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.
$3,176
H 31.5 in W 58.27 in D 40.56 in
Mid-Century Modern Baisity Two Seater Sofa by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia
By Antonio Citterio
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Baisity two seater sofa by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, Cognac leather, 1980s.
Leather
$36,486 / item
H 39.38 in W 89.77 in D 37.41 in
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Three - Seater Sofa For Cassina
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Three - Seater Sofa For Cassina The encapsulation of design brilliance, business insight and made-in-Italy artisan craftsmanship, this sofa is an international bestseller steeped in timeless beauty and functionality. Its enveloping contours accentuate the comfort of this design sofa, ensured by the chain mechanism (incorporated into the foam cushion) that controls adjustment of the backrest position. The unpretentious innovation of the adjustable headrest and the reassuring appearance and simplicity of the soft padding sum up the singularity of this design by Vico Magistretti. REMOVABLE UPHOLSTERY Maralunga 40...
Fabric
Piumino sofa De Pas, D’urbino and Lomazzi Italy 1970
By Gionathan de Pas & Donato D’Urbino & Paolo Lomazzi
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
The Piumino lounge sofa, designed by the renowned trio De Pas, D’Urbino, and Lomazzi, and crafted by Dall’Oca in Italy in 1970, is a perfect blend of playful design and timeless eleg...
Leather
$3,529
H 27.96 in W 66.93 in D 33.47 in
Maralunga Two-Seater Sofa by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, 1970s
By Cassina, Vico Magistretti
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Iconic Mid-Century Modern Italian "Maralunga" two-seater sofa / armchairs by Vico Magistretti for Cassina. This sofa features the original knitted wool upholstery in ivory. Head /...
Wool
$36,486 / item
H 39.38 in W 89.77 in D 37.41 in
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Three - Seater Sofa For Cassina
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Three - Seater Sofa For Cassina The encapsulation of design brilliance, business insight and made-in-Italy artisan craftsmanship, this sofa is an international bestseller steeped in timeless beauty and functionality. Its enveloping contours accentuate the comfort of this design sofa, ensured by the chain mechanism (incorporated into the foam cushion) that controls adjustment of the backrest position. The unpretentious innovation of the adjustable headrest and the reassuring appearance and simplicity of the soft padding sum up the singularity of this design by Vico Magistretti. REMOVABLE UPHOLSTERY Maralunga 40...
Fabric
$18,000
H 29.14 in W 88.19 in D 41.74 in
"Straccio" by De Pass, D'Urbino, Lomazzi for Zanotta Three Seater Sofa Cognac
By Gionathan de Pas & Donato D’Urbino & Paolo Lomazzi, Zanotta
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
This stunning rare three seater Leather Sofa was designed 1968 by Design Team De Pas , Donato d’Urbino and Paolo Lomazzi. They created one of the most iconic objects in Italian Desig...
Leather
Coronado Sofa by Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia
By B&B Italia, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s. Made in Italy. Full leather construction. Coronado Loveseat and ottoman also available.
Leather
Mid-Century Modern Two Seater Marenco Sofa by Mario Marenco
By Mario Marenco
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Two Seater Marenco Sofa by Mario Marenco Mario Marenco was born in 1933. He studied architecture in Naples and won research grants for Stockholm and Chicago. In 1...
Leather
Okay Three-seater Sofa by Adriano Piazzesi 1970s
By Adriano Piazzesi
Located in VENLO, NL
Italian “Okay” three-seater sofa designed by Adriano Piazzesi in the 1970s. The sofa features tufted cognac-colored skai leather with elegantly curved chrome supports on the sides, f...
Chrome
$4,600
H 30 in W 30 in D 69 in
Sandwich e Doppiosandwich Leather Settee by Titina Ammannati and Giampiero Vitel
By Titina Ammannati and Giampiero Vitelli, Brunati
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s. Italy. Full leather construction with removable armrests. Side pockets on legs.
Leather
