Exceptional Table by Piero Fornasetti
About the Item
- Creator:Fornasetti (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)Diameter: 14 in (35.56 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. Chipped edges, fading, oxidation to base.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:
Fornasetti
The Italian artist, illustrator and furniture maker Piero Fornasetti was one of the wittiest and most imaginative design 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 the 19th-century opera singer Lina 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 desks to dinner plates, lamps and umbrella stands. His work is archly clever, often surreal 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 his 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 Fornasetti’s collaborator and patron. Beginning in the early 1950s, they created a striking a 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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Brooklyn, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Rosewood Table by Durup MobelfabrikBy DurupLocated in Brooklyn, NYStunning small table from Denmark's Durup Polstermøbelfabrik. A gorgeous rosewood tabletop is sure to impress with it's rich, natural grain. Crossed leg struts provide both aesthetic...Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsWood, Rosewood
- Mid-Century Modern Live Edge TableLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis gorgeous vintage modern coffee table features natural hardwood construction with a unique tree slab top. The vintage rustic appeal is sure to make an impression in any modern in...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Live Edge Side TableLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis beautiful vintage modern live edge bench features a unique tree slab top with elegant wood grain. This stunning live edge table offers a taste of...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood
- Midcentury DIA Style Chrome and Glass Side TablesBy Design Institute AmericaLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis beautiful vintage pair of modern side tables feature a chrome harp shaped base and a thick square glass top. A sleek and sturdy design that is sure to complement any modern inte...Category
Vintage 1980s Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsChrome
- Pair of McCobb Style Side Tables with Magazine RacksBy Paul McCobbLocated in Brooklyn, NYInteresting pair of side tables with magazine racks attached, in the style of Paul McCobb. These petite end tables have laminate table surfaces with a mock wood-grain pattern, the fr...Category
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsIron
- Vintage Maple & Brass Table in the Style of Paul McCobbBy George Nakashima, Paul McCobbLocated in Brooklyn, NYTerrific vintage Mid-Century Morden table in a beautiful golden brown maple. A simple, yet gorgeous design borrows from the styles both of Paul McCobb and George Nakashima for a piec...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Piero Fornasetti Side Table, 1960sBy FornasettiLocated in New York, NYPiero Fornasetti ‘Seeds of Playing Cards’ side table or occasional table composed of lithographic printed, lacquered and hand-painted on wood tabletop with image of card suits, heart...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMetal
- 1970s Table by Piero Fornasetti Depicting "Sun King" 'Louis XIV', Made in ItalyBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Milano, IT1970s Gorgeous round table by Piero Fornasetti depicting in gold color "Sun King" (Louis XIV) on the black lacquered wood top, with black metal base and hexagonal brass connectors, t...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Fornasetti "Cammei" TableLocated in New York, NYAlthough relatively small in size, this table makes a grand statement. Produced as part of the Cammei series in the 1950s, this same model was presented and published in the expositi...Category
20th Century Italian Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Piero Fornasetti Sole Brass Tripod Side TableBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Munich, DEPiero Fornasetti Sole Brass tripod side table This gorgeous collectors item is a ’Sole' side table by Piero Fornasetti, signed underneath with its ori...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Tray-Top Table By Piero FornasettiBy FornasettiLocated in London, LondonTray table By Fornasetti Milano Lithographically decorated Enamelled steel Flower and bow images Folding black stand Tray and stand with Fornasetti labels Italy ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tray Tables
MaterialsMetal
- 'Oggetti su Legno' Drinks Table / Side Table by Piero Fornasetti, SignedBy Piero FornasettiLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis gorgeous collectors item is a 'Oggetti su Legno' (Objects on Wood in Italian) side table by Piero Fornasetti, signed underneath with its original label, circa 1970. This side ta...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsBrass