Entrepreneur Aurelio Zanotta founded Zanotta in 1954 in Nova Milanese, Italy. Originally called Zanotta Poltrona, it specialized in traditional furniture. By the early 1960s, however, Zanotta had established a reputation for edgy mid-century modern design. Today’s vintage furniture collectors know the brand well for its innovative and wholly sculptural chairs, coffee tables and more.
One of Zanotta’s earliest successes was the Mezzadro stool — better known as the Tractor stool — designed by Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and his brother Achille in the late 1950s. In 1965, Zanotta was among the first furniture companies to work with expanded polyurethane foam and frameless construction, such as for the Throw-Away sofas and armchairs designed by Willie Landels. Another popular design was the Blow chair — designed by Jonathan De Pas, Donato D’Urbino, Paolo Lomazzi and Carla Scolari — viewed by many as a physical expression of late '60s carefree culture.
In 1969, amid the provocative movement we now call Italian Radical Design, Zanotta’s Sacco chair garnered major attention. The boundary-pushing beanbag chair was the brainchild of designers Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro who presented it to Aurelio Zanotta as a transparent vinyl sack loosely filled with small polystyrene balls. He suggested its signature brightly colored leather.
The Sacco chair won the 1970 ADI Design Museum’s Compasso d’Oro award. In 1972, the Museum of Modern Art in New York included it in the landmark exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” curated by designer Emilio Ambasz. In 2020, it received a Compasso d’Oro ADI Lifetime Achievement Award for 50 years of enduring popularity. It is now in museum collections around the world including the Triennale Design Museum of Milan, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.
After Aurelio Zanotta died in 1991, the company remained in his family and has been run by his three children since 2002. Zanotta continues to set the bar high for furniture design with trend-setting pieces.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Zanotta seating, tables and other furniture.
Zanotta Tucano Writing Desk in 0801 Cowhide Pigmentato Top with Matt Black Frame
By Zanotta, Monica Förster
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Tucano Writing Desk in 0801 Cowhide Pigmentato Top with Matt Black Frame Matt black varnished steel frame. Top covered with cowhide pigmentato 90. A discreet, elegant, ...
Cowhide
$6,232Sale Price / item|20% Off
Zanotta Quaderna 2750 Writing Desk in White Plastic Laminate by Superstudio
By Superstudio, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Quaderna Table/Writing Desk in White Plastic Laminate by Superstudio Honeycomb core structure coated with white plastic laminate, digitally pri...
Plastic
Zanotta Quaderna 2830 Desk in White Plastic Laminate by Superstudio
By Zanotta, Superstudio
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Table/writing desk. Honeycomb core structure coated with white plastic laminate, digitally printed with black squares at 3 cm spacing. What we are talking about here are the terribl...
Plastic
Gae Aulenti worktable / desk, Gaetano-series for Zanotta, Italy Post-Modern
By Zanotta, Gae Aulenti
Located in Stockholm, SE
Worktable / desk with original glass top with two black and red colored metal folding saw horse legs. Model Cardine, apart of the Geatano-series designed in the 1970s by Gae Aulenti ...
Metal
Zanotta Cavour CM Writing Desk in Smoky Glass Top with Black Varnished Oak Frame
By Zanotta, Carlo Mollino
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Cavour CM Writing Desk in Smoky Glass Top with Black Varnished Oak Frame by Carlo Mollino Legs in solid natural or black varnished oak, or in...
Oak
Gae Aulenti for Zanotta "Gaetano" Writing Table, Italy 1970s
By Zanotta, Gae Aulenti
Located in Naples, IT
Gaetano work table by Gae Aulenti for Zanotta with original glass top supported by two folding trestles in black and red enamelled metal. Timeless object. With its dry and essential ...
Metal
Zanotta Calamo Desk in Black Top with Steel Frame by Gabriele Rosa
By Zanotta, Gabriele Rosa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Calamo Desk in Black Top with Steel Frame by Gabriele Rosa Varnished steel frame and top in black, white or graphite. Top and storage space in cowhide pigmentato 90. The storage space is accessed by a drop-leaf opening. Calamo is not an old-style desk with drawers overflowing with paper, but an essential element of furniture, both in function and appearance, something that could fit anywhere in the home. The collection includes a new furnishing accessory designed by young designer Gabriele Rosa: the Calamo desk-console table. With a white, black or graphite steel structure with cowhide pigmentato cover for the surface and storage space under the folding lid. Undoubtedly the writing desk still...
