Postmodern Italian Table Model Serenissimo By Lella And Massimo Vignelli For Acerbis

Italian postmodern table model Serenissimo designed by designers Lella and Massimo Vignelli for the Acerbis brand, circa 1980. Barrel-shaped glass top resting on four cylindrical lacquered steel legs with steel crosspieces. Manufacturer and publisher label on each leg. Light signs of wear Dimensions: Height: 70 cm Width: 300 cm Depth: in the middle (at the widest point) 120 cm / around the sides 74 cm Thickness of the top: 1.50 cm Diameter of each cylindrical leg: 27.5 cm The legacy of Massimo Vignelli and Lella Vignelli is seen everywhere in the logos of Bloomingdale's, Ford and American Airlines, among others. In addition to their work in branding, they were prolific creators of modernist furniture, products and interiors. The duo’s 50-year collaborations have left a profound mark on design and visual culture at large. After meeting in Italy, Lella (1934–2016) and Massimo (1931–2014) began working together in 1961 and, a decade later, founded Vignelli Associates in New York. A self-described “information architect,” Massimo focused on streamlining complex ideas into clear, visually appealing forms. (Witness the graphic identity he co-created with Bob Noorda for the New York City Transit Authority and its influential 1972 subway map.) Perhaps the Vignellis’ most recognizable piece, for example, is the Mouchoir chair, a stackable office chair made of compression-molded plastic that has the appearance of fabric floating in midair. It was created for Knoll in 1983 after designing the brand’s logo. The couple’s influence can also be seen in the Saratoga line (1964), the first lacquered furniture collection, which helped pioneer the “glossy” look of the decade (and beyond). When the Vignellis created the Poltrona Frau interview chair in 1988 for an Italian television network, it became highly sought-after, “which shows the power of television media,” the couple once said. Much like their basic graphic designs, the Kono (1984) and Pisa (1985) tables—both created for Casigliani—reduce the table’s form to geometric shapes. Vignelli’s furniture is often credited as the work of Massimo Vignelli alone, though he fought to have Lella recognized for his work, going so far as to throw out magazines that failed to give him proper credit. As he wrote of their lifelong collaboration in his book Designed By: Lella Vignelli: "It is not holding a pencil in four hands that makes a partnership; it is sharing the creative act and exercising creative critique that is reflected in the final result."