Carlo Ratti Set Of Four Lulli Dining Chairs In Steel And Wood By Ilc Lissone 1950s
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Dimensions
Wear Condition
Good
Style
Vintage
Item Location
Cascina , Italy
Product Details
Description
Set of four Lulli dining chairs with black painted steel legs, back, and seat in curved and shaped veneered wood, designed by Carlo Ratti for ILC Lissone in 1950s.
In Italy, at the beginning of the XX century, industries of curved solid wood arose under license of Michael Thonet, and through the International Exhibitions the processing of curved wood became more and more widespread.
The Expo of the first decade was also attended by the wood manufacturers of Monza, while in 1905 Otto Helzer, in Switzerland, patented wooden structures in curved laminated, whose strength was equivalent to those in steel.
The Ratti brothers of Monza took their cue from the solid wood laminate to create furniture that, instead of wooden elements, used sheets of wood.
The brothers Ratti, Carlo and Mario, also began to follow the young artistic avant-gardes (cubism, futurism and abstractionism).
The mastery of wooden sculpture influenced Carlo in the design and realization of furniture of fine neo-plastic artistic workmanship and decò, receiving honors from the Prince of Piedmont Umberto di Savoia.
In 1919, in Milan, the first Lombard Exhibition of Decorative Arts was set up (later to become the Triennale) and the Ratti brothers exhibited their furniture in solid wood but also in curved panel with a new system of curvature, the one in Telo.
The canvas system was developed by the Ratti brothers with the help of a friend, Cesare Cantù.
They developed an elastomer bag in which the mould was inserted with the panel to be bent and, closing it with clamps, the air inside was removed, thus making the panel adhere to the mould.
Carlo and Mario found in the Telo system a means by which they could make objects and furniture in the three spatial directions with large surface curvatures, without limits of thickness and minimum radii of curvature.
In 1921 in Stuttgart the first Salone del Mobile was inaugurated and the Fratelli Ratti of Monza made itself known internationally by presenting solid wood furniture and also furniture in load-bearing plywood, flanked by furniture with framed and interchangeable covers.
The Expo became meeting places to verify and present the novelties in the furniture and industrialization sector and, with the development of Industrial Design, the first architects joined in the design of the furniture industries.
The Ratti Brothers, in the various international and national exhibitions, also presented incredible objects in their realization with the system in Telo.
After 1930 Carlo and Mario produced many containers for radio and folding chairs for cinema but in 1939 they divided and in Monza Mario remained who, with his sons Antonio and Angela, formed the Società Compensati Curvi.
Carlo moved to Lissone, forming with his sons Angelo and Piera and with her husband, Piero Berruti, the Industria Legni Curvati. After the war, a new bending system, the Mould and Counter-mould, was added to the existing systems from the 1950s.
After the war, the architects devoted themselves exclusively to the planning and reconstruction of the territory and the need to regain the markets put the industrialists in conditions to offer quality products, designed by architects-designers of the new generation.
Both Carlo Ratti’s and Mario’s firm began collaborating with world-famous architects such as Ignazio Gardella, Paolo Chessa, Vico Magistretti, the Castiglioni brothers, Vittoriano Vigano, Marco Zanuso, Carlo de Carli, etc.
In those years many technological objects were made with curved plywood bodies such as washing machines, televisions, radios, sewing machines, etc. while the production of furniture in a rationalistic style continued.
The new bending technologies, Mould and Counter-mould and High Frequency, allowed a remarkable mass production and, if the old system in Telo continued to exist to make extraordinary objects with Coons curves, especially the High Frequency spread all over the world.
Condition report:
Good
Wear Condition
Good
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Additional Delivery Info from Seller
Estimated delivery time
One to two weeks
Free collection available
Yes
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Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Cancellations and Returns
Last updated: 12/02/2026
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What your service fee covers
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14-day return guarantee
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| Order Value (£) | Fee (£) |
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| 0 — 49.99 | 2.75 |
| 50 — 99.99 | 5.50 |
| 100 — 199.99 | 11.00 |
| 200 — 399.99 | 21.00 |
| 400 — 599.99 | 30.00 |
| 600 — 799.99 | 40.00 |
| 800 — 999.99 | 50.00 |
| 1,000 — 1,499.99 | 55.00 |
| 1,500 — 1,999.99 | 60.00 |
| 2,000 — 4,999.99 | 82.50 |
| 5,000+ | 110.00 |
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