Enzo Mari was an influential industrial designer and a beloved curmudgeon who revered Marxism. His vintage mid-century modern designs are simple, functional and poetic. Widely known Mari-designed objects include desk accessories, such as the Formosa perpetual wall calendar, vases, cocktail tables and chandeliers.
Enzo Mari's work is embedded within the city of Milan, the Italian capital of all things design. In fact, the traffic bollards he devised are part of the city itself: Shaped like "panettone" cakes, they simultaneously direct traffic and provide seating for pedestrians.
In 1974, Mari published Autoprogettazione? (roughly translated as self-design), a Marx-inspired, anti-industrial, do-it-yourself handbook for the everyday person to use to build furniture without the assistance of a glitzy designer or knowledge of complex joinery. Mari’s intent with the publication was to remove the alienation of the creator and manufacturer from the end product by teaching anyone to develop a critical eye for production.
Artek relaunched kits based on the blueprints in the manual in an exhibition at Spazio Rossana Orlandi in 2010. The subsequent collectability of his work was reportedly irksome for Mari because he abhorred the industrial production for which he was becoming known.
Mari’s meager upbringing heavily influenced his politics, and even in childhood, he would come up with ingenious ways to support the family financially. As a designer, the desire to envision and build significant pieces was more important to Mari than devising new marketing and retail sales tactics. He optimistically believed objects could change the world. This view went against the rising consumer mania for every next trend that surfaced in the late 20th century. Not surprisingly, his ecological and economical stance led him to produce fewer objects.
Mari's philosophy did not stop people from desiring his creations, nor prevent other designers from wanting to collaborate with him. Following World War II, he worked for companies like Danese, Olivetti, Artemide, Driade and Alessi, who brought his prodigious designs to the public, and Mari’s work was widely celebrated.
The Golden Compass, Italy's highest honor for industrial design, was awarded to Mari four times before he died from COVID in 2020, and New York’s Museum of Modern Art has a permanent collection of his objects on display.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Enzo Mari decorative objects, folk art and serveware.
Stackable Wine Rack Rexite Cantina Design Enzo Mari
By Enzo Mari, Rexite
Located in Alcamo, IT
Cantina – Stackable Wine Rack Design: Enzo Mari Stackable Wine Rack for 12 Bottles Elegant and functional, the Cantina wine rack features a chrome...
Steel
Rexite Venezia – Free-Standing Bookcase design Enzo Mari - White - 5 Shelves
By Enzo Mari, Rexite
Located in Alcamo, IT
Model: Venezia – Free-Standing Bookcase Design: Enzo Mari Free-Standing Bookcase Venezia is a column-style shelving system with softened lines, featuring rounded and shaped edges t...
Steel
Rexite Venezia – Free-Standing Bookcase design Enzo Mari - Black - 5 Shelves
By Enzo Mari, Rexite
Located in Alcamo, IT
Model: Venezia – Free-Standing Bookcase Design: Enzo Mari Free-Standing Bookcase Venezia is a column-style shelving system with softened lines, featuring rounded and shaped edges t...
Steel
Sideboard by Enzo Mari for Poltronova, 1980s
By Enzo Mari
Located in Brussels, BE
Sideboard by Enzo Mari for Poltronova, 1980s
Marble
Enzo Mari Dima Modular Wall Shelving System
By Enzo Mari, Simon Furniture
Located in Chicago, IL
Enzo Mari Dima modular wall shelving system for Simon International Dima Italy, circa 1970 Enameled steel, shelves adjustable with solid plastic holders...
Metal
Bookcase, wooden sideboard design by Antonia Astoria de Ponti and Enzo Mari
By Driade, Enzo Mari, Antonia Astori
Located in Milano, IT
Modular sideboard bookcase "Bric" by Enzo Mari for Driade in wood, a work of Italian design that combines elegance and functionality. Iconic piece perfect for modern and sophisticate...
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Leather Sideboard by De Couro, Brazil, 1980s
By De Couro
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Sideboard - A Pair available - Vintage 1980s A Pair available : model without cable pass Rare and elegant, this Brazilian sideboard from the De Couro collection testifies to the refi...
Leather, Wood
Opinion Ciatti Portariviste Magazine Rack
By Opinion Ciatti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Portariviste, an object that identifies exactly its function and there is no need for a different name to define it. Portariviste is so similar in the concept but so distant in the e...
