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.
Expertly Restored - Gio Ponti Sculpted Walnut & Travertine Coffee Table
By Gio Ponti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Materials: Walnut Wood, Original Travertine Stone ______________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this...
Travertine
Gio Ponti Wood and Brass Sideboard, IV Triennale di Monza, Italy, 1930
By Gio Ponti
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Wood and brass sideboard designed by Gio Ponti for the IV Triennale di Monza in 1930. The sideboard belongs to a pair, together with a taller cabinet of the same design and provenanc...
Brass
Gio Ponti Carved Walnut Side / Cocktail Table, 1939
By Gio Ponti
Located in New York, NY
Gio Ponti Carved Walnut Side / Cocktail Table, 1939 A very fine walnut coffee or side table designed by Gio Ponti in 1939 as part of a suite of furniture Ponti designed for the Vet...
Glass, Walnut
Gio Ponti Pair of Wingback Armchairs, Italian Mid-Century Design, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Torino, Piemonte
An eclectic personality, from his early days he was active in the fields of architecture, painting, graphics and set design. He graduated in architecture from the Milan Polytechnic i...
Fabric, Wood
Decorative Art 1959/1960
By Gio Ponti, Tapio Wirkkala, Berndt Friberg
Located in New York, NY
Survey of trends in modern architecture, furniture, and decorative arts, principally from Britain, Europe, the U.S., Latin America, and Japan, covering the years 1959-1960. Contains ...
Paper
Gio Ponti for Poltrona Frau Set of Four Lounge Chairs in Light Blue Leather
By Gio Ponti, Poltrona Frau
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gio Ponti for Poltrona Frau, lounge chairs, model ´Dezza´ nr. 48, leather, lacquered wood, metal, Italy, 1965. Set of four stylish lounge chairs designed by Gio Ponti for Poltrona ...
Metal
Ceramic tile by Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori 1960s with frame
By Richard Ginori, Gio Ponti
Located in taranto, IT
very rare ceramic tile , produced by Richard Ginori in 1965, designed by Gio Ponti. Published in the most important books concerning postwar Italian Ceramic production, displayed in ...
Aluminum
A Gio Ponti Mid-Century Silver plated Champagne or Wine Cooler, A. Krupp, Milano
By Arthur Krupp, Gio Ponti
Located in London, Fitzrovia
A Mid-Century Silver plated Gio Ponti Champagne or Wine Cooler for A. Krupp, Milano. Barely used. From a series designed for the VI triennale, 1930's to 1950's. Beautiful quality an...
Metal
Gio Ponti Italian Walnut Wardrobe with Horizontal Striped Veneer, Italy, 1930s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
The wardrobe reads as a sequence of horizontal bands: the entire carcase, both front and sides, is veneered in walnut in a tight rhythm of lighter and darker stripes that runs withou...
Walnut
A pair of Black Wooden Gio Ponti Leggera Chairs with Cord Seats, Italy 1951
By Gio Ponti, Cassina
Located in Den Haag, NL
A pair of black wooden Gio Ponti Leggera chairs with cord seats, Italy 1951.
Cord, Wood
Gio Ponti Fato Artemide Italian Design White Table Lamp 1967
By Artemide, Gio Ponti
Located in Brescia, IT
White square frame with folded geometric metal forms creating light and dark Iconic light object and a beautiful lamp. First production Fato lamp designed by Gio Ponti and produced ...
Metal
Rare Set Sofa and 2 Armchairs Design Gio Ponti for Casa e Giardino, 1940
By Gio Ponti
Located in taranto, IT
Splendid and rare living room, production "Casa & Giardino", designed by Gio Ponti, 40s Composed of a three-seater sofa and a pair of shell-shaped armchairs , upholstered in bur...
Velvet, Wood
"Horned Mask" Gio Ponti by Sabattini Silver Plated 1970s Italian Design
By Gio Ponti
Located in Brescia, IT
"Horned Mask" Gio Ponti by Sabattini, 1978 Openwork metal sheet.
