Set of two appliques in brass with curved ground glass by Pietro Chiesa
About the Item
- Creator:Fontana Arte (Manufacturer),Pietro Chiesa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 6.3 in (16 cm)Width: 7.09 in (18 cm)Depth: 3.55 in (9 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Firenze, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7241235613512
Fontana Arte
Best known for its elegant and innovative vintage lighting fixtures, the Milan-based firm Fontana Arte pioneered one of the key features of 20th-century and contemporary Italian design: the union of artistry and industry wrought by partnerships between creative talents — chiefly architects — and entrepreneurial businesses. Fontana Arte is further distinguished by having had as artistic director, in succession, four of Italy’s most inventive modernist designers: Gio Ponti, Pietro Chiesa, French transplant Max Ingrand and Gae Aulenti.
The bread and butter of the glassmaking company that Luigi Fontana founded in 1881 was plate-glass panels for the construction industry. In 1930, Fontana met Ponti — then the artistic director of the Richard Ginori ceramics workshop and the editor of the influential magazine Domus — at a biannual design exhibition that became the precursor to today’s Milan Design Triennale, and the two hatched an idea for a furniture and housewares firm. Fontana Arte was incorporated in 1932 with Ponti as its chief of design. He contributed several lamps that remain among the company’s signature works, including the orb-atop-cone Bilia table lamp and the 0024 pendant — a stratified hanging sphere.
The following year, Fontana Arte partnered with the influential Milan studio glassmaker and retailer Pietro Chiesa, who took over as artistic director. Chiesa’s designs for lighting — as well as for tables and items including vases and ashtrays — express an appreciation for fluidity and simplicity of line, as seen in works such as his flute-shaped Luminator floor lamp and the 1932 Fontana table — an arched sheet of glass that is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Six years after Chiesa’s 1948 death, the École des Beaux Arts–trained Max Ingrand took over as head of design at Fontana Arte. Ingrand brought a similarly expressive formal sensibility to wares such as lamps and mirrors, but he also had a masterful eye for the manipulation of glass surfaces — whether they be cut, frosted, acid-etched or sand-blasted. His classic design is the Fontana table lamp of 1954, which has a truncated cone shade and curved body, both of which are made of pure, chic white-frosted glass.
Following Ingrand, the often-audacious Italian architect Gae Aulenti served as the company’s artistic director from 1979 to 1996, and while she generally insisted that furnishings take second place aesthetically to architecture, she made an exception for Fontana Arte pieces such as the Tavolo con Ruote series of glass coffee and dining tables on wheels, bold lighting pieces such as the Parola series and the Giova, a combination flower vase and table lamp. As a key incubator of modern design under Aulenti’s tenure, Fontana Arte remained true to its long-held commitment — creating objects that have never been less than daring.
Find vintage Fontana Arte lighting fixtures such as pendants, table lamps and more on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Firenze, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Italian Chandelier Attributed to Pietro Chiesa for Fontana ArteBy Pietro Chiesa, Fontana ArteLocated in Firenze, FIElegant Italian chandelier 1940s attributed to Pietro Chiesa designed for Fortana Arte. Four transparent etched glasses with brass structure. The chandelier has four E14 light source...Category
Vintage 1940s Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsGlass
- Sconce by Mazzega with oval Murano honey glassBy MazzegaLocated in Firenze, FIWall sconce with oval Murano honey glass lampshade with a granular effect on the inside (graniglia technique). Mazzega made in Italy in the 1960s. Murano glass is a type of artist...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMurano Glass
- Pair of wall sconces in green Murano glass "La Murrina"Located in Firenze, FIThe design of these wall sconces is elegance and refinement, with the glass shaped like a flower that delicately blends green and transparent glass elements to create a captivating v...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMurano Glass
- Pyramidal wall lamp with white opaline glass and gold-patinated metal 1970sLocated in Firenze, FIPyramidal wall lamp with white opaline glass and gold-patinated metal. Square base with 4 lights. Italy, 1970s. Dimensions: 36 x 36 with a depth of 19. Opaline glass (or milk glass) ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsGlass
- Pink Murano glass ceiling or wall lamp in a triangular shape from the 1970sLocated in Firenze, FITriangular ceiling chandelier in transparent and pink Murano glass, crafted in the '70s. It measures 57 x 57 x 57 and can also be used as a wall sconce. With three light points Mura...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMurano Glass
- Pair of vintage Venini wall sconces Murano glass 1970s orange and whiteBy VeniniLocated in Firenze, FIPair of vintage Venini wall sconces Murano glass 1970s orange and white. Made by 14 prism triedri. The total dimension is H 37 x 24 cm Perfect condition and fully workig; normal and...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMurano Glass
- Pair of Pietro Chiesa Fontana Arte Italian Modern Brass & Glass Wall LightsBy Fontana Arte, Pietro ChiesaLocated in New York, NYPAIR of midcentury Italian Modern brass and glass wall lights / sconces (Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte) (PRICED AS PAIR).Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of 1950s Brass and Thick Glass Sconces Attributed to Pietro Chiesa, ItalyBy Fontana Arte, Pietro ChiesaLocated in New York, NYAttributed to Pietro Chiesa - Fontana Arte Need to be wired in great vintage condition will be shipped out of ParisCategory
Vintage 1950s Italian Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- 1950s Brass and Glass Sconces Attributed by Pietro ChiesaBy Pietro ChiesaLocated in Amsterdam, NHA elegant pair of bedside scones! Glass and brass combination. A wannahave! Manufactured, circa 1950s.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- Pietro Chiesa, Pair of Wall Lights, Brass, Paper, Fontana Arte, Italy, 1940sBy Pietro Chiesa, Fontana ArteLocated in High Point, NCA pair of sizable six-armed, brass wall lights with parchment paper lampshades, designed by Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte, Italy, 1940s. Shade dimensions : 2.5" x 5" x 5" lit...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Very Large Fontana Arte Wall Lights by Pietro ChiesaBy Pietro Chiesa, Fontana ArteLocated in New York, NYLarge version of Fontana Arte wall lights model 1537 designed by Pietro Chiesa in 1936. This model is much more rare then the smaller ones and where most likely made on order only. E...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- Postmodern Etched Glass Sconce No. 1537 by Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte, ItalyBy Fontana Arte, Pietro ChiesaLocated in Bresso, LombardyThis sconce was manufactured by Fontana Arte in Italy in 1970s based on a Pietro Chiesa's design of the 40s. It has a chrome-plated metal frame and an etched glass shade. In additi...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal, Chrome