Italian Mid-Century Vinyl and Velvet Lounge Chair With Iron X-Base

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20th Century armchair of postwar Italian design, this high-backed lounge chair achieves a rare synthesis of aristocratic comfort and modernist … Read more 20th Century armchair of postwar Italian design, this high-backed lounge chair achieves a rare synthesis of aristocratic comfort and modernist structural candor. The upholstered body is presented in a deep crimson rendered across two distinct surfaces: smooth vinyl to the seat, back panel, and inner arms, and lustrous velvet along the outer faces, side panels, and rolled details. The interplay between these finishes within a single unified colorway is a mark of considerable sophistication.

The form is notably hybrid. Scrolled top rail and outward-rolling arm terminals invoke the tradition of the Georgian bergère, while the fully exposed iron base — an X-stretcher on four straight legs with brass pad feet — declares its modernist allegiances plainly. This structural transparency, placing a raw industrial frame beneath an opulent upholstered body, is characteristic of Italian rationalist production of the 1960s, recalling work from within the Milanese orbit of Cassina and comparable ateliers.

The design is a modernist take on the classic wingback chair, characterized by its high back, integrated "wings," and distinctive cross-base metal frame. Bold in color and assured in form, the chair integrates naturally into both period and contemporary interiors with an appetite for dramatic material contrast. See less