Wright Auction

This rare Cartoccio vase—Cartoccio translating as paper bag—was the masterful invention of Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte in 1932. Chiesa was invited by Gio Ponti to design works for the company including lighting, objects and furniture. Known for his great skill and understanding of modern design, the Cartoccio series remains one of Chiesa’s most famous and important contributions to the company. The example here is rare because it involves the overlay of two colors along with the extremely tight folds—a tour de force of craftsmanship. While Cartoccio vases in single colors can be found, there are very few known in two colors. Examples of the more complex forms were designed for the Triennial of 1951, and three examples like the one here were illustrated in Domus that year. 

Pietro Chiesa had extensive experience with glass before his arrival at Fontana Arte. He established a successful company of his own in 1921 and while specializing in more industrial than artistic glass (decorative windows for example) and his work was included in several Biennale and Triennial exhibitions during the 1920s. He was also a founding member of the Il Labirinto group and it was there that he forged a friendship with Paolo Venini.

The Cartoccio offered here (and the series in general) is a wonderful and early experiment in the mixing of industrial glass techniques with those associated with blown glass. Those tight folds! It is impossible to imagine how this was achieved, even in the hands of a master. It is also impossible to overlook the influence of this series when we consider the famous Fazzoletto vases designed by Fulvio Bianconi for Venini in the 1950s. A beautiful story of the trajectory of a design idea.