconic design. The piece is painted in a soft, muted gray ...
Pine
$3,500
H 29.75 in W 34 in D 18.5 in
George Nelson for Herman Miller Mid Century Modern Chest of Drawers 1955 Maple
By George Nelson
Located in Dallas, TX
A stunning example of mid-century modern craftsmanship, this George Nelson three-drawer cabinet from the Basic Cabinet Series embodies timeless elegance. Designed in the 1950s, it sh...
Birch, Lacquer
George Nakashima black american walnut chest of drawers 1955
By George Nakashima
Located in Paris, IDF
This dresser crafted from American black walnut is a stunning testament to George Nakashima's craftsmanship. Created upon the request of a private client in 1955, the angular shapes ...
Walnut
$5,295
H 33.08 in W 78.75 in D 20.87 in
Giovanni Michelucci Torbecchia Sideboard in Walnut Wood by Poltronova 1964
By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Torbecchia sideboard is entirely realized in solid veneered walnut wood, with two frontal hinging doors, two drawers, and a storage unit under the openable top part. The signature o...
Wood, Walnut
Pair of 20th Century Swedish Chest of Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
This elegant pair of Gustavian-style chests, crafted circa 100 years ago, embodies the refined simplicity and timeless charm of Scandinavian design. Constructed from pine, a wood com...
Pine
Cappuccino Chest of Drawers, Italy, Mid-20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Cappuccino Chest of Drawers, realized in the mid-20th Century. Three drawers. Good condition.
Metal
$4,471
H 61.03 in W 65.75 in D 19.69 in
"Torbecchia" wooden sideboard by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, Italy, 1970
By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci
Located in Argelato, BO
This sideboard is an iconic piece of Italian design from the 1960s, designed by architect Giovanni Michelucci in 1964 for Poltronova. It is part of the "Torbecchia" series, a project...
Wood
$17,850
H 51 in W 43.75 in D 15.25 in
Barbarella Writing Desk / Secretary by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1966/1985
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Kansas City, MO
Ettore Sottsass Barbarella cabinet for Poltronova, Italy. Designed in 1966, produced in 1985. The cabinet features three drawers over a drop-front ...
Brass
Model 394 Chest of drawers, Kai Kristiansen, 1960s
By Kai Kristiansen, Aksel Kjersgaard
Located in Neuss, NW
Wonderful chest of drawers model 394 from Kai Kristiansen for Aksel Kjersgaard from the 1960s. Corpus in oak veneer with four drawers and straight feet. The top is coated with off wh...
Formica, Oak
20th Century Swedish Chest of Drawers Circa 1900
Located in Atlanta, GA
This early 20th-century Swedish chest of drawers, circa 1900, is a refined example of neoclassical Gustavian design. Crafted from pine, a staple material in Swedish furniture for its...
Pine
Torbecchia sideboard by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova
By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci
Located in Ravenna, IT
Furniture designed by Michelucci and manufactured by Poltronova. The cabinet consists of two lower hinged doors, which can be opened by a handle, and two upper hinged doors, which ca...
Walnut
Sold
H 37.41 in W 44.1 in D 23.63 in
Mario Ceroli Annabella Chest of Drawers in Wood by Poltronova 1970s
By Mario Ceroli, Poltronova
Located in Cascina, Pisa
The Annabella chest of drawers, with four drawers, is entirely made of pine wood. It was designed by the Italian artist Mario Ceroli as part of the Mobili nella Valle series and produced by Poltronova in the late 1970s. It presents a solid and also ethereal structure that can suit every space bringing them a classic and sophisticated aura, it's perfect for living rooms, halls, and bedrooms. The name Annabella was inspired by the main character of the film titled 'Addio Fratello Crudele' directed by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi and for which Ceroli curated the scenography. Mario Ceroli (1938) is one of the most influential artists of the Italian post-war period. Ceroli graduated from 'Accademia delle Belle Arti' in Rome, where he studied with Leoncillo, Fazzini and Colla. In the early stages of Ceroli's career he concentrated on ceramics and in 1958, he exhibited these works at the Premium Spoleto. In the same year Ceroli held his first solo exhibition at Galeria San Sebastinello of Rome. During 1959 he began to experiment with new materials, particularly with raw wood, such as Russian pinewood. He used these materials to create silhouetted shapes in his furniture and objects that related simplistically to the surrounding space. Ceroli relates back to the traditional medieval craftsmen, focusing on an overall and overwhelming attraction that holds a dialogue with the spectator. Between 1967-1968, Ceroli took part in exhibitions related to the "Arte de Povera" group. He had also been involved as screenplay director collaborating with "II Teatro Stabile" in Turin and with "La Scala" In Milan. Characteristically Ceroli's designs are dramatic and sculptural, with exaggerated forms and bold lines and often paying tribute to historical artworks. One of Ceroli's major works was his 'Mobili nella Valle' series, inspired directly by De Chirico's 1927 painting...
Pine
Sold
H 39.38 in W 50.4 in D 23.63 in
Giovanni Michelucci Serena Chest of Drawers in Walnut Wood by Poltronova 1950s
By Giovanni Michelucci, Poltronova
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Serena chest of drawers entirely realized in walnut wood, with two frontal doors and six drawers (four smaller on the high side and two bigger on the bottom side). Designed by Giova...
Walnut
Sold
H 38.59 in W 50.4 in D 22.84 in
Giovanni Michelucci Poltronova Italian Midcentury Walnut Chest of Drawers 1960s
By Giovanni Michelucci, Poltronova
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Walnut chest of drawers from the "Serena CSM 98" series designed by Giovanni Michelucci and manufactured by Poltronova, production Italy 1964. G. Michelucci stamped mark. The chest ...
Nutwood
Sold
H 39.77 in W 44.1 in D 23.63 in
Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Bastonio Chest of Drawers, circa 1964
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Ettore Sottsass 'Bastonio' chest of five drawers, designed 1963 and manufactured by Poltronovo, Agliana, Italy. Constructed from Sipo and Beechwood with Indian Rosewood veneer and b...
Ash, Beech, Rosewood, Paint
Sold
H 35.44 in W 82.68 in D 23.63 in
Lella & Massimo Vignelli Saratoga Living Room Set Poltronova, 1960s
By Massimo and Lella Vignelli, Poltronova
Located in Cascina, Pisa
A beautiful living room set composed of two sofas (three-seater/two-seater) one armchair and a chest of drawers model Saratoga. The sofas and the armchair present a black lacquered w...
Leather, Wood
Chest of drawers "Bastonio" by Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova 1963
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Berlin, DE
Chest of drawers "Bastonio" by Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova 1963
Rosewood, Wood