Acting out of both practical and intellectual motives, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni designed the Mezzadro Stool by bolting a tractor seat to a chrome and wood base. They were also inspired by the readymades of early 20th-century artist Marcel Duchamp, which combined preexisting objects into inventive constructions with new uses. By engaging in similar acts of appropriation, designers were able to create surprise and novelty with forms made from found materials.