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Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

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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Color:  Brown
Creator: Piero Fornasetti
Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Set of 8 Gilted Astrolabe Plates
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Paris, FR
Piero Fornasetti 1913-1988 lived and worked in Milano and he was very fond of science. This series normally is composed of 12 designs about astrolabe or "Astrolabos" in Greece which ...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti "Caduceus" Lithograph Gilt Porcelain white and gold Ashtray
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Stockholm, SE
Piero Fornasetti "Caduceus" Lithograph Gilt Porcelain white and gold Ashtray. White and gold ceramic ashtray/trinket dish with cigarette slots by Piero Fornasetti, (circa 1950s, Ital...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Fornasetti Greco Roman Black and Gold Catchall Vide-Poche Jewelry Dish Tray
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in New York, NY
An Italian porcelain jewelry tray or dish with Greco-Roman design by designer by Piero Fornasetti, circa mid-20th century, 1960s, Italy. Tray is black and gold with a Greco-Roman sce...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Greco Roman Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Set of Piero Fornasetti Medaglioni Crescent Catchall Trays, 1960s
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Miami, FL
A set of six (6) vintage catch all crescent shaped decorative dishes designed and manufactured by the Italian master of playful and surreal self-expr...
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Porcelain Plates from the Musical Instruments Series by Piero Fornasetti, 1950s
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in MIlano, IT
Porcelain plates from the Musical Instruments series by Piero Fornasetti, 1950s with screen-printed and hand-painted decoration. Produced and designed in the 1950s by Piero Fornasetti. Present the brand of the manufacture. This plate are very rare and in very good conditions, probably never used as plate but just to decorations for a living wall or in a kitchen furniture...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Fornasetti Pen Holder Ceramic Brass Gold, 1950, Italy
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Milano, IT
Pen Holder Ceramic Fornasetti.
Category

1950s Italian Other Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Ceramic

Vintage Set of Seven Ceramic Storage Jars by Piero Fornasetti, Italy, circa 1960
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in London, GB
A rare set of beautifully colored decorative ceramic storage jars by Piero Fornasetti, circa 1960. Depicting seven different designs... tea, coffee, rice, paprika, cloves, cinnamon and pepper, these vintage...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Ceramic

Piero Fornasetti Box Wood Metal Crome Gold, 1960, Italy
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Milano, IT
Piero Fornasetti box wood metal crome gold, 1960, Italy.
Category

1960s Italian Other Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Wood

Pair of Piero Fornesetti "Equestrian" Ashtrays
By Piero Fornasetti, Bergdorf Goodman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of ashtrays with cigarette slots by Piero Fornasetti, (circa 1950s, Italy). These examples retailed at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City, as indicated on the reverse. Composed o...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Fornasetti Ashtray Porcelain 1950 Italy
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Milano, IT
Fornasetti ashtray porcelain 1950 Italy.
Category

1950s Italian Other Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Seashell Plates, Conchyliorum Pattern
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Piero Fornasetti porcelain gilt pair of seashell plates, Conchyliorum pattern, Set of six plates, circa 1950s. The pair of very rare plates with ...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti Strumenti Musicali Ceramic Plates, Set of Six
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Piero Fornasetti Strumenti Musicali Plates, set of six The plates each depict a different selection of stringed instruments including ...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Fornasetti Limited Edition White Porcelain, Black and Gold Printed Plates 1970s
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Firenze, IT
These two splendid vintage round plates in white porcelain with black and gold decorations are an authentic piece of Italian history. They are a part of a limited edition born from t...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Gold

Related Items
Piero Fornasetti House of Cards Surrealist Porcelain Tray or Dish Vintage
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in North Miami, FL
This dream like hallmarked Mid-Century Modern original Piero Fornasetti small tray, dish or desk accessory is lithographically hand painted porcelain. It is called the House of Cards...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

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Fornasetti Rare Complete Set of 12 "Le Oceanidi" Plates, Italy, 1950s
By Fornasetti
Located in New York, NY
Rare and exceptional complete set of 12 'Le Oceanidi' (Oceanids) lithographically printed plates from the mid-1950s, Italy. Each plate tells a story depicting distant and fantastic ...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Ceramic

Vintage Papillon White Porcelain Ashtray by Guido Andlovitz for Laveno
By Guido Andloviz, Verbano
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, early 1950s. They have been designed by Guido Andlovitz and produced by Laveno. Each piece is stamped by the maker. These are vintage pieces but they have never been used as they are a surplus of an old ceramic...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Complete Set of Eight 'Soli e Lune' Drinks Coasters by Fornasetti, Italy
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in London, GB
A complete set of 1960s ceramic drinks coasters designed by Piero Fornasetti, Italy, circa 1960. This design, titled 'Soli e Lune' or Sun and Moon is one of Piero's most popular and ...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Ceramic

Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Recipe Plate, Beautiful Soup, Made for Fleming Joffe
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Piero Fornasetti Fleming Joffe Porcelain recipe plate, Beautiful Soup, 1960s. This rare Piero Fornasetti porcelain plate is from a series of fourteen made for the Fleming Joffe company in New York City. It depicts an improbable and amusing recipe with an image of a toad. Diameter: 10 1/4 inches x 1 inch high. The Fleming Joffe company was a small leather goods...
Category

1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti Porcelain and Gilded Appetizer Bowls Midcentury Barware Set / 6
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in North Miami, FL
These fabulous small Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti vintage appetizer small serving bowls are porcelain with gilded gold edges, bottom and ins...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Gold

