Gio Ponti, Singer and Sons, Italian Mid-Century Modern, Walnut, Chest, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Gio Ponti (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 35 in (88.9 cm)Width: 47 in (119.38 cm)Depth: 20 in (50.8 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:Stamford, CT
- Reference Number:
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: Stamford, CT
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Gio Ponti, Singer and Sons, Italian Mid-Century Modern, Dresser, Chest, 1950sBy Gio PontiLocated in Stamford, CTGio Ponti double dresser / chest labeled singer and Sons Model 2161 An iconic and rare double dresser / cabinet. Designed by Gio Ponti in his...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern American Designer Sculptural High-Boy Dresser, Chest, WalnutLocated in Stamford, CTMid-Century Modern American designer sculptural high-boy dresser, chest, walnut Measures: 50.5H x 44W x 20D.Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWalnut
- Mid Century Modern Chest, West Michigan Furniture Co. Ebony, Walnut, MetzBy West Michigan Furniture Co.Located in Stamford, CTMid Century Modern Chest, Dresser, West Michigan Furniture Co. Ebony, Walnut, Metz One part of a stunning bedroom set. Fully refinished, fine grained walnut with ebonized columns and restored bronze drawer pulls. This lovely, sleek and stylish dresser...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Chest, Dresser, White Lacquered, Custom MadeBy Harmony HouseLocated in Stamford, CTMid Century Modern Chest, Dresser, White Lacquered, Custom Made This recently re-lacquered chest is in seemingly pristine condition. The five drawer high custom made, Harmony House, ...Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Dra...
MaterialsWood, Lacquer
- Pair of Mid-Century Modern Chests, Dressers Bedside Stands, Opposing, RefinishedBy John StuartLocated in Stamford, CTPair of Mid-Century Modern chests, dressers bedside stands, opposing, refinished A pair of finely constructed John Stuart or John Widdicomb fashioned opposing chest of drawers. E...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWood
- Paul McCobb Calvin Linear Group Dresser, Chest, Commode, Mid-Century ModernBy Paul McCobbLocated in Stamford, CTMid-Century Modern Chest by Paul McCobb (1917-1969) for Calvin Linear Group This walnut and aluminum chest having four center drawers with pulls. Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1950...Category
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsMetal
- Gio Ponti, Dresser, Walnut, Singer & Sons, America, 1950sBy M. Singer & Sons, Gio PontiLocated in High Point, NCA walnut dresser designed by Gio Ponti and produced by M. Singer & Sons, New York, America, 1950s. Labeled.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- Gio Ponti Style Mid-Century Italian Modern Louvered Front Chest of DrawersBy Gio PontiLocated in South Bend, INA sleek and stylish Mid-Century Italian Modern louvered front dresser or chest of drawers In the manner of Gio Ponti Italy, Mid-20th Century Oak case, with book-matched mapl...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsBrass
- Gio Ponti Walnut Commode for Singer & SonsBy Gio PontiLocated in San Francisco, CAGio Ponti design four-drawer walnut commode for Singer & Sons, Italy. The legs had been reduced in height so I had them professionally remade in the exact size and shape. The case an...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWalnut
- Gio Ponti Chest with MirrorBy Gio PontiLocated in Hanover, MAGio Ponti long cabinet of six drawers standing on four legs which themselves are integral to the case. Dresser has silvered reverse painted glass top and is surmounted with a large rectangular mirror and a floating glass shelf cut in Ponti's distinctive diamond form. Drawer faces have knife blade edges. Made in 1957 from ash wood and glass. Original brass keys. Perfect for bedroom or entrance hall. "Certificate of Authenticity" from the Gio Ponti Archives. Mobile da camera o da ingresso con cassetti e grande...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsAsh, Glass
- Gio Ponti Chest of Drawers Signed M. Singer and Sons Model 2161By Gio PontiLocated in San Francisco, CAGio Ponti design chest of drawers for Singer & Sons N.Y. Model 2161. Rare and iconic dresser by one of the masters of Italian Mid-Century design incorporating only the highest quality construction, design and materials. Newly refinished featuring eight drawers, two top ones with dividers and a sliding...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWalnut
- 20th Century Brown Italian Walnut M. Singer & Sons Dresser, Cabinet by Gio PontiBy Gio Ponti, M. Singer & SonsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA light-brown, vintage Mid-Cenutry Modern Italian, American geometric dresser cupboard made of hand crafted polished walnut, designed by Gio Ponti an...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsWalnut
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.