Designed in 1969, the Up Series immediately became one of design’s most sensational symbols. An innovative proposal for a global audience, it was born from B&B Italia’s extensive technological know-how in injection-molded polyurethane. Among the armchairs, the iconic UP5_6 stands out: a wide maternal womb reminiscent of prehistoric fertility goddess statues, featuring a spherical ottoman tied to the armchair’s body. The image of relaxation and comfort overlaps with the metaphorical one of a woman with a ball and chain. Gaetano Pesce describes the project: ‘At that time, I was telling a personal story about my concept of women: women have always been, despite themselves, prisoners of their own making. I wanted to give this chair the shape of a woman with a ball and chain, which is also the traditional image of a prisoner.’ The armchair is also available in a Junior version for children aged three and up, perfectly faithful to the original but reduced in size. Part of the series is the UP7 ‘foot’, a sculptural object—an out-of-scale archaeological fragment in painted polyurethane.