Sergio Conti, Marisa Forlani and Luciano Grassi for 'Artigianato' Lounge Chair

During the Mostra dell’Artigianato exhibition in Florence in 1954, architects Sergio Conti, Marisa Forlani, and Luciano Grassi unveiled the Artigianato lounge chair as part of their Monofilo line. The lounge chair features a single nylon strand intricately wrapped around the iron tubular framework. This design concept derives from experiments in chair constructions utilizing steel wire, pioneered by Charles and Ray Eames and Harry Bertoia, and reminiscent of the stringing technique employed in tennis rackets. The chair's anonymity was underscored when Giancarlo Realini and Giorgio Tagliabue presented it as their own design, named "Richard," at the 1982 Milan Furniture Fair, where it even received a design prize. The present chair adorned the garden of Villa Fiorita (1952-1958), situated in Saronno, within the province of Varese, in the region of Lombardy, Italy. During the period of economic growth that followed the war, the company shifted its focus to manufacturing wicker, rattan furniture, Venetian-style furnishings, as well as baskets, bags, hats, and sandals. In the years 1954-55, Emilio Paoli manufactured tubular steel chairs with nylon threading, a design by the architects Sergio Conti, Marisa Forlani, and Luciano Grassi. Subsequently, in 1957, the company showcased woven bark items at the Triennale di Milano.