Travertine & Brass Pedestal Column by Willy Rizzo, France circa 1970
Square tapering pedestal column clad in travertine stone with polished brass edge banding and stud detail. By Willy Rizzo. France, circa 1970. W. 28 × D. 28 × H. 61 cm.
PRODUCT DETAILS
| Dimensions en CM | 28 x 28 x 61 cm |
|---|---|
| Dimensions en INCH | 11.02 x 11.02 x 24.02 inch |
| Période | 1970–1980 |
| Style | Mid-Century Modern |
| Matériaux | Travertine |
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Willy Rizzo — the Paris-based Italian designer whose name became synonymous with a particular brand of luxurious, material-rich modernism in the 1970s — is perhaps best known for his coffee tables and furniture. Less frequently encountered are his architectural accessories, of which this travertine and brass pedestal column is a particularly refined example, produced around 1970 at the height of the designer’s creative output.
The column is constructed as a tapering square plinth clad on all four sides and the top in travertine, the creamy fossil-veined stone that Rizzo deployed throughout his œuvre for the warmth and natural authority it brings to a composition. Along each vertical edge and at the crown, polished brass banding terminates in a line of neat brass studs — a detail that recurs throughout Rizzo’s work and functions as both structural joinery and decorative punctuation, unifying the natural and the industrial in a single gesture.
At 28 × 28 × 61 cm, the column is well proportioned for use as a pedestal for a sculpture or plant, or as a side table or drinks stand. Its compact footprint makes it highly versatile — equally at home in a narrow entrance hall or as a corner accent in a drawing room. The natural variation of travertine ensures that no two examples are identical, giving each piece an inherently bespoke quality.
The condition is excellent: the stone clean and uncracked, the brass retaining its warm original patina. Rizzo’s travertine and brass pieces have attracted sustained collector interest, and examples in this condition represent a sound acquisition in the market for 1970s French and Italian design.
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