Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Artona" Armchair For Maxalto, Italy, 1975

Design
1960s

Manufacture
1960-1969

Location
Lonigo, IT

Afra & Tobia Scarpa "Artona" armchair for Maxalto, walnut and fabric, 1975

The "Artona" armchair, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto in 1975, belongs to one of the most considered furniture programs the Scarpa duo produced in Italy during that decade. The series was conceived around the idea of the frame as a visible, active element rather than a hidden support: solid walnut panels are assembled with visible joinery, the arms extending flat and wide beyond the seat to create a profile that reads almost as architecture. The result is a chair that carries real weight in a room without ever imposing itself.
The generous seat and back cushions rest loosely within the walnut structure, held in place by the geometry of the frame itself. The original striped fabric upholstery, light ground with dark light pinstripes running vertically, reinforces the linear character of the woodwork. Produced in Italy during a period when Maxalto was operating as a dedicated vehicle for Scarpa's more craft-oriented work, this example retains the calm material honesty that has kept the "Artona" program in continuous critical regard..