An architect, furniture and industrial designer and editor, Gio Ponti was arguably the most influential figure in 20th-century Italian modernism.
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. Through Domus, the magazine he founded in 1928, Ponti brought attention to virtually every significant movement and creator in the spheres of modern art and design.
The questing intelligence Ponti brought to Domus is reflected in his work: as protean as he was prolific, Ponti’s style can’t be pegged to a specific genre.
In the 1920s, as artistic director for the Tuscan porcelain maker Richard Ginori, he fused old and new; his ceramic forms were modern, but decorated with motifs from Roman antiquity. In pre-war Italy, modernist design was encouraged, and after the conflict, Ponti — along with designers such as Carlo Mollino, Franco Albini, Marco Zanuso — found a receptive audience for their novel, idiosyncratic work. Ponti’s typical furniture forms from the period, such as the wedge-shaped Distex chair, are simple, gently angular, and colorful; equally elegant and functional. In the 1960s and ’70s, Ponti’s style evolved again as he explored biomorphic shapes, and embraced the expressive, experimental designs of Ettore Sottsass Jr., Joe Colombo and others.
Ponti's signature furniture piece — the one by which he is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Germany’s Vitra Design Museum and elsewhere — is the sleek Superleggera chair, produced by Cassina starting in 1957. (The name translates as “superlightweight” — advertisements featured a model lifting it with one finger.)
Ponti had a playful side, best shown in a collaboration he began in the late 1940s with the graphic artist Piero Fornasetti. Ponti furnishings were decorated with bright finishes and Fornasetti's whimsical lithographic transfer prints of things such as butterflies, birds or flowers; the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts possesses a 1950 secretary from their Architetturra series, which feature case pieces covered in images of building interiors and facades. The grandest project Ponti and Fornasetti undertook, however, lies on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean: the interiors of the luxury liner Andrea Doria, which sank in 1956.
Widely praised retrospectives at the Queens Museum of Art in 2001 and at the Design Museum London in 2002 sparked a renewed interest in Ponti among modern design aficionados. (Marco Romanelli’s monograph, which was written for the London show, offers a fine overview of Ponti’s work.) Today, a wide array of Ponti’s designs are snapped up by savvy collectors who want to give their homes a touch of Italian panache and effortless chic.
Find a range of vintage Gio Ponti desks, dining chairs, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$1,275Sale Price|32% Off
Gio Ponti The Complete Work 1923 - 1978 1st Edition Hard Cover Book
By Gio Ponti
Located in University City, MO
Gio Ponti The Complete Work 1923 - 1978 1st Edition Hard Cover Book This is the first complete survey and thematic profile of one of the most prolific and accomplished Italian arch...
Gio Ponti : Arch - Designer Large Scale Hardcover Book c 2019
By Gio Ponti
Located in University City, MO
Gio Ponti: Archi - Design Large scale hardcover book c 2019 The prolific architect, designer & Domus editor reinvented the look of everyday life from the spoon to the cathedral....
Cartier and America by Martin Chapman Hardcover Table Book 1st Ed. 2009
By Cartier
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Cartier and America by Martin Chapman Hardcover Table Book 2009. 176 pp. 1st Edition Published in 2009. Dimensions: 11" x 10" x 1". As opulent as the treasures it celebrates, this lavish volume presents Cartier's timeless designs worn by some of the twentieth century's most legendary figures. It's been one hundred years since the House of Cartier opened its doors on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Since then the luxury jeweler has been creating exquisite brooches, bracelets, tiaras, timepieces, and other items including scent bottles, so-called mystery clocks, and handbags many of them specially commissioned by their illustrious patrons. Readers will see up close Gloria Swanson's bracelets from Sunset Boulevard, Douglas Fairbanks s elegant watch, the Duchess of Windsor s panther brooch, and Grace Kelly s 10.47-carat diamond engagement ring, as well as items owned by Marion Davies, Vivien Leigh, Barbara Hutton, and Elizabeth Taylor. Author Martin Chapman offers an in-depth exploration of how Cartier conquered America, from its European birth in 1847 to its arrival on the other side of the Atlantic, and from its whimsical Art Deco creations to the red carpet prominence that linked the name Cartier with fame, wealth, and exclusivity. In addition to stunning color images of each object, the book features photographs of stars and heiresses wearing their Cartier jewelry. A beautiful volume for fashion aficionados, this trove of jewelry is a tribute to Cartier s...
