Collectors of vintage mid-century modern furniture will find that the work of Italian designer Vittorio Dassi and Dassi Mobili Moderni is elegant and sculptural, brimming with all of the clean, angular lines and pleasing symmetry associated with the best of the era’s offerings.
While Dassi's name is less known to enthusiasts of the period’s furniture than the likes of Ico and Luisa Parisi, Franco Albini and other leading lights of mid-20th century Italian design, his case pieces, tables and seating will prove no less worthy of hunting down at today's flea markets and online marketplaces.
Wood was Dassi's preferred material — he favored rosewood, mahogany, walnut and other species for his covetable desks and wall units, which frequently featured decorative flourishes such as glass inlays, while a sideboard or buffet’s fronts might boast hand-carved geometric cutouts in lieu of brass door handles.
While little is known about Dassi's early life, it is believed that his career in furniture design began in 1940 at his family's company Dassi Mobili Moderni, in Lissone, Italy. Shortly thereafter, he took over managing the company from his father.
While Dassi produced dry bars and other case pieces during the 1950s that featured the motifs and ornament that are today attributed to the Art Deco movement, he created sumptuous mahogany nightstands topped with black glass and minimalist teak coffee tables that better represented the forward-looking spirit of mid-century modernism. His wall units of the era for Mobili Cantù are works of art — crafted in walnut and featuring birch veneers and high-gloss lacquer finishes as well as a single door front decorated with an abstract painting or otherwise provocative illustration, these structures would undoubtedly prove quite impressive to the likes of Poul Cadovius and George Nelson.
Dassi often collaborated with Italian architect, editor and furniture designer Gio Ponti. Ponti designed thousands of furnishings and products — from cabinets, mirrors and chairs to ceramics and coffeemakers — and his buildings, including the brawny Pirelli Tower (1956) in his native Milan, and the castle-like Denver Art Museum (1971), were erected in 14 countries. A collaboration between Dassi and Ponti of note is the pair’s work on the Hotel Royal in Naples — Ponti was commissioned to design the hotel and he partnered with Dassi to design the hotel's furnishings.
Today, Dassi Mobili Moderni S.R.L. is still in operation in Lissone.
Find vintage Dassi furniture by Fratelli Turri, Edmondo Palutari and other designers on 1stDibs.
DASSI - Piccolo tavolo, scrivania - Casetto centrale - Teak - ITALIA 1950.
By Dassi
Located in Milano, IT
DASSI - Piccolo tavolo , scrivania o console con cassetto centrale realizzato in acero massello , di linea pulita ed elegante , originale degli anni 50. Molto robusta e stabile, e s...
Teak
Dassi, Console Table, Wood, Brass, Italy, 1950s
By Dassi
Located in High Point, NC
A wood and brass wall-mounted console table produced by Dassi, Italy, c. 1950s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 23.8"H x 55.45"W x 17.5"D All items ship from High Point, North Carolina.
Brass
Mid-Century Italian Console Table by Vittorio Dassi
By Dassi
Located in Paddock Wood Tonbridge, GB
Mid-Century Italian Console Table This elegant mid-century Italian console table is attributed to Vittorio Dassi, showcasing refined proportions and beautifully judged materials typi...
Teak
$3,749Sale Price|30% Off
Mid-Century Italia Vanity Desk in Lacquered Wood Gio Ponti Style Colored Dassi
By Dassi
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Mid-century Italia vanity desk in lacquered wood and Gio Pont style colored glass.
Glass, Wood, Lacquer
Beech and Walnut Root Console Table with an Orange Glass Top, Italy
By Dassi
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1950s. This console table is made in beech and walnut root and features an orange back-painted glass top, two lateral shelves and a brass handle. This is a vintage p...
Brass
$4,178Sale Price / set|55% Off
H 33.47 in W 33.47 in D 13.78 in
Pair of Dassi "verde alpi" Marble and Rosewood Console Tables, 1940
By Vittorio Dassi
Located in Rome, IT
A rare pair of elegant Vittorio Dassi console tables, nightstands, circa 1940 Brass cylindrical feet, top and base in "verde alpi" Italian marble and central drilled foot Good condi...
Marble, Brass
Italian Marble Top Table For Dassi 1950's
By Dassi
Located in Shibuya-ku, 13
This Italian vintage marble-topped table stands like a single architectural structure, exuding an overwhelming presence and profound charm. Italy, renowned as a source of marble, has...
Marble, Metal
1950s Sculptural Venetian Wall Console Table Cristallo Brass Italy
By Guglielmo Ulrich, Ico Parisi, Gio Ponti, Fontana Arte
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a 1950s Italian Regency Console Table. Made in Italy. Sculptural brass, New cristallo stone top. Unmarked. Custom made in Italy style of Gio Ponti. Dimension...
