Pair of Folding Chairs in Grey Leather and Lacquered Metal by Zanotta, circa 1970

This distinguished pair of folding chairs, produced by the celebrated Italian design house Zanotta circa 1970, represents the spirit of creative experimentation that defined Italian furniture design at the height of its international influence. Founded in 1954 in Nova Milanese near Milan, Zanotta quickly established itself as one of the most innovative and culturally ambitious manufacturers of the postwar era, collaborating with leading designers to produce objects that redefined the possibilities of industrial production and material culture.

Each chair is constructed from a lacquered metal frame—elegant in its precision, functional in its folding mechanism—onto which grey leather straps are stretched to form the seat and back. This marriage of industrial metal and natural leather is characteristic of the Italian design tradition: a pleasure in the contrast of materials, and a conviction that beauty and utility need never be opposed. The grey leather, now beautifully aged, lends the pair a quiet, lasting sophistication.

The folding chair, long considered a humble and provisional form, was elevated by Italian designers of this period to the status of a genuine design statement. Zanotta in particular was fascinated by the formal and functional possibilities of folding furniture: the way in which an object in its folded state can be as beautiful as in its open configuration, harmonising portability with permanence without compromise.

A handsome and collectible pair from a house at the forefront of postwar Italian design. In good vintage condition. W. 43 × D. 50 × H. 82 cm each.