Architect, urban planner, glass, furniture and landscape designer, and interior decorator — Tomaso Buzzi was a 20th-century renaissance man. Buzzi, along with his frequent collaborator Gio Ponti, led Italy’s Novecento Milanese movement of the 1920s and ‘30s — an approximate equivalent to France’s Art Deco movement. While Buzzi is prized for chairs, tables and other furnishings that modernized the majestic lines of 18th-century designs, he is best known for the remarkable, jewel-toned glassware he produced in a two-year stint as the artistic director of the Venini glassworks on the Venetian island of Murano.
Buzzi was born in 1900 in the town of Sondrio in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. He studied at the Milan Polytechnic, and soon after he graduated joined a lively Milanese decorative arts scene. In 1927, he and Ponti joined fellow designers Paolo Venini and Michele Marelli to form a design collaborative called Il Labirinto (the Labyrinth), Italy’s answer to the Wiener Werkstätte. In 1932, when Venini's glass company lost the design services of the sculptor Napoleone Martinuzzi, who left to start his own factory, he turned to Buzzi. The young architect’s careful study of lighting design and a love for experimentation yielded major innovations in Murano glass fixtures. The forms of his wares were inspired by sources from antiquity as diverse as Persian urns and animal-shaped Etruscan jugs. Buzzi developed a complex glass-layering method that produced deep, glowing pastel colors that ran from pink to peach, to sea-green and slate blue.
Buzzi furniture has a noteworthy elegance and nobility. Delicate chairs with arrow-shaped backs and elaborate burled wood armoires are typical of his aesthetic, and would add a sophisticated note to any room, modern or traditional. And an exemplary piece of Buzzi’s vibrant, lustrous glassware would merit a place of honor in every design collection.
$7,000Sale Price|20% Off
Gio Ponti Tomaso Buzzi Sofa
By Gio Ponti, Tomaso Buzzi
Located in Red Lion, PA
Truly beautiful one of a kind authorized copy of Gio Ponti and Tomaso Buzzi 1930 Sofa. Walnut frame upholstered in satin silk. Manifactured by Carpani F.ll inc Literature: Mobili De...
Satin, Silk, Walnut
$7,858 / set
H 27.56 in W 61.03 in D 29.93 in
Set of 2 Armchairs and a Sofa in the style Gio Ponti for Casa E Giardino, 1940s
By Gio Ponti, Casa e Giardino
Located in taranto, IT
Rare splendid 40s living room, made in the style of Casa & Giardino by Gio Ponti, consisting of a two-seater sofa and a pair of armchairs, wooden structure and upholstery in Cintz c...
Brass
Curved Yellow Velvet 3-Seater Sofa by Gio Ponti, Italy 1940's
By Gio Ponti
Located in Miami, FL
This rare three-seater curved "banana" designed by the Italian modernist architect Gio Ponti for Casa e Giardino. While his work extended well into the post-war era, this iconic des...
Fabric, Wood
$2,748Sale Price|50% Off
H 36.23 in W 71.66 in D 37.41 in
Gio Ponti N. 512 Mid-Century Modern Italian Sofa for ISA, 1950s
By Gio Ponti, ISA Bergamo
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Elegant and splendid three-seater sofa with high backrest by Gio Ponti, 1950s, for ISA Edizioni, Bergamo, model N. 512. Carved profile, refined lines, sensual and deep comfort. The u...
Beech, Fabric
Gio Ponti, Rare Sofa
By Gio Ponti
Located in New York, NY
Walnut, upholstery, brass. Dynamic wooden frame with upholstered seat and three separate back cushions. Likely produced by Ettore Colombo e Fratelli, Cantù. Another great design that...
Brass
$7,402
H 27.96 in W 78.75 in D 33.47 in
Wonderful Italian Sofa Attributed to Gio Ponti and Completely Re-Upholstered
By Gio Ponti
Located in Munich, DE
Amazing lines resting on two legs in front and two castors at the back for easy moving. Belts, foam and velvet completely redone.
Velvet
Italian Sofa in the Style of Gio Ponti, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Miami, FL
Fantastic Italian sofa from the 1950s. Very much in the style of Gio Ponti.
Fabric, Wood
$12,500
H 32.29 in W 98.43 in D 43.31 in
Gio Ponti Curved Sofa for Casa e Giardino, Velvet, 1956, Attributed
By Casa e Giardino, Gio Ponti
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gio Ponti Curved Sofa for Casa e Giardino, velvet, Italy, 1956, Attributed Consciously attributed to Gio Ponti for Casa e Giardino, this sofa distills comfort into a single, continu...
