Up 5/6 armchair and footstool, La Mamma by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, 2000s edition.

In the early 1960s, the chemist Bayer developed a polyurethane foam based on a new resin, allowing the creation of various shapes, in a simple way. By the middle of the decade, the Italian design publisher C&B seized on and invested in the possibilities offered by this development. The company then suggested to Gaetano Pesce, interested in new technologies and the potential they offered, to experiment with this material: he developed the "Serie UP". With this object, the designer symbolically expressed his vision of women. With the round pouf, the second element of the armchair, the creator specified that he wanted to give this armchair a feminine shape with a ball and chain at the foot. In this way, he wanted to denounce the female condition through a metaphor. When it was presented at the Milan Furniture Fair in 1969, the object caused a scandal. The first edition of the Mamma had no supporting structure and was made up of a single block, simplifying the transport of the seat. Its volume was reduced by compressing it under vacuum in an airtight package. Once placed in the desired location, the buyer removed the packaging from the seat, so that it slowly inflated and regained its original shape and size, thanks to the air that penetrates the cells of the polyurethane foam. Originally published by C&B, it was removed from the catalog in 1973 due to the presence of Freon gas. It reappeared in 2000, manufactured in Bayfit and marketed by B&B Italia, the Mamma is still marketed to this day. Armchair reupholstered in 2D fabric, polyurethane foam interior made up of two single-piece parts Dimensions: Armchair: H: 103 cm W: 120 cm D: 130 cm Footrest: D: 57 cm