Steel
Zanotta Calamo Desk in White Top with Steel Frame by Gabriele Rosa
By Zanotta, Gabriele Rosa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Calamo Desk in White Top with Steel Frame by Gabriele Rosa Varnished steel frame and top in black, white or graphite. Top and storage space in cowhide pigmentato 90. The storage space is accessed by a drop-leaf opening. Calamo is not an old-style desk with drawers overflowing with paper, but an essential element of furniture, both in function and appearance, something that could fit anywhere in the home. The collection includes a new furnishing accessory designed by young designer Gabriele Rosa: the Calamo desk-console table. With a white, black or graphite steel structure with cowhide pigmentato cover for the surface and storage space under the folding lid. Undoubtedly the writing desk still...
Steel
Gae Aulenti's "Gaetano" desk for Zanotta, Italy 1973
By Zanotta
Located in modena, Emilia-Romagna
Gaetano work table by Gae Aulenti for Zanotta. The original beveled crystal top edged in red, supported by two folding black enameled aluminum trestles with rubber shelf supports. A ...
Crystal, Aluminum
Zanotta Cavour CM Writing Desk in Clear Glass Top with Natural Oak Frame
By Carlo Mollino, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Cavour CM Writing Desk in Clear Glass Top with Natural Oak Frame by Carlo Mollino Legs in solid natural or black varnished oak, or in solid C...
Oak
Zanotta Black or White Comacina Desk by Piero Bottoni
By Zanotta
Located in New York, NY
Writing desk. 18/8 stainless steel tubular frame. Top and storage unit in medium density fiberboard finished with scratch resistant embossing in the colours talc or black. The top ca...
Stainless Steel
Scrivania Gaetano per Zanotta di Gae Aulenti
By Zanotta, Gae Aulenti
Located in Ghedi, IT
The Gaetano desk, designed by Gae Aulenti for Zanotta in 1973, is a minimalist masterpiece embodying Italian design innovation. Its sleek, functional form features a transparent glas...
Glass
Set Of Two 1970s Modern Easels for Gaetano Table by Gae Aulenti for Zanotta
By Gae Aulenti, Zanotta
Located in Catania, Sicilia
This sophisticated set of two vintage easels represents a quintessential collaboration between the visionary Italian architect Gae Aulenti and the renowned manufacturer Zanotta durin...
Metal
Zanotta Cavour CM Writing Desk in Clear Glass Top with Canaletto Walnut Frame
By Zanotta, Carlo Mollino
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Cavour CM Writing Desk in Clear Glass Top with Canaletto Walnut Frame by Carlo Mollino Legs in solid natural or black varnished oak, or in soli...
Walnut
Maestro Working Table by Joe Colombo for Zanotta, Italy, 1969
By Joe Colombo, Zanotta
Located in Barcelona, ES
Maestro working table designed by Joe Colombo in 1969 for Zanotta, Italy. Development of the poker game table as a work table, very useful due to the two large surfaces. Double workt...
Steel
Zanotta Large Quaderna Table/Writing Desk in White Plastic Laminate, Superstudio
By Superstudio, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Large Quaderna Table/Writing Desk in White Plastic Laminate, Superstudio Honeycomb core structure coated with white plastic laminate, digital...
Plastic
Zanotta Tucano Writing Desk in 0814 Cowhide Pigmentato Top with Matt Black Frame
By Zanotta, Monica Förster
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Tucano Writing Desk in 0814 Cowhide Pigmentato Top with Matt Black Frame Matt black varnished steel frame. Top covered with cowhide pigmentato 90. A discreet, elegant, ...
Cowhide
Zanotta Comacina Writing Desk in White Top & Stainless Steel by Piero Bottoni
By Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Comacina Writing Desk in White Top & Stainless Steel Frame by Piero Bottoni 18/8 stainless steel tubular frame. Top and storage unit in me...
Stainless Steel
Zanotta Comacina Writing Desk in Black Top & Stainless Steel by Piero Bottoni
By Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Comacina Writing Desk in Black Top & Stainless Steel Frame by Piero Bottoni 18/8 stainless steel tubular frame. Top and storage unit in medi...
Stainless Steel
Zanotta Medium Quaderna Square Table in White Plastic by Superstudio
By Superstudio, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Medium Quaderna Table/Writing Desk in White Plastic by Superstudio Honeycomb core structure coated with white plastic laminate, digitally pri...
