Ebonized Walnut Chiavarine Eclectic Chairs by Carlo Mollino, 1930s, Set of 2

About This Piece

Vintage Design

Pair of chairs attributed to the great Futurist designer Carlo Mollino, who began his career as an interior designer and designer in the 1940s.

The furnishings, often produced in single pieces or in limited series, with a decidedly unique aesthetic novelty, blend the use of artisan construction techniques with the experimentation of new materials and new technologies, such as curved plywood in overlapping layers.

In particular, the technique of 'cold' bending of plywood made his chairs, tables and armchairs famous in the early 1950s.
The resulting aesthetic is not directly attributable to any artistic current, just as it is certainly wrong to place Mollino's work in an exclusively Futurist context.

Carlo Mollino drew from his passions such as skiing, aviation, to reproduce some forms in architecture and interior design, proposing highly innovative forms that were not replicable on an industrial scale: the "Reale" table (1949), of aeronautical derivation, as well as the "Cadma" lamp (1947), which recalls the shape of a propeller, and the "Gilda" armchair (1947), which anticipates the hi-tech taste. In almost all of his works, his interest in speed and movement shines through. His furnishings are recognizable above all for the almost erotic sinuous lines that clearly evoke the female body, which the artist loved to photograph, having chosen to lead a life in which his passions were constantly involved in his work.

The creative figure of him was constantly outside the box so much that he earned the nickname of "designer without industry".

Deeply fascinated by nature, Mollino re-proposed its forms within his own artistic production, reworking them with extreme skill and mixing them with elements of Modernism, Art Nouveau, Surrealism, Baroque and Rococo.

In 1963, on the occasion of New Year's Eve, Carlo Mollino created the walking dragon, a sculpture in pleated paper decorated by himself. The different specimens equipped with a spool for thread and an instruction booklet for use are all numbered and titled.

Click here for full description Close description

Creator	Carlo Mollino
Manufacturer	Descalzi
Design Period	1920 to 1949
Production Period	1940 to 1949
Country of Manufacture	Italy
Identifying Marks	This piece is attributed to the above-mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark
Style	Mid-Century
Detailed Condition	Very Good — This vintage/antique item has no defects, but it may show slight traces of use.
Restoration and Damage Details	Reupholstered, Surface has been polished, Reupholstered
Product Code	NJV-413080
Materials	Velvet, Walnut
Color	Black, red
Width	51 cm 51 cm
Depth	44 cm 44 cm
Height	127 cm 127 cm
Seat Height	50 cm

Shipping & Delivery

Ships from	Italy
Returns	Returns accepted within fourteen days of delivery, except for Made-to-order items

Sustainability

Carbon Neutral	For every purchase made, Pamono offsets 100% of estimated carbon emissions from global shipping.
Vintage	Choosing vintage and antique furniture reduces your carbon footprint by cutting down on waste and reduces demand for new materials and extends the life of the products we use.

Delivery Options

Front Door Delivery: (Included in Every Order)	A skilled driver will unload the item(s) from the delivery truck and bring it to your building’s doorstep. You will be responsible for further transport beyond that point. We recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand; alternatively, you may upgrade to In-Home Delivery (see below). The delivery partner will email and/or call you at least one day in advance to arrange a delivery time. A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection. Item will be left in its packaging after delivery. A signature will be required upon delivery.
In-Home Delivery: (For in-home delivery service, additional fees apply. Please get in touch)	A skilled driver or a team of two will bring your item(s) inside your home and place it in the immediate entryway. For unusually large or heavy items, we recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand, as we cannot send more than 2 drivers. The delivery partner will email and/or call you one day in advance to arrange a delivery time. A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection. Item will be left in its packaging after delivery. A signature will be required upon delivery.

Front Door Delivery:
(Included in Every Order)

A skilled driver will unload the item(s) from the delivery truck and bring it to your building’s doorstep. You will be responsible for further transport beyond that point. We recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand; alternatively, you may upgrade to In-Home Delivery (see below).
The delivery partner will email and/or call you at least one day in advance to arrange a delivery time.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

In-Home Delivery:
(For in-home delivery service, additional fees apply. Please get in touch)

A skilled driver or a team of two will bring your item(s) inside your home and place it in the immediate entryway. For unusually large or heavy items, we recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand, as we cannot send more than 2 drivers.
The delivery partner will email and/or call you one day in advance to arrange a delivery time.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

*Important Note

Please examine every order upon delivery. In the event that there are visible signs of damage or missing or incorrect pieces, please indicate the problem on the Delivery Note and contact us within 48 hours of delivery. A signed delivery receipt without notations of missing, damaged, or incorrect item(s) represents your acceptance of the complete order in perfect condition.

About the Creator

Carlo Mollino

Born in Turin, Italy, in 1905, mid-century modern designer, architect, photographer, and writer Carlo Mollino was the son of prominent civil engineer Eugenio Mollino (1873–1953). The younger Mollino initially enrolled at Turin Polytechnic, and studied engineering for one year there before attending an art history course in Ghent, Belgium, for six months in 1929. He next enrolled at the School of Architecture at the University of Turin. After graduating in 1931, Mollino began working in his father’s practice and on independent projects. Notable designs from this period include the headquarters for the Società Ippica Torinese (1937–39; destroyed in 1960) in Turin and the headquarters of Confederazione degli Agricoltori (1933–34) in Cuneo. During this time he also began designing his first furnishings, including Casa Miller (1936), his own apartment where he photographed his first black-and-white portraits of women.

From the late 1940s until the mid-1950s, Mollino produced a vast number of works, from domestic commissions to Alpine resorts. During the late 1950s and 1960s, Mollino continued to work on a variety of projects, turning increasingly to technical projects like aircraft design and his passion for photography. His highly collectible furniture designs were all unique pieces, and his Polaroids—which primarily captured intimate, personal projects—were never shown publicly.

Mollino passed away in 1973 in Turin.