Pair Gio Ponti wingback armchairs in Venetian red velvet
About the Item
- Creator:Gio Ponti (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 39.38 in (100 cm)Width: 27.56 in (70 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80 cm)Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Armchairs have been carefully restored and reupholstered by our Milanese specialist in 20th century furniture. All internal wood frame were completely health checked and treated where necessary.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4185136069982
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: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- 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
- 1950s Curved Sofa attributed to Gio PontiBy Gio PontiLocated in London, GBAn elegant Gio Ponti sofa in its original two tone effect emerald green velvet, standing on its original wooden conical shaped feet.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Gio Ponti Iconic Coffee Table with Certificate of AuthenticityBy Gio PontiLocated in London, GBAn original X form iconic Gio Ponti table in cherry wood with a circular glass top for Fondazione Garzanti di Forli - Interiors. This fabulous piece was in the private collection of the Ponti family in Florence and comes with a signed certificate of authenticity...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsCrystal, Brass
- Gio Ponti Attributed Round Vanity Mirror on a Brass and Glass StandBy Gio PontiLocated in London, GBA vanity mirror attributed to Gio Ponti for Hotel Royal Napoli. It was produced by Fontana Arte Giordano Chiesa. It has a gorgeous mirror on one side with an inlaid detail and the ba...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Table Mirrors
MaterialsBrass
- A Fine Italian pair of walnut framed armchairs in cream velvetBy Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in London, GBA stunning pair of Italian walnut armchairs with brass studs detailing newly upholstered in fine cream velvet fabric. The design is attributed to Gianfranco frattini C1950-1959 ItalyCategory
Vintage 1950s Italian Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of 1950s Italian Lounge Chairs in Stone Grey VelvetLocated in London, GBA stylish pair of 1950s armchairs slightly reclining to provide extra comfort. The pair have been newly upholstered in high quality grey stone colour velvet. The legs & the structure...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Italian Wingback Armchair in Red Velvet by Gio Ponti, 1950sBy Gio PontiLocated in Antwerp, BEItalian wingback armchair in red upholstery by Gio Ponti. Gio Ponti high-back lounge chair with a slightly titled backrest that supports the seating posture, making them very comfort...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBrass
- Gio Ponti Style, Mid-Century Modern, Wingback Chairs, Grey Velvet, Wood, 1950sBy Gio PontiLocated in Stamford, CTPair Italian Mid-Century Modern lounge or wing back chairs, Gio Ponti Style, velvet, walnut. Handsome pair of unsigned Italian lounge chairs of the mid-century period. Having curved walnut legs finished with a light polish...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Pair of Modern Gio Ponti Style Leather and Upholstery Wingback ChairsBy Gio PontiLocated in San Francisco, CAA pair of stylish and comfortable modern wingback chairs in the unique design style of Gio Ponti. Two-tone, tan leather with ivory color upholstery, and ebonized legs. Contemporary...Category
Late 20th Century Modern Wingback Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Upholstery
- Gio Ponti Pair of High Back Armchairs in Ivory Bouclé, 1950sBy Gio PontiLocated in New York, NYGio Ponti pair of high back armchairs or lounge chairs in white or ivory bouclé with polished walnut tapering legs. These chic armchairs have the classic shape of a wingback chair, ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood, Bouclé
- Skai Wingback Armchair Ascribable to Mod. 512 attr. to Gio Ponti Produced by ISABy ISA Bergamo, Gio PontiLocated in Bresso, LombardyMade in Italy, 1950s. It is highly similar to Gio Ponti's model nr. 512 produced by ISA. Quite often the difference is in the padding, that makes models look...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFaux Leather, Beech
- Wingback Armchair in Blue VelvetLocated in Waalwijk, NLLounge chair, solid hardwood and velvet blue upholstery, Europe, 1960s. This stately and well-executed lounge chair shows beautiful craftsmanship. The chair is constructed in a refi...Category
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Hardwood
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.