Gio Ponti writing desk for Schirolli Italian Mid-Century 1960
View Similar Items
Gio Ponti writing desk for Schirolli Italian Mid-Century 1960
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 27.96 in (71 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 19.69 in (50 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Firenze, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU95297439953
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.
- Mid-Century Writing Desk by ThomasvilleBy ThomasvilleLocated in Palm Beach, FLChic sleek vintage writing desk with a two drawer case featuring an unusual mahogany oyster veneer technique on anodized aluminum legs. Stamped Thomasville on the bottom.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsAluminum
- Italian Mid-Century Writing Desk by La Permanente Mobili Cantù, 1950sBy La Permanente Mobili CantùLocated in Traversetolo, ITStep into the allure of mid-century Italian design with this masterfully writing desk crafted in the 1950s and attributed to La Permanente Mobili Cantù. It's in very good condition ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Iconic Gio Ponti Desk for BNLBy Gio PontiLocated in New York, NYIconic 1950s desk designed by Gio Ponti for BNL. Walnut frame and laminate top with exquisite brass details in the handles and feet. Condition: Excellent vintage condition, minor ...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsWalnut
$9,685 Sale Price35% Off - Mid Century Arne Vodder L-Shaped Rosewood Desk for Sibast, 1960By Sibast, Arne VodderLocated in Lisboa, LisboaMid Century Rosewood desk designed by Arne Vodder, showcasing the elegance and functionalism that are hallmarks of his work. The desk is a substantial piece, featuring a spacious tab...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsRosewood
$11,739 Sale Price20% Off - Paul McCobb Writing Desk for WinchendonBy Paul McCobb, Planner GroupLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis Mid-Century Modern writing desk by Paul McCobb features a wonderful maple finish with unique brass drawer pulls. Tapered legs and spacious four drawer design make this a stylish...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsBrass
- Mid-Century Modern Walnut Writing Desk by Jens RisomBy Jens RisomLocated in North Hollywood, CAExceptional Mid-Century Modern walnut writing desk by Jens Risom and manufactured in the United States, circa 1950s. This desk has a conserv...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks
MaterialsAluminum
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.