Rare Piero Fornasetti Tabby Cat Tray, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Piero Fornasetti (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 1.38 in (3.5 cm)Width: 17.72 in (45 cm)Depth: 13.19 in (33.5 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Metal,Enameled
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Munich, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1005033906382
Piero Fornasetti
The Italian artist and illustrator Piero Fornasetti was one of the wittiest and most imaginative design talents of the 20th century. He crafted an inimitable decorative style from a personal vocabulary of images that included birds, butterflies, hot-air balloons, architecture and — most frequently, and in some 500 variations — an enigmatic woman’s face based on that of the 19th-century opera singer Lina Cavalieri. Fornasetti used transfer prints of these images, rendered in the style of engravings, to decorate an endless variety of furnishings and housewares that ranged from chairs, tables and desks to dinner plates, lamps and umbrella stands. His work is archly clever, often surreal and always fun.
Fornasetti was born in Milan, the son of an accountant, and he lived his entire life in the city. He showed artistic talent as a child and enrolled at Milan’s Brera Academy of Fine Art in 1930, but was expelled after two years for consistently failing to follow his professors’ orders. A group of his hand-painted silk scarves, displayed in the 1933 Triennale di Milano, caught the eye of the architect and designer Gio Ponti, who, in the 1940s, became Fornasetti’s collaborator and patron. Beginning in the early 1950s, they created a striking a series of desks, bureaus and secretaries that pair Ponti’s signature angular forms with Fornasetti’s decorative motifs — lighthearted arrangements of flowers and birds on some pieces, austere architectural imagery on others. The two worked together on numerous commissions for interiors, though their greatest project has been lost: the first-class lounges and restaurants of the luxury ocean liner Andrea Doria, which sank in 1956.
Fornasetti furnishings occupy an unusual and compelling niche in the decorative arts: they are odd yet pack a serious punch. They act, essentially, as functional sculpture. A large Fornasetti piece such as a cabinet or a desk can change the character of an entire room; his smaller works have the aesthetic power of a vase of flowers, providing a bright and alluring decorative note. The chimerical, fish-nor-fowl nature of Fornasetti’s work may be its greatest strength. It stands on its own. Bringing the Fornasetti look into the future is Barnaba Fornasetti, who took the reins of the company after his father's death.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: München, Germany
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Fornasetti Porcelain Moorhead Italy 1950s SignedBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Munich, DEEarly Vintage Piero Fornasetti flower pot in white and black cast ceramic themed “Moor’s Head”. The theme of the moor’s head takes inspiration...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Hollywood Regency Planters and Jardinieres
MaterialsPorcelain
- Piero Fornasetti Sole Brass Tripod Side TableBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Munich, DEPiero Fornasetti Sole Brass tripod side table This gorgeous collectors item is a ’Sole' side table by Piero Fornasetti, signed underneath with its ori...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Koi Fish Bronze 1950s Set of 2Located in Munich, DELovely huge Japanese Solid Bronze Koi Fish Sculpture Vintage Art Work in a Rich Patina with Fabulous Detail. Legendary and Symbolic Beauty. The set has a beautiful patinated verdigri...Category
Vintage 1950s Japanese Japonisme Animal Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Menuette Ceramic Sculpture by Lore Friedrich Gronau Majolika Karlsruhe, 1950sBy Lore Friedrich-GronauLocated in Munich, DEKarlsruher Majolika, Menuett of two ladys, designed by Lore Friedrich-Gronau (1908-2002), model: 6397, ceramic partially glazed, marked on the bottom.Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsCeramic
- Bruno Gambone Stoneware Abstract Sculpture Cat IBy Bruno GamboneLocated in Munich, DECream white glazed ceramic cat made by Bruno Gambone in the 1970s, signed Gambone Italy on the bottom.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsStoneware
- Bruno Gambone Stoneware Abstract Sculpture Cat IIBy Bruno GamboneLocated in Munich, DECream white glazed ceramic cat made by Bruno Gambone in the 1970s, signed Gambone Italy on the bottom.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsStoneware
- Piero Fornasetti - Silkscreened Metal Tray and Pedestal - Italy 1950sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, ITLarge screen-printed metal tray, finely decorated with colorful and original motif of a cherry vine with leaves. The rather high edge fitted with two molded sockets ensures its funct...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsMetal
- Tray by Piero Fornasetti, 1955By Piero FornasettiLocated in Berlin, DETray made of aluminum with offset-printing of birds Dimensions: H.58cm W.46cm D.1cm Design and manufacture / Piero Fornasetti Labeled 'Fornasetti'.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsAluminum
- Rare 1960s Fish Pesci Appetizer or Hors D'oeuvre Tray by Piero FornasettiBy Piero FornasettiLocated in London, LondonAppetizer tray consisting of four ceramic dishes Gold metal tray Printed section of fish on each dish Fornasetti mark underneath Slightly fa...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsCeramic
- Piero Fornasetti Attributed Pistol Barware Metal Serving Tray, 1960sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in North Hollywood, CAVintage Pistol And Gun Tray Attributed to Piero Fornasetti, 1960s. This is a great studio Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti style Pistol Barware Metal Serving Tray. Very decorative Piero Fornasetti's Iconic square enameled metal tray featuring antique pistols, guns, and gunpowder pouches illustrations. The underside has a printed wood effect. Vintage Italian Piero Fornasetti Pistol...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsMetal
- Piero Fornasetti Studio, Pistol Barware Metal Serving Tray, 1960sBy Fornasetti, Piero FornasettiLocated in Atlanta, GAThis is a great studio Fornasetti pistol tray from the 1960s. The design is attributed to Piero Fornasetti, Italy. The stylishly decorative enamel square metal tray features a quirky and cool print of...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
MaterialsMetal, Enamel
- Large Vintage Tray with Gothic Decorations in the Style of Piero FornasettiBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Roma, ITA Very Big midcentury Tray in the style of Piero Fornasetti, specifically the collection " Ala Rosone" (Rose Window) recently re-edited by Piero's son, Barnaba Fornasetti. The rose window, or rose, is a decorative circular window applied to the facades of Romanesque and Gothic style churches. The symbolic meaning of the rose window is closely related to the circle which, as an "infinite line", without beginning and without end, is a symbol of God...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
MaterialsPlastic, Plywood