Private collection, Belgium, circa 1953 Thence by descent Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2022
Literature
Anna Venini Diaz de Santillana, Venini Catalogue Raisonné 1921-1986, Milan, 2000, p. 96 for a similar example
Catalogue Essay
The present nine-armed chandelier was originally ordered from Venini in this bespoke combination of green, red, blue and clear glass for a home decorated by renowned Belgian gallerist, designer and interior decorator Emiel Veranneman.
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.
circa 1947 Coloured glass, glass, brass, aluminium. 91.2 cm (35 7/8 in.) drop, 66.7 cm (26 1/4 in.) diameter Produced by Venini & C., Murano, Italy. Top of arm-holder impressed with 5557 and assembly numbers 1 to 9.
