Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

ACHILLE & PIER GIACOMO CASTIGLIONI (Milan, 1918 - 2002) & Pier Giacomo (Milan, 1913 - 1968) for Zanotta.
Stool "Mezzadro", 1957.
Chromed steel, lacquered steel sheet and solid wood.
Marked on the structure: "MEZZADRO - DESIGN A. CASTIGLIONI".
Good general condition, with signs of use commensurate with age.
Measurements: 50 × 50 × 50 cm.

The design of this iconic stool was initially conceived in 1954 for an experimental exhibition at the Triennale in Milan, as part of the Castiglioni brothers' research on the reinterpretation of industrial objects in the domestic sphere. It was subsequently incorporated into the Zanotta catalog, becoming one of the icons of 20th century Italian design and is now part of important international museum collections.

The seat comes from an original tractor seat in stamped steel sheet and lacquered in yellow, with characteristic circular punctures, supported by a chromed steel structure with a flat section and a cross base in solid wood.

The height is adjusted by means of a screw and knob fastening system, which allows the seat position to be adjusted. The model is one of the most famous examples of the use of industrial ready-made applied to furniture, transforming an agricultural element into a piece of domestic design.

The brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni studied at the Politecnico di Milano, as did their older brother Livio. In 1938 Pier Giacomo and Livio opened their own studio, to be joined by the younger Achille in 1944. Finally, in 1952 Livio left the group to continue his career independently. Until Pier Giacomo's early death in 1968, the two brothers collaborated on numerous designs. Today their work is represented in prominent museums such as the MoMA in New York.