Stone, Brass, Bronze
$10,666 / item
H 29.14 in W 59.45 in D 15.75 in
Ico Parisi Console Table by Cassina, Mid-Century Modern, Italy
By Cassina, Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table designed by Ico Parisi in 1947, relaunched in 2020. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. The idea for this console table, designed by Ico Parisi in 1947 for a private client, ...
Brass
$4,250
H 30.75 in W 46.5 in D 26.125 in
Gio Ponti Style Teak Writing Desk for Dassi, Mid-Century, Italy, 1950s
By Dassi, Gio Ponti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Italian writing desk attributed to Gio Ponti for Vittorio Dassi exemplifies the designer's refined aesthetic through geometric precision and material contrast. Rich teak construction...
Brass, Steel
$2,499
H 33.47 in W 42.52 in D 14.97 in
Italian Console Table 1950s In Ebonized Wood And Verde Alpi Marble
Located in Prato, Tuscany
Elegant Italian console table from the 1950s, crafted from solid wood with an ebonized finish and featuring a fine “Verde Alpi” marble top. The demilune profile of the top, combined ...
Wood
$6,547 / item
H 35.44 in W 59.06 in D 21.66 in
Art Deco Fontaine Console Table, Beech Gold Leaf, Handmade Portugal Greenapple
By Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Art Deco Fontaine Console Table, Modern Collection, Handcrafted in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple. The Fontaine console table is named after Jean de La Fontaine, the renowned Frenc...
Onyx, Marble, Brass, Stainless Steel, Gold Leaf
$3,928
H 26.78 in W 35.44 in D 17.72 in
Italian Mid-Century Modern PetiteTable Desk Designed by Vittorio Dassi, 1950s
By Vittorio Dassi
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Stylish Italian Mid-Century Modern petite desk elegantly named "Dattilo" in wood teak designed by Vittorio Dassi, from the 1950s. The drawer front is very elegant, inspired by the co...
Brass
$1,309
H 20.08 in W 28.75 in D 9.85 in
Mid-Century Brass and Marble Top Floating Wall Console Table, 1950s, Italy
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Mid-Century Brass and Marble Top Floating Wall Console Table, 1950s, Ita Wear consistent with age and use. There are some cracks at the end of the marble, Appears in the photos. Me...
Marble, Brass
Desk and Stool by Gio Ponti for Fontana Arte, Italy 1938
By Fontana Arte, Gio Ponti
Located in Hellouw, NL
The name Gio Ponti needs little introduction to the design-loving public. This architect, designer and visionary stood at the cradle of modern Italian design. His countless projects ...
Rosewood
$3,166 / set
H 20.48 in W 23.63 in D 13 in
Pair of Italian Mid-Century Modern Bedside Tables, 1950s – Attributed to Dassi
By Dassi
Located in Catania, CT
Elegant pair of Italian Mid-Century Modern bedside tables produced in the 1950s and attributed to Dassi. These pieces feature a refined and sculptural design typical of Italian moder...
Wood
$2,900 / set
H 48 in W 27.5 in D 18.25 in
Vintage Mid Century Art Deco Vanity or Desk with Mirror in Pine
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A funky art deco vanity with mirror. Solid pine with period deco hardware. Mirror has some small dark spot from age. All in all very good condition. Price includes both vanity & mirr...
Mirror, Pine
Mid century Italian Entrance console by Vitorrio Dassi
By Dassi
Located in Paddock Wood Tonbridge, GB
ITALIAN CONSOLE BY DASSI A stunning mid century entrance console table designed and produced by Vittorio Dassi in Italy in the 1950’s, using mahogany with contrasting sycamore detail...
Mahogany, Sycamore
Sold
H 29.53 in W 41.34 in D 14.18 in
Vintage Sculptural Swan Motif Canaletto Walnut Console Table by Dassi, Italy
By Dassi
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1950s. This is a high-quality console table, which is made in dyed Canaletto walnut and beech. It features two carved swans next to the pedestal. This is a vintage p...
Walnut, Beech
Vittorio Dassi Rosewood and Ash Console
By Dassi
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Vittorio Dassi rosewood and ash console with black opaline glass top, brass details, good original condition.
Rosewood
1950 Console-Style Italian Vittorio Dassi
By Dassi
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Console-style Italian Vittorio Dassi 1950s.
Art Glass, Wood
Monumental Console by Dassi
By Dassi
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
Monumental rosewood and black lacquer console by Dassi circa 1950 Italy. Featuring a pierced architectural pedestal base supoorting a simple beveled edge top.
Wood, Lacquer