“Tonico” Sofa, Sergio Rodrigues, Brazil, 1960s

A “Tonico” sofa designed by Sergio Rodrigues in 1964 and produced by OCA and Meia-Pataca. 

Rodrigues, often described as the father of Brazilian furniture, harnessed the architectural innovations of 1950s Brazil while privileging designs that reflected the country’s culture, climate and way of life. His work playfully drew on familiar forms and figures from the Brazilian collective imagination: the hammock, the cot, the gunman and the woodsman.

Such references can be seen in the generous proportions  and relaxed construction of the “Tonico” sofa. Its three plush, movable bolster cushions allow the sitter to adjust the arrangement: an inviting seat for conversation or a balmy siesta perhaps. The long, rounded backrest cushion sits slightly bowed and suspended by leather straps, held in place by removable wooden dowels, further accentuating its informal and modular construction.

This particular example was produced for a wider market by OCA and Meia-Pataca, and subsequently reached an international audience when Rodrigues opened his OCA store in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, in 1966. The linear forms and subtle ranchero references of the collections spoke to a Californian audience, intrigued by the distinctly Brazilian language Rodrigues brought to modernist design.

The frame is most likely constructed from solid freijó wood, although other iterations of the “Tonico” were produced in pau-ferro, or Brazilian rosewood (jacarandá). The sofa has been newly upholstered in cream and light green corduroy, with the suspended backrest finished in soft ivory leather.

Can be configured with three or two back cushions.

Specifications:

Height: 95 cm

Width: 82 cm

Depth: 226 cm

Seat height: 33 cm

Materials:

Seat cushions: Corduroy

Bolsters: Corduroy

Backrest: Leather

Frame: Solid freijó wood

Straps: Synthetic leather