Three Pierro Fornasetti Egocentrismo Plates, c1960
About the Item
- Creator:Piero Fornasetti (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 1.3 in (3.3 cm)Diameter: 10.48 in (26.6 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 3
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:No chips or cracks - light wear to the print.
- Seller Location:Tunbridge Wells, GB
- Reference Number:
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: Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 30 days of delivery.
- Pair of Fornasetti Egocentrismo Plates, circa 1960By Piero FornasettiLocated in Tunbridge Wells, GBPair of Fornasetti Egocentrismo Plates, circa 1960 Pierro Fornasetti was one of the absolute stars of Italian design in the 20th century. The ...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dinner Plates
MaterialsPorcelain
- Fornasetti Tema e Variazioni Plates by Rosenthal 1980sBy Rosenthal, Piero FornasettiLocated in Tunbridge Wells, GBPiero Fornasetti said that he chose Lina Cavalieri for her archetypal beauty. It's clear what he meant. Fornasetti designed more than 400 variations of her face, some winking, some c...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
MaterialsPorcelain
- Archimede Seguso Opaline Vase c1960By Archimede SegusoLocated in Tunbridge Wells, GBHeading : Archimede Seguso Opaline Vase Date : Late 50s early 60s Origin : Archimede Seguso Artistic Glass, Murano Features : Ribbed opaline over magenta ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Glass
MaterialsArt Glass
- Rene Lalique Dauphins Plate - Marcilhac 423, Designed 1932By René LaliqueLocated in Tunbridge Wells, GBRene Lalique Dauphins Plate - Marcilhac 423, Designed 1932 Additional Information: Heading : Rene Lalique Dauphins plate Date : Designed 1932 Origin ...Category
20th Century French Decorative Art
MaterialsGlass
- Very Rare Moser Rosalin Sculpture Designed by Oldrich Lipa c1960By MoserLocated in Tunbridge Wells, GBHeading : Very Rare Moser Rosalin Sculpture Designed by Oldrich Lipa Date : c1960 Origin : Karlsbad, Czechoslovakia (now Czech republic). Marks : Unmarked...Category
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Glass
MaterialsArt Glass
- Rene Lalique Calypso Coupe Ouvert, Designed 1930By René LaliqueLocated in Tunbridge Wells, GBRene Lalique Calypso Coupe Ouvert, Designed 1930 Additional Information: Heading : René Lalique Calypso coupe ouvert Date : Designed 1930 Origin : Wi...Category
20th Century French Art Deco Decorative Art
MaterialsGlass
- Set of Four Plates 'Velieri' by Piero Fornasetti, 1960sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Roma, ITSet of Four Plates "Velieri" is an original set of decorative objects realized by the Italian artist and designer Piero Fornasetti (Milan, 1909 - 19...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Platters and Serveware
MaterialsPorcelain
- Set of Seven Plates 'Velieri' by Piero Fornasetti, 1960sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Roma, ITSet of seven plates "Velieri" is an original set of decorative objects realized by the Italian artist and designer Piero Fornasetti (Milan, 1909-1988) in the 1960s. Made by Fornaset...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Platters and Serveware
MaterialsPorcelain
- Piero Fornasetti Tema E Variazioni Lina Cavalieri Torso Porcelain PlateBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireVintage Italian porcelain plate by Piero Fornasetti (Italian 1913-1988) decorated with the face of his muse, Lina Cavalieri, printed on a nake...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
MaterialsPorcelain
- Piero Fornasetti “Virgo” Plate Porcelain Gold, 1969, ItalyBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, ITPiero Fornasetti.Category
Late 20th Century Italian Other Decorative Art
MaterialsPorcelain
- Piero Fornasetti Adamo / Adam Porcelain Plate Number 12, Signed, ExcellentBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Kansas City, MOPiero Fornasetti Adamo / Adam porcelain plate # 12. Signed. Excellent condition.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Piero Fornasetti Adamo or Adam Porcelain Plate # 7, Signed, Excellent ConditionBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Kansas City, MOPiero Fornasetti Adamo or Adam porcelain plate number 7. Signed. Excellent condition.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain