Marco Zanuso (Italy, 1916-2001), Lady Chair

Designed 1951, purchased circa 2007 from Design Within Reach, made in Italy by Arflex International, later plush Maharam upholstery by Daniel Donnelly, grey painted metal legs, appears unmarked.

30 x 30 x 30 in.

From the Collection of a Lady, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Marco was a towering figure of mid-century modernism and a founding father of Italian industrial design. As an architect, urban planner, and product designer, his primary significance lies in bridging the gap between artistic form and industrial manufacturing. He transformed postwar design by proving that mass-produced, machine-made consumer goods could be both highly functional and culturally sophisticated.

The Lady chair was significant because its individual components (seat, backrest, and armrests) were upholstered separately and then bolted together onto a structural frame. This completely revolutionized upholstery, introducing automotive-style assembly-line efficiency to residential furniture.

Later upholstery by Daniel Donnelly; overall good condition.