Gio Ponti Coffee Table for Fontana Arte, 1952
Description
Gio Ponti coffee table for Fontana Arte, wood and glass, Italy, 1952
Designed in 1952 by Gio Ponti for Fontana Arte, this coffee table exemplifies the designer’s poetic approach to form and proportion. The structure, carved in solid wood with an almost aerodynamic tension, supports an oval glass top that appears to float in space. The three legs taper with extraordinary precision, extending seamlessly into the top frame, where they cradle the glass without interruption.
Ponti’s design is both sculptural and functional, defined by lightness, balance, and elegance. The organic curvature of the wooden structure contrasts with the sharp precision of the glass edge, creating a subtle tension that animates the object.
This piece stands at the intersection of architecture and furniture—a concept central to Ponti’s philosophy—and recalls the spatial dynamism of his Superleggera chair and the refined detailing of his interiors for Palazzo Montecatini. At the same time, it dialogues with the sophisticated cabinetmaking of Paolo Buffa and the clean, structural sensibility of Gianfranco Frattini, both of whom contributed to shaping a uniquely Milanese modernism in the 1950s.
As a collaboration with Fontana Arte—then under the artistic direction of Max Ingrand—this table embodies the synergy between glassmaking tradition and modern design thinking. It reflects a moment in postwar Italian design when experimentation with materials, masterful craftsmanship, and a search for new aesthetics coalesced into objects that remain timeless.
We accurately check the quality of every object. Our in-house expert craftsmen carefully reviewed the item.
Dimensions
Height: 18.12 in (46 cm)
Width: 39.38 in (100 cm)
Depth: 27.56 in (70 cm)
Design
1952
Manufacture
1950-1959
Material
Wood and glass
Condition
We accurately check the quality of every object. Our in-house expert craftsmen carefully reviewed the item.