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.
Gio Ponti Aniegre Mahogany Executive Desk, Art Deco, Italy, Circa 1938
By Gio Ponti
Located in Astoria, NY
Gio Ponti (Italian, 1891-1979) Aniegre Mahogany Executive Desk, circa 1938, made in Italy, with a central key-locked drawer flanked by banks of four drawers atop maple legs and bronz...
Bronze
late 1940s desk by Gio Ponti in walnut wood
By Gio Ponti
Located in Vigevano, PV
late 1940s desk by Gio Ponti in walnut wood and formica top. this desk was made for a house in milan, designed by gio ponti and emilio lancia.
Formica, Walnut
Gio Ponti's rationalist-style walnut desk
By Gio Ponti
Located in Milano, IT
Gio Ponti (1891-1979) Rationalist-style walnut desk with a thick tempered glass top and a large drawer with side compartments. Designed in 1939 for the Vetrocoke offices in Margher...
Walnut
Molteni&C D.847.1 Ash Wood Desk by Gio Ponti
By Molteni & C, Gio Ponti
Located in Boston, MA
A Molteni&C exclusive has given new life to Gio Ponti's table which was originally designed 70 years ago. Thanks to dedicated craftsmanship, this signature piece has been reprodu...
Brass
Vintage Gio Ponti BNL Writing Table / Desk in Italian Walnut, Beech and Brass
By Gio Ponti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iconic writing table designed in the 1940s by Gio Ponti for Schirolli to furnish BNL (Banca Nazionale del Lavoro) offices across Italy. This early 1950s model was acquired directly f...
Brass
Vintage Walnut Writing Table and Chair Set by Gio Ponti, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century modern Italian freestanding writing table, desk set with two drawers and a stripped chair made of hand crafted Walnut, in good condition. The large table is com...
Metal, Brass
Italian Mahogany Table Desk by Gio Ponti, Mid-Century Modern, 1930s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Queens, NY
Italian 1930s mahogany table desk with geometric form legs with brass sabot feet and a single drawer with a stretcher (GIO PONTI - for the University of Prada)
Brass
Giò Ponti's desk in blond wood with brass tips
By Gio Ponti
Located in Milano, IT
Giò Ponti (1891-1979) Desk in blond wood with brass tips designed and produced for the University of Padua and a few years later for the BNL of Milan. Production I.S.A, Bergamo, 1949.
Walnut
Black Onyx Glass & Walnut Italian Mid-Century Modern Executive Desk by Gio Ponti
By Gio Ponti, Schirolli
Located in New York, NY
A Rare and Elegant Italian MId-Century Modern Neoclassical Desk / Writing Table by Gio Ponti in solid walnut with an inset top of black onyx glass and brass details. Ponti's design a...
Onyx, Brass
Gio Ponti Writing Desk in Walnut and Brass for the BNL Offices, Italy 1940s
By Gio Ponti, Schirolli
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A rare and collectable walnut desk with brass ferrules designed by Gio Ponti and produced by Schirolli (Mantova - Italy) in the 1940s for the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL - Nation...
Brass
Gio Ponti Office Desk in Wood and Glass for Bnl Italian Manufacture 1950s Italy
By Gio Ponti
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Office desk with two frontal drawers with structure in wood, top in colored glass and brass details (keyholes, keys and feet), originally designed by Gio Ponti for the offices of the...
Brass
Gio Ponti Writing Table, Mahogany & Formica, Mid-Century Italy
By Schirolli, Gio Ponti
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Mid-Century modern Italian writing table made of hand carved Mahogany, designed by Gio Ponti and produced by Schirolli Mantova in good cond...
Laminate, Formica, Mahogany
Gio Ponti Low Rectangular Table in Wood and Glass for BNL 1950s Italy
By Gio Ponti
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Low rectangular shaped table with a frontal drawer realized in wood with a glass on top, originally designed for the offices of the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL) Italian manufactu...
