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254

Joe Colombo

Rare 'Personal Container'

circa 1965
Walnut-veneered wood, walnut, brushed aluminium, felt.
Open: 180.8 x 217 x 76 cm (71 1/8 x 85 3/8 x 29 7/8 in.)
Closed: 181 x 82.3 x 46.5 cm (71 1/4 x 32 3/8 x 18 1/4 in.)
Manufactured by Arflex, Milan, Italy.
One of Joe Colombo’s first examples of freestanding furniture units, Personal Container, is an excellent representation of the architect’s intentions in redefining space according to a modern lifestyle. The variety of functions required for such complex living drove him to challenge the relationship between objects, which he systematically laid out in a self-contained space.

Personal Container includes its own electrical system which supports a lamp, a radio and a vinyl record player. The unit, which can be folded to facilitate transport or used as a screen, is also equipped with a pipe rack, an ashtray, a bookcase, a disc holder and a drinks cabinet.

Another example of the present model Personal Container is included in the permanent collection of the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein.

Joe Colombo

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