Pair of Gio Ponti Walnut Ebonized Chairs Model No 516 for Cassina, 1950s
View Similar Items
Pair of Gio Ponti Walnut Ebonized Chairs Model No 516 for Cassina, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Figli di Amadeo Cassina (Author),Gio Ponti (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 22.45 in (57 cm)Depth: 27.56 in (70 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Reupholstered. Minor losses.
- Seller Location:Rovereta, SM
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3757325046502
Gio Ponti
An architect, furniture and industrial designer and editor, Gio Ponti was arguably the most influential figure in 20th-century Italian modernism.
Ponti designed thousands of furnishings and products — from cabinets, mirrors 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.
Ponti's 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, which was 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 vintage Gio Ponti desks, dining chairs, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Pair of Gio Ponti Armchairs Italian I.S.A. Bergamo, 1950sBy Gio Ponti, ISA BergamoLocated in Rovereta, SMPair of Gio Ponti armchairs velvet upholstery, I.S.A. Bergamo manufacturer, Italy, 1950s.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Rare Pair of Armchairs Designed by Gio Ponti 1950s ItalyBy Gio PontiLocated in Rovereta, SMRare and sophisticated pair of armchairs mid-century Italian from an important villa in Bologna. Designed by Gio Ponti, boucle and wood, 1950s The wood was polished by our restor...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Pair Of Gianfranco Frattini Model 831 Lounge Chairs For Cassina, 1950sBy Gianfranco Frattini, CassinaLocated in Rovereta, SMIncredible pair of model 831 chairs by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, 1950s. These model chairs are exceptionally rare. The fantastic design by renowned Italian designer Gianfran...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsTextile, Wood
- Very rare pair of "Triennale" armchairs by Gio Ponti for I.S.A. BergamoBy Gio Ponti, ISA BergamoLocated in Rovereta, SMVery Rare "Triennial" Armchairs Designer: Gio Ponti Manufacturer: I.S.A. Bergamo . Date made: 1951 Country of origin: Italy Literature: Domus, no. 280 March 1953 Irene de Gut...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Armchairs
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of "P40" Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno 1950sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Rovereta, SMP40 lounge chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. Adjustable backrest armrests and seat, expandable footrest. Leather cover...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair Armchairs Ico Parisi for Cassina, Italian Midcentury, "Model 865", 1955By Ico Parisi, CassinaLocated in Rovereta, SMPair armchairs Ico Parisi for Cassina, Italian Midcentury, "Model 865", 1955.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Gio Ponti Model 516 Pair of Lounge Chairs, Cream White Painted Walnut, 1950By Figli di Amadeo Cassina, Gio Ponti, CassinaLocated in Brooklyn, NYPair of armchairs, model “516”, originally designed by Ponti for the furnishing of Tranatlantico Conte Biancamano, Manufactured by Figli di Amadeo Cassina (Cassina), Italy, c. 1950 pierced slat back, off-white cream painted walnut, white woven cotton textile. Provenance: Private Collection, Connecticut, USA. Measurements 78 cm x 62 cm x 79.5h cm 30 3/4 in x 24 3/8 in x 31 1/4 in height Literature Galleria Deposito A...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsTextile, Walnut
$23,840 Sale Price / set20% Off - Gio Ponti Model 516 Armchair, Painted Walnut, Cream White, 1950By Figli di Amadeo Cassina, Cassina, Gio PontiLocated in Brooklyn, NYPair of armchairs, model “516”, originally designed by Ponti for the furnishing of Tranatlantico Conte Biancamano, Manufactured by Figli di Amadeo Cassina (Cassina), Italy, c. 1950 pierced slat back, off-white cream painted walnut, white woven cotton textile. Provenance: Private Collection, Connecticut, USA. Measurements 78 cm x 62 cm x 79.5h cm 30 3/4 in x 24 3/8 in x 31 1/4 in height Literature Galleria Deposito A...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsTextile, Walnut
$6,570 Sale Price / item55% Off - A Pair of Model 803 Armchairs by Gio Ponti for Cassina, 1950sBy Gio Ponti, CassinaLocated in Helsinki, FIA Pair of model 803 armchairs by Gio Ponti for Cassina, 1950s. Oak and fabric upholstery. Good vintage condition, minor patina consistent with age and use. The armchairs are sold as ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Gio Ponti Armchair for Cassina, Italy, 1950sBy Cassina, Gio PontiLocated in New York, NYGio Ponti armchair manufactured by Cassina in the 1950s. In original condition with ebonized frame, green leather covering and brass feet. Condition: Good vintage condition, minor...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Pair of Gio Ponti Armchairs for Cassina, Model 516By Gio Ponti, CassinaLocated in New York, NYPair of sculptural walnut armchairs, variant of model 516, designed by Gio Ponti for Cassina in 1955. Ponti’s creativity can be seen in the many details including the rising open arm...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWalnut
$14,900 / set - Single Gio Ponti chair for Cassina, Italy 1950sBy Figli di Amadeo Cassina, Gio PontiLocated in Milan, ITSingle Gio Ponti Model: 676 chair for Cassina, Italy 1950s Original velvet upholstery.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsVelvet, Wood
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.