Mid-Century Modern Silver Plate Centerpiece by Lino Sabattini, 1960

A modernist centerpiece by Lino Sabattini (1925–2016), one of the most celebrated figures in twentieth-century Italian silver and metalware design. Sabattini's works are known for their dramatic angles, sweeping, wing-like flourishes, and forms somehow reminiscent of sculptures by Brancusi. Self-taught, he honed his skills in metalsmithing and developed a fluidity of form that caught the attention of Gio Ponti, who featured his work in Domus magazine — exposure that led to his role as artistic director at Christofle, the renowned French silverware maker. From 1964, when he moved to Bregnano, Sabattini became an entrepreneur of his own ideas, establishing Sabattini Silverware (Argenteria Sabattini) that same year.

This piece takes a bold, asymmetrical boat- or leaf-like form, its wide, gently curved basin tapering to a pointed tip at one end. The bowl is bisected by a striking ribbed, accordion-like fold running across its center — a sculptural device that catches and refracts light across the mirror-polished silver-plated surface, giving the piece dramatic visual movement from every angle. The interplay between the smooth, sweeping planes and the sharply pleated central channel is characteristic of Sabattini's ability to balance minimalist geometry with dynamic, sculptural tension.