Italian Modern furniture is defined by unique design, perfect execution, and exclusivity. This pair of high back chairs is generally attributed to Italian design icon, Paolo Buffa. His design language was always coherent with current times and congenial to the wisdom of furniture manufacturing, representing an outpost of strong innovation in the panorama of Italian craftsmanship.

This pair is focused on elegant and measured proportions, balanced compositions, and refined décor elements including the exclusive materials. The versatile shapes, from the rounded edges on the top to the square armrests and tapered legs, make these chairs stand out. The high backs are visually defining thanks to their sheer size and unusual shape. The enveloping backs become narrower towards the seat, like elegant, slim necks. The sides of the backs are flowing into the armrests, creating a structured, but still flowing impression. The beautiful, richly textured bouclé fabric brings out the versatility of the shapes even further, and contrasts the solid wood legs as well. The backs are decorated with seven yellow cross stitches arranged symmetrically.

Buffa was especially passionate about furniture and product design, an area where he remained faithful to a figurative repertoire of substantial classicism, while not disdaining impulses of authentic modernity. He was extremely active in the Milanese design scene that was just as vibrant as these chairs. In an atmosphere committed to the reinterpretation of the Lombard classicism and Milanese architecture, exceptional pieces were created as this pair shows.

SOLD

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Small scratches and marks on the wood.

Dimensions:

27.75 in W x x32.87in D x 40.15 in H; Seat height 13.77 in

70.5 cm W x 83.5 cm D x 102 cm H; Seat height 35 cm

About the designer:

Paolo Buffa (born 1903, Milan – died 1970, Milan) was an Italian furniture designer who defined his own unique design aesthetic to become one of the most sought-after Italian designers of his day. Renowned for pairing elements from both the opulent Neoclassical and the streamlined Art Deco styles around a more modern sensitivity, Buffa excelled in creating high quality pieces that spoke to the well-to-do clientele of the time.

Born in Milan in 1903, Buffa trained at the Politecnico di Milano. Following his graduation in 1927, he worked briefly for Gio Ponti, and in 1928, he partnered with architect Antonio Cassi to establish their own design studio in Milan. By 1936, Paolo Buffa opened his own independent studio where he became particularly successful, in part because he had already tapped into his unique combination of stylistic elements. His incorporation of more traditionally Neoclassical motifs or materials – for example, rich rosewoods or supple, velveteen fabrics – with the relatively avant-garde forms and themes of a lighter Art Deco style made his pieces particularly attractive to the upper classes who wished to convey their connection with contemporary design trends while also upholding an air of old-world flair.

By the end of World War II, as was the case with other important Milanese designers of the time, Paolo Buffa built close collaborations with Lombardy’s craftsmen with the common objective of making furniture of exceptional quality at a larger scale. As such, many of the successful furniture pieces that Buffa designed during this time were made by prominent and entrepreneurial craftsmen that adopted more efficient production techniques. As his career progressed in the 1950s and 60s, Buffa experimented with designs that echoed the rising trends of Minimalism across the art and design fields. Some of the opulence that once dominated his creations was replaced with increasingly streamlined forms and modern materials.

Buffa continued to create designs until shortly before his death in 1970. By that time, he was recognized as one of Italy’s most accomplished designers, however for some time following his death his work and his legacy fell temporarily into relative obscurity. But over the last decade, recognition of his talents has resurfaced and Buffa’s work has returned to the place of prominence among twentieth-century Italian design masters. ~H.