Piero Fornasetti Umbrella Stand " Birds " Metal Brass 1950 Italy
About the Item
- Creator:Piero Fornasetti (Author)
- Dimensions:Height: 22.05 in (56 cm)Diameter: 7.49 in (19 cm)
- Style:Other (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Milano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2924337153882
Piero Fornasetti
The Italian artist and illustrator 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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Milano, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Piero Fornasetti Hice Holder Brass Metal, 1955, ItalyBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, ITIce Holder Piero Fornasetti.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Vases
MaterialsBrass
- Azucena Umbrella Stand Brass Iron, 1955, ItalyBy AzucenaLocated in Milano, ITAzucena umbrella stand brass iron, 1955, Italy.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Vases
MaterialsBrass
- Guido Andlovitz Vase/ Umbrella Stand Ceramic 1950 ItalyBy Guido AndlovizLocated in Milano, ITGuido Andlovitz vase/umbrella stand ceramic 1950 Italy.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- Piero Fornasetti Box Wood Metal Crome Gold, 1960, ItalyBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, ITPiero Fornasetti box wood metal crome gold, 1960, Italy.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Other Serving Pieces
MaterialsWood
- Richard Ginori “Giovanni Gariboldi” Vase/Umbrella Stand Ceramic, 1950, ItalyBy Richard GinoriLocated in Milano, ITRichard Ginori Giovanni Gariboldi vase/umbrella stand ceramic, 1950, Italy.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- Piero Fornasetti Ashtray Ceramic 1956 ItalyBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, ITPiero Fornasetti.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Ashtrays
MaterialsCeramic
- 'Butterflies' Umbrella Stand by Piero Fornasetti, circa 1960s Italy, SignedBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis rare and coveted collectors item is the 'Farfalle' (translated to 'Butterflies') umbrella stand by Piero Fornasetti, circa 1960s, signed underneath. This hefty round umbrella bin...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
MaterialsMetal
- 'Cammei Marbalia' Umbrella Stand by Piero Fornasetti, circa 1970s Italy, SignedBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis collectors item is the 'Cammei Marbalia' (Marbled Cameos in Italian) umbrella stand by Piero Fornasetti, circa 1970s, signed underneath. This hefty round umbrella bin...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
MaterialsMetal
- 'Cesto di Dalie' Umbrella Stand by Piero Fornasetti, 1950s Italy, SignedBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis rare and highly sought-after collectors item is the 'Cesto di Dalie' umbrella stand by Piero Fornasetti, circa 1950s, signed underneath with a Fornasetti medallion label. This h...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
MaterialsMetal
- Rare Umbrella Stand “Bighe” designed by Piero Fornasetti, Italy circa 1960By Piero FornasettiLocated in Stockholm, SEPiero Fornasetti umbrella stand “Bighe”. Lithographically printed metal and brass. Italy, circa 1960. Marked: FORNASETTI MILANO, MADE IN ITALY. Gold label: MADE EXPRESSLY FOR OHLSSO...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern More Desk Accessories
MaterialsBrass
- Piero Fornasetti Wheat Spikes Large Ceramic Jar, Italy 1960sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milan, ITBeautiful Piero Fornasetti Gold Wheat Spikes Large Ceramic Jar, Italy 1960sCategory
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Jars
MaterialsCeramic
- Vintage Moro Head Vase by Piero Fornasetti, Italy, 1960sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Roma, ITMagnificent enameled gold ceramic vase by Piero Fornasetti (Milan 1913-1988), considered among the most original and creative talents of the 21st century. A rare piece depicting the ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Vases
MaterialsCeramic