Fornasetti Furniture
The Italian artist, illustrator and furniture maker Piero Fornasetti was one of the wittiest and most imaginative design 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 the 19th-century 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 desks to dinner plates, lamps and umbrella stands. His work is archly clever, often surreal 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 his 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 Fornasetti’s collaborator and patron. Beginning in the early 1950s, they created a striking a 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.
to
7
159
72
159
54
20
108
69
2
1
1
158
74
95
40
1
33
27
5
11
5
111
74
64
44
12
229
222
5
1
233
198
203
118
10,358
3,929
2,500
2,241
Creator: Fornasetti
Fornasetti Atelier Ceramic Tray Decorated with An Owl
By Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Fornasetti 'Civetta' Owl Ceramic Dish with 'Merci' Motif
A charming example of the playful wit and surrealist elegance that defines the Fornasetti Atelier. This 21st-century rectang...
Category
Early 2000s Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
20th Century, Piero Fornasetti Rare Trumeau mod. Gran Coromandel
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Turin, Turin
Piero Fornasetti was an Italian painter, sculptor, decorator, and craftsman who used ornamental and pictorial motifs to decorate silk scarves, furniture, plates, vessels, and similar...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Glass, Wood, Harewood
Astronomici n.1 Decorative Plate by Fornasetti
By Fornasetti
Located in Milan, IT
This hand-decorated porcelain plate is adorned with exquisite zodiac designs, making this a true collector's item. Any minor discrepancies are the result of craftsmanship and attest ...
Category
2010s Italian Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
1960s Classical Set of Two Bookends " Porta di Venezia " by Piero Fornasetti
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Aci Castello, IT
This rare and visually captivating set of two bookends by Piero Fornasetti, dating from the 1960s, showcases the designer’s signature fusion of classical imagery and surrealist charm...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Iron
FORNASETTI Pair of Vintage Table Lamps
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian table lamp with painted metal decorated with cameos on red background (lithographical and transfer-printed) and brass / made in Milan Italy in the 1980s
Original labe...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Metal
$5,500 / set
FORNASETTI Glass Paperweight
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage glass sphere paperweight by Fornasetti, made in Italy in the 1990s
Original label underside
Diameter: 3 inches / Height: 1.5 inches
1 ...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Glass
Astronomici Teapot
By Fornasetti
Located in Milan, IT
Refined zodiac motifs cover this elegant hand-decorated porcelain teapot with gold accents, turning an everyday object into a true collector's item. Any minor discrepancies between s...
Category
2010s Italian Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$799 / item
Piero Fornasetti Bighe Red & Black MidCentury Table Lamp, Italy, 1950s
By Fornasetti
Located in Vienna, AT
A red and black cylindrical table or side lamp from the 1950s, designed by Piero Fornasetti for Atelier Fornasetti, Milan, Italy. Crafted from metal and brass, the lamp features lith...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Metal
FORNASETTI Tema E Variazioni Porcelain Plate Motiv 24
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Rosenthal Fornasetti "Temi e Variazioni" porcelain plate motiv 24, with gold rim and black and white printed center depicting the face of the famous opera singer Lina Cavalie...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Fornasetti Wall Plate Tema E Variazioni N. 221
By Fornasetti, Jonathan Adler
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful wall plate with the interpretation of opera singer Lina Cavalieri’s face are the basis of the iconic Tema e Variazioni series by Fornasetti. Beautiful hand-decorated porce...
Category
20th Century Italian Baroque Revival Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
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 Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
$3,000
Fornasetti Enamel Metal Mahogany Box
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage decorative matches box with enamel metal portraying a hot air balloon and mahogany wood insert / designed by Piero Fornasetti, made in Italy in the 1960s
Length: 4.5 inches /...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Metal
FORNASETTI Chess Board Game Set Box
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage chess board - game set box for Dal Negro by Piero Fornasetti, made in Italy in the 1970s. The box is made in walnut wood, and it includes chess game, checkers game, card game...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
Fornasetti Themes & Variation Porcelain Plate, Number 200
By Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Piero Fornasetti: 'Tema e Variazioni' (Themes & Variations)
Porcelain Plate, No. 200, "The Statue",
With Original White Box
This plate is a quintessential example of the wit, surrea...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Tema e Variazioni n.393 Round Ashtray
By Fornasetti
Located in Milan, IT
The face of opera singer Lina Cavalieri, reinterpreted by Piero Fornasetti, embellishes this hand-decorated porcelain ashtray, part of the iconic Tema e Variazioni series: an everyda...
