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Fornasetti Furniture

The Italian artist, illustrator and furniture maker 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.

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Creator: Fornasetti
Astronomici n.1 Decorative Plate by Fornasetti
By Fornasetti
Located in Milan, IT
This hand-decorated porcelain plate is adorned with exquisite zodiac designs, making this a true collector's item. Any minor discrepancies are the result of craftsmanship and attest ...
Category

2010s Italian Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Astronomici Teapot
By Fornasetti
Located in Milan, IT
Refined zodiac motifs cover this elegant hand-decorated porcelain teapot with gold accents, turning an everyday object into a true collector's item. Any minor discrepancies between s...
Category

2010s Italian Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti Bighe Red & Black MidCentury Table Lamp, Italy, 1950s
By Fornasetti
Located in Vienna, AT
A red and black cylindrical table or side lamp from the 1950s, designed by Piero Fornasetti for Atelier Fornasetti, Milan, Italy. Crafted from metal and brass, the lamp features lith...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

FORNASETTI Chess Board Game Set Box
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage chess board - game set box for Dal Negro by Piero Fornasetti, made in Italy in the 1970s. The box is made in walnut wood, and it includes chess game, checkers game, card game...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

FORNASETTI Tema E Variazioni Porcelain Plate Motiv 24
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Rosenthal Fornasetti "Temi e Variazioni" porcelain plate motiv 24, with gold rim and black and white printed center depicting the face of the famous opera singer Lina Cavalie...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Fornasetti Themes & Variation Porcelain Plate, Number 200
By Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Fornasetti Themes & Variation Porcelain Plate with Original White Box, Number 200, The Statue, 1990s The Fornasetti porcelain plate is number 200 in the Themes & Variation series. ...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

FORNASETTI Fondale Marino Floor Lamp by Fornasetti
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage "Fondale Marino" (seabed) table lamp from the La Follia Pratica series, composed of a flat plexiglass sheet photostatic printed with aquatic design, assembled by folding the ...
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Plexiglass

Two 1960s Mid-Century Modern Musical Instruments Plates by Piero Fornasetti
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Aci Castello, IT
These two 1960s Mid-Century Modern decorative plates by Piero Fornasetti typically exemplify his whimsical and artistic approach to design.The plates depict intricate surreal illustr...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti Tema e Variazioni Porcelain Plate #1
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Miami, FL
The face of the opera singer Lina Cavalieri, Piero Fornasetti's muse, embellishes this decorative porcelain wall plate. This is the first decoration of what went on to become the ico...
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

20th Century, Piero Fornasetti Rare Trumeau mod. Gran Coromandel
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Turin, Turin
Piero Fornasetti was an Italian painter, sculptor, decorator, and craftsman who used ornamental and pictorial motifs to decorate silk scarves, furniture, plates, vessels, and similar...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Glass, Wood, Harewood

FORNASETTI Pair of Vintage Table Lamps
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian "Jerusalem by night" table lamp with painted metal (lithographical and transfer-printed) and brass / made in Milan Italy in the 1980s Original label on the base 1 lig...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

Fornasetti Set of 2 Silk Cushions Grande Pesce Fish
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti cushions will add to each room an unexpected detail thanks to the most iconic Italian atelier designs. It is a set of two cushion...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Silk

Piero Fornasetti Umbrella Stand
By Fornasetti
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Rare umbrella stand by Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988), Italian designer known for his whimsical trompe l'oeil works on metal. This is an early example, circa 1950s-1960s.
Category

1950s Italian Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Fornasetti Raised Small Sideboard Cabinet Architettura Celeste Architectural
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The sideboard cabinet is handcrafted using original artisan techniques, like all Fornasetti pieces of furniture This cabinet is silk-screened by hand, hand-finished and covered with a smooth lacquer. It is part of the Architettura Celeste collection, lauched during the 2018 Milan Design...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

FORNASETTI Glass Paperweight
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage glass sphere paperweight by Fornasetti, made in Italy in the 1990s Original label underside Diameter: 3 inches / Height: 1.5 inches 1 ...
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Glass

Fornasetti Consolle Bocca Colored Handcrafted Wood
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti console is a wooden storage piece of furniture silkscreened and laquered by hand following the Atelier's traditional method. Like ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

Fornasetti Cushion Silenzio from the Series Tema e Variazioni Cotton
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti cushions will add to each room an unexpected detail thanks to the most iconic Italian atelier designs. The decoration features t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Cotton

FORNASETTI "Jerusalem by Night" Panel
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare original vintage "Jerusalem by Night" screen print on wood panel, designed by Piero Fornasetti / made in Milan Italy by Fornasetti Original label on the back Measures: width 37 ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

FORNASETTI Pair of Vintage Table Lamps
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian table lamp with painted metal decorated with violet flowers (lithographical and transfer-printed) and brass / made in Milan Italy in the 1980s Original label on the b...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

Fornasetti Dome Plate, Cupola Galleria Di Milano Number 7 in Series
By Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Fornasetti Dome Plate, Cupola Galleria di Milano Number 7 in Series, Dated 2018 Each plate in the series has a different dome of a named and numbered building on the reverse, seen from the inside and below. Dimensions: 9 1/4 inches x 1 inch high. (23.50cm diameter x 2.54cm) The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is Italy's oldest active shopping gallery and a major landmark of Milan in Italy. Housed within a four-story double arcade in the centre of town, the Galleria is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. . These plates were originally designed and executed for building contractor Andrea Brenta, Milan, as Christmas presents...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

FORNASETTI Cigar Humidor
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian wooden cigar humidor box with cammei design on faux marble / made in Milan Italy by Fornasetti, in the 1980s Original metal label inside Measures: width 10 inches, de...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

Fornasetti Fish Bowls on Tray, Italy, 1950s
By Fornasetti
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of four Fornasetti Fish Bowls on a Tray, Italy 1950s. The measurements given apply to the tray. One bowl measures 11 x 14 x 3 cm.
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

FORNASETTI Pair of Vintage Table Lamps
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian table lamp with painted metal decorated with cameos on red background (lithographical and transfer-printed) and brass / made in Milan Italy in the 1980s Original labe...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

FORNASETTI Tema E Variazioni Porcelain Plate #81
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Piero Fornasetti "Tema e Variazioni" porcelain plate depicting the smoking face of the famous opera singer Lina Cavalieri, no.81 / made in Milano Italy circa 1960 Original ma...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Fornasetti Cushion Abbaglio from the Series Tema e Variazioni Cotton
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti cushions will add to each room an unexpected detail thanks to the most iconic Italian atelier designs. The decoration features t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Cotton

Fornasetti Curved Cabinet Coromandel Hand Colored Wood Special Edition
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The curved cabinet shape was designed by Barnaba Fornasetti in 2003 and now it can be considered one of the most iconic pieces of furniture in the Itali...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

Cylindrical Metal Lamp Base Viso Black/White, Iconical Fornasetti Face Decor
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The cylindrical shape allows Fornasetti's imagination to create surprising decorative effects in which the shapes follow one another endlessly. The metafisical face design makes this hand-silkscreened metal lamp base...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

Fornasetti Silk Cushion Peccato Originale Original Sin
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti cushions will add to each room an unexpected detail thanks to the most iconic Italian atelier designs. The decoration features a snake holding the forbidden fruit in its jaws, and surrounded by hand painted leaves. It is inspired by the biblical original sin...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Silk

Fornasetti Curved Cabinet Notturno Hand Colored Wood
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The curved cabinet shape was designed by Barnaba Fornasetti in 2003 and now it can be considered one of the most iconic pieces of furniture in the Itali...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

Sole Chair by Piero Fornasetti for Fornasetti Milano
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Dorchester, MA
Designed in the 1950s, the Sole Chair by Piero Fornasetti features a repeating radiant sun motif (a transferred lithographic print). In this ...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Beech, Birch

1960s Classical Set of Two Bookends " Porta di Venezia " by Piero Fornasetti
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Aci Castello, IT
This rare and visually captivating set of two bookends by Piero Fornasetti, dating from the 1960s, showcases the designer’s signature fusion of classical imagery and surrealist charm...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Iron

Set of 5 1950s Piero Fornasetti Grandi Maestri Gold Ceramic Plates
By Fornasetti
Located in London, GB
Set of 5 Fornasetti ceramic /gold plates “Grandi Maestri” series. Ceramic plate by Piero Fornasetti of the series ” Grandi Maestri ” Music Great Masters. Ceramic, silk screen prin...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Vintage Piero Fornasetti Strumenti Musical or Libri Screen
By Fornasetti
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An iconic mid-size screen depicting a library shelf on one side and musical instruments on the verso. A period example, circa 1954. Measures: 53 1/2" high.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

1950s Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Aperitivo Set
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Aci Castello, IT
A set of five vintage aperitivo bowls by Fornasetti. These bowls feature intricate black and white illustrations with gold accents, especially on the rims and bases. Each bowl is ado...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Ceramic, Porcelain

FORNASETTI Butterfly Poker Card Game Set Box
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage butterfly poker card game set box, screen print on wood, with two decks of playing cards, eight dices and chips / Designed by PIero Fornasetti, made in Milan Italy by Fornase...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

Piero Fornasetti Gilded Porcelain Chariot Coasters or Nut Dishes Vintage- 6 pcs
By Fornasetti
Located in Cordova, SC
Vintage mid century modern Fornasetti coasters, set of six (6) of chariots with horses with gold gilding. Some noticeable wear to the gold coloring on the faces of the coasters. No c...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Fornasetti Desk and Chair "FIORI NELLA NOTTE" - Unique Pieces
By Fornasetti
Located in Rome, RM
The Fornasetti "Fiori nella Notte" desk and chair are unique pieces made in exclusive for Betony Vernon's private home in Paris in 2004. The desk has a drawer and the top opens to be...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

Vintage Piero Fornasetti Vide Poche or Trinket Dish
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A classic small dish which could be used as a Vide Poche, catchall, jewelry tray, etc designed by Piero Fornasetti. Great musical theme and very good condition.
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Original Fornasetti Curved Chest Of Drawers
By Fornasetti
Located in Kent, Dover
An original Fornasetti Chest "Archittetura" Produced by Atelier Fornasetti in lithographically printed hand painted and lacquered rosewood, with brass fittings, these pieces of furn...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Beech

FORNASETTI Set of 6 Fornasetti Mural Plates by Louis Vuitton
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fornasetti Mural plate set, co-designed by Johnny Coca and the Italian atelier Fornasetti, each featuring a unique motif echoing the antiquity theme from the Louis Vuitton Women's Fa...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti, Vintage Plate from the Series of Church Domes Cupole d'Italia
By Fornasetti
Located in Roma, IT
Decorated porcelain Plate number 5 from the series Cupole d’Italia: Cupola di San Lorenzo a Torino. Each plate with a different dome of an Italian church seen from the inside named and numbered on the reverse. These plates were designed and executed for building contractor Andrea Brenta, Milan, as Christmas presents...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Piero Fornasetti Cammei Table Lamps
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Miami, FL
A vintage pair of Mid-Century Modern Cameo off-white lamps designed in the 1960s by the Italian master of playful and surreal self-expression, Piero Forna...
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass, Enamel

Two 1970s Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti for Winston White Ceramic Vide Poches
By Fornasetti
Located in Aci Castello, IT
A pair of square white ceramic vide poches designed and manufactured by Fornasetti for Winston cigarettes, they feature the famous woman's face that we see in many variations of her ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

1993 Fornasetti Portfolio 6 Surrealist Black/Gold Prints France
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Miami, FL
The complete portfolio from the series Sole e Lune containing 6 Fine Art Silkscreen by Piero Fornasetti published in France by Graphique de France in 1993. This portfolio was exclusively created for Pier One...
Category

1990s French Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Paper

PIERO FORNASETTI Milano 1960 Enameled Sliding Box With Racing Car & Horse
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Miami, FL
An enameled sliding box designed by Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988). This is a very rare rectangular sliding box created in Milano Italy by Piero Fornasetti. The box is from the mid-century period, crafted in the 1960's in steel and wood. The outer steel is embellished with applications of multicolor enamel depicting a double wheel racing car with a horse . The box is very decorative and in very good preserved condition. These kinds of boxes are highly collectable and desirable among the mid-century and Italian design collectors. Piero Fornasetti He was an Italian artist and designer that born in Milan into a middle-class family, Fornasetti creative pursuits encompassed design, decoration, painting, curating, and printing. His oeuvre, spanning over 13,000 works, displayed a wide range of objects and furniture with a unique emphasis on decorative diversity. Collaborating with figures like Gio Ponti, Fornasetti's atelier became synonymous with bringing art into everyday lives through practical yet artistically adorned objects. Fornasetti's artistic philosophy emphasized the production of series over one-of-a-kind pieces, reflecting his commitment to democratizing art. A central motif in his work was the "variations," notably exemplified in the iconic "Tema e Variazioni" series featuring over 400 renditions of opera singer Lina Cavalieri's face. His creative genius extended across different mediums, from furniture to paintings, demonstrating a coherent stylistic code. Although Fornasetti faced...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Enamel, Bronze

