Oval Mirror in Clear and Smoked Glass by Fontana Arte, Italian Work, circa 1970

This oval mirror, composed of a clear mirrored centre framed by a surround of smoked mirror glass, is an elegant creation by Fontana Arte — the celebrated Milanese glass manufacturer and design house that since its founding in 1932 has been synonymous with the finest tradition of Italian craftsmanship in glass and mirror work. Associated in its early years with the visionary architect Gio Ponti, and producing objects designed by Pietro Chiesa and other great names of Italian design, Fontana Arte represents the gold standard of Italian luxury glass.

The design of this mirror is characteristically Fontana Arte in its refinement and restraint: the oval form — one of the most classical of mirror silhouettes — is animated by the contrast between the clear central mirror and the surrounding smoked glass border, which creates a subtle chromatic frame that is simultaneously part of the mirror and a decorative element in its own right. This interplay of clear and tinted glass is a technique that Fontana Arte developed to great effect throughout the postwar decades.

Mirrors by Fontana Arte are among the most sought-after objects in the Italian mid-century design market, collected as much for their intrinsic beauty and quality of craftsmanship as for their prestigious provenance. This oval example, with its sophisticated two-tone glass composition, would serve equally as a functional mirror and as a significant decorative presence on any wall.