Plastic
Zanotta Black or White Comacina Desk by Piero Bottoni
By Zanotta
Located in New York, NY
Writing desk. 18/8 stainless steel tubular frame. Top and storage unit in medium density fiberboard finished with scratch resistant embossing in the colours talc or black. The top ca...
Stainless Steel
‘Acanto’ Dining Table by Enzo Mari for Zanotta
By Enzo Mari, Zanotta
Located in Rotterdam, ZH
Sculptural dining table model 'Acanto' by Enzo Mari (Novara 1932 - Milan 2020) for Zanotta, Italy 1990. The design immediately catches the eye due to the asymmetrical sculptural base...
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Desk By Zanotta, Italy
By Zanotta
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Desk By Zanotta, Italy When Aurelio Zanotta opened the doors to his eponymous label in 1954, its initial focus was on the production of sofas and armchairs which,...
Leather, Wood
$1,068Sale Price|20% Off
H 14.97 in W 27.56 in D 29.53 in
Gae Aulenti Laminate and Purple Metal Italian Coffee Table for Zanotta, 1970s
By Zanotta, Gae Aulenti
Located in Roma, IT
Amazing midcentury laminate and purple enamel metal coffee table. This fantastic piece was designed in Italy by Gae Aulenti for Zanotta during the 1970s. This stunning straight-lined table with a clean enamelled metal frame with a light purple laminate formica top is in a stunning vintage condition. A wonderful item is perfect to complete a mid-century minimal living room...
Crystal, Metal
Rúna White Oiled Solid Oak Desk by Warm Nordic
Located in Geneve, CH
Rúna White Oiled Solid Oak Desk by Warm Nordic Dimensions: D130 x W65 x H74 cm Material: White oiled solid oak Weight: 37 kg Also available in different finishes. Please contact ...
Oak
Gae Aulenti Locus Solus table for Poltronova Italy, 1960s
By Poltronova, Gae Aulenti
Located in Skokie, IL
Gae Aulenti Locus Solus table for Poltronova Italy, 1960s Dimensions: 28" h x 33 1/2" w x 33 1/2" d Condition: Frame is excellent. Glass shows foggy area and some scratching ...
Steel
$8,393
H 28.55 in W 31.89 in D 98.04 in
Quaderna Console Table by Superstudio for Zanotta, Italy, 1970s
By Superstudio
Located in Brussels, BE
Quaderna Console Table by Superstudio for Zanotta,1970s Italy
Laminate, Wood
1970s Writing Desk, Italy
Located in Praha, CZ
- Item was carefully refurbished - sturdy and stable - mahogany veneer
Metal
Desk Made In Teak Designed By Omann Junior From 1960s
By Omann Jun Møbelfabrik
Located in Lejre, DK
The desk in teak, designed by Omann Junior in the 1960s, is a prominent example of Danish furniture design from that time. With its characteristic teak wood design, the desk radiate...
Teak
White Laminate and Brushed Steel Desk
Located in Brooklyn, NY
White laminate and brushed steel desk. Original.
Steel
Scrivania Gaetano per Zanotta di Gae Aulenti
By Zanotta, Gae Aulenti
Located in Ghedi, IT
The Gaetano desk, designed by Gae Aulenti for Zanotta in 1973, is a minimalist masterpiece embodying Italian design innovation. Its sleek, functional form features a transparent glas...
Glass
$5,895
H 28.5 in W 79.5 in D 36.5 in
1970s Italian Travertine Dining, Conference Table, Desk, Rectangle Post-Modern
By Stone International, Willy Rizzo
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Simple is so often better! This elegant rectangular dining table shows us that. Filled and polished travertine-marble, with just the right amount of attractive natural grain. And a b...
Travertine, Marble
$5,304
H 31.11 in W 43.31 in D 24.81 in
Restored Bauhaus Writing Desk, Oak, Chrome-Plated Steel, Germany, 1930s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Desk dimensions: Height: 79 cm (31.1 in) Width: 110 cm (43.3 in) Depth: 63 cm (24.8 in) Leg space: Height: 74 cm (29.1 in) Width: 68 cm (26.8 in) Made according to the design of Ma...
Steel, Chrome
Superb 1920s Oak Roll Top Desk
Located in Dublin, IE
A superb 1920s beautifully patinated oak roll top desk of neat proportions, finely carved and of gorgeous quality. The moulded top of rectangular fo...