Metal
$312Sale Price|20% Off
Plate by Gio Ponti from 1930 small boat on the waves the blue sea San Cristoforo
By Gio Ponti
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Plate by Gio Ponti from 1930 with a small boat on the waves of the blue sea San Cristoforo
Ceramic
Italian Design Gio Ponti Art Glass Bottle "Morandiana (V)" Venini Murano, 1950s
By Gio Ponti, Venini
Located in Odense, DK
An exceptionally refined "Morandiana (V)" art glass bottle designed by Gio Ponti for Venini in the 1950s, exemplifying the architect-designer's celebrated exploration of pure geometr...
Blown Glass
Authentic Vintage Superleggera Chair by Gio Ponti for Cassina, 1970
By Cassina, Gio Ponti
Located in Dronten, NL
It is the chair that defied gravity. In 1957, Gio Ponti famously tested the Superleggera by tossing it from a fourth-story window, watching it float to the ground. This poetic demon...
Cane, Wood
Gio Ponti, Sofa, Velvet, Wood, Italy, 1940s
By Gio Ponti
Located in High Point, NC
A green velvet and wood sofa designed by Gio Ponti and produced by Casa e Giardino, Italy, c. 1940s. Minor scuffing of feet. Minor staining on seat and backrest cushions. Minor fr...
Velvet, Wood
Gio Ponti for Venini Italian Morandine Art Glass Decanter & Stopper
By Gio Ponti
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A stunning Italian Venini mid-century blue and green Morandine art glass decanter by the father figure of Italian design Gio Ponti (Italian, 1891-1979) and designed in 1949. Gio Po...
Blown Glass
Gio Ponti for Poltrona Frau Lounge Chair 'Dezza' in Light Blue Leather
By Gio Ponti, Poltrona Frau
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Gio Ponti for Poltrona Frau, lounge chair model ´Dezza´ nr. 48, leather, lacquered beech, metal, Italy, 1965. Stylish lounge chair designed by Gio Ponti for Poltrona Frau. This cha...
Metal
Gio Ponti, Dresser, Walnut, Singer & Sons, America, 1950s
By M. Singer & Sons, Gio Ponti
Located in High Point, NC
A walnut dresser designed by Gio Ponti and produced by M. Singer & Sons, New York, America, 1950s. Labeled. Wear consistent with age and use. Overall Dimensions: 36.75"H x 47...
Walnut
Gio Ponti for Venini, A Canne Polychrome Vase, Murano, circa 1950s
By Gio Ponti, Venini
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A commanding example of the a canne technique by Gio Ponti for Venini, executed in a generous upright trumpet form with a gently undulating, free-formed rim. Vertical canes of colore...
Murano Glass
1950s Pair of Sculpted Stools by Gio Ponti. Reupholstered in Boucle. Model 687
By Gio Ponti
Located in Florence, Tuscany
These sculptural 1950s stools by Gio Ponti for Cassina, model 687, showcase his distinctive architectural lines and beautifully tapered walnut frame. The open, Y-shaped side structur...
Fabric, Bouclé, Wood
Pair of Brass Sconces "Finestra" 12664 by Gio Ponti for Arredoluce. Italy, 1950s
By Arredoluce, Gio Ponti
Located in SAINT-OUEN, FR
Rare Mid-Century Modern pair of brass and painted lacquered metal wall lights lamps sconces lighting model "Finestra" 12664 by the italian designer Gio Ponti for the manufacture Arre...
Brass, Metal
Gio Ponti 'F.A. 33' Half Length Mirror in Black Brass for GUBI
By Gubi, Gio Ponti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gio Ponti 'F.A. 33' Half Length Mirror in Black Brass for GUBI The 'F.A. 33' Mirror was originally designed by Gio Ponti in 1933 for Fontana Arte, the period’s most prominent lamp, ...
