Pair of Piero Fornesetti "Equestrian" Ashtrays
About the Item
- Creator:Bergdorf Goodman (Retailer),Piero Fornasetti (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 2 in (5.08 cm)Width: 4.75 in (12.07 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1444218678812
Piero Fornasetti
The Italian artist and designer Piero Fornasetti was one of the wittiest and most imaginative talents of the 20th century. He crafted an inimitable decorative style from a personal vocabulary of images that included birds, butterflies, hot-air balloons, architecture and — most frequently, and in some 500 variations — an enigmatic woman’s face based on that of Cavalieri. Fornasetti used transfer prints of these images, rendered in the style of engravings, to decorate an endless variety of furnishings and housewares that ranged from chairs, tables and decorative objects to dinner plates, table lamps and umbrella stands. His work is archly clever, often Surrealist and always fun.
Fornasetti was born in Milan, the son of an accountant, and he lived his entire life in the city. He showed artistic talent as a child and enrolled at Milan’s Brera Academy of Fine Art in 1930, but was expelled after two years for consistently failing to follow his professors’ orders.
A group of Fornasetti's hand-painted silk scarves, displayed in the 1933 Triennale di Milano, caught the eye of the architect and designer Gio Ponti, who, in the 1940s, became the artist's collaborator and patron. Beginning in the early 1950s, they created a striking series of desks, bureaus and secretaries that pair Ponti’s signature angular forms with Fornasetti’s decorative motifs — lighthearted arrangements of flowers and birds on some pieces, austere architectural imagery on others. The two worked together on numerous commissions for interiors, though their greatest project has been lost: the first-class lounges and restaurants of the luxury ocean liner Andrea Doria, which sank in 1956.
Fornasetti furnishings occupy an unusual and compelling niche in the decorative arts: they are odd yet pack a serious punch. They act, essentially, as functional sculpture. A large Fornasetti piece such as a cabinet or a desk can change the character of an entire room; his smaller works have the aesthetic power of a vase of flowers, providing a bright and alluring decorative note. The chimerical, fish-nor-fowl nature of Fornasetti’s work may be its greatest strength. It stands on its own. Bringing the Fornasetti look into the future is Barnaba Fornasetti, who took the reins of the company after his father's death.
Find vintage Piero Fornasetti dinner plates, chairs, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Brooklyn, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Vintage Piero Fornasetti "Caduceus" Lithograph Gilt Porcelain Green AshtrayBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Brooklyn, NYVintage celadon/mint green ceramic ashtray/trinket dish with cigarette slots by Piero Fornasetti, (circa 1950s, Italy). Features lithographic tra...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Ashtrays
MaterialsPorcelain
- Italian Modernist Raymor Ceramic "Horse" Ashtray/Vide PocheBy RaymorLocated in Brooklyn, NYOblong Raymor ceramic ashtray/vide poche with hand-painted abstract horse motif (ca. 1960s, Italy). Attractive palette of turquoise, green, and brown against a pale gray, crazed (by ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Ashtrays
MaterialsCeramic
- Vintage Italian Piero Fornasetti "Cammei" Coffee TableBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Brooklyn, NYPiero Fornasetti "Cammei" coffee table composed of a lithographic transfer with cameo motif on lacquered wood supported by a black enameled-steel base with brass, adjustable feet (ca...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBrass, Enamel, Steel
- Vintage Equestrian Leather and Brass Buckle BookendsLocated in Brooklyn, NYHandsome saddle leather bookends with strap and brass buckle details and felted bases. Warm patina/light scuffs present consistent with age/use. Measures...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookends
MaterialsBrass
- Fornasetti "Fondale Marino" Table Lamp Produced by AntonangeliBy Piero Fornasetti, AntonangeliLocated in Brooklyn, NYBarnaba Fornasetti, son of Piero Fornasetti, "Fondale Marino" (Seabed) table lamp from the La Follia series for Antonangeli (ca 1990s, Italy). Composed of a flat plastic sheet photos...Category
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsPlastic
- Pair of 1970s Tubular Brass CandleholdersLocated in Brooklyn, NYStriking and large candleholders (three holders / set) in a reverse 's' shape boasting a curvaceous form and dramatic design. Polished condition with only minimal wear as pictured.Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Candelabras
MaterialsBrass
- Piero Fornasetti Ashtray Ceramic 1956 ItalyBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, ITPiero Fornasetti.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Ashtrays
MaterialsCeramic
- Piero Fornasetti "Caduceus" Lithograph Gilt Porcelain white and gold AshtrayBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Stockholm, SEPiero Fornasetti "Caduceus" Lithograph Gilt Porcelain white and gold Ashtray. White and gold ceramic ashtray/trinket dish with cigarette slots by Piero Fornasetti, (circa 1950s, Ital...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Ashtrays
MaterialsPorcelain
- 1970s Rare Porcelain Ashtray or Vide Poche by Piero FornasettiBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, IT1970s Rare Porcelain Ashtray/Vide Poche by Piero Fornasetti for Winston accessories. Signed at the bottom. The item is in very good condition. Dimensions: W 7,28 in. x D 7,28 in. x...Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Ashtrays
MaterialsPorcelain
- 1970s Rare Porcelain Ashtray or Vide Poche by Piero FornasettiBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, IT1970s Rare Porcelain Ashtray/Vide Poche by Piero Fornasetti for Winston accessories. Signed at the bottom. The item is in very good condition. Dimensions: W 7,28 in. x D 7,28 in. x...Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Ashtrays
MaterialsPorcelain
- Piero Fornasetti Ashtray, Black and Gilt Compass Rose, Milano, Italy, 1950sBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Stockholm, SEPiero Fornasetti ashtray, black and gilt compass rose, Milano, Italy, 1950s. An everyday object combining function with refined exclusivity and artistic detailing. Placing this ashtr...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Ashtrays
MaterialsPorcelain
- 1970s Mid-Century Modern Piero Fornasetti for Winston White Ceramic AshtrayBy Piero Fornasetti, FornasettiLocated in Aci Castello, ITA square white ceramic ashtray designed and manufactured by Fornasetti for Winston cigarettes, it features the famous woman's face that we see in many variations of her iconic illust...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ashtrays
MaterialsCeramic