Gio Ponti Large Green Vase in Ceramic by Richard Ginori 1930s Italy
About the Item
- Creator:Gio Ponti (Designer),Richard Ginori (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 19.69 in (50 cm)Diameter: 13.39 in (34 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Ceramic,Other
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Late 1930s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Montecatini Terme, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5304235375542
Gio Ponti
An architect, furniture and industrial designer and editor, Gio Ponti was arguably the most influential figure in 20th-century Italian modernism.
Ponti designed thousands of furnishings and products — from cabinets, mirrors and chairs to ceramics and coffeemakers — and his buildings, including the brawny Pirelli Tower (1956) in his native Milan, and the castle-like Denver Art Museum (1971), were erected in 14 countries. Through Domus, the magazine he founded in 1928, Ponti brought attention to virtually every significant movement and creator in the spheres of modern art and design.
The questing intelligence Ponti brought to Domus is reflected in his work: as protean as he was prolific, Ponti’s style can’t be pegged to a specific genre.
In the 1920s, as artistic director for the Tuscan porcelain maker Richard Ginori, he fused old and new; his ceramic forms were modern, but decorated with motifs from Roman antiquity. In pre-war Italy, modernist design was encouraged, and after the conflict, Ponti — along with designers such as Carlo Mollino, Franco Albini, Marco Zanuso — found a receptive audience for their novel, idiosyncratic work. Ponti’s typical furniture forms from the period, such as the wedge-shaped Distex chair, are simple, gently angular, and colorful; equally elegant and functional. In the 1960s and ’70s, Ponti’s style evolved again as he explored biomorphic shapes, and embraced the expressive, experimental designs of Ettore Sottsass Jr., Joe Colombo and others.
Ponti's signature furniture piece — the one by which he is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Germany’s Vitra Design Museum and elsewhere — is the sleek Superleggera chair, produced by Cassina starting in 1957. (The name translates as “superlightweight” — advertisements featured a model lifting it with one finger.)
Ponti had a playful side, best shown in a collaboration he began in the late 1940s with the graphic artist Piero Fornasetti. Ponti furnishings were decorated with bright finishes and Fornasetti's whimsical lithographic transfer prints of things such as butterflies, birds or flowers; the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts possesses a 1950 secretary from their Architetturra series, which feature case pieces covered in images of building interiors and facades. The grandest project Ponti and Fornasetti undertook, however, lies on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean: the interiors of the luxury liner Andrea Doria, which sank in 1956.
Widely praised retrospectives at the Queens Museum of Art in 2001 and at the Design Museum London in 2002 sparked a renewed interest in Ponti among modern design aficionados. (Marco Romanelli’s monograph, which was written for the London show, offers a fine overview of Ponti’s work.) Today, a wide array of Ponti’s designs are snapped up by savvy collectors who want to give their homes a touch of Italian panache and effortless chic.
Find a range of vintage Gio Ponti desks, dining chairs, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Richard Ginori
The striking elegance and craftsmanship associated with vintage Richard Ginori porcelain and ceramics are hallmarks of the distinguished Italian manufacturer's deep heritage. Over nearly 300 years, the company has established a legacy of enduring design — its exquisite handmade serving pieces, tea sets, tableware, vases and more are coveted all over the world.
Richard Ginori traces its long history back to the village of Doccia, Italy, where marchese Carlo Ginori opened the Doccia Porcelain Manufactory in 1735. The factory employed talented Viennese painters and modelers, and although it took time for Carlo to perfect his models and molds, the company eventually became known for its impeccable white porcelain, inspired by Ginori's love of white gold. By 1779, the factory’s refined porcelain decorated palaces and stately residences.
In 1896, the factory expanded and merged with the Società Ceramic Richard of Milan. The new company was named Richard Ginori, and the early 20th century marked a period of artistic revival for the manufacturer.
