Federico Munari Curved Sofa, Italy, 1950s

Design
1950s

Manufacture
1950-1959

Location
Lonigo, IT

Federico Munari Curved Sofa, wood and velvet, Italy, 1950s

This curved sofa is by Federico Munari, produced in Italy around 1950. Its asymmetric, kidney shaped plan opens into one continuous seat, while the back rises and wraps inward to enclose a single end, giving the piece a tall, sheltering side and a lower, open profile at the opposite end. The entire volume rests on slim tapered legs in wood, which lift the curved body and keep the silhouette light above the floor.
The design belongs to the sculptural side of Italian seating at mid century, when upholstered forms were modeled as single curved gestures rather than assembled from separate cushions. Here seat and back read as one shaped surface that follows the sweep of the frame, from the high enclosing arm down to the open side. The velvet covered body sits on conical wood feet, a detail consistent with Munari's production in the years around 1950 and well suited to interiors built around a few strong, sculptural pieces.