$180
W 3.74 in L 6.5 in
c. 1910s–1920s Antique Geo. W. Noble Spiritual Pocket Book with Original Cover
Located in Honolulu, HI
An exquisite piece of literary history—this original 1910s–1920s antique pocket book was published by the renowned Geo. W. Noble in Chicago. Titled "The Swo...
$164Sale Price|20% Off
2010s Dior Accessories Insider Catalog Lookbook on Binder
By Christian Dior
Located in London, GB
2010s Dior Accessories Insider catalog lookbook on binder, 56 pages, English Language, UK edition on thick white paper full colour Measurements: 24x15x2.5cm Condition details: 20...
c. 1930s–1950s Antique Italian Sterling Silver & Rock Crystal Rosary in Case
Located in Honolulu, HI
A breathtaking treasure of European sacred art—this original mid-century Italian rosary set hails from Milan, the historical center of fine religious craftsmanship. Dating from the 1...
Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair With Jewelry 1st Edition Hardcover Book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair With Jewelry 1st Edition Hardcover Book Edited by Ruth A. Peltason. 280 illustrations, including 175 color photographs by John Bigelow Taylor. "Here...
Vintage Vogue Magazine : November 1994, Cover Model Cindy Crawford
By Vogue
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Collectible Vogue Magazine, November 1994 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Cover model, Cindy Crawford! Editor: Anna Wintour! 388 pages of fashion, ad...
The Story of Jewelry 1st ED. 1973 by J. Anderson Hardcover Book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
The Story of Jewelry 1973 by J. Anderson. Introduction by Edward Lucie-Smith Black Hardcover Book. Translate from Italian. J. Anderson Black - Storia dei gioielli English text. Documents jewelry's history from the primitive ornaments of prehistoric times to the abstract simplicity of modern design. This book offers a unique way of exploring the world of vintage jewelry for experts, newcomers, and anyone with an interest in the topic. Every piece of jewelry tells a story. Each chapter is centered around a particular piece of jewelry and the way in which it is emblematic: a previous owner, an exemplary design or dominant material. From an array of historic pieces...
JANSEN Design Coffee Table Book Signed by Author, 2006
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jansen is a name synonymous with high style and chic interiors. It was a design house established in 1880's Paris by a Dutch entrepreneur, Jean-Henri Jansen. By the 20th Century, Jan...
Peter Carl Fabergé 1995 Fabergé Eggs Imperial Russian Fantasies Book
By Peter Carl Fabergé
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Faberge Eggs Imperial Russian Fantasies Softcover Book. Faberge Eggs Imperial Russian Fantasies Softcover Book. Near Fine-very. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.,1995. 'Fabergé Eggs - Imperial Russian Fantasies'. Elephant Folio, illustrated perfect-bound wraps, 68 pp. A visually sumptuous presentation of the famous - and very rare Fabergé Eggs...
Vintage Harper's Bazaar Magazine : May 1971
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Harper's Bazaar Magazine, May 1971 Cover Model Lauren Hutton •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 156 pages of fashion, advertising and early 1970's lifestyl...
$220Sale Price|20% Off
H 10.5 in W 8.5 in D 0.5 in
Hermes Vintage Paris Auction Catalog 2021 Published by Gros & Delettrez
By Yves Saint Laurent
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Paris Hermes Vintage Auction Catalog June 2021 Published by Gros & Delettrez, Hermes Vintage Paris Auction Catalog 2021. Published by Gros & Delet...
$475
H 12 in W 9.5 in D 3 in
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor Auction Sothebys Books Catalogs in Slipcase Box
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Sotheby's "The Duke and Duchess of Windsor Auction" Book Catalogs. This is a three volume boxed set of sale catalogues which were produced by Soth...
Gio Ponti : Arch - Designer Large Scale Hardcover Book c 2019
By Gio Ponti
Located in University City, MO
Gio Ponti: Archi - Design Large scale hardcover book c 2019 The prolific architect, designer & Domus editor reinvented the look of everyday life from the spoon to the cathedral. He ...
Gio Ponti Coffee Table Book by Ugo La Pietra, 1996
By Gio Ponti
Located in Atlanta, GA
Beautifully published 1996 book entitled, Gio Ponti, by Ugo La Pietra. The book is 406 pages filled with photographs, drawings and text surveying Ponti's works including architecture...
Gio Ponti Coffee Table Book, 1990
By Gio Ponti
Located in Atlanta, GA
Beautifully published 1990 book entitled, Gio Ponti The Complete Work 1923-1978, by his daughter and oft time collaborator, Lisa Licitra Ponti. The book is 288 pages filled with phot...