Italian entrepreneur, sculptor and designer Sergio Cammilli was born in 1920 in the Province of Pistoia in Tuscany — the home of the Italian Renaissance and the birthplace of legendary modernist furniture brand Poltronova, which Cammilli founded in 1957.
Poltronova is known for embracing the creativity that opposites can introduce to a space. Its radical furniture and lighting designs are simultaneously grounded in classic aesthetics and inspired by what were then new and provocative artistic movements of mid-century Italy (Cammilli had studied at the Porta Romana Art Institute in Florence). This tension resulted in unique and extraordinary pieces at the manufacturer, from eccentric, glove-shaped armchairs to striking dining tables that featured a mix of materials and textures.
In the year that Cammilli established Poltronova — which began as a modest workshop with a handful of upholsterers — the company won the Compasso d’Oro for the Panchetto chair designed by Luciano Nustrini. Revolutionary Italian architect Ettore Sottsass — a maestro of postmodern design who would later establish the Memphis Group — came on board as an art director in 1958. Poltronova manufactured many of his furniture and ceramic designs. Sottsass’s lighting, seating and other works for Poltronova showcase the designer’s bold experimentation with solid wood, glass, metal and laminate materials.
Other established names in Italian furniture design collaborated with Poltronova’s Sottsass and Cammilli, including Giovanni Michelucci, Gae Aulenti and Angelo Mangiarotti. However, the company truly set itself apart in its partnerships with Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, groups that were part of an irreverent, avant-garde movement in art and design that took shape during the 1960s in Florence, Turin and Milan. Superstudio’s wondrous Gherpe lamp and Archizoon’s Mies armchair, for example, are attributed to Design Centre, a subsidiary of Poltronova that existed from 1967 until around 1979.
Collectives associated with the avant-garde movement — which would one day be called Italian Radical design — drew on Pop art and minimalism and explored working with unconventional materials to create colorful, quirky and uniquely shaped objects and furnishings. At the time, Cammilli and Sottsass also worked with up-and-coming names in the art world, like painter Max Ernst and sculptor Mario Ceroli.
Poltronova showcased its groundbreaking designs in many exhibitions, such as “La Casa Abitata,” which was held in Florence in 1965. At Milan’s Eurodomus trade show in 1970, Poltronova debuted an entire bedroom collection designed by Sottsass — including his sensuous Ultrafragola mirror. The brand’s furnishings were included in a 1972 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art called "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape," and in 1977, Poltronova again won the Compasso d’Oro for a book called Fare Mobili con Poltronova (Making Furniture with Poltronova).
Poltronova's enduring and acclaimed furniture designs came to be loved far outside Italy. During the 1960s, importer Charles Stendig met Cammilli through designer couple Massimo and Lella Vignelli and represented the company, helping introduce it to the American market.
Cammilli left Poltronova during the 1970s and subsequently worked as an independent designer in his own studio. In 1986, he established Mirabili, which he once called a consortium of “well-known artists and designers selected for their particular gifts and their poetic world, lending an innovative and sensitive contribution to the cultural image of the habitat as ‘Art of Living.’”
In 2002, Formitalia Luxury Group acquired Mirabili (now known as Mirabili Arte d'Abitare). In 2005, Poltronova established the Centro Studi Poltronova to recreate some of the company's iconic furniture.
Find Sergio Cammilli furniture on 1stDibs.
$3,000Sale Price / set|25% Off
Pair of Pop Art Sergio Camilli Snail or Chiocciolona for Bieffeplast
By Sergio Cammilli
Located in Munster, NRW
Sergio Camilli. 'Snail' or 'chiocciolona' objects, designed in 1974. Measures: Large snail: 95 cm wide, 65 cm deep and 50 cm high. Small snail: 62 cm wi...
$960Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 18.5 in W 4 in D 7 in
Pair of Art Glass Terns/Sea Gulls by Livio Seguso for Murano Glass Studios
By Murano 5, Livio Seguso
Located in San Diego, CA
Nice pair of art glass terns or sea gulls by Livio Seguso for Murano Glass Studios, circa 1970s. The gulls measure 7"W x 4"D x 18.5"H and present the image of two birds soaring high ...
Art Glass
$45
H 2.25 in W 5.25 in D 1.75 in
Vintage Alabaster Snail, Stone Animal Figurine or Paperweight, Organic Modern
Located in Fairfield, CA
Vintage Alabaster Snail - Stone Animal Figurine or Paperweight - Organic ModernA vintage alabaster stone snail figurine. Lovely natural veining to the stone in an ochre color. Made i...
