Black Fiberglass Toga Chair by Sergio Mazza for Artemide, Italy, 1960s

Toga chair was realized in hot-press moulded black fiberglass designed by Sergio Mazza in 1968 and manufactured by Artemide, Italy. The Toga chair is part of the Albert & Victoria Museum collection in London The ‘Toga’ is a stacking chair, allowing others of the same design to sit on top. Designed by Sergio Mazza in 1968, the chair is made from one continuous piece of fibreglass. The fibreglass sheet is heated and then shaped over a solid mould. The fibreglass retains its shape, becoming hard as it cools. The ‘Toga’ chair was first shown at the International Furniture Exhibition in Milan in 1969. The chair was manufactured by Artemide, a Milan based firm, renowned for producing products that combined practicable serviceability with stylishness. Firms such as Cassina, Kartell and Tecno, and designers such as Ettore Sottass and Gaetano Pesce, were responsible for raising Italy’s profile in consumer product design in the 1960s until it became a dominant force in the international field. Wear consistent with age and use.