Piero Fornasetti
July 2015
Piero Fornasetti Soli e Lune Coasters Set with Original Box, 1960's The coasters are amusingly decorated with sun and moon motifs after illustrations made in 1942 for Gio Ponte . Dimensions: 4 inches x .25 inches Fornasetti, Designer of Dreams, Patrick Mauries, pages 224-5 for illustration of a set of plates. Cover:
Fornasetti: The Complete Universe, edited by Barnaba Fornasetti, page 604, #128 for plates laid out on a table.
Mauries writes, For two years Gio Ponte commissioned a calendar or diary from Fornasetti as a present for his friends, consisting of twelve drawings illustrating the months. Fornasetti continued this tradition by printing a similar calendar for himself. The theme for 1942 was the Sun- Lunario del Sole, the Almanac of the Sun. Later Fornasetti converted his designs into dinner plates. It was the beginning of a lifelong obsession with the image of the Sun, here equated with a woman's face.
(NY8179)
(NY8190)
A Set of Six Piero Fornasetti Sezioni di Frutta Coasters and Original Box, 1960's 4 inches wide x 1/4 inch high
$800
$800
A Set of Six Piero Fornasetti Arcimboldesca-Motif Vegetable Face Plates, Circa 1960's-1970's.
Diameter: 10 inches.
The plates are from a set of twelve after Arcimboldothe design of a face created with the use of vegetables.
Fornasetti: The Complete Universe, Barnaba Fornasetti, Illustrated: p 616, #168 for a 10 1/4 inch example. Fornasetti: Designer of Dreams, Patrick Mauries, Page 259, top of page for a set of these plates.
(NY8178)
$5500 set of six
A Rare Piero Fornasetti Jewelry Paperweight, 1950's-1960's.
The egg shaped paperweight resting upon a triangular-base is covered with images of brightly coloured jewelry.
4 inches long x 3 inches wide x 2 inches high. Fornasetti: The Complete Universe, Barnaba Fornasetti, Illustrated: p 559, #8 for examples of form.
(NY8192)
$875
A Set of Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Plates, Decorated With Sea Anemones, Urchins & Shells, Conchiglie Pattern, Circa 1960-70's. Diameter: 9 inches Fornasetti's whimsical and colourful Conchiglie pattern features a different sea creature filling the center well of each plate, surrounded by assorted sea animals, shells, mollusks and fishes. While many of the creatures are realistically rendered, there are a few fantastic animals as well. The set consists of the following from series2 x #7, #8, #9, #10, 2 x #11, 2 x 12. Reference: Fornasetti: The Complete Universe, edited by Barnaba Fornasetti, page 608, #140 for a black and white photograph of eight plates with similar elements that were developed as prototypes for this series in 1947. (NY8174)
$7800 for set of nine
A Rare Early Piero Fornasetti Plate, Rotondita Dell'Acqua Porcelain Plate, Circa 1952.
The rare plate depicts the globe with an antique map of the world. The continents are named although only the east coast of North America is visible and unnamed. Perched on the top edge of the globe is a walled town and a tall lighthouse sending its rays of light out to catch an old antique masted ship about to slip out, across the horizon, away from the light.
Diameter: 10 1/4 inches
Originally purchased at Gimbels in 1952.
(NY8172)
$750
A Rare Piero Fornasetti Sailing Code Flag Dish, "Flags to Be Used In The International Code", 1960's. The rectangular dish depicts a series of signal flags with their corresponding letter equivalent from A-Z.
Dimensions: 5 1/2 inches x 4 1/4 inches x 3/4 inch high. (NY8171)
$650
A Piero Fornasetti Neiman Marcus Plate, Dated 1967.
This 1967 commemorative plate features a stunning fashion illustration highlighting changes in women's styles since the founding of the department store in 1907. 9 1/2 inches Diameter
In 1959, Mr. Fornasetti received a Neiman-Marcus award for distinguished service in the field of fashion. Reference: Fornasetti: The Complete Universe, Barnaba Fornasetti, Page 616, #167 for an illustrated colour example. (NY8170)
$750
Three Piero Fornasetti Plates, Astronomici Series, 1955 Top left: Eclisse ella Luna, # 6 in Series. Top right: Cognitione Del Pianeta Dominator Dell'Anno, # 9 in Series. Bottom left: Membri Dell'Huvomo Dominati Dalli Dodici Segni Celesti, # 10 in Series.
Astronomici means Astronomical. This is a rare pattern in black and white with gold highlights. Diameter: 10 inches.
Fornasetti: Designer of Dreams, Patrick Mauries, Page 220, colour illustration of the complete set of twelve, the author writes, Astronomical Plates, a set of twelve made in 1955. Fornasetti looked at astronomy in 17th-century terms when it was not distinguished from astrology. Fornasetti: The Complete Universe, Barnaba Fornasetti, Page 614, #162 for an illustrated example. (NY8164)
$875 each
Piero Fornasetti Astrolabe Porcelain Plates, 1960's-mid 1970's.
See a similar Astrolabe plate in the Victoria & Albert Museum's Collection, Museum # C.63-1985.
(NY8161) $850 each
Piero Fornasetti Astrolabe Porcelain Plates, 1960's-mid 1970's. (NY8161) Top: $850m
Bottom 3: $400 each
Piero Fornasetti Plates Mongolfiere (hot air) Design, 1950's Dimensions: 10 inches x 3/4 inches
The name of the pattern comes from the first hot air ballooner-on 21st November, with a balloon made by 2 French brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier. A balloon was launched from the centre of Paris and flew for a period of 20 minutes- The birth of hot air ballooning.
Fornasetti: The Complete Universe, Barnaba Fornasetti, Page 616, #167 for four examples from set. (NY8162)
$450 each