Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte Etched Rose Gold Glass Wall Mirror, circa 1930

Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte Etched Rose Gold Glass Wall Mirror, circa 1930
A rare and beautiful Italian Art Deco grand-scale wall mirror with a rose gold glass frame, with acanthus leaf etched motif on the crest and corners of the segmented and scalloped mirror glass. The whole border with cross-hatch etching. The rectangular central clear colored glass plate is surrounded by exceptionally carved and gilded egg and dart motif. The back support mimics the design of the frame and is in solid walnut. With its original mirror glass and wood backing. Of exceptional craftsmanship and quality.

Pietro Chiesa (born 1892, Milan–died 1948, Paris) was a leading Italian Modernist and Art Deco designer best known for his artistic glass furnishing pieces. He belonged to the Swiss Ticino family of artists. He studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and then trained as an apprentice at the studio of furniture designer Giovanni Battista Gianotti. In 1921, he opened his own studio in Milan, the Bottega di Pietro Chiesa, and showcased his work at the seminal 1925 Paris Exposition. While running the Bottega di Pietro Chiesa, he also completed some major projects, such as designing and crafting the windows for the Trieste Stock Exchange and those for the ocean liner Conte di Savoia. In 1925, he exhibited his work for the first time at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris.

In 1932, Gio Ponti approached Pietro Chiesa to join him and Luigi Fontana and to become Luigi Fontana SA’s artistic director. During Chiesa’s tenure as artistic director, Fontana Arte’s production became rich and varied. Chiesa created what would become Fontana Arte’s signature colors of the time, deep blue and green, which Chiesa integrated so successfully into many of his creations. It included furniture, tables, mirrors, sculptures, and stained glass, creating the highest standard for glass craftsmanship and modern designs.
By Pietro Chiesa for Fontana Arte, circa 1930
Size: 51 1/2" high x 39" wide at top and base x 40 1/2" wide at mid x 3" deep