Makers & Designers

Strauss & Co’s decorative arts department has handled a worldly list of makers and designers specialising in furniture making, jewellery, silver, glass, porcelain and other artisanal trades.

Strauss & Co’s decorative arts department has handled a worldly list of makers and designers specialising in furniture making, jewellery, silver, glass, porcelain and other artisanal trades. This searchable database lists prominent makers and designers sold by Strauss & Co, including René Lalique, Gio Ponti, Patrick Mavros, as well as coveted houses like The Barnards and Tiffany & Co.



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Piero Fornasetti

Milan, Italy 


Piero Fornasetti was one of the most inventive and prolific designers of the twentieth century. He was born in Milan and although his father had plans for him to take over the successful family business, the youngster rebelled and was determined to be an artist instead. He attended the Accademia di Brera and the Scuola Superiore at Castello Sforzesco in Milan but failed to complete the course at either institution after rebelling against the dogmatic and narrow focus of the curriculums. Through self-study and practical experiment, Fornasetti mastered a variety of printing techniques and invented new and innovative was of printing cutting-edge design on utilitarian objects and accessories. His eclectic style draws on a myriad of historical, literary and aesthetic inspirations that marry imaginative and theatrical decoration with refined and functional craftsmanship. He collaborated with leading Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti, publisher of the influential interiors magazine Domus, to transform objects, surfaces and spaces, and enhance the way that people experience their lived environments. His output includes drawings, paintings, prints, posters, books, fabric design, furniture, ceramics and household accessories.

"What I was doing was something more than decoration. It was an invitation to imagine, to think, to escape from the things that surround us, which are too mechanised and inhuman. They were a passport to the realm of imagination."

Piero Fornasetti


10 lots offered      60.00% sold      ZAR 74 053
 

Including Premium and VAT Results include Buyer's Premium and VAT
Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988) two ashtrays
7 Jun 2021
Sold for ZAR 1 759
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988) An 'Architettura' waste paper basket, originally designed in the 1950s
7 Jun 2021
Sold for ZAR 9 380
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988) two ashtrays
23 Nov 2020
Starting at ZAR 2 000
 
Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988) A 'Trumeau Architettura', originally designed 1951, later edition
8 Nov 2020
Starting at ZAR 650 000
 
Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988) A 'Trompe l'oeil Ombrelli' umbrella stand, originally designed 1950s, later edition
8 Nov 2020
Sold for ZAR 28 450
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988) A 'Mani' waste paper basket, originally designed in the 1950s
8 Nov 2020
Starting at ZAR 10 000
 
Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988) An 'Architettura' waste paper basket, originally designed in the 1950s, later edition
8 Nov 2020
Sold for ZAR 14 070
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
A set of eight Fornasetti Le Arpie Gentili coasters, 1960s
10 Oct 2016
Starting at ZAR 8 000
 
A set of six Fornasetti 'Cortilli' plates, circa 1960
8 Oct 2009
Sold for ZAR 13 368
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
A set of six Fornasetti 'Architettura' coffee cups and saucers, circa 1960
8 Oct 2009
Sold for ZAR 7 026
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT