Tripolina folding chair, Italy, 1930s

This rare chair was patented by English inventor Joseph Fenby in 1877 and was sold in Italy as the Tripolina chair. It was manufactured by the Viganò company in Tripoli, Libya, giving the chair its name. The chair is completely foldable, making it very popular with, for instance, army officers on campaigns.

The design became the prototype from which a number of similar designs have sprung, notably the Hardoy chair designed in 1940 by the Argentinian architects Antonio Bonet, Juan Kurchan and Ferrari Hardoy.

This is an early 20^th century edition, probably from the 1930s. It is made of a wooden frame with a saddle leather sling seat. It has rich details, such as brass connections and copper bolts and is in a perfect, original condition.