Vintage Cassina Leggera 646 chairs by Gio Ponti, Italy 1952

Rare original edition of the iconic Leggera 646 chairs, designed by Gio Ponti and produced by Cassina in Italy, circa 1952. These authentic examples from the first series feature the original hand-woven natural rush seats – a material briefly used in early Cassina production before the introduction of paper cord weaving, which became the standard in later versions. Made of solid ash with a black nitrocellulose lacquer finish, these chairs display the incomparable lightness and refined geometry that made Ponti's Leggera a 20th-century design icon. Each chair weighs 3.7 kg, a testament to Cassina's mastery of structure and proportions, well before the evolution towards the Superleggera of 1957. Every detail confirms their belonging to the first series: original rush seat with a uniform patina, hand-assembled mortise and tenon frame, screw-on rubber feet (older model), and an intact, naturally deep, patinated black lacquer. The chairs are in excellent original condition, with beautiful wear and an authentic character that speaks to their age. They represent an exceptional find for collectors seeking the purest expression of Ponti's design philosophy: lightness, clarity, and Italian craftsmanship.