Image source: B&B Italia — UP 5_6 Armchair and Ottoman
© B&B Italia and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research.
UP 5_6 Armchair and Ottoman
Gaetano Pesce's UP5_6 armchair with a spherical ottoman tied on by a cord
1200 × 1030 × 1300 mm
1969
Italy
Approx. $7,400 (reference price; varies by region and retailer)
Official product information
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Description
Overview
UP5_6 is the armchair and spherical ottoman of the Up series designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1969, sold today as Serie Up 2000. The page describes anthropomorphic references (a large womb, fertility goddesses) and a ball tied to the chair, the image of a woman with a ball and chain.
Construction
- Upholstery: flexible cold-shaped polyurethane foam (Bayfit® in the shop)
- Bottom base: 100% jute fabric with PVC trimming
- Buttons: cover button with metallic base and fabric; bottom button in thick leather
- Cord (UP5_6): 100% nylon
- Cover: fabric in limited categories
Specifications
- UP5 armchair: W 120 × D 130 × H 103 cm, seat height 42 cm
- UP6 ottoman: Ø 57 cm, H 57 cm
Story
Pesce's reading of the chair
Gaetano Pesce said he wanted to tell a personal story about women and gave the armchair the shape of a woman with a ball and chain. The spherical ottoman, tied to the chair by a cord, is that ball.
Image source: B&B Italia — UP 5_6 Armchair and Ottoman · © B&B Italia and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy
An icon with nicknames
B&B Italia notes that the armchair has become an international icon under names ranging from Big Mama to Blow Up, and that a junior version exists for children aged three and up.
More by Gaetano Pesce
Feltri Armchair
Gaetano Pesce's 1987 armchair in thick wool felt, resin-hardened below, with a quilted seat.
Up Junior
A 2014 child-sized armchair for ages 3 and up, a smaller version of UP5_6
Dalila Chair
Gaetano Pesce's Dalila chair, revived for outdoors in flexible polyurethane foam and elastomer.
Tramonto a New York Screen
Gaetano Pesce's New York skyline as a triptych screen in coloured cast polyurethane resin.
Collection
Serie Up
Serie Up by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia (1969): seven-piece seating series with elastic-fabric upholstery, from the UP5_6 armchair to the UP7 foot sculpture.
