Auction excitement around modern design Italian furniture

Italian furniture from major manufacturers such as Cassina, Poltrona Frau, B&B Italia and Artemide will comprise much of the latest Leonard Joel Modern Design auction from 6.30pm Monday July 30 at 333 Malvern Road, South Yarra.

Early pieces from such designers as Paolo Buffa and Silvo Cavatorta – including card tables, mirrored sideboards and marble credenzas – will be among the items on offer.

Leonard Joel’s head of modern design Anna Grassham says that for centuries Italian manufacturers have used only the best materials and are renowned for some of the most distinctive furniture designers in history.

“This includes luminaries such as Ettore Sotsass, Gio Ponti, Patricia Urquiola, Gaetano Pesce and Antonio Cetterio,”she says in the catalogue introduction.

According to Grassham, Italian furniture design will never go out of style and throughout history Italian atheistics have stood the test of time and continue to break new ground.

Some of the more interesting auction items include a Gerrit Rietveld “zig zag” chair and two Charlotte Perriand “Tokyo” outdoor chaises, all for Cassina.

Other attractions include Ben Van Berkel’s “studio twin seating system” for Offecct and a Franco Albini ‘837’ chaise also for Cassina.  

B&B Italia’s Antonio Citterio “Pathos” coffee table is another buyer drawcard along with Vico Magistretti’s “Maralunga” two and three-seat sofas.

Another colourful Gerrit Rietveld creation is the ‘637 Utrecht’ armchair while the “Pinocchio” rug for Hay is a strong dazzle of colour.

An Achille & Piergiacomo Castiglioni “Snoopy” lamp should attract plenty of attention while three “Nobody” chairs are a somewhat humorous aside.

Other items bound to attract plenty of buyer interest include the Eero Aarnio “screw” table and the Rodolfo Dordoni ‘475 Boboli’ dining table for Cassina.