Oval Mirror with Blue-Tinted Glass Surround by Fontana Arte — Italian Work, Circa 1970

Among the most iconic designs in the history of Italian decorative glass, this oval mirror by Fontana Arte represents the company's celebrated approach to the mirror as a purely formal, material object — in which glass itself, rather than any applied frame, provides all the visual interest. The composition is arrestingly simple: a clear oval mirror plate is set within a wide, flat surround of intensely vivid cerulean blue tinted glass, the two elements lying flush with one another to create a seamless piece in which colour, reflection, and form are the sole decorative agents.

Fontana Arte was founded in Milan in 1932 by Gio Ponti and Luigi Fontana, and rapidly established itself as one of the most important names in European decorative glass design. The company's mirrors — particularly those using tinted glass surrounds in blue, smoke, amber, and green — became some of the most widely admired objects of mid-century Italian design and remain among the most sought-after pieces in the contemporary vintage design market. This oval model, with its particularly vivid blue surround, is a characteristic and desirable example of the genre.

The mirror measures 61.5 centimetres in width and 80.5 centimetres in height, a generous portrait oval well suited to a hallway, a bedroom, or a bathroom. The depth of 3 centimetres is that of the glass alone — there is no additional frame. The piece is in good overall condition, with some minor wear to the outer edge of the blue glass surround, consistent with its age and entirely in keeping with the character of a vintage piece of this type.

This mirror represents an outstanding opportunity to acquire a genuine Fontana Arte piece — a name whose stature has only grown since the mid-century period and whose works are increasingly present in the collections of major design museums worldwide.