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.
$3,800 / set
ICI Reflections Complete Set of Seven Prints
By Dieter Roth 1, Armin Hofmann, Enzo Mari, Norman Ives 1
Located in New York, NY
Complete set of seven prints commissioned by the Plastics Division of chemical giant ICI in 1971 as a promotional endeavor to show the potential of stamping foils in graphic design. ...
Polyester, Paper
Complete Set of “Three Aquatints”, Prints by Robert Mangold
By Robert Mangold
Located in Stamford, CT
A complete set of “Three Aquatints” prints by Robert Mangold. Published by Parasol Press Ltd., on Rives BFK paper. Each signed, numbered and annotated A, B, C in pencil. Framed using...
Paper
$3,261 / set
H 10.24 in W 7.96 in D 0.01 in
Decorative German Botanical Plates of Technical Plants, Complete Set of 12, 1854
Located in Langweer, NL
Decorative German Botanical Plates of Technical Plants, Complete Set of 12, 1854 This beautiful set of twelve original hand-colored botanical plates offers a timeless and versatile ...
Paper
Set of Four 1930s Advertisement Prints
Located in Los Angeles, CA
These four prints from the 1920s to 1930s have a red theme. Advertisements from various cosmetics of the time. Temporarily framed in a basic black wood frame. Sold as a set, Item...
Wood
$913 / set
H 14.97 in W 11.42 in D 0.01 in
Birds of Prey, Complete Set of 10 Chromolithographs – Eagles & Falcons c1890
Located in Langweer, NL
Birds of Prey, Complete Set of 10 Chromolithographs – Eagles & Falcons c1890 This impressive and visually unified suite of ten large-format chromolithographs depicts some of the mos...
Paper
Antique Religion Print of the Seven Sacraments, Eucharist - 1913
Located in Langweer, NL
Large antique print of the seven sacraments. Published by Mosella-Verlag, 1913. This print originates from a series titled 'Kathol. Schulbibelwerk von Dr. Ecker'.
Paper
$275Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 9.22 in W 6.03 in D 0.02 in
Set of 2 Original Antique Prints of Turtles
Located in Langweer, NL
Set of 2 original antique prints of turtles. These prints originate from 'Dictionnaire universel d'Histoire Naturelle' by d'Orbigny. Published 1861. Charles Henry Dessalines d'Orbigny was a French botanist and geologist specializing in the Tertiary of France. At the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, d'Orbigny identified many of the flowering plant species returned to France from his brother's natural history collecting...
Paper
$284Sale Price|20% Off
H 22.05 in W 31.5 in D 0.02 in
Antique Religion Print of the Seven Sacraments, Holy Orders, 1913
Located in Langweer, NL
Large antique print of the seven sacraments. Published by Mosella-Verlag, 1913. This print originates from a series titled 'Kathol. Schulbibelwerk von Dr. Ecker'.
Paper
$284Sale Price|20% Off
H 22.05 in W 31.5 in D 0.02 in
Antique Religion Print of the Seven Sacraments, Penance '1913'
Located in Langweer, NL
Large antique print of the seven sacraments. Published by Mosella-Verlag, 1913. This print originates from a series titled 'Kathol. Schulbibelwerk von Dr. Ecker'.
Paper
$284Sale Price|20% Off
H 22.05 in W 31.5 in D 0.02 in
Antique Religion Print of the Seven Sacraments, Baptism, 1913
Located in Langweer, NL
Large antique print of the seven sacraments. Published by Mosella-Verlag, 1913. This print originates from a series titled 'Kathol. Schulbibelwerk von Dr. Ecker'.
Paper
$284Sale Price|20% Off
H 31.5 in W 22.05 in D 0.02 in
Antique Religion Print of the Seven Sacraments, Confirmation, '1913'
Located in Langweer, NL
Large antique print of the seven sacraments. Published by Mosella-Verlag, 1913. This print originates from a series titled 'Kathol. Schulbibelwerk von Dr. Ecker'.
Paper
"Comforts of Bath" Seven Satirical Prints by Thomas Rowlandson
By Thomas Rowlandson
Located in NYC, NY
Seven prints from the 1857 re-edition of Thomas Rowlandson's visual satire "The Comforts of Bath". Each print by the famed British caricaturist chronicles an escapade of the prot...
Seven Samurai
Located in London, GB
Original Japanese Souvenir program cover for The Seven Samurai 1954. Akira Kurosawa was one of the most celebrated and influential film directors of the...
Paper
Italian Modern Press-Print Erupting Volcano by Enzo Mari, 1984
By Enzo Mari
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Press-print erupting volcano by Enzo Mari, 1984 Print named il Vulcano (the volcano) from the Natura series on white paper. The painting represent the silhouette of a brown volcano that is spewing smoke and red and yellow lava...
Wood, Paper
Italian Modern Press-Print Black Panther by Enzo Mari, 1984
By Enzo Mari
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Press-print la Pantera by Enzo Mari, 1984 Print named la Pantera (the panther) from the Natura series on white paper. The painting represent...
Wood, Paper
Sold
H 20.87 in W 28.75 in D 1.58 in
Italian Modern Press-Print La Mela E La Pera with Fruit by Enzo Mari, 1984
By Enzo Mari
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Press-print la Mela e la Pera with fruit by Enzo Mari, 1984 Print named la Mela e la Pera (the apple and the pear) from the Natura series on wh...
Wood, Paper