Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Design 1900 to Now, Room 74

Boby

Trolley
1970 (designed), 1970 (made)
Artist/Maker
Bieffeplast (manufacturer)
Colombo, Joe Cesare (designer)
Place of origin
Padua (made)



Object details
Categories
Furniture
Product Design
Plastic
Containers
Object type
Trolley
Parts
This object consists of 4 parts.

  • Trolley
  • Tray
  • Shelf
  • Lid
Materials and techniques
Injection-moulded ABS plastic
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Copolymer
Injection Moulding
Dimensions
  • Height: 73.2cm
  • Width: 42cm
  • Depth: 43cm
Marks and inscriptions
Joe Colombo (Signature in raised relief on bottom shelf)
Gallery label
  • Compact space-savers As compact living has become more common, designers have created smart, multifunctional and small-scale solutions for furniture, storage and technology. The Kubus glass boxes fit together interchangeably and are heat resistant, making them useful for storing and heating foods. The compact sink and wall-mounted CD player were both designed for smaller homes with less space, while the Boby trolley offers flexible storage on wheels suitable for any room of the house. Stackable glass containers Kubus, about 1938 Designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld Manufactured by Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke, Germany Press-moulded glass Museum no. C.154&A, B, D to J, L, N, O P-1980 Flexible storage trolley Boby, 1970 Designed by Joe Colombo Manufactured by Bieffeplast, Italy Injection-moulded ABS plastic Given by Valerie Mendes Museum no. W.5:1 to 4-1992 Small sink for the Barbican Estate, London 1966 Designed by L Michael Hohmann and Chamberlin, Powell and Bon Manufactured by Twyfords, UK ‘Ceramant’ vitreous ceramic Museum no. CIRC.395-1967 Wall-mounted CD player with pull-string switch 1999 Designed by Naoto Fukasawa Manufactured by Muji, Japan ABS plastic and electronic components Museum no. CD.80:1, 6-2016 The object sits in the 'Housing and Living' section of the Design 1900-Now gallery opened in June 2021. (2021)
  • STORAGE TROLLEY: BOBY Designed by Joe Colombo (Italian, 1930-1971), 1970 Made by Editions Bieffeplast, Caselle di Selvazzano, Padua, Italy from 1970; still in production Injection-moulded ABS plastic Given by Valerie Mendes W.5-1992 This trolley, designed specifically for the drawing office, has been widely used in the home and is an example of expropriation of office furniture by the domestic market. The layered construction provides flexible storage, while the castors make it easy to move around at will.(1992)
Credit line
Given by Valerie Mendes
Historical context
The Boby Trolley is one of Colombo's best known designs, originally intended for use in studios but picked up by the design conscious for use in kitchens, bathrooms and studies.
Collection
Furniture and Woodwork Collection
Accession number
W.5:1 to 4-1992

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest Feedback

Record createdFebruary 12, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O145039/boby-trolley-colombo-joe-cesare/
Download as: JSON