Oak
$3,892
H 30.91 in W 54.34 in D 30.52 in
Stunning Black Lacquered Polychrome Painted Writing Table Desk Birds Flowers
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely black lacquered hand polychrome painted vintage writing table with birds and flowers A very good looking and decorative piece, made...
Wood
Sold
H 30.71 in W 78.75 in D 39.18 in
Achille Castiglioni for Zanotta Adjustable Table ‘Leonardo’ in Blond Wood
By Zanotta, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Achille Castiglioni for Zanotta, adjustable desk ‘Leonardo’, beech, laminated wood, Italy, design 1969. Italian architect and designer Achille Castiglioni (1918-2002) designed the ‘...
Beech
Sold
H 25.99 in W 78.75 in D 39.38 in
Italian modern wood desk Leonardo by Achille Castiglioni for Zanotta, 1970s
By Zanotta, Achille Castiglioni
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern wood desk Leonardo by Achille Castiglioni for Zanotta, 1970s Desk model Leonardo with rectangular top in wood with white finish. The two easel-shaped legs are made of ...
Wood
Sold
H 29.14 in W 78.75 in D 39.38 in
“Leonardo” height adjustable wooden table by A. Castiglioni for Zanotta , 1970
By Zanotta, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Padova, IT
Achille Castiglioni, son of the sculptor Giannino and Livia Bolla, he graduated from the Milan Polytechnic in 1944; after graduating he worked in the studio of the older brothers Liv...
Wood
Zanotta Tucano Writing Desk by Monica Förster
By Zanotta, Monica Förster
Located in New York, NY
Writing desk. Matt black varnished steel frame. Top covered with cowhide pigmentato 90. Essential and authentic, almost "primitive" A discreet, elegant, sculptural desk, an express...
Steel
Zanotta Tucano Writing Desk by Monica Förster
By Zanotta, Monica Förster
Located in New York, NY
Writing desk. Matt black varnished steel frame. Top covered with cowhide pigmentato 90. Essential and authentic, almost "primitive" A discreet, elegant, sculptural desk, an express...
Steel
Sold
H 28.35 in W 51.19 in D 26.78 in
Italian Bauhaus White Desk Comacina by Piero Bottoni for Zanotta, 1980s
By Zanotta
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian Bauhaus White Desk Comacina by Piero Bottoni for Zanotta, 1980s Desk mod. Comacina with rectangular wooden top and rectangular insert in whi...
Stainless Steel
White Desk 'Quaderna 2830' by Zanotta, Italy 1970s
By Zanotta
Located in Greding, DE
Desk with laminated white surface with check pattern. The lines are 3 cm apart and merge seamlessly at the edges and smooth sides. The digital print has been painstakingly transferre...
Wood
Gaetano" desk by Gae Aulenti for Zanotta
By Zanotta, Gae Aulenti
Located in Conversano, IT
The "Gateano" table/desk is a unique design piece created by the famous designer Gae Aulenti and produced by Zanotta in the 1970s. This elegant piece of furniture combines form and f...
Crystal, Steel
Zanotta Cavour CM Homage to Carlo Mollino
By Zanotta
Located in New York, NY
Writing desk. Legs in solid natural oak, Extractable open tray and drawer element both covered with 8 mm thick extra-clear tempered plate glass, back-painted in black. 12mm thick ext...
Glass, Oak
Carlo Mollino Cavour Desk by Zanotta
By Zanotta, Carlo Mollino
Located in Dronten, NL
An elegant and streamlined writing desk featuring a glass top and bleached oak frame. Bleached oak drawers and compartment with glossy black lacqu...
Glass, Oak
Sold
H 30.71 in W 70.87 in D 30.71 in
Quaderna Desk or Dining Table by Superstudio for Zanotta, Italy, 1970s
By Zanotta, Superstudio
Located in Berlin, DE
Clean desk or dining table with four legs, called Quaderna. Designed 1970 by Superstudio and manufactured by Zanotto in Italy. Honeycomb core structure coated with white plastic lam...
Laminate, Wood
Modern Zanotta "Leonardo" Table by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Zanotta, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Houston, TX
The height can be adjusted in 2" increments from 24 to 32" in height so that it can be used as a work, dining, or center table. The tabletop is 3/4" White Laminate. Designed and manu...
Birch