Pair of Midcentury Armchairs by Gio Ponti in Orange Original Velvet, 1930s
View Similar Items
Pair of Midcentury Armchairs by Gio Ponti in Orange Original Velvet, 1930s
About the Item
- Creator:Gio Ponti (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.32 in (77 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 39.38 in (100 cm)Seat Height: 15.36 in (39 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1936
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. WARNING: The pair is in its original state, its upholstery is also original of the period in orange velvet. The fabric has two tears, with defects and lacks.
- Seller Location:Milano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4911219204652
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.
- Italian armchair pair Attributed to Gio Ponti in Original VelvetBy Gio PontiLocated in Milano, ITPair of armchairs attributed to Gio Ponti in walnut wood. The armchairs have the original fabric of the time, a colored corduroy. The armchairs have been restored but have defects in...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Walnut
- Pair of English Armchairs in Velvet and Walnut WoodBy English SchoolLocated in Milano, ITGorgeous pair of velvet armchairs of English manufacture of the late 1800s. The beautiful armchairs have a walnut wood structure and have been lined with sand colored velvet tending...Category
Antique Late 19th Century British British Colonial Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Walnut
$3,251 / set - Elegant Pair of Armchairs Attributed to Gio Ponti in Yellow VelvetBy Gio PontiLocated in Milano, ITIntroducing a magnificent pair of armchairs attributed to the renowned designer Gio Ponti, dating back to the 1930s-40s. These armchairs not only represent a significant era in Itali...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Wood
- Gilbert Rohde Att. Pair of American Armchairs in Red Velvet Damask and WoodBy Gilbert RohdeLocated in Milano, ITExtraordinary pair of American armchairs attributed to Gilbert Rohde from the 1950s. The pair of armchairs are made of very elegant red dam...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Wood
- Pair of Armchairs by Maurizio Tempestini, 1950sBy Maurizio TempestiniLocated in Milano, ITGorgeous pair of Maurizio Tempestini armchairs from the 1950s. The structure of Maurizio Tempestini armchairs was made of sturdy walnut wood, while the fabric used to cover them is ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Wood
$7,045 / set - Rare Italian Art Deco Armchair by Ernesto Lapadula in Purple VelvetBy Ernesto LapadulaLocated in Milano, ITRare Ernesto Lapadula armchair from the Italian Art Deco period produced in 1930. The armchair can also be classified of the Italian Rationalist perio...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Walnut
- Midcentury Pair of Velvet Armchairs in the Style of Gio PontiBy Gio PontiLocated in Brussels, BEMidcentury Pair of Velvet Armchairs in the style of Gio Ponti for Casa and Giardino, 1950s.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet
- Pair of Italian Armchairs by Gio Ponti for Casa e Giardino, 1930sBy Gio PontiLocated in Paris, FRA set of two Italian collectible vintage armchairs first designed by Gio Ponti for manufacturing company Casa e Giardino in the late 1930s. These have yet to be restored. Price inclu...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Mahogany
- Pair of Armchair Gio Ponti Casa e Giardino, 1930s Full Restoration by GreenappleBy Casa e Giardino, Gio Ponti, GreenappleLocated in Lisboa, PTCollectible Vintage Italian armchair designed by Gio Ponti for the Casa e Giardino manufacturing company in the late 1930s. This iconic design piece has been completely restored fro...Category
Early 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsOak
- Pair of Armchair Gio Ponti Casa e Giardino, 1930s Full Restoration by GreenappleBy Gio Ponti, Casa e Giardino, GreenappleLocated in Lisboa, PTCollectible Vintage Italian armchair designed by Gio Ponti for the Casa e Giardino manufacturing company in the late 1930s. This iconic design piece has been completely restored fro...Category
Early 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBrass
- Midcentury Purple Color Velvet Italian Armchair, 1950Located in Rome, ITMidcentury Italian armchair. Beautiful armchairs in characteristic Italian style of Paolo Buffa, Vittorio Dassi and Osvaldo Borsani. Single armchair in violet color. All upholstere...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Wood
- Pair of Italian Midcentury Midnight Blue Velvet Armchairs, Gio Ponti Style 1950sBy Gio PontiLocated in Traversetolo, ITA pair of very stylish and extremely comfortable Italian midcentury midnight blue velvet armchairs or club chairs in Gio Ponti style, original from the 1950s with polished brass legs...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBrass
$4,162 Sale Price / set20% Off
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.