1960 Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Astronomici Plate, #7 in Series
By Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
1960 Piero Fornasetti porcelain plate with number 7 in the Astronomici series. Astronomici means "Astronomics". This is a rare pattern in black and ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti "Mitologia" Cocktail or Glass Coasters, Set of Eight
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Piero Fornasetti "Mitologia" set of 8 bar or drink coasters, circa 1970's. This stylish set of cocktail coasters were produced exclusively for the New York City department store Bonw...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti, Vintage Plate from the Series of Church Domes Cupole d'Italia
By Fornasetti
Located in Roma, IT
Decorated porcelain Plate number 5 from the series Cupole d’Italia: Cupola di San Lorenzo a Torino. Each plate with a different dome of an Italian church seen from the inside named and numbered on the reverse. These plates were designed and executed for building contractor Andrea Brenta, Milan, as Christmas presents...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Fish Plates, Pesci pattern or Passage of Fish
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Pair of rare Piero Fornasetti Fish Plates, Pesci pattern or Passage of Fish, Numbered # 2 & 3, circa 1960s The porcelain plates depict two diff...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti Eva / Eve Porcelain Plate #5, Signed, Unused
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Kansas City, MO
Piero Fornasetti Eva / Eve porcelain plate number 5. Signed.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti Astrolabe Porcelain Plate 1968
By Fornasetti
Located in Atlanta, GA
A porcelain plate designed by Piero Fornasetti as no.4 of the twelves-piece set of the Astrolabe series between 1965-1976. The series each depicts an Astrolabio, an elaborate inclino...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Previously Available Items
Piero Fornasetti Centerpiece Metal Decorated 1950 Italy
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Milano, IT
Piero Fornasetti tray.
Category

1950s Italian Other Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Metal

Fornasetti Gettacarte Brass Metal 1950 Italy
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Milano, IT
Piero Fornasetti.
Category

1950s Italian Other Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Brass

Piero Fornasetti Gosling Ceramic, 1955, Italy
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Milano, IT
Piero Fornasetti gosling ceramic 1955 Italy.
Category

1950s Italian Other Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Ceramic

Piero Fornasetti Gosling Ceramic, 1955, Italy
Piero Fornasetti Gosling Ceramic, 1955, Italy
H 8.67 in W 11.03 in D 5.91 in
Piero Fornasetti Biscotti Pattern Porcelain Plate, Trompe l'oeil Cookies
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Piero Fornasetti Biscotti pattern porcelain plate, Trompe l'oeil Cookies, Number 4 in series, 1950s-1960. The Piero Fornasetti porcelain plate depicts a Trompe L'oeil image of ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti Large Tray La Scala Opera House Painted by Hand
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Piero Fornasetti large tray La Scala Opera House Painted by Hand, Teatro alla Scala 1955 The tray depicts the opera house as viewed from the stage...
Category

1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Metal

Round Italian Porcelain and Gold Signed Piero Fornasetti Dish
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A wonderful gilt porcelain dish by Italian Designer Piero Fornasetti. The image is of two gay Roman soldiers being paraded through Rome in a Chariot Pulled by Horses. A dynamic image...
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Vintage Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Zodiac Plate, Leo, Dated 1965, No 2
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Vintage Piero Fornasetti Porcelain zodiac plate, Leo, Astrali Pattern, Made for Corisia, Dated 1965, No 2. The plate for the sign LEO is dated 1965 and is numbered #2. The pla...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Vintage Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Zodiac Plate, Scorpio, Dated 1967, #4
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Vintage Piero Fornasetti Porcelain zodiac plate, Scorpio, Astrali Pattern, Made for Corisia, Dated 1967, No 4. The plate for the sign SCORPIO is dated 1974 and is numbered #4....
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Vintage Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Zodiac Plate, Cancer, Dated 1974, Astrali Ptn
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Vintage Piero Fornasetti Porcelain zodiac plate, Cancer, Astrali Pattern, Made for Corisia, Dated 1974, No 11. The plate for the sign CANCER is dated 1974 and is numbered #11....
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1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Set of Piero Fornasetti Ceramic Storage Jars, Italy, 1960s
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Sofia, BG
Beautiful and rare authentic set of storage jars with missing top of some, as shown on the photo. 8 pieces in total. Additional photos on request.
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Ceramic

Complete Set of Twelve Eva / Eve Ceramic Plates by Piero Fornasetti, circa 1980
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in London, GB
A complete set of twelve vintage ‘Eva’ ceramic plates by Piero Fornasetti, circa 1980. This beautiful design depicts a black and white Eve on a gold background, produced in limited n...
Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Ceramic

Set of 3 Plates from "Gli Influssi astrali" Series by P. Fornasetti, 1960s
By Piero Fornasetti
Located in Roma, IT
Set of plates from "Gli Influssi astrali" Series is a set of elegant porcelain plates, designed by Piero Fornasetti between 1964 and 1968 Good conditions. Black and white ceram...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Materials

Porcelain

Piero Fornasetti serveware, ceramics, silver and glass for sale on 1stDibs.

Piero Fornasetti serveware, ceramics, silver and glass are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of ceramic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Piero Fornasetti serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original serveware, ceramics, silver and glass by Piero Fornasetti were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider serveware, ceramics, silver and glass by Flavio Poli, Fornasetti, and Archimede Seguso. Prices for Piero Fornasetti serveware, ceramics, silver and glass can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $120 and can go as high as $8,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $844.
Questions About Piero Fornasetti Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
  • 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 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.

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