Bastiano coffee table by Tobia & Afra Scarpa for Gavina, 1960s.

This coffee table was designed by the architect duo Tobia and Afra Scarpa in 1962 and manufactured by the Italian company Gavina. It is an early production table from the Bastiano series. It is made of teak wood and finished in a dark brown shade. The top is loosely placed on a wooden frame. It is a true example of functional yet elegant and modern Italian design. Afra and Tobia Scarpa are an award-winning duo of postmodern Italian architects. Their works can be found in museums in the United States and Europe, including collections at MoMA and the Louvre. They have collaborated with companies such as B&B Italia, San Lorenzo Silver, and Knoll International. They have won numerous awards, such as the Compasso d’Oro in 1969 and the International Forum Design in 1992. Their design work encompasses architecture and everyday objects, including furniture, interior design, and art glass. In their projects, they focused on the technical and aesthetic possibilities of materials. The couple was heavily influenced by Tobia's father, Carlo Scarpa, a Venetian architect and designer. In the early 1960s, Tobia began designing modern furniture based on the principles of Le Corbusier. He and his wife, Afra, designed for some of the biggest names in Italian design, including Cassina and Gavina. Gavina was the furniture manufacturer for many influential Italian modernists, including the Castiglioni brothers, Carlo and Tobia Scarpa, Cini Boeri, Roberto Sebastian Matty, Vico Magistretti, and Mario Bellini. In 1968, it was taken over by Knoll. Knoll Studio was founded in 1946 by Hans Knoll, son of a German furniture manufacturer, and his wife Florence Knoll. It was Florence who was responsible for the departure from Scandinavian design and the direction of the collection towards the international style we see today, for example in the designs of Tobia and Afra Scarpa. This table is in its original vintage condition with minor signs of age and scratches.