Category
2010s Italian Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$173 / item
Piero Fornasetti Tema e Variazioni Porcelain Plate #1
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Miami, FL
The face of the opera singer Lina Cavalieri, Piero Fornasetti's muse, embellishes this decorative porcelain wall plate. This is the first decoration of what went on to become the ico...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Mano con Anelli Rectangular Ashtray
By Fornasetti
Located in Milan, IT
With this rectangular ashtray made of hand-decorated porcelain, Fornasetti has succeeded in transforming an everyday object into a small work of art capable of seducing you with its ...
Category
2010s Italian Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$299 / item
Convex Glass Mirror Venini + Fornasetti Italy
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic, timeless and elegant design.
Limited.
Brass, glass and wood.
Designed by Fornasetti with glass by Venini as noted by the labels on the back.
It has not been polished.
Origin...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Brass
FORNASETTI Tema E Variazioni Porcelain Plate #81
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Piero Fornasetti "Tema e Variazioni" porcelain plate depicting the smoking face of the famous opera singer Lina Cavalieri, no.81 / made in Milano Italy circa 1960
Original ma...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
PIERO FORNASETTI Milano 1960 Enameled Sliding Box With Racing Car & Horse
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Miami, FL
An enameled sliding box designed by Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988).
This is a very rare rectangular sliding box created in Milano Italy by Piero Fornasetti. The box is from the mid-century period, crafted in the 1960's in steel and wood. The outer steel is embellished with applications of multicolor enamel depicting a double wheel racing car with a horse . The box is very decorative and in very good preserved condition. These kinds of boxes are highly collectable and desirable among the mid-century and Italian design collectors.
Piero Fornasetti
He was an Italian artist and designer that born in Milan into a middle-class family, Fornasetti creative pursuits encompassed design, decoration, painting, curating, and printing. His oeuvre, spanning over 13,000 works, displayed a wide range of objects and furniture with a unique emphasis on decorative diversity. Collaborating with figures like Gio Ponti, Fornasetti's atelier became synonymous with bringing art into everyday lives through practical yet artistically adorned objects. Fornasetti's artistic philosophy emphasized the production of series over one-of-a-kind pieces, reflecting his commitment to democratizing art. A central motif in his work was the "variations," notably exemplified in the iconic "Tema e Variazioni" series featuring over 400 renditions of opera singer Lina Cavalieri's face. His creative genius extended across different mediums, from furniture to paintings, demonstrating a coherent stylistic code. Although Fornasetti faced...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Enamel, Bronze
Fornasetti Raised Small Sideboard Cabinet Architettura Celeste Architectural
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The sideboard cabinet is handcrafted using original artisan techniques, like all Fornasetti pieces of furniture
This cabinet is silk-screened by hand, hand-finished and covered with a smooth lacquer.
It is part of the Architettura Celeste collection, lauched during the 2018 Milan Design...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
Piero Fornasetti Umbrella Stand
By Fornasetti
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Rare umbrella stand by Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988), Italian designer known for his whimsical trompe l'oeil works on metal. This is an early example, circa 1950s-1960s.
Category
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Fornasetti Consolle Bocca Colored Handcrafted Wood
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti console is a wooden storage piece of furniture silkscreened and laquered by hand following the Atelier's traditional method.
Like ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
Fornasetti Set of 2 Silk Cushions Grande Pesce Fish
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti cushions will add to each room an unexpected detail thanks to the most iconic Italian atelier designs.
It is a set of two cushion...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Silk
Fornasetti Cushion Silenzio from the Series Tema e Variazioni Cotton
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti cushions will add to each room an unexpected detail thanks to the most iconic Italian atelier designs.
The decoration features t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Cotton
Fornasetti Theme & Variations Porcelain Plate No. 218 with Original Box
By Fornasetti
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine designer porcelain plate.
By Fornasetti.
From the Theme & Variations series (Tema e Variazioni)
Model no. 218.
With a depiction of Lina Cavalliere's face behind fruit (inc...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Barnaba Fornasetti Curved 'Zebra' Cabinet One of Fifteen, Date: 2003
By Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Barnaba Fornasetti Curved 'Zebra' Cabinet
One of Fifteen,
Date: 2003
Medium: Silkscreened, hand-painted, and lacquered wood
Dimensions: 51 3/4 inches high x 26 1/4 inches wide x 13...