In 1923, the influential Italian architect, publisher and furniture designer Gio Ponti was appointed as the company's artistic director (a role he held until 1933). He was still a young man at the time, but the now-celebrated polymath was fearless in his efforts to innovate at Richard Ginori — he introduced a contemporary spirit at the manufacturer and integrated ancient Roman art and other neoclassical elements into his richly ornate designs for decorative objects and ceramic vessels. At the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris — the design fair that brought the Art Deco style into the world — both Richard Ginori and its bold artistic director won a Grand Prix.
In the decades that followed, offerings at the storied porcelain manufacturer showed an adoption of the modern style that had taken shape in furniture design and decorative arts during the mid-20th century. In 1954, the company was renamed Ginori 1735, a reference to its inaugural year. Over time, Richard Ginori has partnered with numerous renowned designers such as Giovanni Gariboldi, Antonio Piva, Franco Albini and Aldo Rossi. In 2013, Gucci purchased the Ginori 1735 brand and factory.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Richard Ginori serveware and decorative objects.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Florence, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Gio Ponti Set of Two Decorative Bottles in Ceramic by Cooperativa Ceramica ImolaBy Gio PontiLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITSet of two decorative blue bottles in ceramic with gold lusters decorations (realized by Bottega Gatti in Faenza) from the Bottiglie Abitate series which is designed by Gio Ponti in the 1950s and manufactured during the 1990s by Cooperativa Ceramica Imola. The manufacturer's brand and signature are visible under the bases. Dimensions: A buttoned bottle H36 cm A decorated bottle H30 cm Gio Ponti was an icon of the modernist movement: the Italian designer, architect, artist and publisher contributed significantly to the worlds of architecture and design with his extensive work in fine furniture and ceramics, education, office and residential buildings, and everything in between. Giovanni, known as Gio Ponti was born in 1891 in Milan. It was there that he spent his childhood, and in 1921 he began to study architecture at the Politecnico di Milano. From 1923 to 1930 he served as the artistic director of the Richard-Ginori porcelain factory. In 1927, Ponti started his first architectural office, together with Emilio Lancia, and in 1928 he started the magazine Domus, which is still regarded as one of the most influential European magazines for architecture and design. He was also very influential during the period as a curator of the Milan Triennale. After his collaboration with Emilio Lancia had come to an end, upon completion of the Torre Rasini, he began to work as an architect together with the engineers Antonio Fornaroli and Eugenio Soncini...Category
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Porcelain
MaterialsCeramic, Luster
- Gio Ponti Cutlery Set for Six in Nickel Silver by Krupp Italy 1950sBy Gio Ponti, Arthur KruppLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITTan France Pick Cutlery silver service for six in nickel silver or German silver, this set includes a total of 18 pieces; 6 spoons, 6 forks, and 6 knives with a steel blade. Set d...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
MaterialsNickel, Stainless Steel
- Gio Ponti Round Coffee Table in Walnut Wood Italian Manifacture 1940sBy Gio PontiLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITRound shaped coffee table with three legs, in walnut wood and brass details. Attribuited to Gio Ponti, Italian manufacture from the late 1940s to the early 1950s Gio Ponti was an icon of the modernist movement: the Italian designer, architect, artist and publisher contributed significantly to the worlds of architecture and design with his extensive work in fine furniture and ceramics, education, office and residential buildings, and everything in between. Giovanni, known as Gio Ponti was born in 1891 in Milan. It was there that he spent his childhood, and in 1921 he began to study architecture at the Politecnico di Milano. From 1923 to 1930 he served as the artistic director of the Richard-Ginori porcelain factory. In 1927, Ponti started his first architectural office, together with Emilio Lancia, and in 1928 he started the magazine Domus, which is still regarded as one of the most influential European magazines for architecture and design. He was also very influential during the period as a curator of the Milan Triennale. After his collaboration with Emilio Lancia had come to an end, upon completion of the Torre Rasini, he began to work as an architect together with the engineers Antonio Fornaroli and Eugenio Soncini...