Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.
Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.
Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)
For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.
Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”
It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.
Find vintage Afra & Tobia Scarpa lounge chairs, dining chairs, floor lamps and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
$14,161 / set
H 31.5 in W 21.26 in D 18.9 in
121 chairs designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina 1965
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Set of 4 chairs mod. 121 designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina in 1965. Stained walnut wood frame, leather seats. Tobia Scarpa was born in Venice in 1935, where he graduated...
Metal
$11,800 / set
H 31.5 in W 21.26 in D 18.9 in
Set of four Model 121 chairs designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina 1965
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Vigevano, PV
Set of four Model 121 chairs designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina 1965 Wooden frame with leather-covered seat and back. Original label. Produced by Cassina, Italy, 1965. Dom...
Metal
$21,241 / set
H 31.89 in W 18.9 in D 21.66 in
Tobia & Afra Scarpa Set of Eight 121 Chairs in Wood and Leather by Cassina 1970s
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Set of eight 121 chairs with structure in black lacquered wood, seat and back in Bulgarian red leather designed by Tobia and Afra Scarpa in 1965 and manufactured by Cassina in the 19...
Leather, Wood
$33,600 / set
H 32.09 in W 19.1 in D 21.86 in
Set of 6 Chairs model 925 2, Afra & Tobia Scarpa, 1966, Midcentury Design
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
The chair model 925 was designed by Afra and Tobias Scarpa in 1966 in Italy. This design is part of the Moma permanent collection. The gorgeous chairs call...
Faux Leather, Wood, Plywood
$10,030 / set
H 31.5 in W 18.51 in D 21.66 in
Afra & Tobia Scarpa Set of Four 121 Chairs by Cassina 1960s Italy
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Cascina, Pisa
From 1963 to 1966 the architects Afra and Tobia Scarpa collaborated with the Italian company Cassina, designing a series of furniture characterized by the use of solid wood, the stud...
Ash, Plywood
$9,204 / set
H 31.5 in W 20.48 in D 22.05 in
Dialogo" chairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia, 1970
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
"Dialogo" chairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia, Made in Italy, 1970. Set of four "Dialogo" chairs designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia, 1973. The feature of this "D...
Plastic, Beech
$10,384 / set
H 31.5 in W 18.9 in D 23.23 in
Set of 4 Red Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Tobia Scarpa, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 4 Red Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 The chair, which has now become an icon of Italian style, features Scarpa's typical double trestle structu...
Leather, Wood
$23,601 / set
H 29.14 in W 20.48 in D 18.12 in
Set of 8 Monk chairs designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Molteni in 1974
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Set of 8 "Monk" chairs designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Molteni in 1974. Stained walnut wood frame, natural leather seats. Excellent condition, restored. The whole set has been ...
Steel
$18,409 / set
H 29.14 in W 20.48 in D 18.12 in
Set of 6 Monk chairs designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Molteni 1974
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Set of 6 chairs mod. Monk designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Molteni in 1974. Stained walnut wood frame, natural leather seats. Excellent condition, restored. The whole set has be...
Steel
Afra and Tobia Scarpa Chair Scarpa 121 For Cassina
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Afra and Tobia Scarpa Lounge Chair Scarpa 925 For Cassina Maximum comfort in a minimalist dining chair distinguished by its contrasts A dining chair with a sleek, anatomic design, crafted to offer maximum comfort and support to the back. The chair is composed of a robust wooden structure that creates a striking contrast with the lightness of the saddle leather-upholstered plywood seat and backrest. UPHOLSTERY Backrest and seat in saddle leather STRUCTURE Solid ash or Canaletto walnut A dining chair with a sleek, anatomic design, crafted to offer maximum comfort and support to the back. Perfect for classic as well as contemporary interiors, Cassina presents, in collaboration with Karakter, the chair produced in 1965 on a design by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, based on a sketch by architect and designer maestro Carlo, father of Tobia. Scarpa 121...
Walnut
Set of Six Kentucky Chairs by Carlo Scarpa for Bernini
By Carlo Scarpa
Located in London, GB
Set of six model 783 “Kentucky” dining chairs designed by Carlo Scarpa for Bernini in 1977, part of his Scuderia series and among his last works ...
Canvas, Ash
Six Locus Solus Chairs by Gae Aulenti. 1970's Italian
By Gae Aulenti
Located in London, GB
Set of Six 'Locus Solus' chairs by Gae Aulenti. Constructed from tubular steel with a perforated metal seat, the gloss powdercoated finish makes it ideal for indoor and outdoor use.
Steel
Set of Four Dordogne Chairs by Charlotte Perriand
By Charlotte Perriand
Located in London, GB
This set of four Dordogne chairs were designed by Charlotte Perriand and executed by Robert Sentou in the 1950s in France. These chairs features ash wooden frames and beautifully wov...
Rush, Wood
Ara Stools by Studio Tecnico Bononia - from 1960s Italy
Located in London, GB
Set of Four 'Ara' stools by Studio Tecnico Bononia, produced in Italy in the 1960s. The design reflects the restrained geometric language of Italian modernism, pairing a minimal chro...
Steel, Chrome
Large Catilina Armchairs
By Luigi Caccia Dominioni
Located in London, GB
Elegant and essential, the Catilina “large” chair designed by Luigi Caccia Dominioni was presented in 1957 at the XI Triennale in Milan and is considered a milestone in Italian desig...
Steel
Brigadier Armchair & Ottoman by Cini Boeri for Knoll
By Cini Boeri
Located in London, GB
Black leather Brigadier armchair with a rare matching ottoman, designed by Cini Boeri for Knoll in 1976. This architectural, minimalistic piece features a high, comfortable backrest ...
Steel