Alabaster
$900Sale Price|25% Off
H 4.5 in W 4.75 in D 7.75 in
Salviati Murano Sommerso Blue Green Italian Art Glass Snail Figure Sculpture
By Luciano Gaspari, Salviati
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful, and large, vintage Murano hand blown Sommerso emerald green with bubbles, and sapphire blue Italian art glass snail sculpture. The piece is documented to the Salviati comp...
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso, Uranium Glass
$4,500Sale Price / set|21% Off
H 35.5 in W 12 in D 9 in
Pair of Large Art Glass Cranes by Licio Zanetti for Murano Glass
By Licio Zanetti, Murano 5
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous, absolutely stunning, pair of art glass cranes by Licio Zanetti for Murano, circa 1970s. The larger crane measures 12"W x 9"D x 35.5"H (the smaller one is 12"W x 7"D x 26"H)...
Brass
Cast Bronze Snail Sculpture
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This exquisite brass snail sculpture captures the beauty of nature with remarkable craftsmanship and elegant form. The spiraled shell is adorned with delicate, swirling etchings that...
Bronze
$1,200
H 5.5 in W 4.75 in D 7.5 in
Murano Salviati Sommerso Sapphire Blue Italian Art Glass Snail Figure Sculpture
By Luciano Gaspari, Salviati
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful, and large, vintage Murano hand blown Sommerso cobalt blue snail, with light blue shell Italian art glass sculpture. The piece is documented to the Salviati company, and at...
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Sommerso, Uranium Glass
1950's Concrete Snail
Located in Brecht, BE
Great item for the garden or even indoors, this 1950's concrete snail.
Concrete
$1,275
H 2.62 in W 12.25 in D 3.38 in
1951 Mario Ferrari Italian Studio Art Bronze Snail Sculpture - Desk Object
By Loet Vanderveen, Franz Bergmann
Located in St. Louis, MO
An authentic mid-century Italian studio bronze sculpture of a snail by sculptor Mario Ferrari (1925–1990). Hand-cast in 1951, the piece features exceptional lifelike rendering, with realistic texturing across the spiral shell and extended body. Finished in a rich dark brown bronze patina with subtle warm undertones. Inscribed on the underside with the artist's characteristic hand-incised signature and date: "> M. FERRARI – 1951 <". Dimensions: Dimensions: (12.25" w x 2.62" h x 3.38"d) Details: Creator: Mario Ferrari (1925–1990, Italian) Date of Manufacture: 1951 Place of Origin: Italy Materials: Cast bronze Style: Mid-Century Modern / Italian Realist Animalier Sculpture Condition: Excellent vintage condition with original dark patina and minor age-appropriate surface wear. Keywords: Mario Ferrari bronze, Italian artist bronze, 1951 bronze, Italian animalier sculpture, bronze snail, realistic animal sculpture, mid-century Italian art, signed Italian bronze, paperweight sculpture, studio bronze art, 1950s Italian metalwork. Detailed biographical details on mid-century Italian sculptor Mario Ferrari (1925–1990) are quite sparse in published reference literature. He operated primarily as a studio sculptor and artisan in mid-20th-century Italy, working in cast iron (ferro fuso) and bronze. His body of work focused heavily on hand-incised animalier sculptures—such as snakes, snails, and other wildlife—often produced in small studio batches or custom commissions. Because he worked largely outside the institutional academy system, most documentation of his work exists through Italian auction records and private mid-century art collections rather than published monographs. Aligi Sassu Lucio Fontana Giuseppe Napoli Arnaldo Pomodoro Gio Ponti (frequently incorporated small bronze animal objects into interiors) Egidio Casagrande Kurt Delbanco...
Bronze
Pair of Fishes Ceramic Sculpture or Garniture
By Vallauris
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Pair of fishes ceramic sculpture garniture.
Ceramic
$500
H 4 in W 3.5 in D 4.63 in L 4 in
Murano Black Gold Silver Flecks Italian Art Glass Snail Figurine Paperweight
By Gambaro & Poggi
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful and unusual, Murano hand blown jet black with gold and silver flecks Italian art glass snail paperweight figurine. The piece has an original clear and gold label that reads “Vetreria Venier Murano...
Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
$450
H 3 in W 2.38 in D 3.25 in
Murano Gambaro Poggi Orange Blue Italian Art Glass Snail Figurine Paperweight
By Gambaro & Poggi
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown bright orange, yellow and sapphire blue Italian art glass snail figurine / sculpture. The piece is documented to the Gambaro & Poggi company. This...
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Opaline Glass
Murano Glass Pop Art Woman Head Sculpture
Located in Bradenton, FL
Hand Crafted Murano Pop Art Glass Sculpture of the Stylized Head of a Woman. Vivid colors of cobalt blue and black with blue irises and red lips. Weighs 8 pounds. The sculptural hair...
Art Glass