Velvet, Wood
$2,733Sale Price|50% Off
H 36.62 in W 68.12 in D 34.26 in
Gio Ponti Art Dèco Italian Sofa from Hotel Bristol Merano, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Luxurious Art Deco sofa designed by Gio Ponti for the Hotel Bristol Merano Italia. Sofa with low armrests and a sculptural shape. Made in Italy in the early 1950s. The velvet is worn...
Velvet, Beech
$24,500Sale Price|30% Off
H 30 in W 90 in D 30 in
Grande Divano Curvo Boomerang Sofa, After Gio Ponti, C. 1950
By Gio Ponti
Located in Culver City, CA
This has to be one of the most beautiful sofas our gallery has ever had. This piece is early Italian1950's. Similar to pieces by Gio Ponti, Ico Parisi and Vladimir Kagan this large curved sofa features walnut legs and has been reupholstered in a fine, white, Belgian boucle. The boomerang-shaped sofa is a true masterpiece that embodies the essence of Italian design. Italian modern design is known for its clean lines, bold shapes, and exquisite attention to detail, making them timeless pieces of art that have stood the test of time. This particular sofa, is a stunning piece that exudes elegance and sophistication. The unique boomerang shape of the sofa is both stylish and practical, as it offers a comfortable seating experience while also being a visually striking addition to any room. The sofa is upholstered in a white Belgian boucle fabric, which adds to its luxurious appeal and complements its sleek design. This boomerang shaped sofa measures 90" long on the longer side, and 75" long on the shorter side. This gorgeous sofa could fit into a corner, but hiding those 9 splayed cone legs, and curved back lines wouldn't quite do this sofa justice. This vintage Italian piece is constructed with the highest level of quality. This sofa in particular has 8 way hand tied springs, the seating cushion has springs, the stuffing all horsehair and the upholstery was a worn mohair. We have remarkable photos documenting sofa before and during restoration. While Gio Ponti is regarded as one of the most significant Italian designers; his contemporaries, such as Achille Castiglioni, Vico Magistretti, and Ettore Sottsass, also contributed to the world of Italian design. Castiglioni, for instance, was known for his playful and functional designs, while Magistretti was renowned for his minimalist aesthetic. Sottsass, on the other hand, was a pioneer of the Memphis Group, which was known for its bold and colorful designs. We currently have this sofa in the gallery alongside a pair of Jean Royere chairs...
Bouclé, Walnut
$7,488
H 30.71 in W 65.75 in D 26.78 in
Rare Gio Ponti Attributed Sofa by Casa E Giardino, Italy, 1940s
By Casa e Giardino, Gio Ponti
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
Rare Gio Ponti attributed sofa for Casa e Giardino, Italy, 1940s. Structurally sound but reupholstery required. We can assist with reupholstery in customers choice of fabric if requi...
Fabric, Wood
$3,131Sale Price|50% Off
H 40.16 in W 80.71 in D 35.44 in
Attributed Gio Ponti Mid-Century Modern Italian High Back Sofa, 1950s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Three-seater sofa attributed Gio Ponti, production in the early 1950s, with high backrest, the upholstery is in velvet but replacement is recommended, feet and structure in beech.
Velvet, Beech
$7,972
H 30.32 in W 62.21 in D 30.32 in
20th Century, Gio Ponti Sofa 'Attributed' in Wood and Upholstery in Fabric, '50s
By Gio Ponti
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Very beautiful Sofa attributed to Gio Ponti designed in '50s in Italy. The sofa has a wooden structure and the upholstery in two colors fabric (white and green). The sofa seems to be...
Fabric, Wood
$6,557
H 35.44 in W 74.81 in D 36.62 in
Attributed Gio Ponti Mid-Century Modern Velvet Sofa for ISA, 1950s
By ISA Bergamo, Gio Ponti
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Elegant and splendid three-seater sofa with high backrest attributed Gio Ponti, 1950s, for ISA Edizioni, Bergamo. Carved profile, refined lines, sensual and deep comfort. The ivory v...
Velvet, Beech, Fir
$9,750
H 37.41 in W 76.78 in D 37.41 in
High Back Sofa By Gio Ponti For ISA Bergamo in Bouclé Fabric Upholstery 1950s
By ISA Bergamo, Gio Ponti
Located in Almelo, NL
Elegant three seat high back sofa reupholstered in new bouclé fabric was designed by Gio Ponti and produced by the ISA company in Bergamo, Italy 1950s. ISA Bergamo was responsible fo...
Brass
Exceptional Tomaso Buzzi Mahogany Bench
By Tomaso Buzzi
Located in North Miami, FL
In original velvet upholstery, this simple X-shape mahogany bench is perfect for a vanity or any other use. By Tomaso Buzzi.
Mahogany, Velvet