Glass, Wood
Banca Nazionale Del Lavoro Desk by Gio Ponti, circa 1950
By Gio Ponti
Located in London, England
This classic, elegant design by Gio Ponti employs his distinctive tapering edges and legs to great effect, liberating the ponderous lines of preceding decades and expressing the lift...
Walnut
Rare Gio Ponti Administrative Desk
By Gio Ponti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gio Ponti desk designed in limited edition for city offices of Forlì, Italy. Original red Formica writing surface on European beechwood with 8 floating drawers. Brass base on legs. ...
Formica, Beech
Gio Ponti Directional Desk for Egidio Proserpio, 1955
By Egidio Proserpio, Gio Ponti
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gio Ponti Directional Desk for Egidio Proserpio, sapele, Italy, 1955 Executed by Egidio Proserpio in Barzanò, the “Directional” desk by Gio Ponti translates architectural precision ...
Sapele Wood
Wood Desk by Antonio Fornaroli, Gio Ponti, and Alberto Roselli for Rima, 1956
By RIMA, Antonio Fornaroli, Gio Ponti, Alberto Rosselli Saporiti, Studio PFR ( Ponti Fornaroli Rosselli )
Located in New York City, NY
Ponti, Fornarolli and Roselli worked together on architecture and design as Studio PFR between 1952 - 1976. This desk is from a series of furniture that they designed for Rima Padua....
Steel
Gio Ponti Teak and Brass Desk Designed for the BNL Offices, ISA Bergamo, 1950s
By Gio Ponti, ISA Bergamo
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
This Gio Ponti Desk, designed for BNL offices and manufactured by Isa Bergamo during the 1950s, is a beautiful piece of furniture that showcases the designer's signature style. Made of solid teak wood, the desk features a sleek and elegant design with clean lines and a minimalist aesthetic. The piece also features brass feet and details, which add a touch of elegance and sophistication to the overall design. The desk top - with a dimension of 161x80.5cm (WxD) - has ample surface space for writing and working and the three drawers provide ample storage for documents and office supplies...
Brass
H 30 in W 60 in D 30 in
Mid-Century Modern Style Walnut Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
Mid-Century Modern style walnut desk with a quarter veneered writing surface, a long drawer, brass capital, and raised on turned and tapered legs with br...
Brass
H 33.47 in W 17.72 in D 18.51 in
Set of 4 Orange Leather "Leggera" Chairs by Gio Ponti for Cassina, Italy, 1950s
By Gio Ponti, Cassina
Located in Milan, IT
Four chairs model 646 by Gio Ponti for Cassina. Rare version with upholstered backrest. Set features three chairs come with same color and the fourth one in a different color.
Wood
H 27 in W 33.25 in D 17.25 in
Paolo Buffa 'Datillo' Writing Desk, Beech & Walnut, Italy, 1940
By Galdino Maspero, Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
A 'Datillo' petite writing desk / table by Paolo Buffa and produced by Galdino Maspero in stained beech wood and walnut. With two drawers on the left hand side underneath a rectangul...
Beech, Walnut
H 32.29 in W 41.34 in D 25.6 in
White Orix Desk by Vittorio Parigi and Nani Prina for Molteni
By Vittorio Parigi and Nani Prina, Molteni & C
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
1970s desk made of a single sheet of molded plastic creating the shape for various holders and storage spaces. There is also an integrated glass panel than can be lifted up and a ret...
Steel
H 29.5 in W 58 in D 43 in
Charles Dudouyt 1940s French Carved Wood Partners Desk
By Charles Dudouyt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Incredible wood partners desk from France, 1940s. Large rectangular top with four thick carved wood legs and ball feet. Two drawers with brass knobs on each side. Original finish sho...
Oak
H 39.25 in W 28 in D 33 in
Gio Ponti, Lounge Chairs, Velvet, Wood, Italy, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of red, brown, blue velvet and wood lounge chairs designed by Gio Ponti and produced by Dassi, Italy, 1950s. Vintage fabric in fair to distressed condition, reupholstery reco...
