Gio Ponti Arthur Krupp Set N 6 Macedonia Metal pebbles Arg. 1950 Italy
About the Item
Gio Ponti
An architect, furniture and industrial designer and editor, Gio Ponti was arguably the most influential figure in 20th-century Italian modernism.
Ponti (1891–1979) designed thousands of furnishings and products — from cabinets, lamps and chairs to ceramics and coffeemakers — and his buildings, including the brawny Pirelli Tower (1956) in his native Milan, and the castle-like Denver Art Museum (1971), were erected in 14 countries. Through Domus, the magazine he founded in 1928, Ponti brought attention to virtually every significant movement and creator in the spheres of modern art and design.
The questing intelligence Ponti brought to Domus is reflected in his work: as protean as he was prolific, Ponti’s style can’t be pegged to a specific genre. In the 1920s, as artistic director for the Tuscan porcelain maker Richard Ginori, he fused old and new; his ceramic forms were modern, but decorated with motifs from Roman antiquity. In pre-war Italy, modernist design was encouraged, and after the conflict, Ponti — along with designers such as Carlo Mollino, Franco Albini, Marco Zanuso — found a receptive audience for their novel, idiosyncratic work. Ponti’s typical furniture forms from the period, such as the wedge-shaped Distex chair, are simple, gently angular, and colorful; equally elegant and functional. In the 1960s and ’70s, Ponti’s style evolved again as he explored biomorphic shapes, and embraced the expressive, experimental designs of Ettore Sottsass Jr., Joe Colombo and others.
His signature furniture piece — the one by which he is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Germany’s Vitra Design Museum and elsewhere — is the sleek Superleggera chair, produced by Cassina starting in 1957. (The name translates as “superlightweight” — advertisements featured a model lifting it with one finger.) Ponti had a playful side, best shown in a collaboration he began in the late 1940s with the graphic artist Piero Fornasetti. Ponti furnishings were decorated with bright finishes and Fornasetti's whimsical lithographic transfer prints of things such as butterflies, birds or flowers; the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts possesses a 1950 secretary from their Architetturra series, which feature case pieces covered in images of building interiors and facades. The grandest project Ponti and Fornasetti undertook, however, lies on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean: the interiors of the luxury liner Andrea Doria, which sank in 1956.
Widely praised retrospectives at the Queens Museum of Art in 2001 and at the Design Museum London in 2002 sparked a renewed interest in Ponti among modern design aficionados. (Marco Romanelli’s monograph written for the London show, offers a fine overview of Ponti’s work.) Today, a wide array of Ponti’s designs are snapped up by savvy collectors who want to give their homes a touch of Italian panache and effortless chic.
Find a range of Gio Ponti furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Milano, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Gio Ponti Coffee Maker, 1940By Gio PontiLocated in Milano, ITGio Ponti - Caffettiera disegnata dal Architetto Gio Ponti è prodotta dai Fratelli Calderoni a Milano negli anni 40. Materiale : Alpacca Argentata.Category
Early 20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Tableware
MaterialsSilver Plate
- Gio' Ponti Wall Clock Brass Metal 1950 ItalyBy Gio PontiLocated in Milano, ITRare Wall ClockCategory
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Wall Clocks
MaterialsBrass
- Gio’ Ponti “Stile” Potiche Ceramic 1950 ItalyBy Gio PontiLocated in Milano, ITGio ‘ Ponti “Style “ Potiche Ceramic 1950 Italy.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Gio Ponti Stile Sconces Brass Metal 1940 ItalyBy Gio PontiLocated in Milano, ITSconces.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Other Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- Gio Ponti “Stile” Desk Wood Brass, 1950, ItalyBy Gio PontiLocated in Milano, ITGio Ponti “Stile” desk wood brass, 1950, Italy.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Gio Ponti Coffee Table Wood Glass 1950 ItalyBy Gio PontiLocated in Milano, ITGio Ponti coffee table.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood, Glass
- Gio Ponti Silver Cutlery Set for Twelve by Krupp Italy 1950sBy Gio Ponti, Arthur KruppLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITCutlery silver set for twelve in nickel silver or German silver, this set includes a total of 36 pieces; 12 spoons, 12 forks, and 12 knives with a steel blade. Set designed by Gio ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
MaterialsNickel, Stainless Steel
- Gio Ponti Cutlery Set for Six in Nickel Silver by Krupp Italy 1950sBy Gio Ponti, Arthur KruppLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITTan France Pick Cutlery silver service for six in nickel silver or German silver, this set includes a total of 18 pieces; 6 spoons, 6 forks, and 6 knives with a steel blade. Set d...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
MaterialsNickel, Stainless Steel
- Gio Ponti Wonderfully Patinated 'Soliflore' Vase for Arthur Krupp Milano, 1930sBy Gio Ponti, Arthur KruppLocated in Tilburg, NLA truly beautiful so called 'Soliflore' vase designed by Gio Ponti for Arthur Krupp Milano in the 1930s. The shape is simple and sleek, but very elegan...Category
Early 20th Century Italian Art Deco Vases
MaterialsSilver
- Mid-Century Giò Ponti for Krupp Milano Nickel Silver Teapot, 1938 ItalyBy Gio Ponti, Arthur KruppLocated in Palermo, ITPrestigious teapot for Gran Hotel breakfast set, in nickel silver, design by Gio Ponti, 1938, produced by Krupp Milano. Some dents and natural signs of use and age on the surface. On...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
MaterialsMetal
- Gio Ponti for Krupp Silvered Flatware Cutlery for Six, 31 pcs., Austria, 1950sBy Gio Ponti, Art.Krupp Berndorf, Arthur KruppLocated in Vienna, ATElegant Art Deco flatware, designed by Gio Ponti for Arthur Krupp and crafted in the 1950s by Krupp Berndorf in Austria. This exquisite cutlery is made from nickel-silvered Alpacca m...Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Art Deco Tableware
MaterialsMetal, Sterling Silver, Nickel
- Gio Ponti 1930s Krupp Silver Teapot Coffeepot, Jug, Creamer, Sugar Tongs, LadleBy Gio Ponti, Art.Krupp Berndorf, Arthur KruppLocated in Vienna, ATAn Elegant Art Deco tableware collection , designed by Gio Ponti for Arthur Krupp and crafted in the 1930s by Krupp Berndorf in Austria. The collection includes a tea or coffee pot ...Category
Vintage 1930s Austrian Tableware
MaterialsMetal, Silver, Nickel
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Barnaba Fornasetti’s Hallucinatory House Has His Father’s Spirit
Behind a nondescript facade in northeastern Milan is the magical residence of Barnaba Fornasetti. It's a shrine to the style developed by his design-legend father, which still defies categorization.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.