Favorite Picks: Wright: Italian Masterworks

December is finally upon us. With it brings the best of the best in design artifacts, as the auction houses bring their finest consignments to the market to close the year.

My next feature is Wright's Italian Masterworks auction, taking place in Chicago on December 13th. This is the first half of a double-header day for Wright, with Important Design taking place afterwards. These are my favorite picks:

A pair of FONTANA ARTE Dalia chandeliers, sold in separate lots.

A rare glass encased table lamp by PIETRO CHIESA.

Rare tri-color glass sconces by MAX INGRAND.

A unique dining table by ICO PARISI.

A fantastic blue-green glass coffee table by FONTANA ARTE (usually ascribed to GIO PONTI). A catalog excerpt:

Fontana Arte’s acclaimed round coffee tables from the mid-late 1950s were produced in an several colors and with varied artistic decoration. This example made in green-blue features a flat pane of crystal superimposed over a thick, concaved and mirrored crystal. The effect of the layered, curved glass obscures the clarity of the mirrored surface creating a mesmerizing reflection that imitates flowing water.

A rare and lyrical chair by GIO PONTI, from Conti Contini Bonaccossi, Florence.

A GIO PONTI Distex armchair with brass frame.


Italian Masterworks takes place in Chicago, December 13th.  See the full preview here.