Modern Italian Design

A New Avant-Garde

Focusing on the superb examples of Modern Italian Design featuring in our auction, this Autumn's edition of MODERN MADE hopes to celebrate the diversity, creativity, quality and innovation of Italian Design.

Since the post-war period of regeneration, Modern Italian Design has displayed an undaunted creative drive, that has constantly captured the imagination, with the leading protagonists such as Gio Ponti, Paolo Buffa and Piero Fornasetti forging a new avant-garde in Europe, redefining a new aesthetic and attaining international recognition that impressively exerted an influence over design practises world-wide, all alongside being commercially success.

LOT 168 | MAX INGRAND (FRENCH 1908-1969) FOR FONTANA ARTE, ITALY | TABLE LAMP, CIRCA 1956

brass, glass and painted metal | 67cm high (26.3in high) | £4,000 - £6,000 + fees

View Lot 168 ⇒

Beginning with the pioneering Bauhaus influenced designs and Futurists to an interest in the organic design forms of the pre-war years, through to a new optimistic experimentation in the Post-War era, embracing Pop and Post-Modernism and Arte Povera. The sale features works of art covering this period, displaying the elegant organic lines of Paolo Buffa and Fontana Arte, to the Castiglioni Brothers revealing the design objects untainted purpose, Joe Colombo focussed on new materials looking forward to a more futuristic world, through to Ettore Sottsass and Ugo La Pietra in their attempt to produce a radical new and innovative aesthetic.

LOT 160 | OSVALDO BORSANI (ITALIAN 1911-1985) | WALL MOUNTED CABINET, CIRCA 1965

wood, with a horizontal metal sculptural band, the design attributed to Arnaldo Pomodoro, the cabinet doors opening to reveal a single glass shelf | 71cm high, 139.5cm wide, 34cm deep (28in high, 55in wide, 13.4in deep) | £4,000 - £6,000 + fees

View Lot 160 ⇒

This exhibition and sale, and focus on Modern Italian design hopes to celebrate the diversity, creativity, quality and innovation of Italian Design, showing their intuition for style, for craft and industrial production and presenting their pre-eminence as leaders in creative diversity and expression in an international arena.

Here, we take a closer look at a few of the superb examples to be offered in our 23rd October MODERN MADE auction...

LOT 162 | CASSINA STUDIO TECNICO | ROCKING CHAIR, DESIGNED C.1955

CASSINA STUDIO TECNICO, ITALY ROCKING CHAIR, DESIGNED C.1955

LOT 162 | CASSINA STUDIO TECNICO, ITALY | ROCKING CHAIR, DESIGNED C.1955

model no.572, walnut, fabric, rubber and plastic | 92cm high, 100cm deep, 65cm wide (36in high, 39.4in deep, 25.6in wide) | £4,000 - £6,000 + fees

Once assumed to be by Gio Ponti alone it is now accepted it was designed by the Cassina Technical Group, one of whom would likely have been Ponti. His influence is clearly seen in the chairs 'Ears' and overall form, bearing undeniable similarities to an armchair Ponti designed for in the 1950s. Ponti did several chair designs for Cassina over his career.

Take a closer look at Lot 162 ⇒

LOT 159 | PAOLO BUFFA | RARE WALL MOUNTED LATTICE SHELF

PAOLO BUFFA | WALL MOUNTED LATTICE SHELF, DESIGNED 1930

LOT 159 | PAOLO BUFFA (ITALIAN 1903-1970) | RARE WALL MOUNTED LATTICE SHELF, DESIGNED 1930

manufactured by Paolo Lietti & Figli, Cantù, walnut | 133cm high, 93cm across, 9cm deep (52.3in high, 36.6in across, 3.5in deep) | £2,500 - £3,500 + fees

Sold with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Paolo Buffa Archive, dated 18 August 2020.

The larger version with three shelves was designed for and exhibited at the Esposizione di Monza of 1930, and a version of this model was sold alongside a corresponding console at Christie's London, Thinking Italian, 17 October 2018, Lot 4.

Take a closer look at Lot 159 ⇒

LOT 170 | PIERO FORNASETTI | 'MALACHITE CUBE' SIDE TABLE

PIERO FORNASETTI (ITALIAN 1913-1988) 'MALACHITE CUBE' SIDE TABLE, 1950S

LOT 170 | PIERO FORNASETTI (ITALIAN 1913-1988) | 'MALACHITE CUBE' SIDE TABLE, 1950S

hand-coloured transfer printed on metal, inset glass top | 50cm high, 50cm wide, 50cm deep (19.5in high, 19.5in wide, 19.5in deep) | £2,000 - £3,000 + fees

This lot is sold together with a Certificate of Authenticity from Barnaba Fornasetti.

Malachite, the rare green stone from Russia, had a particular allure for Fornasetti, and he imitated it in many contexts, including a bicycle. A whole suite of furniture was designed in this range between 1952 and 1958.

Take a closer look at Lot 170 ⇒

LOT 161 | GIO PONTI (ATTRIBUTED TO) | SIDEBOARD, CIRCA 1940

GIO PONTI (ITALIAN 1891-1979) (ATTRIBUTED TO) | SIDEBOARD, CIRCA 1940

LOT 161 | GIO PONTI (ITALIAN 1891-1979) (ATTRIBUTED TO) | SIDEBOARD, CIRCA 1940

mahogany, the fluted frieze fitted three drawers with brass detailing and handles, on shaped legs with gilt sabots | 90cm high, 184cm across, 45cm deep (35.5in high, 72.5in across, 17.75in deep) | £4,000 - £6,000 + fees

A table, presumably from the same suite, was attributed to Gio Ponti and sold at Sotheby's, Gordon Watson: The End of a Chapter Sale on 3 May 2006, lot 148.

A further example of this model of table with the same attributes as this sideboard/console table came up Viscontea Casa d'Aste in Milan, Italy 28 November 2019, lot 253.