Brass
Gio Ponti style Ebonized ladder back rush seat side or desk chair with ball feet
By Gio Ponti
Located in London, GB
Gio Ponti. An ebonized ladder back rush seat side or desk chair with ball feet. Stamped Made in Italy on the back stretcher.
Rush
Gio Ponti 'F.A. 33' Full Length Mirror in Black Brass for GUBI
By Gio Ponti, Gubi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gio Ponti 'F.A. 33' Full Length Mirror in Black Brass for GUBI The 'F.A. 33' Mirror was originally designed by Gio Ponti in 1933 for Fontana Arte, the period’s most prominent lamp,...
Brass
Gio Ponti 'Bilia Mini' Portable Lamp in Brass & Opaline Glass for Fontana Arte
By Gio Ponti, Fontana Arte
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gio Ponti 'Bilia Mini' Portable Lamp in Brass & Opaline Glass for Fontana Arte In 1931, Gio Ponti and Pietro Chiesa approached the Luigi Fontana Company to manufacture their des...
Metal, Brass
Gio Ponti Model 811 armchair made of walnut and rubber, Cassina, Italy, 1957
By Gio Ponti, Figli di Amadeo Cassina
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A rare armchair Model 811, with a walnut structure and rubber bands, designed by Gio Ponti and produced in Italy by Cassina in 1957. There are artifacts from past decades that, due ...
Rubber, Walnut
Gio Ponti 'F.A. 33' Half Length Mirror in Brass for GUBI
By Gio Ponti, Gubi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gio Ponti 'F.A. 33' Half Length Mirror in Brass for GUBI The 'F.A. 33' mirror was originally designed by Gio Ponti in 1933 for Fontana Arte, the period’s most prominent lamp, glass...
Brass
Gio Ponti 'Luna Sospensione' Pendant Lamp in Brass for Tato Italia
By Tato Italia, Gio Ponti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gio Ponti 'Luna Sospensione' Pendant Lamp in Brass for Tato Italia Designed by Italian design icon Gio Ponti, this authorized Tato Italia re-edition is executed in brushed brass har...
Brass
Gio Ponti Italian Midcentyry Wood Metal Coffe Tables for Isa, Italy 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian midcentury modern design set of two coffe tables designed by Gio Ponti and produced by ISA Italy, with a hexagonal light wooden top and black painted metal legs. Manufacturer...
Metal
Gio Ponti, Lounge Chair, Fabric, Walnut, Italy, 1950s
By Gio Ponti, Cassina
Located in High Point, NC
A walnut and blue fabric lounge chair, model 811, designed by Gio Ponti and produced by Cassina, Meda, Italy, c. 1956. In good vintage condition, with visible wear consistent with a...
Fabric, Wood
$4,407Sale Price|20% Off
Isa Bergamo Gio Ponti Style Armchair Made in Italy 1950s Original Fabric
By Gio Ponti
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Isa Bergamo Gio Ponti armchair made in Italy 1950s original fabric.
Aluminum
$1,065Sale Price|20% Off
Gio Ponti Tea / coffee set from the Parco dei Principi hotel in Rome 1960s circa
By Gio Ponti, Calderoni
Located in Roma, IT
Tea or coffee set designed by Gio Ponti for the Hotel Parco Dei Principi in Rome and produced by the historic Italian manufacturer Fratelli Calderoni between 1950s and 1960s. This vintage breakfast set consists of 5 pieces: 1 small teapot with built-in filter in the body 1 large coffee maker 1 Water Jug 1 sugar bowl 1 Tray with feet...
Silver Plate, Nickel
Pair of Armchair Gio Ponti Casa e Giardino, 1930s Full Restoration by Greenapple
By Casa e Giardino, Greenapple, Gio Ponti
Located in Lisboa, PT
Collectible Vintage Italian armchair designed by Gio Ponti for the Casa e Giardino manufacturing company in the late 1930s. This iconic design piece has been completely restored fro...
Brass
Gio Ponti Leggera Armchair or Side Chair by Cassina in different colors
By Gio Ponti, Cassina
Located in Berlin, DE
Prices are dependent on the chosen material and model. Available with or without armrests. Frame, Seat and Coating and upholstery of the chair can be customized, please get in touch....
Upholstery, Wood
Gio Ponti 516 Armchairs, Walnut Frame, Two-Tone Upholstery, 1950
By Gio Ponti
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Vintage 516 Armchairs by master Italian architect, publisher, and designer Gio Ponti, 1950. A timeless, architectural expression featuring a sculptural walnut frame, distinctive sl...
Walnut
$10,000 / set
Gio Ponti Leggera 646 Chair 1950's
By Gio Ponti
Located in Shibuya-ku, 13
The "LEGGERA 646" is a masterpiece chair designed in 1952 for the esteemed furniture manufacturer Cassina by Gio Ponti, one of the 20th century's most iconic Italian architects and d...
Fabric, Ash
Bilia Mini Table Lamp Designed by Gio Ponti in 1931 for Fontana Arte
By Fontana Arte, Gio Ponti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A cone and a sphere: two essential, recognizable geometric shapes. An unpretentious composition, enriched by the extraordinary balance of its proportions and the stylish discretion o...
Metal
Gio Ponti “ Superleggera” N. 4, Chair Wood Straw Padding, 1950, Italy
By Gio Ponti
Located in Milano, IT
N . 4 Superleggera Gio Ponti.
Wood, Straw
Fede Cheti Italian Velvet Loveseat
By Gio Ponti
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
An Italian loveseat designed by Gio Ponti, upholstered in its original green Fede Cheti velvet with pewter fringe, and documented by architect and designer Roberto Aloi in 1950. An i...
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
ceramic tile panel "triennale" design Gio Ponti for Marazzi
By Alberto Rosselli Saporiti, Gio Ponti
Located in taranto, IT
ceramic panel composed of four iconic and famous "triennial" tiles also known as "four times curved," designed in the 1960s by Gio Ponti and Alberto Rosselli for Ceramiche Marazzi. T...
Aluminum
Gio Ponti Set of Twelve Superleggera Chairs for Cassina, Italy, 1957
By Gio Ponti, Figli di Amadeo Cassina
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A set of twelve Superleggera chairs, meticulously restored in aniline black paint.. The original woven straw seats have been replaced with new meticulously crafted seats, maintaining...
Straw, Ash
Straw Holder by Broggi Milano for Hotel Europa in the manner of Gio Ponti
By Fratelli Broggi, Milano, Gio Ponti
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
A rare art deco straw holder designed by Gio Ponti for Bar Pasticceria Alemagna at Piazza Duomo in Milano. The shape is simple and sleek and elegant. ...
Silver Plate
Gio Ponti Wood and Brass Tall Sideboard, IV Triennale di Monza, Italy, 1930
By Gio Ponti
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Wood and brass tall sideboard designed by Gio Ponti for the IV Triennale di Monza in 1930. The sideboard belongs to a pair, together with a lower cabinet of the same design and prove...
Brass
Italian Wingback Chair in original condition, Produced by I.S.A. Bergamo, 1950s
By Gio Ponti, ISA Bergamo
Located in Wolfurt, AT
Mustard-yellow ISA Bergamo armchair, presumably designed by Gio Ponti, in original condition.
Wood, Fabric
Mid Century Gio Ponti Model 2140 Display Cabinet / Wall Unit for Singer & Sons
By Gio Ponti
Located in Las Vegas, NV
A very rare Gio Ponti Display Cabinet, Model 2140, produced by Singer & Sons and executed in beautifully grained Italian walnut. This m...
Walnut
Gio Ponti Dezza Lounge Chairs for Poltro Frau, Cowhide & Leather, Italian Design
By Gio Ponti
Located in Astoria, NY
Pair of Gio Ponti for Poltrona Frau "Dezza" Lounge Chairs, with cowhide and black leather upholstery on chrome-plated tapered legs, with "Poltrona Frau" label to underside. 36" H x ...