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Gio Ponti Round Coffee Table in Walnut Wood Italian Manufacture 1950sBy Gio PontiLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITRound coffee table realized in walnut wood with metal details, the tabletop presents an elegant circular decorative motif. Attribuited to Gio Ponti, Italian manufacturer from the 1950s Gio Ponti was an icon of the modernist movement: the Italian designer, architect, artist and publisher contributed significantly to the worlds of architecture and design with his extensive work in fine furniture and ceramics, education, office and residential buildings, and everything in between. Giovanni, known as Gio Ponti was born in 1891 in Milan. It was there that he spent his childhood, and in 1921 he began to study architecture at the Politecnico di Milano. From 1923 to 1930 he served as the artistic director of the Richard-Ginori porcelain factory. In 1927, Ponti started his first architectural office, together with Emilio Lancia, and in 1928 he started the magazine Domus, which is still regarded as one of the most influential European magazines for architecture and design. He was also very influential during the period as a curator of the Milan Triennale. After his collaboration with Emilio Lancia had come to an end, upon completion of the Torre Rasini, he began to work as an architect together with the engineers Antonio Fornaroli and Eugenio Soncini...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Gio Ponti Ninfea Folding Chairs in Wood and White Fabric by Reguitti 1960s ItalyBy Gio Ponti, Fratelli ReguittiLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITA Ninfea (or Pieghevole Ninfea) folding lounge chair with a structure in the wood, seat, and back in woven white fabric and brass hinges. The Ninfea chair...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Gio Ponti Silver Cutlery Set for Twelve by Krupp Italy 1950sBy Arthur Krupp, Gio PontiLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITCutlery silver set for twelve in nickel silver or German silver, this set includes a total of 36 pieces; 12 spoons, 12 forks, and 12 knives with a steel blade. Set designed by Gio ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware
MaterialsNickel, Stainless Steel
- Ceramic Vase by Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori, 1930sBy Richard Ginori, Gio PontiLocated in BARCELONA, ESImmerse your space in the timeless elegance of Gio Ponti's Ceramic Vase for Richard Ginori, a masterpiece from the 1930s. Ponti, a maestro of design, lends his artistic finesse to th...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori Vase in Terracotta and Gold, 1930sBy Gio Ponti, Richard GinoriLocated in Tilburg, NLGio Ponti for Richard Ginori vase in terracotta and gold, Italy, 1930s. It is a wonderful little gem, this vase designed by Gio Ponti and made by Richard Ginori in the 1930s. Great simple design and beautiful contrast between the terracotta and the gold. Part of a series of terracotta and gold bowls...Category
Early 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsPottery
- Gio’ Ponti Richard Ginori Vase Ceramic, 1930, ItalyBy Gio PontiLocated in Milano, ITGio’ Ponti Richard Ginori vase ceramic, 1930, Italy.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Other Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- Midcentury ceramic vase by Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori, Italy 1940sBy Richard Ginori, Gio PontiLocated in Piacenza, ItalySan Cristoforo ceramic rare green vase by Gio Ponti and Giovanni Gariboldi manufactured by Richard Ginori. Signed Richard Ginori on the bottom. Perfect vintage condition Italy 1940sCategory
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- Midcentury ceramic vase by Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori, Italy 1947By Richard Ginori, Gio PontiLocated in Piacenza, ItalySan Cristoforo ceramic green vase by Gio Ponti and Giovanni Gariboldi manufactured by Richard Ginori. Rare color and manufacturing. Signed Richard Ginori on the bottom. Perfect vin...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- Midcentury ceramic vase by Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori, Italy 1940sBy Gio Ponti, Richard GinoriLocated in Piacenza, ItalySan Cristoforo ceramic green vase by Gio Ponti and Giovanni Gariboldi manufactured by Richard Ginori. Signed Richard Ginori on the bottom. Perfect vintage condition Italy 1940s It ...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
MaterialsCeramic
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Barnaba Fornasetti’s Hallucinatory House Has His Father’s Spirit
Behind a nondescript facade in northeastern Milan is the magical residence of Barnaba Fornasetti. It's a shrine to the style developed by his design-legend father, which still defies categorization.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.