Fornasetti Pen Holder Ceramic Brass Gold, 1950, Italy
About the Item
- Creator:Piero Fornasetti (Author)
- Dimensions:Height: 4.14 in (10.5 cm)Width: 12.01 in (30.5 cm)Depth: 3.94 in (10 cm)
- Style:Other (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Milano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2924326943632
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: Milano, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Piero Fornasetti N 8 Coaster Ceramic 1950By FornasettiLocated in Milano, ITFornasetti.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Fornasetti Duck Ceramic 1960 ItalyBy FornasettiLocated in Milano, ITFornasetti duck ceramic 1960! Italy.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Other Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Piero Fornasetti Hice Holder Brass Metal, 1955, ItalyBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, ITIce Holder Piero Fornasetti.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Vases
MaterialsBrass
- Ronzan Ceramic Box / Centerpiece Ceramic, 1950, ItalyLocated in Milano, ITRonzan.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Lenci “ Elefante “ Ceramic, 1950 ItalyBy LenciLocated in Milano, ITLenci.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Lenci Vase Holder Centerpiece Ceramic, 1931-1932, ItalyBy LenciLocated in Milano, ITLenci vase holder centerpiece ceramic, 1931-1932, Italy.Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Other Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Piero Fornasetti set of eight Monkeys ceramic coasters, Italy 1950sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milan, ITPiero Fornasetti set of eight Monkeys ceramic coasters, From the "Ne sont tous chevaliers qui sur cheval montent" series Italy 1950s Original box.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Fornasetti Ceramic Bar Coasters 'Vini e Liquori'By Piero FornasettiLocated in New York, NYCocktail Fornasetti Time! Fabulous complete set of 8 spirits and wine coasters including Whisky, Rum, Port, Brandy, Sherry, Rhenish, Gin and Madeira called 'Vini e Liquori'. A vintage classic and perfect for entertaining. Note with lighting some of the golds vary however they are all consistent color of a nice gilt but lighting creates...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Barware
MaterialsCeramic
- Piero Fornasetti Ceramic Set Neo-Classical Mythological Gold Coasters MitologiaBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Downingtown, PAPiero Fornasetti ceramic complete set of neo-classical gold coasters, Mitologia Pattern, Mythology Pattern, 1950s Measures: Diameter 4 1/8 inches x...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Barware
MaterialsCeramic
- Fornasetti “Commedia” Ceramic Paperweight and Cup PairBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Brooklyn, NY“I have thus dressed ceramics, furniture, and things in signs, and in that way I have placed a message in every work — a small story that is sometimes ironic, obviously wordless, but...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Piero Fornasetti Zodiac Ceramic "Libra" Pebble PaperweightBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Downingtown, PAPiero Fornasetti Ceramic Zodiac "Libra" Pebble Paperweight, Original Gold Box, 1960s This rare Piero Fornasetti Ceramic pebble paperweight in its original gold presentation box....Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Paperweights
MaterialsCeramic
- Vintage Set of Seven Ceramic Storage Jars by Piero Fornasetti, Italy, circa 1960By Piero FornasettiLocated in London, GBA rare set of beautifully colored decorative ceramic storage jars by Piero Fornasetti, circa 1960. Depicting seven different designs... tea, coffee, rice, paprika, cloves, cinnamon and pepper, these vintage...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic