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Gae Aulenti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Italian, 1927-2012

The Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti will forever be best remembered for her work with museums, in particular her 1980–86 renovation of a Beaux Arts Paris train station to create the galleries of the Musée d’Orsay. Aulenti — whose first name, short for Gaetana, is pronounced “guy” — should also be recalled for her tough intellectual spirit and for working steadily when few women found successful architectural careers in postwar Italy.

After she graduated from the Milan Polytechic in 1954, Aulenti opened an architectural office. She also joined the staff of the progressive architectural magazine Casabella, whose editorial line was that the establishment, orthodox modernism of Le Corbusier and the Bauhaus, had outlived it usefulness. When their movement for fresh approaches to architecture and design received a sympathetic hearing, Aulenti found patrons — most prominently Gianni Agnelli, of Fiat, who later employed her to renovate the Palazzo Grassi in Venice for use as an arts exhibition space.

Commissions for showrooms and other corporate spaces brought Aulenti to furniture design. She felt that furniture should never dominate a room. Her chairs and sofas — low-slung, with rounded enameled metal frames and ample seats — and tables, particularly her 1972 marble Jumbo coffee table for Knoll, project solidity and sturdiness. In lighting design, however, Aulenti is bravura.

Each work has a marvelous sculptural presence. Pieces such as her Pipistrello table lamp and Quadrifoglio pendant are a perfect marriage of organically shaped glass and high-tech fixtures. Others have a futuristic elegance — and some even have a touch of personality. Aulenti’s Pileino and La Ruspa table lamps each look almost like little robots. Her lighting pieces are an artful grace note in the career of a woman who believed in strength.

Find vintage Gae Aulenti armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Gae Aulenti
Venini Geacolor Glass Vase in Multi-Color Swirls by Gae Aulenti
Venini Geacolor Glass Vase in Multi-Color Swirls by Gae Aulenti

Venini Geacolor Glass Vase in Multi-Color Swirls by Gae Aulenti

By Venini, Gae Aulenti

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Geacolor glass vase, designed by Gae Aulenti and manufactured by Venini, was originally produced in 1995. Indoor use only. Dimensions: Ø 30 cm.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Gae Aulenti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Glass

Riccio model vase, Venini production, Designer Gae Aulenti
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Riccio model vase, Venini production, Designer Gae Aulenti

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Some objects rely on contrast rather than complexity. The 'Riccio' vase by Gae Aulenti for Venini, designed in 2006, exemplifies this approach—merging sculptural form with refined te...

Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Gae Aulenti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

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Gae Aulenti, "Pulegoso" Venini Glass Vase, 1995

Gae Aulenti, "Pulegoso" Venini Glass Vase, 1995

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Gae Aulenti, "Pulegoso" Venini glass vase, 1995 Cased glass, clear and green air bubbles. Marked: Venini 2001 / Signed Gae Aulenti (engraved). Pict...

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Gae Aulenti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

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Gae Aulenti, "Pulegoso" Venini Glass Vase, 1995
Gae Aulenti, "Pulegoso" Venini Glass Vase, 1995

Gae Aulenti, "Pulegoso" Venini Glass Vase, 1995

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Located in Paris, FR

Gae Aulenti, "Pulegoso" Venini Glass Vase, 1995 Cased glass, clear and red air bubbles. Marked: Venini Millenium III / Limited series : n°53/99 / Signed Gae Aulenti (engraved). Pic...

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Gae Aulenti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

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Gae Aulenti serveware, ceramics, silver and glass for sale on 1stDibs.

Gae Aulenti serveware, ceramics, silver and glass are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of glass and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Gae Aulenti serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 2 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 1 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original serveware, ceramics, silver and glass by Gae Aulenti were created in the modern style in italy during the 1990s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider serveware, ceramics, silver and glass by Michele de Lucchi, Fulvio Bianconi & Paolo Venini, and Cleto Munari. Prices for Gae Aulenti serveware, ceramics, silver and glass can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,785 and can go as high as $6,990, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $5,570.