Rare Ico Parisi for Stildomus 'Altair' Fireplace Tools

About the Item

Ico Parisi for Stildomus Selezione, 'Altair' fireplace tools with standard, model '2001', nickel-plated brass, wood, steel, Italy, 1959 The Altair design is a rare creation by Ico Parisi and produced by the Italian company Stildomus, a furniture company that continuously strived in finding the perfect balance between 'the industrial process and artisan quality through the study of materials and technologies.'. This finely crafted design embraces a solid octagonal wooden base that serves as a foundation for the nickel-plated brass framework, added with four intersecting V-profiles strategically spaced to accommodate fireplace tools. Included in the set are a shovel, poker, and tong, each featuring wooden handles intricately carved, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. Ico Parisi (1916-1996) stands as one of the pioneers who significantly influenced postwar Italian design. Admired for his graceful, curved, and elegantly simplified modern designs, Parisi played a pivotal role in shaping the design landscape. Unlike the Bauhaus movement, which established a new institute, Italy's design evolution unfolded in the refined confines of upper-class private spaces. It was within these sophisticated realms that the paths of influential figures like Gio Ponti, Massimo Campigli, Fausto Melotti, Ico, and his wife Luisa intersected. Parisi's journey began when, at the age of twenty, he earned his degree as an Industrial Head Technician from the Istituto Tecnico G. Castellini. It was during this period that he crafted his first designs, starting his prolific career. Prior to his mandatory wartime service, Parisi also delved into the realms of painting and photography. However, it was in the postwar era that Parisi's life truly unfolded. His encounter with Luisa Aiani sparked a transformative chapter. Subsequently, his designs garnered recognition and found a place in prestigious exhibitions. In 1958, Parisi started a collaboration with MIM Roma, followed by another significant partnership with Stildomus in 1959. This marked the beginning of a period where his innovative designs left an enduring mark on the world of Italian design.

Creator:

Stildomus (Manufacturer),Ico Parisi (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 25.6 in (65 cm)Width: 7.88 in (20 cm)Depth: 7.88 in (20 cm)

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Brass,Nickel,Steel,Wood

Place of Origin:

Italy

Period:

1950-1959

Date of Manufacture:

1950s

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftspeople in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. Check ‘About the item’ or ask our design specialists for detailed information on the condition.

Seller Location:

Waalwijk, NL

Reference Number:

Seller: 501154511stDibs: LU933138961412

View Invoice

Shop All Ico Parisi

Ico Parisi

Domenico “Ico” Parisi was one half of a prolific postwar design duo he comprised with his wife, Luisa. Their furniture designs are known for running the stylistic gamut, with celebrated mid-century modern pieces ranging from elegantly skeletal — like dramatic ebonized dining chairs — to plush and shapely, like the iconic 1951 Egg chair, in a plethora of materials.

The son of an art teacher father, Ico Parisi was exposed to art at an early age. Born in 1916 in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, he and his family moved to Como in 1925. There, the young Parisi would begin to develop his interest in architecture and design. After earning a degree as a building inspector in 1936 and working as a civil engineer, Parisi took on an apprenticeship in the studio of Giuseppe Terragni, the modernist, fascist Italian architect, pioneer of the Rationalist movement and creator of the iconic Casa del Fascio.

While working for Terragni, Parisi crossed paths with such contemporary design talents as Lucio Fontana, Bruno Munari and Pietro Lingeri, though he briefly moved away from design and architecture to explore photography and film. His artistic work would soon be interrupted, however, by the outbreak of World War II, during which he served at the front before returning to Como in 1943. There, he resumed work as a designer and architect, founding two architecture groups: the Alta Quota and the Gruppo Como.

Through his creative circles, Parisi met Luisa Aiani, a former student of the prolific architect and furniture designer Gio Ponti, who was affiliated with the Alta Quota. They married in 1947 and founded the studio La Ruota — a cross between a design firm and an intellectual salon — in Como shortly thereafter. In 1950, Parisi finally completed his architectural schooling, studying under the nationalist architect Alberto Sartoris at the Athenaeum Architecture School in Lausanne, Switzerland. He and Aiani began several decades of sophisticated output, designing curved sofas upholstered in yellow velvet and armchairs with slender mahogany frames for enduring Italian manufacturers such as Cassina and others.

Much like Charles and Ray Eames in America, the Parisis worked as a team and relied on experimentation in style and material for many of their designs. Ico Parisi died in Como in 1996.

Find a collection of vintage Ico Parisi coffee tables, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.