The upcoming 20th-century Decorative Arts and Design auction of 28, 29 and 30 June 2023, which is divided into three sessions and totals about 500 lots, is characterized by the presence of some rare works by prominent authors:
Enzo Mari, Ettore Sottsass, Gaetano Pesce, Mario Ceroli, Gino Sarfatti, Angelo Lelii, Max Ingrand, Gio Ponti, Pietro Chiesa, Vittoriano Viganò, Umberto Bellotto, Carlo Scarpa, Pietro Melandri, Ercole Barovier, Fulvio Bianconi, Roberto Menghi and several others.
Some lots of the first session originating from private collections are particularly attractive: a wide selection of furnishings by Osvaldo Borsani dating from the 1930s and 1940s; rare BBPR lamps, previously unpublished on the market; an exceptional group, in terms of quantity and rarity, of tables and chairs from the “Monofilo” series by Luciano Grassi, Sergio Conti and Marisa Forlani; a group of chairs from the early 20th century by Gio Ponti published and already exhibited in national and international shows; the furnishings designed by Ico Parisi for a home in Como in 1950, including a particular ramage console.
Lot 106
Osvaldo Borsani
Bar cabinet, variant of the model "5142".
Execution by Arredamenti Borsani, Varedo, 1939ca.
Estimate € 3,500 - 4,000
Lot 128
Luciano Grassi, Sergio Conti e Marisa Forlani
Six armchairs model "Artigianato" of the series "Monofilo".
Commercializzazione Emilio Paoli, Florence, 1953-55.
Estimate € 8,000 - 12,000
Lot 120
Gio Ponti
Six chairs. Unique pieces made for the living room of the Vimercati house in via Domenichino 1.
Execution by Giordano Chiesa, Milan, 1929ca.
Estimate € 12,000 - 15,000
Highlights among the most prestigious lots are an exceptional parade vase by Galileo Chini, a special piece probably executed for an international exhibition between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century; a monumental chandelier by Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte from the 1930s; the sculpture “Il Falco ferito (The wounded falcon)” by Sirio Tofanari, from 1931; a rare centerpiece by Enzo Mari, belonging to the series “Proposals for hand-crafted porcelain”; a monumental 1936 “cordonato” glass chandelier by Carlo Scarpa for Venini; an exceptional “connubio ferro vetro (union of iron and glass)” by Umberto Bellotto, datable around 1923; a rare “rocking chair” by Franco Albini, made in the 1940s for the Ar.Ar shop. in Milan; a group of “Africa” chairs designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto in the 1970s; several lamps by Max Ingrand, Gino Sarfatti and Angelo Lelii.
Lot 26
Galileo Chini
"Ad multos annos" Large "special" vase.
Manufacture of L'Arte della Ceramica, Florence, 1898-1902.
Estimate € 5,000 - 7,000
Lot 153
Pietro Chiesa
Large chandelier with brass structure and amber-pink cut crystal glass diffusers.
Execution by Fontana Arte, Milan, 1938ca.
Estimate € 18,000 - 20,000
Lot 27
Carlo Scarpa
"Jazz Band" Five sculptures depicting instrument players.
Execution by MVM Cappellin, Murano, 1928-29.
Estimate € 7,000 - 8,000
Lot 75
Franco Albini
Rocking chaise longue.
Execution for the Ar.Ar shop.. Milan, 1940s.
Estimate € 8,000 - 12,000
Lot 68
Afra Scarpa e Tobia Scarpa
Eight chairs model "Africa" of the series "Artona".
Produced by Maxalto, Italy, 1970s.
Estimate € 10,000 - 15,000
Ugo la Pietra, Bruno Munari, Gaetano Pesce, Alessandro Mendini are represented by unique furnishings, characterized by their disruptive chromaticity that underlines their ironic critique of the world of modernist industrial design.
Lot 91
Ugo La Pietra
Seat model "Poltroncina".
Execution by Zanotta, Nova Milanese, 1983.
Estimate € 2,800 - 3,000
Lot 78
Bruno Munari
"Macchina inutile Max Bill" Colored card and thread. 1993.
Signed and dated '93, Specimen n° 33/100, Original casing.
Estimate € 1,800 - 2,000
Lot 93
Gaetano Pesce
Buffet of the series "Nobody's Perfect".
Produced by ZeroDisegno, Italy, 2005.
Estimate € 5,000 - 8,000
Among the “discoveries”, the furnishings included in the second and third sessions are unique pieces designed by the architect from Brescia Fausto Bontempi, by architect and engineer Gaspare Pestalozza and an entire Postmodern furniture ensemble designed by Toni Cordero in 1972.
Lot 455
Fausto Bontempi
Eight high-back chairs. Unique custom pieces.
Execution by Sandrini Francesco, Brescia, 1961.
Estimate € 3,800 - 4,500
Lot 374
Gaspare Pestalozza
Large upholstered custom corner sofa, with green fabric upholstery and wooden truncated cone legs. Italy, 1959ca.
Estimate € 1,200 - 1,300
Lot 466
Toni Cordero
Custom entrance portal/etagère. Turin, 1972.
Estimate € 700 - 800