Do you know what is a sitting ball? It is, literally, a very large and comfortable “ball where you can sit”, excellent for those suffering from back pain or having to correct postural defects in the seated position.

Born as an exerciser, that’s why Pilates athlete know it well: those who use it claim they can no longer do without it! A real shame to leave it confined to the small space of a gym.

Also, because it is outside the gym where it is most needed, or in all those environments where we most frequently take wrong postures while sitting: at home and especially when sitting in front of a computer in the office.

By simply choosing the right style and the most suitable material, an ordinary gym tool turns into a magnificent design object!

The idea comes from Maurizio Casini, owner of an important tannery in Tuscany that produces leather according to the vegetable tanning method. He called his new creation “Aura”, a name that evokes beauty, well-being and originality.

Aura is entirely handmade with vegetable tanned leather. It takes about 2.5 square meters of leather to make it (for a comparison, just think that a common bag requires a fifth of this surface); the leather is hand-stitched twice with internal reinforcement. It can withstand up to a weight of 140 kg / 308 lb.

Paola Franco, in charge of Aura’s communication, defines this workmanship as “a real challenge: we wanted to achieve an elegant and extremely well-finished details item, in order to make Aura perfectly fitting also in formal contexts, avoiding that ‘gym aspect’ that could be nice in youthful environments but not suited to all interior design styles”.

The search lasted a long time. “At the beginning we started by evaluating synthetic materials – she says – certainly practical but too far away from that uniqueness in style we were aiming at. In the end we realized that the best solution was the one we already had on hand: vegetable tanned leather with tannin”.

The reasons for this choice are many: “Vegetable tanned leather is resistant, robust to the right point for this intended use. Moreover, over the time it ages better than other tanning methods, creating an amazing charm due to time that makes the object even more beautiful and unique than when it was first bought.

Do you know the charm of old punching bags? That was exactly the effect we were aiming for! Furthermore, vegetable-tanned leather does not contain chromium salts or other chemical substances that could cause allergies in people predisposed or with particularly delicate skin”.

Aura is available in many models and colors. “In this way they adapt to different furnishing contexts – explains Paola – such as the line in suede, with a magnificent ‘velvet effect’.

All colors are natural based: after tanning, the leather is immersed in the dyeing bath until it is soaked. The leather is not covered by a layer of dying / finishing and thus maintaining the effect of authenticity that makes Aura so fascinating. While being used the color gets slightly darker, a typical characteristic of vegetable tanned leather”.

At present the Aura sitting balls are available in two sizes: 65 cm / 25 inches diameter, perfect as an office chair, and one large 55 cm / 22 inches which, explains Paola, “was specifically requested by an important customer based in Tokyo, where the office workstations are smaller. In the Asian market, our product immediately aroused great interest, but we have open negotiations also in France and New York”.

Aura, however, is also available for privates: “You can complete the web site form. There are many people who write to us asking for information and we are happy to provide them all”.

Has Aura conquered you too? Choose your favorite model! Tannin, part of your well-being.

Vegetable tanned leather derives its unique qualities from tannins, plant extracts used since ancient times. They are obtained through eco-sustainable processes and allow tanning processes with low environmental impact. Find how!