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Gabriella Crespi Wall Lights and Sconces

Italian, 1922-2017

Bronze discs that open up like clamshells for storage and fold back in to become side tables. Sleek cubes barely suspended off the ground that transform into full-size dining tables. Clean-lined boxes that contain multilevel shelving. Looking at the work of Italian designer Gabriella Crespi, born in 1922 and who still produced furniture in her Milan studio until her death in 2017, it’s hard to believe that many of these highly functional piecesmodernist Rubik’s Cubes of materials, colors and ergonomics — were created decades ago.

Among her best-known creations, the bronze Ellisse table, 1976, and her bronze-and-lacquer Yang-Yin bar, 1979, encapsulate a designer who had a strong dualism in her vision, mixing humble and precious materials, for instance, or creating geometric shapes that were softened by sensual surfaces.

Crespi began studying architecture in 1944 at the Politecnico, in Milan, where she was among just a handful of women, and became profoundly influenced by the work of Charles-Édouard "Le Corbusier" Jeanneret and Frank Lloyd Wright. After getting married and having children, she launched her own collections, from jewelry to furniture, and soon gained a loyal following, with design houses such as Maison Dior snapping pieces up for their own lines.

She began work on her most iconic collection, Plurimi, in the late 1960s, and the series — including her Dama table, which plays on the themes of volume, light and adaptability that Crespi has explored throughout her career — flourished through the 1970s and early ’80s. Then there is her famed Z desk, from a mid-1970s series, which manages to be both stylish and humorous, looking like it’s ready to leap off the floor at any moment. Well-born and beautiful, Crespi garnered attention among the jet set. She was a muse to Valentino, and her pieces appeared in the homes of Princess Grace of Monaco, the Shah of Iran and Greek shipping magnate George Livanos. 

In 1987, with her children now adults, the designer surprised everyone when she moved to the foot of the Indian Himalayas to study with the guru Sri Muniraj. This turned into a 20-year self-imposed exile that, if anything, made her pieces even more sought-after by collectors. 

Find vintage Gabriella Crespi furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Gabriella Crespi
Rare Mid Century Modern 'Scudo' wallight by Gabriella Crespi (1922-2017)
By Gabriella Crespi
Located in London, GB
Rare Mid Century Modern 'Scudo' wallight by Gabriella Crespi. This stylish wallight is signed on the side. Gabriella Crespi was born in 1922 and studied architecture at the Politecn...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Gabriella Crespi Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Brass

Gabriella Crespi Signed Wall Appliques, Pair
By Gabriella Crespi
Located in East Hampton, NY
Rare pair of original ribbed acrylic and brass trim frame large wall sconces; These wall lights are designed by Gabriella Crespi in the 1970s, and they are signed to brass frame.
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1970s Italian Art Deco Vintage Gabriella Crespi Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Brass

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1970s Italian Vintage Gabriella Crespi Wall Lights and Sconces

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Gabriella Crespi wall lights and sconces for sale on 1stDibs.

Gabriella Crespi wall lights and sconces are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Gabriella Crespi wall lights and sconces, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original wall lights and sconces by Gabriella Crespi were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 1970s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider wall lights and sconces by Ercole Barovier, and Maison Veronese. Prices for Gabriella Crespi wall lights and sconces can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $21,737 and can go as high as $28,800, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $25,269.

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