Vintage Modular Wooden Bookcase by Ico Parisi
About the Item
- Creator:Ico Parisi (Designer),MIM Roma (Manufacturer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 114.18 in (290 cm)Width: 92.52 in (235 cm)Depth: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. The wood bookcase is in good original vintage condition, wear and scratches consistent with use and time. Brass in first patina.
- Seller Location:Milano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4911229103812
Ico Parisi
Domenico “Ico” Parisi was one half of a prolific postwar design duo he comprised with his wife, Luisa. Their furniture designs are known for running the stylistic gamut, with celebrated mid-century modern pieces ranging from elegantly skeletal — like dramatic ebonized dining chairs — to plush and shapely, like the iconic 1951 Egg chair, in a plethora of materials.
The son of an art teacher father, Ico Parisi was exposed to art at an early age. Born in 1916 in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, he and his family moved to Como in 1925. There, the young Parisi would begin to develop his interest in architecture and design. After earning a degree as a building inspector in 1936 and working as a civil engineer, Parisi took on an apprenticeship in the studio of Giuseppe Terragni, the modernist, fascist Italian architect, pioneer of the Rationalist movement and creator of the iconic Casa del Fascio.
While working for Terragni, Parisi crossed paths with such contemporary design talents as Lucio Fontana, Bruno Munari and Pietro Lingeri, though he briefly moved away from design and architecture to explore photography and film. His artistic work would soon be interrupted, however, by the outbreak of World War II, during which he served at the front before returning to Como in 1943. There, he resumed work as a designer and architect, founding two architecture groups: the Alta Quota and the Gruppo Como.
Through his creative circles, Parisi met Luisa Aiani, a former student of the prolific architect and furniture designer Gio Ponti, who was affiliated with the Alta Quota. They married in 1947 and founded the studio La Ruota — a cross between a design firm and an intellectual salon — in Como shortly thereafter. In 1950, Parisi finally completed his architectural schooling, studying under the nationalist architect Alberto Sartoris at the Athenaeum Architecture School in Lausanne, Switzerland. He and Aiani began several decades of sophisticated output, designing curved sofas upholstered in yellow velvet and armchairs with slender mahogany frames for enduring Italian manufacturers such as Cassina and others.
Much like Charles and Ray Eames in America, the Parisis worked as a team and relied on experimentation in style and material for many of their designs. Ico Parisi died in Como in 1996.
Find a collection of vintage Ico Parisi coffee tables, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: milano, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Ico Parisi Wooden Table for Mim Roma, PublishedBy Ico Parisi, MIM RomaLocated in Milano, ITA splendid coffee table designed by Ico Parisi for MIM Roma in the 1970s, of fine Italian manufacture. Published. The structure of the coffee table is made of tubular black metal, w...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Ico Parisi for MIM Olbia Round Dining Table, PublishedBy MIM Roma, Ico ParisiLocated in Milano, ITThe Olbia table by Ico Parisi, a masterpiece of design and craftsmanship, is a true testament to the elegance and innovation of mid-century Italian furniture. Its graceful circular f...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Pierre Balmain Vintage Bookcase in Wood and GlassBy Pierre BalmainLocated in Milano, ITGorgeous vintage wooden bookcase designed by Pierre Balmain in the 80s, fine French craftsmanship. The vintage bookcase is totally made of wood and has a rectangular shape. It is composed of two showcases in both extreme sides: on the right the smaller showcase has one door, while on the left it has double doors. The larger display case...Category
Vintage 1980s French Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsGlass, Wood
- Black Congress Bookcase by Lips VagoLocated in Milano, ITLips Vago's trio of black Congress bookcases from the 1960s exude an aura of timeless sophistication and functional elegance. These bookcases, made of elegant black painted metal, ar...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsSteel, Iron
- Italian Sofa attributed to Ico Parisi in original fabricBy Ico ParisiLocated in Milano, ITElegant small Italian living room sofa attributed to Ico Parisi from the 1950s. The sofa is in its original condition, we also find its original fabric of the time in grey-brown stri...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsVelvet, Wood
- Rare Italian Red Sofa by Ico Parisi for Cassina Mod. 875, PublishedBy Ico Parisi, CassinaLocated in Milano, ITRare four-seater sofa by Ico Parisi for Cassina model 875 of the 60s. The structure is metal, and the cover is red cotton fabric. The sofa through the clean lines and defined very ri...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
- MIM Romei bookcase by Ico Parisi 1960sBy MIM Roma, Ico ParisiLocated in bari, ITMim bookcase designed by Ico Parisi , Rome ca. 1960, made of rosewood, restored and consisting of three modules. MIM, Mobili Italiani Moderni, is an Italian furniture company that m...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Ico Parisi bookcase for MIM Rome 1960sBy MIM Roma, Ico ParisiLocated in bari, ITMim bookcase designed by Ico Parisi , Rome ca. 1960, made of rosewood, restored and consisting of three modules. MIM, Mobili Italiani Moderni, is an Italian furniture company that m...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- SEXY Mid Century Modern ITALIAN BOOKCASE by Ico ParisiBy Ico ParisiLocated in Weehawken, NJCan furniture be sexy? This funky bookcase by Ico Parisi featuring the most insane legs we've every seen on a piece of furniture, proves that furniture ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMahogany, Wood
- Urio Wall System by Ico Parisi for Mim Roma, Italy, 1957By Ico Parisi, MIM RomaLocated in Rovereta, SMUrio wall system in palisander wood designed in 1957 by Ico Parisi for MIM Roma, Italy. Different elements including shelves, desk, chest of drawers and cupboards with sliding doors.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsRosewood
- Mid-Century Modern Bookcase by Ico Parisi for MIM RomeBy Ico Parisi, Mobili Italiani Moderni (MIM)Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/LazioWall unit designed by Ico Parisi 1958 for MiM, Rome. All shelves are adjustable in height and also has moveable stands for books which are adjustable. The unit is designed to lean on...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsAluminum
- Sculptural Bookcase in the Manner of Ico ParisiBy Ico ParisiLocated in New York, NYRosewood, mahogany, brass. Open-back mahogany frame with adjustable rosewood shelves. Recently refinished. Great sculptural form.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Bookcases
MaterialsWood