Fornasetti Milano 'Fiori' Pattern Porcelain Plates, Set of Twelve, circa 1965
By Fornasetti
Located in Kinderhook, NY
An incredibly rare set of 12 large porcelain dinner plates in the 'Fiori' pattern designed by Piero Fornasetti and produced by Fornasetti - Milano, circa 1965. There are two plates o...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Set of Eight Fornasetti Coasters with 'Coins' Decoration form 1960s
By Fornasetti
Located in Milano, MI
Set of 8 coasters by Fornasetti in silk-screened porcelain, with "Monete" decoration made for Banca Unione Milano in the 1960s. The series was given as a gift by the bank to its cust...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Fornasetti Enamel Metal Mahogany Box
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage decorative matches box with enamel metal portraying a hot air balloon and mahogany wood insert / designed by Piero Fornasetti, made in Italy in the 1960s Length: 4.5 inches /...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

FORNASETTI Vintage Table Lamp
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian Oggi Maria Pia newspaper table lamp with painted metal (lithographical and transfer-printed) and brass / made in Milan Italy in the 198...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

Pair of Illuminated Mirrors by Barnaba Fornasetti, Circa 1970.
By Fornasetti
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of illuminated mirrors by Barnaba Fornasetti, Circa 1970. Pair of mirrors by designer Barnaba Fornasetti, illuminated mirrors in whit...
Category

20th Century European Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

Fornasetti Astrolabio plate series
By Fornasetti
Located in London, GB
Astrolabio series 2 of 2 ceramic and gold dishes by Piero Fornasetti. Italian with original malachite print decorated boxes.
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Set of 6 Astronomici Tea Cups
By Fornasetti
Located in Milan, IT
This set of hand-decorated porcelain tea cups with gold accents is adorned with exquisite zodiac designs, making this ensemble a true collector's item. Any minor discrepancies betwee...
Category

2010s Italian Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Fornasetti Consolle Facciata Quattrocentesca White/Black/Yellow Handcrafted Wood
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti console is a wooden storage piece of furniture silkscreened and laquered by hand following the Atelier's traditional method. The m...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

FORNASETTI Pair of Vintage Table Lamps
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian table lamp with painted metal decorated with harlequins on red background (lithographical and transfer-printed) and brass / made in Milan Italy by Fornasetti, in the ...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

20th Century Italian Round Umbrella & Stick Stand By Piero Fornasetti c.1950
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
A vintage 20th Century Italian metal stick stand, designed by Piero Fornasetti, features a unique design with umbrellas and sticks encircling the outer cover. The interior is painted...
Category

20th Century Italian Other Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

FORNASETTI Pair of Vintage Table Lamps
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian table lamp with painted metal decorated with book motif and butterfly (lithographical and transfer-printed) and brass / made in Milan Italy in the 1980s Original labe...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

1950s by Piero Fornasetti Midcentury Italian Design Box
By Fornasetti
Located in Brescia, IT
Serigraphy on metal, wood box Excellent condition.
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Metal

Curved Chest of Drawers Scimmie Grey Shades, Chromed Details
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
Like all Fornasetti pieces of furniture, it is handcrafted using original artisan techniques. This corner cabinet is silk-screened by hand, hand-panited and covered with a smooth lacquer. The decoration depicts the iconic Fornasetti monkeys on a grey leaves...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Wood

Tema e Variazioni n.393 Round Ashtray
By Fornasetti
Located in Milan, IT
The face of opera singer Lina Cavalieri, reinterpreted by Piero Fornasetti, embellishes this hand-decorated porcelain ashtray, part of the iconic Tema e Variazioni series: an everyda...
Category

2010s Italian Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti Set of Six Strumenti Musicali Plates, 1950s-1960s
By Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Piero Fornasetti set of six strumenti musicali plates 1950s-1960s. The plates each depict a different selection of stringed instruments including guitars and lutes on a faux bois...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture

