Born in Milan in 1913, Fornasetti studied at the Brara Academy of Fine Arts where he was noticed by Gio Ponti – an Italian architect who became Fornasetti’s most important patron. Fornasetti regarded his work as manufactured and not art, and Fornasetti designs were produced in large quantities. Fornasetti died in 1998, but the family-run business still survives in Milan. Fornasetti furniture and associated items (plates etc.) have been selling strongly at auction in the last few years. Peter Wilson’s have a strong reputation for selling Fornasetti works, we have sold some important pieces – highlights include the ‘Leopard’ chest of drawers sold for £9,000 and a Fornasetti bookcase sold for £15,500. As well as these big-ticket furniture items, we’ve also sold smaller items such as a set of Fornasetti plates for £900 and Fornasetti waste-paper bins! Please get in touch if you would like to discuss a potential sale.
We offer a free valuation service to people who are considering the sale of their items through our auction room. Click the button to complete our short form, and one of our experts will be in touch.
On the right of this page you will see a few highlights of Fornasetti items we've sold - to see more, including prices and dates, search our sold lot archives.