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Gio Ponti Unique important variation of an executive desk 1954 Walnut-veneered wood, bronze. 77 x 264.5 x 94.5 cm. (30 1/4 x 104 1/8 x 37 1/4 in.) Underside of each drawer and frame of each pedestal monogrammed in pencil ‘E.M.L.
Literature Ugo La Pietra Gio Ponti New York, 1996, p. 190, fig. 399 for a similar example; Charlotte and Peter Fiell, eds., Domus Vol. III, 1950-1954, Cologne, 2006, pp. 122-123 for a similar example Catalogue Essay This desk is a truly unexpected find, derived from the design “Desk for a Manager” published in Domus and designed by Gio Ponti in 1948, similar to the desk produced in 1949 for the office of the editor of Domus, Gianni Mazzocchi Often with Ponti, the projects published in Domus would lead to other commissions of similar works. In 1954 Gio Ponti made a selection of his best projects of Architecture, Art and Design for a special issue entirely dedicated to him by “Aria D’Italia” called “Espressione di Gio Ponti ” In this issue the interior of Mazzocchi’s office was published, stating the execution of the furniture by Giordano Chiesa and mentioning “another execution” by Egidio Proserpio, which refers to the present lot. As well as collaborating with Gio Ponti in the execution of customized mullions and office furniture, Proserpio was also the maker of the “Prototype of Hotel” room by Ponti presented to the Milan Triennale of 1951. --Salvatore Licitra Gio Ponti Archives, Milan We would like to thank Salvatore Licitra from the Gio Ponti Archives his help in cataloguing this piece and his generous and kind assistance. Read More Artist Bio Gio Ponti Italian • 1891 - 1979 Among the most prolific talents to grace twentieth-century design, Gio Ponti defied categorization. Though trained as an architect, he made major contributions to the decorative arts, designing in such disparate materials as ceramics, glass, wood and metal. A gale force of interdisciplinary creativity, Ponti embraced new materials like plastic and aluminum but employed traditional materials such as marble and wood in original, unconventional ways. In the industrial realm, he designed buildings, cars, machinery and appliances — notably, the La Cornuta espresso machine for La Pavoni — and founded the ADI (Industrial Designer Association). Among the most special works by Gio Ponti are those that he made in collaboration with master craftsmen such as the cabinetmaker Giordano Chiesa, the illustrator Piero Fornasetti and the enamellist Paolo de Poli. View More Works