Palm Beach Modern Auctions
Live Auction

Modern Art & Design, 3 Sessions: Fall 2020

Sat, Oct 10, 2020 12:00PM EDT
Lot 39

Important Gio Ponti Cabinet, Villa Nemazee Commission

Estimate: $70,000 - $90,000

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$3,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$30,000 $2,500
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
Artist/Designer; Manufacturer: Gio Ponti; Giordano Chiesa
Marking(s); notes: Documento Autentico XA00005573 label
Country of origin; materials: Italy; poplar, beech, steel
Dimensions (H, W, D): 29.5"h, 88"w, 27.5"d
Additional Information: Geometric cabinet/credenza rests on two star-shaped feet. It is finished on both sides, with doors hinged to allow configurations revealing or concealing the drawers. One side has a door on each end revealing four shelves each and the other has two doors revealing eight drawers. According to Tehran Projects, Villa Nemazee was designed in 1957-1964 by Gio Ponti in collaboration with Fausto Melotti and Paolo De Poli. Photos of the villa include an interior reception room and balcony echoing the geometric lines, convertible design and two-tone finish of the cabinet. Provenance: Villa Namazee (Shafi and Vida Namazee), Tehran, Iran | Private Collection, New York, New York. Lot is accompanied by the original certificate issued by Matteo Licitra, Independent Gio Ponti Archives, dated 11.29.2019, placing the cabinet on the first floor interior balcony room (see detail photos). Reference with additional photos and architectural plans: tehranprojects.com/villa-namazee-tehran.

Gio Ponti's nephew Matteo Licitra is an architect and designer as well as an artist and musician. He has produced numerous writings, lectures, seminars studying and promoting his uncle's work worldwide, including publishing the Chinese language edition of the catalogue raisonne - Gio Ponti: The Complete Work, 1923-1978.

Matteo Licitra worked closely with his mother and curator of the Ponti archives, Lisa Licitra Ponti, until her death in 2019. He then established the Independent Gio Ponti Archives with its own protocol for authentication. Too long to include here in its entirety, we encourage interested bidders to request the full text of our correspondence with Mr. Licitra.


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Condition

very good, patina to metal, surface nicks and scratches, some craquelure to painted finish, wear consistent with age and light use
11. Shipping/Pick-up/Storage: PBMA highly recommends that bidders obtain shipping quotes prior to bidding. If you would like to obtain a shipping quote prior to the auction, please contact PBMA by phone or email for a list of shippers, or contact your own shipper. PBMA provides shipping lists only as a service to its clients and any such list should not be considered an endorsement of any shipping company. Additionally, PBMA does not pack or ship items for insurance reasons. Final arrangements for shipping, and all costs associated with shipping, are the responsibility of the buyer. Any agreement for shipping is a contract between the buyer and the shipper; PBMA is not a party to any such contract and expressly disclaims any responsibility thereunder. No items will be released for shipping until PBMA receives payment in full and all payments have cleared. Thereafter, items may be picked up at PBMA's exhibition facility Monday through Friday from 10:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. by the winning bidders or their shippers. Please call PBMA the day before you intend to pick-up any item. If a shipper is picking up an item, please send PBMA an e-mail confirming the name of the shipper and the property to be released into the shipper's possession, and providing PBMA permission to release the property to your shipper. All winning lots must be picked up within thirty (30) business days following the close of the auction. After this time, each lot will become subject to storage fees of not less than $5 per day. After 180 days following the close of the auction, any lot which is not picked up will be deemed abandoned by the buyer, will become the property of PBMA and may be disposed of by PBMA, in any manner it chooses, without recourse.