Velvet, Wood
H 30 in W 69.25 in D 27.25 in
French Art Deco Mahogany Executive Desk with Inset Leather Writing Surface
Located in Troy, MI
This large French Art Deco executive desk is constructed in mahogany throughout, with a broad top surface featuring rounded corners and a centrally inset black leather writing surfac...
Brass
H 32.29 in W 39.38 in D 24.81 in
Writing desk space age ORIX model produced by Molteni Italia 1970s
By Molteni & C, Vittorio Parigi
Located in Milano, Lombardia
iconic vintage space age design desk model Orix designed by Vittorio Parigi and Nanni Prina, production Molteni 1971. Orange-colored ABS plastic top, the chromed steel frame, tilting...
Chrome
H 31.89 in W 40.16 in D 25.2 in
Space Age Orix Orange Writing Desk by Vittorio Parigi and Nani Prina for Molteni
By Molteni & C, Vittorio Parigi and Nani Prina
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
Rare tangerine Orix Desk by Nani Prina & Vittorio Parigi for Molteni, 1970's. Molded out of ABS plastic. The troughs are intended as letter holders or utensil holders. No chips or cr...
Plastic
H 30 in W 39.5 in D 28 in
Italian Mid-Century Modern Desk, Style of Gio Ponti, c 1950s, Refinished
By Gio Ponti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautifully refinished Mid-Century Modern desk produced in Italy circa 1950s. Featuring black steel and wood frame with large brass elements and alternating black and white drawer fr...
Brass
H 34.65 in W 21.46 in D 22.45 in
Rare Early Gio Ponti Chair, Giordano Chiesa, Italy, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
Rare Gio Ponti Model armchair, Italy, 1950s. Manufactured by Giordano Chiesa, Milan, Italy. Ash and new green velvet fabric. Fast shipping worldwide.
Brass
H 32.29 in W 39.38 in D 24.81 in
Rare Complete “Orix” Desk by Vittorio Parigi & Nani Prina for Molteni, 1970s
By Molteni & C, Vittorio Parigi and Nani Prina
Located in Marinha Grande, PT
This rare and complete “Orix” desk was designed by Italian architects Vittorio Parigi and Nani Prina for Molteni in the early 1970s. A bold example of Space Age Italian design, this ...
Metal
H 31.5 in W 55.12 in D 27.56 in
Gio Ponti walnut desk for BNL offices, Italy, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A walnut writing desk designed by Gio Ponti for Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL), conceived originally for executive and institutional interiors. The model reflects Ponti’s continuou...
Walnut
H 27.56 in W 35.44 in D 19.69 in
Small Desk in Walnut and Laminate with Drawers Gio Ponti 1950s with Authentic
By Gio Ponti
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Rare small desk made by Schiroli and designed by Gio Ponti in the 1950s, in Walnut wood and wood-colored laminate top, has some restorations in the top well executed, we have the ex...
Brass
H 31.25 in W 55 in D 27.5 in
Vintage Italian Walnut, Beech and Brass Writing Table Desk by Gio Ponti for BNL
By Gio Ponti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Iconic writing table designed in the 1940s by Gio Ponti for Schirolli to furnish BNL (Banca Nazionale del Lavoro) offices across Italy. This early 1950s model was acquired directly f...
