1960s Piero Fornasetti Rare Lamp
About the Item
- Creator:Piero Fornasetti (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 70.87 in (180 cm)Width: 18.12 in (46 cm)Depth: 10.63 in (27 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:c.1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4185124542122
Piero Fornasetti
The Italian artist and designer Piero Fornasetti was one of the wittiest and most imaginative 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 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 decorative objects to dinner plates, table lamps and umbrella stands. His work is archly clever, often Surrealist 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 Fornasetti's 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 the artist's collaborator and patron. Beginning in the early 1950s, they created a striking 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.
Find vintage Piero Fornasetti dinner plates, chairs, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Piero Fornasetti Farfalle Table LampBy Piero FornasettiLocated in London, GBA collectable late 20th century whimsical “Farfalle” design by Piero fornasetti with colourful butterflies set against a cream background with brass accents. The lamp is labelled at ...Category
Late 20th Century Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- 1960s Carlo Nason for Mazzega model lipstick floor lampBy AVMazzega, Carlo NasonLocated in London, GBAn elegant orange & opaline Murano glass floor lamp with a chrome center connector & two ways switch designed by Carlo Nason for Mazzega C1960 Design name : lipstick H115cm (45.25...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Floor Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Rare Oscar Torlasco Articulated Floor LampBy Oscar TorlascoLocated in London, GBA rare articulated floor lamp designed by Oscar Torlasco for Lumi in the 1960s. The lamp is made entirely from aluminium and brown powder coated metal & the circular diffuser featur...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Aluminum
- Fornasetti Italian Mid-Century 1960s Yellow Metal Table LampBy FornasettiLocated in London, GBA lithographical and transfer printed yellow metal table lamp by Piero Fornasetti made in the 1960s and in the form of a Roman column. This lamp has...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Wingback Library Chair in Piero Fornasetti, Stylo Plume FabricLocated in London, GBAn outstanding bibliotheque wingback chair in cherrywood, upholstered in a rare Stilo Plume fabric by Piero Fornasetti. The chair is in outstanding condition.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Wingback Chairs
MaterialsTextile, Cherry
- Sculptural brass bamboo floor lampLocated in London, GBA large sculptural brass bamboo floor lamp with a linen lampshade standing on a solid brass and travertine base with 3 directional bulb holders ItalyCategory
Vintage 1970s Italian Floor Lamps
MaterialsTravertine, Brass
- Italian Faux Malachite Floor Lamp by Piero FornasettiBy Piero FornasettiLocated in East Hampton, NYFabulous faux malachite floor lamp by Piero Fornasetti in beautiful condition with all new wiring a great mid-century piece! It comes with a custom gold drum shade...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- 1990s Gorgeous "Aquarium" Floor Lamp by Piero Fornasetti for AntonangeliBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, IT1990s gorgeous "Aquarium" floor lamp by Piero Fornasetti for Antonangeli in polypropylene. This lamp is a true piece of modern art and it's in excellent condition. It works perfectly...Category
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsPlastic
- 1990s Gorgeous "Sun" Floor Lamp by Piero Fornasetti for AntonangeliBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, IT1990s Gorgeous "Sun" Floor Lamp by Piero Fornasetti for Antonangeli in polypropylene,. This lamp is part of the collection "Follia Pratica" and is a true piece of modern art. It's in...Category
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsPlastic
- Lamp by Piero FornasettiBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Bois-Colombes, FRLamp By Piero Fornasetti One little crack ( see picture) Re-wired Dimensions given without shade No shade includedCategory
Vintage 1980s Italian Table Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Rare Mid-Century Floor Lamp, 1960sBy Gaetano SciolariLocated in Schagen, NLThis wonderful lamp features a metal Chromed foot with five arms and an umbrella style shade in fabric. However it's designer and manufacturer remains unknown it's most likely produc...Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Rare Floor Lamp, Lumen, Italy, 1960sBy Pierre Jeanneret, Gino Sarfatti, Lumen, Stilnovo, Angelo LeliiLocated in London, GBA rare floor lamp, by Lumen, Italy, 1960s. Requires local rewiring prior to use. Fast shipping worldwide.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMarble, Aluminum, Brass