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.
925 armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, 1966, Italy, wood and leather.
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Armchair, Model 925, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina in 1966. Stained walnut frame, leather seat, in excellent condition, restored. Tobia Scarpa was born in Venice in ...
Metal
Set of 2 Monk dining chairs in leather and walnut wood by A&T Scarpa for Molteni
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Set of 2 chairs mod. Monk designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Molteni in 1974. Stained walnut wood frame, natural leather seats. Excellent condition, restored. The set has been car...
Animal Skin, Wood
Pair of Soriana armchairs+pouf in leather by A&T Scarpa for Cassina Italy 1969
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Set of Soriana armchair and footrest designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina 1969, Polyuretane structure, original leather, steel, excellent condition. A true icon of style,...
Metal
Set of 2 Monk dining chairs in leather and walnut wood by A&T Scarpa for Molteni
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Set of 2 chairs mod. Monk designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Molteni in 1974. Stained walnut wood frame, natural leather seats. Excellent condition, restored. The set has been car...
Animal Skin, Wood
Soriana armchairs in leather by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina Italy 1969
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Set of 2 Soriana armchairs designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina 1969, Polyuretane structure, original leather, steel, excellent condition. 6 armchairs available. A true i...
Metal
Pair of Soriana armchairs in leather & pouf by A&T Scarpa for Cassina Italy 1969
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Set of Soriana armchairs and footrest designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina 1969, Polyuretane structure, original leather, steel. Excellent condition, slight defects and sm...
Metal
Afra & Tobia Scarpa "925" Easy Chairs for Cassina, Natural, 1966, Set of 2
By Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Afra & Tobia Scarpa "925" easy chairs for Cassina, plywood and natural leather, Italy, 1966, set of two. In 1966 Afra & Tobia Scarpa designed the "925" chair, realized in walnut and...
Leather, Plywood
Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Monk" Chairs for Molteni, Natural Leather, 1973, Set of 2
By Molteni & C, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Vicenza, IT
Pair of “Monk” dining chairs designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa and produced by Molteni in 1973. The Monk chair is one of the most refined expressions of the Scarpa design language, wh...
Leather, Walnut
Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Monk" Chairs for Molteni, Cognac Leather, 1974, Set of 2
By Molteni & C, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Monk" dining chairs for Molteni, cognac leather and beech, Italy, 1974, set of two. The particular feature of this model is the support structure composed o...
Leather, Beech
Italian mid-century modern armchairs Bastiano Afra Tobia Scarpa Gavina, 1960s
By Gavina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century modern brown velvet and white wood armchairs Bastiano by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Gavina, 1960s Pair of armchairs model Bastiano with white painted wooden slat s...
Velvet, Wood
Vintage Italian Torcello Armchairs by Scarpa, Maplewood & Leather
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Stildomus
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century modern set of four Italian Torcello armchairs made of hand crafted polished, partly veneered Maplewood, designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa and produced by Stildomus in good condition. The sculptural dining room chairs are covered in brown leather, supported by two wide, long wooden legs. Minor fading, scratches on the original leather, due to age. Wear consistent with age and use. Circa 1950 - 1960, Italy. Seat: 16.75" H x 17.25" W x 15.5" D Tobia Scarpa is an Italian architect and designer born in 1935, in Venice, Italy. In 1957, Scarpa graduated from the Iuav University of Venice, where he studied architecture. After his studies, he started working with the Italian architect Afra Scarpa, both of them are award winning postmodern Italian architects and designers. Over the years, Scarpa has designed for many Italian and international firms, such as B&B Italia, Flos, etc. His pieces can be found in museums across the United States and Europe. Afra Bianchin was an Italian architect and designer born in 1937, in Montebelluna, Italy and passed away in 2011. Stildomus is an Italian furniture manufacturer founded in 1956, in Pomezia, Italy by the Italian designer and entrepreneur Aldo...
Leather, Maple
Set of 2 Lether 121 Chairs, Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Afra and Tobia Scarpa, set of 2 leather and wood chairs made for Cassina, Italy, 1967. It is one of the icons of Italian design, a perfect piece of furniture to be used as dining ch...
Leather, Wood
