Silver-Plated milk jug and gravy boat by Gio Ponti for Calderoni, 1930s
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 4.14 in (10.5 cm)Width: 5.12 in (13 cm)Depth: 2.37 in (6 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1930 approx
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. The metal is oxidated and can be polished: the final effect is that of silver.
- Seller Location:Varese, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3023337660022
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: Varese, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Ceramic Plates by Gio Ponti for Franco Pozzi, 1960s, Set of 2By Gio PontiLocated in Varese, LombardiaSet of 2 decorative plates designed by Gio Ponti for Ceramica Franco Pozzi. Fair condition: visible signs of wear, discolorations and some c...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Space Age Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Ceramic Plates by Gio Ponti for Franco Pozzi, 1960s, Set of 5By Gio PontiLocated in Varese, LombardiaSet of 5 decorative plates designed by Gio Ponti for Ceramica Franco Pozzi. Fair condition: visible signs of wear, discolorations and some chipping. A restoration is recommended. Label maker...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Space Age Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Wood & fabric Mid Century Modern folding chair Ninfea by Gio Ponti for ReguittiBy Fratelli Reguitti, Gio PontiLocated in Varese, LombardiaFolding chair in beech, brass and fabric. The structure has been restored maintaining the original color. The seat and backrest have been completely redone with a reinforced thick we...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Chrome-Plated and Opaline Glass 1930s Pendant Lamp by Otto Müller for MegaphosBy Otto Müller, Megaphos/SistrahLocated in Varese, LombardiaThis pendant lamp was designed by Otto Müller in 1931 and manufactured by Megaphos/Sistrah Licht GmbH in Germany. It is made from 2 glass shades joint t...Category
Vintage 1930s German Bauhaus Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- Mid-Century Modern Italian brick-red Skai in the style of Gio Ponti / IsaBy ISA Bergamo, Gio PontiLocated in Varese, LombardiaThis armchair was produced in Italy in the 1950s. It is made from wooden structure and brick-red skay upholstery. The external conditions are fair because the skay upholstery shows ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Velvet, Faux Leather, Wood
- French Oak, Aluminum, and Brass Ice Bucket from Geraud Lafitte Ouvrier, 1950sLocated in Varese, LombardiaOak and brass ice bucket with internal aluminum tray by Geraud Lafitte Ouvrier, 1950s. Good condition. No breakages or visible damages.Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Tableware
MaterialsAluminum, Brass
- 1930 Gio Ponti Calderoni Art Deco Alpacca Argento Portafrutta SecchielloBy Gio Ponti, CalderoniLocated in Brescia, ITSecchiello Portafrutta F.lli Calderoni, Milano Italy, 1930 Raro Secchiello in Alpacca Argentato Marchio impresso sotto la base Eccellenti condizioniCategory
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Tableware
MaterialsMetal
- Gravy Boat by Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori, 1930sLocated in Montelabbate, PUSalsiera decorum arrltium Gio Ponti St. Christopher. S.C.R.G. Richard Ginori Ceramics Society, circa 1930.Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Platters and Serveware
MaterialsCeramic
- Gio Ponti 1930s Krupp Silver Teapot Coffeepot, Jug, Creamer, Sugar Tongs, LadleBy Gio Ponti, Arthur Krupp, Art.Krupp BerndorfLocated 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
- Gio Ponti Italian Silver Plated Champagne Buckets for Fratelli Calderoni, 1950sBy Gio Ponti, CalderoniLocated in Byron Bay, NSWBeautiful champagne buckets by Gio Ponti design for the Hotel Parco dei Principi in Italy, 1950 very rare pieces both signed. Silver plated.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware
MaterialsSilver Plate
- Gio Ponti Silver Plate Soliflores for Fratelli Calderoni, Italy, 1960s, Set of 6By Gio Ponti, CalderoniLocated in Brescia , BresciaEnhance your home decor with this stunning set of six Gio Ponti Silver Plate Soliflores, crafted by Fratelli Calderoni in Italy during the 1960s. Designed by the legendary architect ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wine Coolers
MaterialsSilver Plate, Metal
- Steel Set by Gio Ponti for Calderoni, Italy, 1950sBy Gio Ponti, CalderoniLocated in Milan, ITSet composed by tray and three pitchers by Gio Ponti for Calderoni, Milano Size of the biggest pitcher is cms 18 x 1 2 x 12.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces
MaterialsStainless Steel
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.