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Piero Fornasetti Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Italian, 1913-1988

The Italian artist and designer Piero Fornasetti was one of the wittiest and most imaginative 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 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.

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 Fornasetti's 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 the artist's collaborator and patron. Beginning in the early 1950s, they created a striking 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.

Find vintage Piero Fornasetti dinner plates, chairs, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Piero Fornasetti
FORNASETTI Cigar Humidor
FORNASETTI Cigar Humidor

FORNASETTI Cigar Humidor

By Piero Fornasetti, 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 Piero Fornasetti Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Wood

20th Century Large Metal Matchbox By Piero Fornasetti, Italy, c.1960
20th Century Large Metal Matchbox By Piero Fornasetti, Italy, c.1960

20th Century Large Metal Matchbox By Piero Fornasetti, Italy, c.1960

By Piero Fornasetti

Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent

A delightful matchbox, with an interior comprised of a metal sliding tray, the exterior decorated with five profiles, with highlighted red lips, four of whom smoking, with black cros...

Category

20th Century Italian Piero Fornasetti Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Metal

Piero Fornasetti, mandolins cigars Box, Milan Italy, ca. 1960s
Piero Fornasetti, mandolins cigars Box, Milan Italy, ca. 1960s

Piero Fornasetti, mandolins cigars Box, Milan Italy, ca. 1960s

By Piero Fornasetti

Located in Firenze, IT

Piero Fornasetti, mandolins cigars Box Milan Italy, ca. 1960s Wood and hand refined lacquered aluminium H 4 cm x 8 × 20 cm Label not present Conditions: good consistent with age...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Metal

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Previously Available Items
FORNASETTI Cigar Humidor
FORNASETTI Cigar Humidor

FORNASETTI Cigar Humidor

Sold

H 5.12 in W 12.21 in D 8.67 in

FORNASETTI Cigar Humidor

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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 labels inside and on the base Measures: width 12...

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Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti Cigar Boxes and Humidors

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Piero Fornasetti, Occhi Box, Milan Italy, circa 1960
Piero Fornasetti, Occhi Box, Milan Italy, circa 1960

Piero Fornasetti, Occhi Box, Milan Italy, circa 1960

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Located in Firenze, IT

Piero Fornasetti, “Occhi” midcentury Box Wood and lacquered aluminium, Milan Italy, circa 1960 20 x 8 x 4.5 cm Conditions: good consistent with age and use, signs of wear.

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Piero Fornasetti, Large 'Newspapers' Red Box, Milan Italy, circa 1950
Piero Fornasetti, Large 'Newspapers' Red Box, Milan Italy, circa 1950

Piero Fornasetti, Large 'Newspapers' Red Box, Milan Italy, circa 1950

By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti

Located in Firenze, IT

Piero Fornasetti, large newspapers red box Mahogany and lacquered aluminium, Milan Italy, circa 1950 Measures: 30.5 x 12.5 x 4.5 cm Conditions: very good, slight defects.

Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

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Piero Fornasetti Mid-Century Modern Box, circa 1960
Piero Fornasetti Mid-Century Modern Box, circa 1960

Piero Fornasetti Mid-Century Modern Box, circa 1960

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A mahogany and metal designed by Piero Fornasetti and manufactured in Milano by Atelier Fornasetti. This box is handcrafted using original artisan techniques, metal it's covered with...

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Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti Cigar Boxes and Humidors

Materials

Metal

Piero Fornasetti cigar boxes and humidors for sale on 1stDibs.

Piero Fornasetti cigar boxes and humidors are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. Many of the original cigar boxes and humidors by Piero Fornasetti were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 20th century. Prices for Piero Fornasetti cigar boxes and humidors can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $667 and can go as high as $761, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $714.
Questions About Piero Fornasetti Cigar Boxes and Humidors
  • 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 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.