Category
Early 2000s Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
Mid Century Catchall Arturo Toscanini in Porcelain by Piero Fornasetti
By Fornasetti
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Porcelain catchall/ashtray by Piero Fornasetti - Milano
The 1950s-1960s
The large ceramic tray or ashtray depicts the poster of Toscanini' Concert. "This is the poster of the inaugu...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Original Fornasetti Curved Chest Of Drawers
By Fornasetti
Located in Kent, Dover
An original Fornasetti Chest "Archittetura"
Produced by Atelier Fornasetti in lithographically printed hand painted and lacquered rosewood, with brass fittings, these pieces of furn...
Category
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Beech
Fornasetti Curved Cabinet Coromandel Hand Colored Wood Special Edition
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The curved cabinet shape was designed by Barnaba Fornasetti in 2003 and now it can be considered one of the most iconic pieces of furniture in the Itali...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
FORNASETTI Butterfly Poker Card Game Set Box
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage butterfly poker card game set box, screen print on wood, with two decks of playing cards, eight dices and chips / Designed by PIero Fornasetti, made in Milan Italy by Fornase...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
Cylindrical Metal Lamp Base Viso Black/White, Iconical Fornasetti Face Decor
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The cylindrical shape allows Fornasetti's imagination to create surprising decorative effects in which the shapes follow one another endlessly. The metafisical face design makes this hand-silkscreened metal lamp base...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Metal
FORNASETTI Pair of Vintage Table Lamps
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian "Jerusalem by night" table lamp with painted metal (lithographical and transfer-printed) and brass / made in Milan Italy in the 1980s
Original label on the base
1 lig...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Metal
$5,500 / set
FORNASETTI Tema E Variazioni Limited Edition Print 1/100
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Piero Fornasetti "Tema e Variazioni" 1/100 limited edition print depicting the face of the famous opera singer Lina Cavalieri / made in Milano Italy, 1998
Width: 14 inches / Height: ...
Category
20th Century Italian Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Paper
Fornasetti Neoclassical Trompe l'oeil Teste Antiche Umbrella Stand
By Fornasetti
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Divine Piero Fornasetti umbrella stand crafted from hand silk screened and lacquered metal. Trompe l'oeil Teste Antiche or antique heads in a Greco-Roman theme. Excellent joinery and...
Category
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Iron
1960s by Piero Fornasetti for Testa Studio Advertising Plate
By Fornasetti
Located in Brescia, IT
Piero Fornasetti by Armando Testa Studio
Very rare and limited series, Italy, 1960s.
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Fornasetti Cushion Abbaglio from the Series Tema e Variazioni Cotton
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti cushions will add to each room an unexpected detail thanks to the most iconic Italian atelier designs.
The decoration features t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Cotton
Vintage Piero Fornasetti Strumenti Musical or Libri Screen
By Fornasetti
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An iconic mid-size screen depicting a library shelf on one side and musical instruments on the verso.
A period example, circa 1954. Measures: 53 1/2" high.
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
FORNASETTI "Jerusalem by Night" Panel
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare original vintage "Jerusalem by Night" screen print on wood panel, designed by Piero Fornasetti / made in Milan Italy by Fornasetti
Original label on the back
Measures: width 37 ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
FORNASETTI Fondale Marino Floor Lamp by Fornasetti
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage "Fondale Marino" (seabed) table lamp from the La Follia Pratica series, composed of a flat plexiglass sheet photostatic printed with aquatic design, assembled by folding the ...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Plexiglass
Piero Fornasetti Recipe Plate, Vero-Pig Piccadilly, Made for Fleming Joffe
By Fornasetti
Located in Downingtown, PA
Piero Fornasetti recipe plate,
Vero-Pig piccadilly,
Made for Fleming Joffe,
Silkscreen and transfer,
Early 1960s.
This rare Piero Forna...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
FORNASETTI Watermelon Oval Metal Tray
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian oval metal tray depicting watermelon on orange surface / made in Milan Italy in the 1950s
Original Fornasetti label on the base
Measures: width 18 inches, depth 13.5 ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Metal
Sole Chair by Piero Fornasetti for Fornasetti Milano
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Dorchester, MA
Designed in the 1950s, the Sole Chair by Piero Fornasetti features a repeating radiant sun motif (a transferred lithographic print). In this ...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Beech, Birch
Fornasetti Desk and Chair "FIORI NELLA NOTTE" - Unique Pieces
By Fornasetti
Located in Rome, RM
The Fornasetti "Fiori nella Notte" desk and chair are unique pieces made in exclusive for Betony Vernon's private home in Paris in 2004. The desk has a drawer and the top opens to be...
