Rare Osvaldo Borsani Single Bed in Brass

Osvaldo Borsani, single bed, model L79, brass, lacquered wood, fabric, Italy, 1963.

This eccentric single bed is designed by Osvaldo Borsani and embodies a splendid construction of subtle lines and curvaceous shapes. Remarkable detail and the signature for this design is the headboard that is upholstered in a brown fabric and features an open part in the middle. The framework is accompanied with four brass corner posts that are all complemented with an open cylindrical decorative element on top. This accentuates the truly refined construction made possible by Osvaldo Borsani’s great eye for detail and high-level of craftsmanship this bed is exemplary for. The side panels of the bed are executed in white lacquered wood so that all attention goes to the noteworthy brass details.

Osvaldo Borsani (1911-1985) was an Italian designer and architect, raised by a family of fine furniture makers in Varedo. At the age of 16, he joined his father’s furniture shop, the Atelier di Varedo, which was fully engaged in designing and furnishing homes inspired by the Italian Art Deco movement. The designer of the atelier was the Italian architect Gino Maggioni (1898-1955) who was known for his Viennese Jugendstil orientation of the early 20th century. In the 1930s, he graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and Politecnico di Milano, where he studied Fine Arts and Architecture respectively. In 1932, the family company was renamed ‘Arredamenti Borsani’ and opened its first studio in Milan. During this period, he encountered Avant-Garde artists of various artistic disciplines like Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), Agenore Fabbri (1911-1998), Aligi Sassu (1912-2000), Roberto Crippa (1921-1972), Fausto Melotti (1901-1986), Arnaldo Pomodoro (1926-) and Giò Pomodoro (1930-2002). These collaborations resulted in the creation of furniture and interior design projects with a high-level of craftsmanship and artistry. In 1953, Borsani founded together with his twin brother Fulgenzio Borsani ‘Tecno’, a design and manufacturing company that produced items based on mechanical innovations and refined technicality. The ‘P40’ adjustable lounge chair (1953) has become the ideological manifesto of Borsani's Tecno program, and still remains the best known, exemplary piece in the Tecno catalogue. Other iconic works that were produced by Tecno were created by Gio Ponti (1891-1979), Vico Magistretti (1920-2006), Carlo de Carli (1910-1999), Gae Aulenti (1927-2012), and many other influential Italian designers. Osvaldo Borsani died in 1985 in Milan. His diverse and sophisticated oeuvre is to be found in permanent collections, such as of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Neue Sammlung in Munich, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Trienalle di Milano Museum.

Please note that this item is in good, used condition with signs of age and use. This bed is photographed with a sheepskin that is not included in the price. Please reach out to our design specialists for more information should there be a desire to acquire the sheepskin as well.
Dimensions of the mattress: 195 x 95 cm 76.8 x 37.4 inch

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