Africa Dining Chair

Africa Dining Chairs — Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto (Artona series), Italy. This stunning set features 8 'Africa' dining chairs designed by the renowned Italian duo Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto in the 1970s. Crafted from premium Italian walnut plywood with organic ebony lines, the chairs also feature black leather seats with elegant brass accents. B&B Italia has verified the authenticity of this particular furniture set based on photographic evidence. According to their experts, the set is a genuine Maxalto production dating back to 1989. Maxalto is a luxury furniture brand under the B&B Italia Group. When the collaboration with architects Afra and Tobia Scarpa began in 1975 with the idea of designing a new collection of luxury furniture, from an entrepreneurial standpoint, the decision was against the mainstream that most companies were following, with artificial materials very popular. Choosing to use a natural material was, instead, reminiscent of the Scandinavian idea of 'organic' design, revisited by Scarpa. The wood used to make Maxalto products is in fact a 'transformer' material that is processed to show its unexpected characteristics and formal qualities. The goal, which they achieved with several products — like the Africa chair (Artona collection) and the New Harmony collection — was to create iconic objects able to stir the imagination of an educated potential consumer and influence his choice of furnishings. This matching set is in exceptional condition, with the wood and leather exhibiting a beautiful patina. One chair has a very small reparation. All the chairs are stamped. The chairs are still 100% original.