Category
Early 2000s Italian Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
$28,720 Sale Price
20% Off
Piero Fornasetti Mani Con Farfalle Vase
By Fornasetti
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Piero Fornasetti collaborated with Studio Ars Labor,Industrie Riunite
(S.A.L.I.R.) on a series of cold -painted enamel vases in 1935.
Originally debuted at the VI Triennial of Veni...
Category
1940s Italian Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Art Glass
Fornasetti Frame with Convex Mirror Farfalle Butterflies Color on White
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
Like all Fornasetti accessories, the mirrors turn an everyday action into an aesthetic experience. Measures: Ø28 cm.
This mirror frame is handcrafted using original artisan techni...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Glass, Wood
Curved Chest of Drawers Scimmie Grey Shades, Chromed Details
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
Like all Fornasetti pieces of furniture, it is handcrafted using original artisan techniques.
This corner cabinet is silk-screened by hand, hand-panited and covered with a smooth lacquer.
The decoration depicts the iconic Fornasetti monkeys on a grey leaves...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
Fornasetti Curved Cabinet Notturno Hand Colored Wood
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The curved cabinet shape was designed by Barnaba Fornasetti in 2003 and now it can be considered one of the most iconic pieces of furniture in the Itali...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Wood
Fornasetti Silk Cushion Sardine Fishes on Red
By Fornasetti
Located in MILANO, IT
The Fornasetti cushions will add to each room an unexpected detail thanks to the most iconic Italian atelier designs.
Cushion cover material: S...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Silk
FORNASETTI Set of 6 Fornasetti Mural Plates by Louis Vuitton
By Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fornasetti Mural plate set, co-designed by Johnny Coca and the Italian atelier Fornasetti, each featuring a unique motif echoing the antiquity theme from the Louis Vuitton Women's Fa...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
FORNASETTI Pair of Vintage Table Lamps
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Italian table lamp with painted metal decorated with violet flowers (lithographical and transfer-printed) and brass / made in Milan Italy in the 1980s
Original label on the b...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Metal
$5,500 / set
Piero Fornasetti Gilded Porcelain Chariot Coasters or Nut Dishes Vintage- 6 pcs
By Fornasetti
Located in Cordova, SC
Vintage mid century modern Fornasetti coasters, set of six (6) of chariots with horses with gold gilding. Some noticeable wear to the gold coloring on the faces of the coasters. No c...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
1950s Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Aperitivo Set
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Aci Castello, IT
A set of five vintage aperitivo bowls by Fornasetti. These bowls feature intricate black and white illustrations with gold accents, especially on the rims and bases. Each bowl is ado...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Ceramic, Porcelain
Set of 5 1950s Piero Fornasetti Grandi Maestri Gold Ceramic Plates
By Fornasetti
Located in London, GB
Set of 5 Fornasetti ceramic /gold plates “Grandi Maestri” series.
Ceramic plate by Piero Fornasetti of the series ” Grandi Maestri ” Music Great Masters. Ceramic, silk screen prin...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Piero Fornasetti Rare Vintage Matador & Bull Porcelain Dinner Plates Set of Six
By Fornasetti
Located in North Miami, FL
These wonderful hard to find and hard to come by complete set of RARE wonderful bullfight black and white vintage Mid-Century Modern porcelain dinner plates are the genius work and i...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
1950s by Piero Fornasetti Midcentury Italian Design Box
By Fornasetti
Located in Brescia, IT
Serigraphy on metal, wood box
Excellent condition.
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Metal
Fornassetti Folding Tray Table
By Fornasetti
Located in Toronto, CA
A classic, reimagined in technicolour. This vintage folding tray table features one of Fornasetti’s most iconic faces—peek-a-boo style—set beneath vivid rainbow stripes. The chrome X...
Category
1990s Italian Post-Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Metal
Fornasetti Fish Bowls on Tray, Italy, 1950s
By Fornasetti
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of four Fornasetti Fish Bowls on a Tray, Italy 1950s. The measurements given apply to the tray. One bowl measures 11 x 14 x 3 cm.
