{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O70990"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70990/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AT2686/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AT2686/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AT2686","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HC8619","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021NB1582","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2025PH9503","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O70990","accessionNumber":"CIRC.887-1968","objectType":"Chair","titles":[{"title":"Universale","type":"manufacturer's title"}],"summaryDescription":"The 'Universale' was the first all-plastic chair to be made by the injection-moulding technique. It was also one of the earliest plastic chairs to be commercially available. The Italian manufacturer, Kartell, was an innovative firm whose main production was plastic laboratory and industrial wares. They marketed the 'Universale' as a multi-functional chair that was stackable, portable, and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The design included detachable feet, which allowed the height of the chair to be adjusted. The structure was based on a child's chair, which Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper had designed earlier for Kartell. \r\nThe 'Universale' is typical of Pop design, which used bold pattern, bright colour and new shapes and was specifically aimed at a young market. Plastic, previously seen as 'cheap and cheerful', became a fashionable and novel material.","physicalDescription":"Injection-moulded white ABS plastic chair","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Colombo, Joe","id":"A6741"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Kartell","id":"A6742"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ABS","id":"AAT14418"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Injection-moulded","id":"x35877"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"},{"text":"Plastic","id":"THES49026"}],"styles":[{"text":"Pop","id":"AAT22205"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AT2686","2014HC8619","2021NB1582","2025PH9503"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES341326"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Chair","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Milan","id":"x29007"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1965 - 1967","earliest":"1965-01-01","latest":"1967-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1968","earliest":"1968-01-01","latest":"1968-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Conran Contracts Ltd, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"72.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"43.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"43.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"43.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"seat","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Kartell BINASCO (MILANO)/860 e 861I5 MADE IN ITALY/DESIGN - Prof. Joe COlombo","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Chair, model 4860, Italian, designed 1965-1967 by Joe Colombo, manufactured 1968 by Kartell","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Wilk, Christopher, ed. . <font -u>Western Furniture 1350 to the Present Day</font>. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1996. 230p., ill. ISBN 085667463X."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"'Plastic Chair, a Design and Manufacturing Challenge'. In: Material Culture and the Culture of Materials, Augusto Morello, Milan, 1988, pp.138 f"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"CHAIR: UNIVERSALE 4860\r\nDesigned by Joe Colombo (Italian, 1930-1971), 1965\r\nMade by Kartell, Milan, Italy from 1967; still in production\r\nInjection-moulded ABS plastic\r\nCirc.887-1968\r\n\r\nThis was the first all-plastic chair made by injection moulding. It was produced in five colours, with legs of varying length to allow its adaption to environments as diverse as bars and nurseries. Its brightness and flexibility were in tune with youth fashions in the booming 1960s. It cost £8. 18s. 0d. in 1968.","date":{"text":"1992","earliest":"1992-01-01","latest":"1992-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["CIRC.887-1968"],"accessionNumberNum":"887","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1968,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"Model 4867","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-01","recordCreationDate":"2002-11-28","availableToBook":true}}