Materials

Ceramic, Pottery

Fornasetti furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Fornasetti furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of ceramic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Fornasetti furniture, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 143 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 53 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Fornasetti were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Richard Ginori, Alfredo Barbini, and La Murrina. Prices for Fornasetti furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $274 and can go as high as $32,216, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,614.
Questions About Fornasetti Furniture
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Fornasetti plates are hand-made in Italy. They continue a tradition of excellent craftsmanship that goes back to founder Piero Fornasetti, who established the atelier during the 1950s. Shop antique and modern Fornasetti plates from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Fornasetti is an art design company that produces furniture and home accessories decorated by hand. Piero Fornasetti established the company in Milan, Italy, during the 1950s as his atelier. As of December 2021, his son, Barnaba Fornasetti, heads the company. You'll find a selection of Fornasetti on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Piero Fornasetti was an Italian artist and designer born in Milan, Italy, in 1913. In 1950, he founded an atelier in the city, creating furniture and home decorations. Fornasetti died on October 9, 1988. His company, Fornasetti, continues to produce hand-decorated decor under the guidance of his son Barnaba Fornasetti. Find a collection of Fornasetti on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024
    The style of Fornasetti is mid-century modern. The Italian artist and designer crafted an inimitable decorative style from a personal library of images rendered in transfer print engravings, including birds, butterflies, hot-air balloons, architecture and an enigmatic woman's face, to decorate an endless variety of furnishings and housewares that range from chairs, tables and decorative objects to dinner plates, table lamps and umbrella stands. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Piero Fornasetti art, furniture and decorative objects.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    You can buy Fornasetti directly from the brand's online store. In addition, numerous brick-and-mortar retailers around the world carry Fornasetti pieces. You can also shop for the brand's furniture and home décor on multiple online platforms. You'll find a collection of Fornasetti on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    How you display Fornasetti plates is largely a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer to rest them flat on a low table or shelf, while others position them upright on plate stands. You can also thread string or twine through the two holes found on the back of every piece and display it as wall art. Find a collection of Fornasetti plates on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    To burn a Fornasetti candle, first trim the wick to remove any soot. Then, light the candle and allow it to burn for up to three hours. Use a snuffer to extinguish the candle, as blowing out the flame can disturb the wax. Find a collection of Fornasetti on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Opera singer Natalina ‘Lina’ Cavalieri is the face that inspired Piero Fornasetti throughout his artistic career, from his plates to wallpaper and more. Lina Cavalieri was known as the most beautiful woman in the world during her lifetime from 1874-1944. It was eight years after Cavalieri’s death that Fornasetti came across her image in a magazine and was thereby inspired to replicate it repetitively. On 1stDibs, find a collection of authentic Fornasetti plates from some of the world’s top sellers.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 27, 2024
    The style of art by Fornasetti varied. His use of whimsical motifs has often led his artwork to be associated with Surrealism, while his use of repetitive imagery, like in his many prints featuring opera singer Lina Cavalieri, skewed toward Pop art. As a designer, his works reflected mid-century modern sensibilities with a playful twist. Explore a collection of Piero Fornasetti art and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Yes, each and every Fornasetti design is hand made and hand painted. The colors are expertly applied by painters, ensuring no two items are alike. You’ll find a variety of Fornasetti designs from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    To hang Fornasetti plates, thread a length of string through the two small holes found on the tops of their backs. Tie the string in a secure knot and then hang from a nail, screw or hook. Avoid using plate hanger hardware, as it could crack or damage the plates. You'll find a collection of Fornasetti plates on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMay 14, 2024
    Piero Fornasetti is famous for his work as a designer. The Italian artist was one of the wittiest and most imaginative talents of the 20th century. Fornasetti 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 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 decorative objects to dinner plates, table lamps and umbrella stands. His work is archly clever, often Surrealist and always fun. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Piero Fornasetti pieces.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Whether or not Piero Fornasetti images are in the public domain depends on the image. The artist produced more than 11,000 works during his lifetime. Only some no longer carry a copyright and are in the public domain. Shop a range of Fornasetti on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    No, every Fornasetti porcelain figurine is handmade. In fact, the brand produces all of their home decorative items by hand at their workshop in Milan, Italy. If you see indications that a figurine came from a factory, it is likely not an authentic Fornasetti. Shop a collection of expertly vetted Fornasetti on 1stDibs.

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