- Want more images or videos?Request additional images or videos from the seller
“Mongolfiere” Umbrella Stand by Piero Fornasetti

About
Details
- CreatorPiero Fornasetti (Designer)
- DimensionsHeight: 22.5 in. (57.15 cm)Diameter: 10.25 in. (26.04 cm)
- StyleMid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques
- Place of Origin
- Period
- Date of Manufacture1960s
- ConditionWear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
- Seller LocationNew York, NY
- Reference Number1stDibs: LU813829319062
Shipping & Returns
- ShippingShips From: New York, NY
- Return Policy
A return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
About the Designer
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.

- Piero Fornasetti Magazine StandBy Piero FornasettiLocated in New York, NYMagazine stand designed and manufactured by Piero Fornasetti in the 1950s. Lithographic transfer print depicting a basket of colorful flowers. Has brass legs and a center handle. Ori...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Piero Fornasetti Side Table, Italy, 1950sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in New York, NYItalian Mid-century Piero Fornasetti side table, featuring a colorful concentric motif of fruit and nuts on an off-white background. Brass tripod base. Condition: Excellent vintag...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Piero Fornasetti "Sezioni Di Frutta" Plates, Italy, 1960sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in New York, NYPiero Fornasetti porcelain plates from the 1960’s “Sezioni di Frutta” collection. One represents an artichoke and the other a tomato. Sold individually, price per plate. Condition...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
MaterialsPorcelain
- Piero Fornasetti Bin with Bird Motif, Italy 1950sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in New York, NYPiero Fornasetti bin portraying a variety of colorful birds on an off-white background. This is the smaller version of his typical bins and was never re-edited. Marked on bottom. ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Baskets
MaterialsMetal
- Vintage Piero Fornasetti Plates from the "Istrumenti Musicali" SeriesBy Piero FornasettiLocated in New York, NYVintage 1950s hand painted Piero Fornasetti plates from the " Instrumenti Musicali" series depicting string musical instruments. Sold individually-price per plate. Condition: Exce...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
MaterialsPorcelain
- Vintage Piero Fornasetti Plates from the " Tema E Variazioni" SeriesBy Piero FornasettiLocated in New York, NYVintage Piero Fornasetti plates from the " Tema e Variazioni" series depicting the fictional character, Giulia, in a variety of creative ways. Sold individually-price per plate. C...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
MaterialsCeramic
You May Also Like
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
Metal
20th Century Italian Umbrella Stands
Tôle
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
Metal, Brass
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
Metal
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Umbrella Stands
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
Metal
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
Metal
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Umbrella Stands
Metal
Recently Viewed
View MoreThe 1stDibs Promise
Learn MoreExpertly Vetted Sellers
Confidence at Checkout
Price-Match Guarantee
Exceptional Support
Buyer Protection
Trusted Global Delivery