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
$4,128 / set
Two 1970s Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti for Winston White Ceramic Vide Poches
By Fornasetti
Located in Aci Castello, IT
A pair of square white ceramic vide poches designed and manufactured by Fornasetti for Winston cigarettes, they feature the famous woman's face that we see in many variations of her ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
Two 1960s Mid-Century Modern Musical Instruments Plates by Piero Fornasetti
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Aci Castello, IT
These two 1960s Mid-Century Modern decorative plates by Piero Fornasetti typically exemplify his whimsical and artistic approach to design.The plates depict intricate surreal illustr...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Fornasetti Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Fornasetti furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Fornasetti furniture 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 Fornasetti furniture, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 143 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 53 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by 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 furniture by Richard Ginori, Alfredo Barbini, and La Murrina. Prices for Fornasetti furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $274 and can go as high as $32,216, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,614.
Creators Similar to Fornasetti
Questions About Fornasetti Furniture
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Fornasetti plates are hand-made in Italy. They continue a tradition of excellent craftsmanship that goes back to founder Piero Fornasetti, who established the atelier during the 1950s. Shop antique and modern Fornasetti plates from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- What is Fornasetti?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Fornasetti is an art design company that produces furniture and home accessories decorated by hand. Piero Fornasetti established the company in Milan, Italy, during the 1950s as his atelier. As of December 2021, his son, Barnaba Fornasetti, heads the company. You'll find a selection of Fornasetti on 1stDibs.
- Who is Piero Fornasetti?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Piero 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.
- What style is Fornasetti?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024The style of Fornasetti is mid-century modern. The Italian artist and designer crafted an inimitable decorative style from a personal library of images rendered in transfer print engravings, including birds, butterflies, hot-air balloons, architecture and an enigmatic woman's face, to decorate an endless variety of furnishings and housewares that range from chairs, tables and decorative objects to dinner plates, table lamps and umbrella stands. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Piero Fornasetti art, furniture and decorative objects.
- Where can I buy Fornasetti?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022You can buy Fornasetti directly from the brand's online store. In addition, numerous brick-and-mortar retailers around the world carry Fornasetti pieces. You can also shop for the brand's furniture and home décor on multiple online platforms. You'll find a collection of Fornasetti on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Opera singer Natalina ‘Lina’ Cavalieri is the face that inspired Piero Fornasetti throughout his artistic career, from his plates to wallpaper and more. Lina Cavalieri was known as the most beautiful woman in the world during her lifetime from 1874-1944. It was eight years after Cavalieri’s death that Fornasetti came across her image in a magazine and was thereby inspired to replicate it repetitively. On 1stDibs, find a collection of authentic Fornasetti plates from some of the world’s top sellers.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022How you display Fornasetti plates is largely a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer to rest them flat on a low table or shelf, while others position them upright on plate stands. You can also thread string or twine through the two holes found on the back of every piece and display it as wall art. Find a collection of Fornasetti plates on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To burn a Fornasetti candle, first trim the wick to remove any soot. Then, light the candle and allow it to burn for up to three hours. Use a snuffer to extinguish the candle, as blowing out the flame can disturb the wax. Find a collection of Fornasetti on 1stDibs.
- What style of art is Fornasetti?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 27, 2024The style of art by Fornasetti varied. His use of whimsical motifs has often led his artwork to be associated with Surrealism, while his use of repetitive imagery, like in his many prints featuring opera singer Lina Cavalieri, skewed toward Pop art. As a designer, his works reflected mid-century modern sensibilities with a playful twist. Explore a collection of Piero Fornasetti art and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
- Is Fornasetti hand painted?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, each and every Fornasetti design is hand made and hand painted. The colors are expertly applied by painters, ensuring no two items are alike. You’ll find a variety of Fornasetti designs from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To hang Fornasetti plates, thread a length of string through the two small holes found on the tops of their backs. Tie the string in a secure knot and then hang from a nail, screw or hook. Avoid using plate hanger hardware, as it could crack or damage the plates. You'll find a collection of Fornasetti plates on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMay 14, 2024Piero 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, 2022Whether 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.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022No, every Fornasetti porcelain figurine is handmade. In fact, the brand produces all of their home decorative items by hand at their workshop in Milan, Italy. If you see indications that a figurine came from a factory, it is likely not an authentic Fornasetti. Shop a collection of expertly vetted Fornasetti on 1stDibs.
Interiors Featuring Fornasetti
Explore the work of the world's best interior designers