Steel
$7,580 / item
H 70 in W 76 in D 12 in
Casey Lurie Studio Modern High "Primo" Shelving System in Walnut with Brass
By Casey Lurie
Located in Chicago, IL
“Shelving can be the most mundane thing you own, or it can be the beautiful bones of a room as pleasing to see as anything it displays. Casey Lurie’s Primo system would be the latter.” William L. Hamilton, The wall street journal The Primo shelving system is composed of notched solid wood planks...
Brass, Stainless Steel, Metal
$16,416 / item
H 75.8 in W 39.3 in D 19.6 in
Fabio Novembre Driade "Venus" Bookcase in Natural Oak, Designed
By Fabio Novembre, Driade
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The "Venus" bookcase designed by Fabio Novembre and manufactured by Driade. The structure is made of oak veneer while the statue consists of marble powder mixed with resin. Novembre draws his inspiration from the wooden crates used...
Marble
$5,480 / item
H 42 in W 76 in D 12 in
Casey Lurie Studio Modern Low "Primo" Shelving System in Walnut with Brass
By Casey Lurie
Located in Chicago, IL
“Shelving can be the most mundane thing you own, or it can be the beautiful bones of a room as pleasing to see as anything it displays. Casey Lurie’s Primo system would be the latter.” William L. Hamilton, The wall street journal The primo shelving system is composed of notched solid wood planks...
Brass, Stainless Steel, Metal
Vintage Danish Wall Mounted Teak Shelving System, 1960s.
By Poul Cadovius, Kurt Østervig
Located in Asaa, DK
Vintage Danish wall mounted teak shelving system, 1960s. Floating Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern two bay wall unit in teak with 7 shelves. Each shelf is mounted on black metal bra...
Teak
$575
H 14 in W 30.75 in D 18 in
George Nelson - Omni System - Shelving or Wall Unit Walnut Cabinet Only - Parts
By George Nelson
Located in St. Louis, MO
Mid-Century Modern 1960s George Nelson designed for Omni Systems, this is part for a wall unit, Two Drawer File Cabinet in oiled walnut, no hardware. I nee...
Walnut
$2,636Sale Price / set|35% Off
H 63.78 in W 33.86 in D 11.42 in
1920s Antique Globe Wernicke Stacking Barrister's Bookcase, USA
By Globe Wernicke
Located in Reading, Berkshire
An Antique Globe Wernicke Four Section Iron Banded Glazed Stacking Barrister's Bookcase 1920s & 1940's as noted by both logos Comes apart in sections for easy transportation. Se...
Brass
$675
H 24 in W 30.75 in D 15 in
George Nelson - Omni System - Shelving or Wall Unit Walnut Cabinet Only - Parts
By George Nelson
Located in St. Louis, MO
Mid-Century Modern 1960s George Nelson designed for Omni Systems, this is part for a wall unit, a four drawer cabinet in walnut, no hardware. Part # 631532...
Walnut
$5,828
H 63 in W 98.43 in D 19.69 in
Acerbis 1980s Sideboard Designed by Lodovico Acerbis and Giotto Stoppino
By Acerbis, Giotto Stoppino
Located in Antwerp, BE
Soffio di Vento was a creation penned by Lodovico Acerbis and Giotto Stoppino that went beyond the simple need to contain with free sliding doors to avoid any pre-defined open or clo...
Wood
$1,062
H 34.65 in W 77.96 in D 19.69 in
Vintage Danish Modern Beech Sideboard by Falsig Møbelfabrik, 1980s
By Gunnar Falsig
Located in Asaa, DK
Vintage Scandinavian Modern beech sideboard by Falsig Møbelfabrik, 1980s Long lowboard in the light nordic design. Loads of storage space in the two cabinets and five drawers. The bo...
Beech
$5,341
H 33.08 in W 78.75 in D 20.87 in
Giovanni Michelucci Torbecchia Sideboard in Walnut Wood by Poltronova 1964
By Giovanni Michelucci, Poltronova
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Torbecchia sideboard is entirely realized in solid veneered walnut wood, with two frontal hinging doors, two drawers, and a storage unit under the openable top part. The signature o...
Wood, Walnut
