Azucena Folk Art
Vintage Azucena furniture is elegant and inviting — the esteemed mid-century Milanese manufacturer’s wall lights, armchairs and side tables, which are marked by simple symmetry and thoughtfully contrasting materials, can likely be found in the living rooms of design lovers all over Italy.
Azucena was founded in 1947 by three leading figures of 20th-century Italian architecture: Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Ignazio Gardella and Corrado Corradi Dell’Acqua. The trio initially established Azucena in order to furnish the interiors of buildings they’d designed but found a robust business opportunity in manufacturing individual pieces from those collections for postwar consumers. And as the company founders borrowed the brand name from a conniving character in the Giuseppe Verd opera Il Trovatore, it is appropriate, then, that the furniture for which Azucena is known is practical but exudes a hint of playfulness.
The best of Italian modernism combines cheekiness and bold functionality with provocative and thoughtful design, and Azucena is deeply rooted in that tradition. While its brass-and-walnut mid-century-modern-era dining tables and stackable coffee tables — created by the likes of Dell’Acqua and Vico Magistretti — are exceptionally unobtrusive in small spaces and framed in clean lines, Dominioni designed chunky, enveloping armchairs during the 1970s upholstered in striking red fabric.
Among Azucena's most successful and iconic designs is also Dominioni's most famous piece of furniture: the minimalist Catalina chair. After it debuted at the Milan Triennial in 1957, the Catalina chair, with its generously curving enameled steel frame and plush leather cushion, became an instant sensation. Dominioni’s other enduring designs for Azucena include the Monachella lamp, the ABCD armchair and the versatile Cilindro ottoman.
Italian furniture manufacturer B&B Italia acquired Azucena in 2018 and has reissued a number of designs from the legendary brand’s portfolio, such as the Imbuto lamp, the Catalina armchair and the Cavalletto table.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Azucena lighting, tables, seating and more.
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Azucena Folk Art
Brass
Early 20th Century English Azucena Folk Art
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Azucena Folk Art
Fruitwood
1920s British Folk Art Vintage Azucena Folk Art
Pine, Paint
Early 20th Century Japanese Folk Art Azucena Folk Art
Porcelain
20th Century British Azucena Folk Art
Bronze
Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Azucena Folk Art
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Congolese Tribal Azucena Folk Art
Wood
Early 20th Century French Azucena Folk Art
Leather
1920s British Folk Art Vintage Azucena Folk Art
Wood
Early 1900s American Industrial Antique Azucena Folk Art
Hardwood
Early 20th Century Balinese Other Azucena Folk Art
Wood
Early 20th Century Thai Other Azucena Folk Art
Giltwood