Chrome
Vintage Coffee Table by Gio Ponti, Mahogany & Crystal, Italy, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Roma, IT
Coffee table is an item of original design furniture realized by Gio Ponti in the 1950s. Mahogany wood and crystal top. Very good conditions.
Crystal
Gio Ponti Pair of Mid-Century Modern Brass Wall Sconces, Italy, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Torino, Piemonte
An eclectic personality, from his early days he was active in the fields of architecture, painting, graphics and set design. He graduated in architecture from the Milan Polytechnic i...
Brass
Gio Ponti rare model Le Mie Terre vase manufactured by Richard-Ginori
By Richard Ginori, Gio Ponti
Located in Skokie, IL
Gio Ponti rare large vase designed in 1929-30. Glazed maiolica. Painted designer's and manufacturer's marks. This exquisite piece showcases the artistry of glazed maiolica, combinin...
Majolica
Fontana Arte large mirror with an engraved geometric motif by Gio Ponti
By Gio Ponti
Located in Milano, IT
Gio Ponti (1891-1979) Large mirror with an engraved and sandblasted geometric motif mounted on a wooden frame. Fontana Arte, ca. 1930. Fire-branded on the frame.
Mirror
Gio Ponti for ISA Bergamo Three-Seat Sofa with Gilt Metal Legs, Italy 1950s, COM
By ISA Bergamo, Gio Ponti
Located in New York, NY
Gio Ponti for ISA Bergamo elegant and sculptural three-seat sofa with gilt metal legs, Italy, 1950s. The sofa will be fully restored and ready for upholstery in the customer’s own ma...
Metal
Gio Ponti 646 "Leggera" Chairs for Cassina, Sand Beige Velvet, 1952, Set of 6
By Gio Ponti, Cassina
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gio Ponti 646 “Leggera” dining chairs for Cassina, sand beige velvet, Italy, 1952, set of sixteen The 646 “Leggera” is one of Gio Ponti’s most enduring chair designs—an icon defined...
Velvet, Ash
$45,000 / set
a pair of BP 16 ‘Continuum’ armchairs by Gio Ponti
By Gio Ponti
Located in Albany, NY
Designer : Gio Ponti Item: a pair of BP 16 ‘Continuum’ armchairs Manufacturer: (Pierantonio) Bonacina Material: ...
Bamboo
Gio Ponti Pair of 1930s Armchairs with their Original Yellow Upholstery
By Gio Ponti
Located in Milan, IT
Gio Ponti Pair of 1930s Armchairs with their Original Yellow Upholstery
Upholstery, Wood
Pair of Gio Ponti Armchairs in Coral Red Velvet and Beech, Asko, Finland, 1957
By Gio Ponti, Asko
Located in The Hague, NL
This rare armchair was designed by Gio Ponti in 1954. The particular model, numbered '1410,' was produced by the well-known Finnish manufacturer Asko in the late 1950s. Asko held the...
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Beech
Gio Ponti for M. Singer & Sons Walnut Coffee Table with Travertine Top
By M. Singer & Sons, Gio Ponti
Located in West Chester, PA
Mid-Century Modern coffee table with a travertine top on a sculptural solid walnut base. Top measures 60” x 15 7/16” x 3/4”. Designed by Gio Ponti for M. Singer & Sons circa 1950s un...
Travertine
original "diamond" ceramic tiles by Gio Ponti for Joo Milano 1960s
By Gio Ponti
Located in taranto, IT
Wall panel composed of a very rare group of 6 ceramic tiles designed in 1960 by Gio Ponti for Joo Ceramiche Milano, "diamond" model, fire-red in white aluminum frame. The whole panel...
Aluminum
Gio Ponti F.A. 33 Wall Mirror Black Brass 70 x 146 cm for GUBI
By Gubi, Gio Ponti
Located in New York, NY
The F.A. 33 Wall Mirror was originally designed by the legendary Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti in 1933 for FontanaArte, the renowned lamp, glass, and mirror manufacturer h...
Brass