Brass
H 48.55 in W 37.01 in D 18 in
Gio Ponti Vanity desk with a brass circular mirror from Hotel Royal Naples, 1955
By Gio Ponti
Located in Rome, IT
Gio Ponti vanity produced by Giordano Chiesa for the furniture of the Hotel Royal in Naples, 1955. Original mirror by Fontana Arte two drawers ash, brass and mirror glass. very good original condition and patina Measures: H 76.5cm 94 x 45,7 cm (vanity) mirror: diameter 43 cm: total height: 123. Lorenzo Ciompi, owner of the Compendio Gallery, purchased all the furniture from Hotel Royal Continental in Naples at late 1990' included the vanities.Most of the vanity desk sold in the market and in the international auction comes from this collection. One identical vanity was sold in Paris on Italian Selected Design in Piasa Auction 30/10/2009 at € 19.500. Lorenzo Ciompi donated a vanity to the Triennale Design Museum in Milano and to Design Museum in London This item come directly from the rooms of the Hotel (certificate of provenience) Sold with a letter of Lisa Licitra Ponti see all the original details, feet, mirror and drawers; unfortunately a lot of fake items in the market Literature: Fabrizio Mautone "Gio Ponti LA COMMITTENZA FERNANDES" Electa Napoli 2009 pag.14,39,48,49 Domus, n. 317, Aprile 1956, n. 318, Maggio 1956, n. 325, Dicembre 1956. Ugo La Pietra, ediz Rizzoli 1995, pag. 372-373 Gio Ponti: L'Arte Si Innamora Dell'Industria, La Pietra, ppg. 365, 367. Exhibition: GIO PONTI , Desin Museum London 3/05-6/10 2002 Camere D'artista Italian design 1930-1960, Villa Bertelli Forte dei Marmi (Lu) 24 july 14 sept 2014. Centoventi Gio Ponti designer...
Brass
H 28.13 in W 35.25 in D 17.5 in
Diminutive Gio Ponti for Schirolli Stained Mahogany and Laminate Writing Table
By Gio Ponti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Small writing table/student desk in stained mahogany with attractive mint green laminate surface by Gio Ponti for Schirolli (ca. 1950, Italy). Stylish piece with modernist details in...
Laminate, Mahogany
H 29.93 in W 74.81 in D 33.47 in
1950s Gio Ponti Large Executive Desk for RIMA Padova in Walnut Finish, Italy
By RIMA, Gio Ponti
Located in Praha, CZ
- Created for the Pirelli tower offices-Plastic drawers - Good /very good original condition with minor signs of use - Signed by producer
Plastic, Wood
H 31.5 in W 55.12 in D 25.4 in
Gio Ponti Writing Desk for Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL), 1954
By Gio Ponti
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gio Ponti writing desk for Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL), walnut and brass, Italy, 1954. Embrace the legacy of Gio Ponti, a visionary of mid-century design who bridged tradition ...
Brass
H 31.5 in W 55.12 in D 29.53 in
Gio Ponti's walnut desk and chair
By Gio Ponti
Located in Milano, IT
COD-2602 Gio Ponti ( 1891-1979) Desk with walnut uprights and top, two drawers with brass handles and a chair designed for the University of Padua in the early 1950s. Italian manufa...
Walnut
H 50.4 in W 39.38 in D 21.66 in
Gio Ponti vanity desk console table with a adjustable Fontana arte mirror, 1950
By Gio Ponti, Giordano Chiesa
Located in Rome, IT
rare Gio Ponti toilette, vanity table dressing table one drawer with an adjustable brass mirror by Fontana Arte produced by Giordano Chiesa for Das...
Brass
H 29 in W 40 in D 40 in
Gio Ponti for Singer & Sons #2135 Extendable Dining Table, c 1950, Refinished
By M. Singer & Sons, Gio Ponti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This restored Model 2135 extendable dining table with four leaves by Gio Ponti for Singer & Sons features gorgeously veined Italian Walnut with sculpted legs to Gio Ponti's signature...
Brass
H 27.37 in W 35.44 in D 19.69 in
Gio Ponti, Small Walnut Desk, from the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, 1950s
By Gio Ponti, Schirolli
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Gio Ponti small desk in light walnut on shaped tapering legs united by stretchers. The wood is in excellent condition with beautiful graining to the planked top, and the three friez...
Walnut
H 79 in W 140 in D 70 in
Gio Ponti, Walnut Writing Table, from the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, 1950s
By Gio Ponti, Schirolli
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Gio Ponti desk in light walnut on shaped tapering legs united by stretchers. The wood is in excellent condition with beautiful graining to the planked top, and the two drawers to th...
Brass