Italian Fornasetti "1958" Calendar Paperweight

The Italian artist, illustrator and furniture maker 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.

The striking elegance and craftsmanship associated with vintage Richard Ginori porcelain and ceramics are hallmarks of the distinguished Italian manufacturer's deep heritage. Over nearly 300 years, the company has established a legacy of enduring design — its exquisite handmade serving pieces, tea sets, tableware, vases and more are coveted all over the world.

Richard Ginori traces its long history back to the village of Doccia, Italy, where marchese Carlo Ginori opened the Doccia Porcelain Manufactory in 1735. The factory employed talented Viennese painters and modelers, and although it took time for Carlo to perfect his models and molds, the company eventually became known for its impeccable white porcelain, inspired by Ginori's love of white gold. By 1779, the factory’s refined porcelain decorated palaces and stately residences.

In 1896, the factory expanded and merged with the Società Ceramic Richard of Milan. The new company was named Richard Ginori, and the early 20th century marked a period of artistic revival for the manufacturer.

In 1923, the influential Italian architect, publisher and furniture designer Gio Ponti was appointed as the company's artistic director (a role he held until 1933). He was still a young man at the time, but the now-celebrated polymath was fearless in his efforts to innovate at Richard Ginori — he introduced a contemporary spirit at the manufacturer and integrated ancient Roman art and other neoclassical elements into his richly ornate designs for decorative objects and ceramic vessels. At the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris — the design fair that brought the Art Deco style into the world — both Richard Ginori and its bold artistic director won a Grand Prix.

In the decades that followed, offerings at the storied porcelain manufacturer showed an adoption of the modern style that had taken shape in furniture design and decorative arts during the mid-20th century. In 1954, the company was renamed Ginori 1735, a reference to its inaugural year. Over time, Richard Ginori has partnered with numerous renowned designers such as Giovanni Gariboldi, Antonio Piva, Franco Albini and Aldo Rossi. In 2013, Gucci purchased the Ginori 1735 brand and factory.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Richard Ginori serveware and decorative objects.