1940s Sculptures

A high quality true pair of French 19th century neo-classical st. patinated bronze statues, signed DENIERE. Each statue is raised by a circular base where the signature as well as an...

This is a pair of large heavy patinated bronze Greek/Roman nymphs sculptures torchere lamps. They depict a pair of semi nude females dressing classica...

Great cast bronze elephant sculpture mounted on a marble base. Elephant has wonderful details and appears the tusks were replaced over time. Base has one tiny edge chip. Elephant has...

Vaso vintage unico di Pietro Chiesa questo vaso speciale è stato disegnato da Pietro Chiesa nel 1932 e realizzato da Fontana Arte fino agli anni '70. È un...

American cast bronze garden fountain with standing figural boy holding Koi fish on a two-tiered shell form scrolled base with turtle at his feet, Late 19th century.

A Koi Fish are symbolic of perseverance and strength of purpose. This meticulously detailed carving of a small Koi fish is the perfect gift for a friend or relative who has those per...

A fantastic vintage Regency ceramic fish. Made by the Iconic Magnani Oggetti group and tagged on the bottom. Deep rich colors with gorgeous gilt tipping. Acquired from a Palm Beach e...

A giant hand cast serene bronze trophy koi fish sculpture Yuuri signifying calm and comfort by Japanese master metal artist, Ota Ryohei. Signed on base official label still present...

A beautiful Japanese bronze koi fish sculpture with wonderful mesh craftsmanship and a glowing patina. This piece may have initially been made to u...

A vintage lost wax cast bronze statue of a cat from the mid 20th century, with bronze patina. We currently have two available, priced and sold indi...

Porcelain figurine, Italy, 1940s Family item, Wedding gift from my great grandparents. Integral, only small signs of the time. 27 cm high.

Amazing midcentury carved crystal glass ashtray. This wonderful item was designed by Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte in Italy during 1960s. This piece is unique as it has two carved sides and two straight ones and tone of the crystal, that is a very elegant water marine. A perfect bowl to complete a midcentury-style living room or entrance. Measures (cms): width - 20 depth - 20 height - 2 Pietro Chiesa (1892-1948) was an Italian designer who specialised in modernist and Art Deco designs. Chiesa was one of the founding members of FontanaArte which was established in 1932, and as its artistic director, he designed hundreds of items ranging from furniture to objets d’art. A member of the Swiss Ticino family of artists, Chiesa is best known for his glass furnishing pieces, such as the Fontana table. Fontana Arte (established in 1933) was founded by Luigi Fontana, Gio Ponti, and Pietro Chiesa as a premier producer and marketer of furniture, lighting, and furnishing accessories, and distignuished itself applying the highest standards of glass craftsmanship and techniques. Throughout Fontana Arte’s history, its lamps and furniture have been highly sought after due to their superior glass craftsmanship and innovative design. Saint-Gobain Invests in Luigi Fontanta e Compagni The origins of Fontana Arte go back to 1881, when Luigi Fontana established Luigi Fontana e Compagni to produce and market sheet glass for the construction industry. Luigi’s success as an entrepreneur in the growing Italian construction sector attracted the attention of the French glass-making company Saint-Gobain, which, in 1910, took a majority stake in the ownership of Luigi Fontana e Compagni transforming it into a “Società Anonima” still under the direction of Luigi Fontana. By the mid-1920s, Fontana e Compagni’s capabilities included the creation of artistic stained glass that was mostly used in functional and decorative settings of churches and cathedrals. Gio Ponti Becomes Fontana e Compagni’s Artistic Director In just a few years, the production of such artistic stained-glass products had become of such importance that a different division within the Fontana e Compagni was created to further its development. In 1930, Luigi Fontana met the successful young Milanese architect Gio Ponti, who was then the art director of Richard-Ginori pottery company, and they formed a partnership, under the name of Luigi Fontana SA, for the production of light fixtures, furniture, and furnishing objects. During this initial period, Gio Ponti designed from Fontana Arte the now-iconic 0024 Pendant light (1931) and the Bilia Table Lamp (1931). Pietro Chiesa, Gio Ponti, and Luigi Fontana Found Fontana Arte In 1932, Gio Ponti approached Pietro Chiesa to join him and Luigi Fontana and to become Luigi Fontana SA’s artistic director. In 1933, Pietro Chiesa merged his studio, the Bottega di Pietro Chiesa, with Fontana SA, and together Luigi Fontana, Gio Ponti, and Chiesa founded Fontana Arte. During Chiesa’s tenure as artistic director, Fontana Arte’s production became rich and varied. It included furniture, tables, mirrors, sculptures, and stained glass, but it was certainly in the lighting sector where Fontana Arte excelled by creating lamps and lights with the highest standards in glass craftsmanship and modern designs. From this period came the Luminator floor lamp, the Cartoccio glass vase, and the Fontana Arte table made out of a single band of bent clear glass, (all designed by Pietro Chiesa, in 1932); and the Naska lamp...