Ancient Matrix Inspired Mid-Century Sconces
— By Brian Kish, Curator and Specialist in 20th Century Italian Architecture and Design, Consultant to the Gio Ponti Archives since 2006
The recent discovery, and first time appearance onto the market, of the present pair of rare wall lights brings into focus one of Ponti's most important achievements in the field of lighting from which it is derived: the monumental 'Pavone' i.e. peacock chandelier originally built for the Villa Nemazee in Tehran in 1961 and later used again at the Hotel Parco dei Principi in Rome in 1964. This state of affairs is consistent with his methodology of endless permutations emanating from a central matrix, which allowed him to explore the most diverse typologies, and interconnections within the vast realm of his creative practice, encompassing art, architecture and, above all, design.
The monumental 'Pavone' chandelier inside Villa Nemazee, Tehran.
Image: © Gio Ponti Archives / Archivio storico Gio PontiAt nearly two feet high, the object at hand encompasses a white opaline globe within a graceful, yet heavy-gauge polished brass bracket. From 1961 onwards, every element of the piece was produced in-house by Arredoluce, the prestigious lighting company of Angelo Lelii. It should also be noted that Ponti’s 'Pavone' chandeliers and wall lights are distinct from all the other Arredoluce lighting production during that period.
The present model wall light showcased in the Arredoluce showroom, Monza, circa 1965.
Image: © Arredoluce Archives/Fragile MilanoOne can wonder what makes this elemental design so visually compelling and how Ponti came up with the more recent iteration derived from the peacock chandelier of Tehran. As early as 1924, ancient Persian and Islamic tracery and patterning first appeared in his 'Persica' collection of porcelains for Richard Ginori. Yet it is an aspect of his work that has remained unexplored to this day. Meanwhile, it was not until 1957 to 1960 that he received four architecture commissions in the Middle Eastern countries of Iran, Iraq and Pakistan.
His travels across these various Islamic cultures paved the way for drawings inspired by lyrical abstraction. As seen in these graceful window grilles, Ponti chose an ancient Persian and Islamic symbol as another catalyst to expand his worldly humanist vision: in Sunni Islam the peacock is a symbol of paradise and eternity, whereas in Persia it is linked to royalty.
A detail image of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Secretariat's façade, Islamabad, 1961-1965.
Image: author's ownLike many elements in ancient classical design from Eastern and Western origins, what appears to be a simple formulaic device turns out to be endowed with rich variety. Similar graphic traits can also be encountered in Ponti's ancient Roman motifs as well as in the meandering patterns he devised for Ginori porcelains. These are precedents that he used to adorn the top profile of the large monumental vase known as the ‘Vaso delle donne e delle architetture’ of 1924.
Vaso delle donne e delle architetture by Gio Ponti for Ginori, circa 1924.
Image: © Photo Scala, FlorenceArredoluce's instructions for installation suggested both vertical wall and horizontal ceiling placement options. The intention, besides shedding ambient light, was to animate spaces with enigmatic punctuation. Aiming to please and challenge his audience in turn, Ponti leaves his quotation mark, in brass, around the central opaline orb. More than sixty years on, after countless rigorous academic evaluations, we are in a better position to fully appreciate the radiating power of Ponti's endless schemes of lighting and illusions for destinations across the globe. These 'Pavone' wall lights, freshly rescued from obscurity, can now illuminate the future.
Provenance
Private collection, Milan
Literature
Ugo La Pietra, ed., Gio Ponti: L’Arte si Innamora dell’Industria, Milan, 2009, p. 372 for a similar example
Anty Pansera et. al., Arredoluce: Catalogo Ragionato 1943-1987, Milan, 2018, p. 347 for a similar exampleCatalogue Essay
The present lot has been registered in the Arredoluce Archives, Italy as numbers 6599231 and 3941963.
Artist Biography
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.
5
Pair of rare wall lights
circa 1964
Brass, glass.
Each: 53.1 x 19.8 x 20 cm (20 7/8 x 7 3/4 x 7 7/8 in.)
Manufactured by Arredoluce, Monza, Italy. Together with a certificate of expertise from the Gio Ponti Archives.
Estimate
£22,000 - 28,000 ‡
Sold for £91,440
Antonia King
Head of Sale, Design
+44 20 7901 7944
Antonia.King@phillips.com
Design
London Auction 13 November 2024
