An "Anfibio" sofa bed by Alessandro Becchi for Giovannetti Collezioni, Italy, late 1970s / early 1980s
An "Anfibio" sofa bed by Alessandro Becchi for Giovannetti Collezioni, Italy, late 1970s / early 1980s
One of the rarest of mid-century design sofas, the “Anfibio” sofa bed was a design by Alessandro Becchi for Giovannetti Collezioni in 1972. The Anfibio is a cult item of its genre. It combines aesthetics with practicality; with a few simple manoeuvres it can be transformed from comfortable sofa to a full sized double bed. This particular example is in superb condition considering its age. The vast majority of these sofas that are available to buy have been reupholstered but this example almost certainly dating to the late 1970s / early 1980s is still in its original denim fabric upholstery. The Anfibio is a wonderful conversation piece, an icon of pop-art design and can be seen at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Born in 1946, after his studies at the ISIA (design academy) in Florence, Alessandro Becchi began his career as a designer. In 1972 he was invited to the exhibition "ltaly: the new domestic landscape" at the MoMA in New York, presenting Anfibio. This date inaugurates a close collaboration with Giovannetti, for whom he designs a series of sofas with the function of bed, such as Only You, Brando, Diletto and the famous series of Le Bugie armchairs. A designer with remarkable skills, Becchi brings innovation, freshness, love for design to the whole company, establishing, in addition to an excellent professional relationship with Benito Giovannetti, also and above all a deep emotional bond. It was probably this intense human relationship that gave "that something extra" to products of recognized success. The collaboration was interrupted in 1987, with the death of Becchi.
Condition: a black mark (possibly ink) to the seating area nearest to the right hand armrest, about two inches long, some lightening to the denim on the seating area in the middle of the sofa and another smaller area to the right hand armrest. Please refer to photographs. Overall excellent vintage condition, structurally sound, ready to use, clean and all the zippers work perfectly.
Dimensions: 60cm high, 176cm wide, 94cm deep; seat height 35cm
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REFERENCE: E2334