Società Anonima "Antonio Volpe"

In 1883 the Udinese businessman Antonio Volpe made up his mind to establish a firm for the manufacture of bentwood furniture. Production began in the following year with 20 male, 15 female and 7 juvenile workers as well as four apprentices. The firm solely supplied the Italian market and received numerous awards at exhibitions for the excellence of its products. In the First World War the factory in Udine was destroyed and rebuilt after the end of the war. Around 1922 the Società Anonima Antonio Volpe published a catalogue with 34 pages of illustrations showing a range of selected models. Adorning the catalogue cover is an “Egg” rocking armchair, sitting on the chair is a fox (“volpe”) raising one of its paws. In 1940 the production of bentwood furniture came to an end.