Whimsical Wit: Piero Fornasetti "Love" Ceramic Coaster Set

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Whimsical Wit: Piero Fornasetti "Love" Ceramic Coaster Set

This charming and rare set of eight ceramic coasters by Piero Fornasetti … Read more Whimsical Wit: Piero Fornasetti "Love" Ceramic Coaster Set

This charming and rare set of eight ceramic coasters by Piero Fornasetti (1913–1988), dating from the 1950s to early 1960s, showcases the designer’s signature fusion of graphic artistry, wit, and romantic curiosity. Known as the "Love" Coasters, the set comes complete with its original red presentation box topped with a gold heart motif.

Design and Iconography

Each coaster is a small work of art, featuring a circular form with a brilliant gold-ground surface and a slightly raised rim. At the center of each is a white porcelain heart adorned with intricate, lace-like black-and-white graphic borders. Within the heart motif, a unique proverb or saying about love is inscribed in an ornate script, creating a playful, philosophical commentary on the human heart:

Love is not without fear;

Whate (sic) the heart thinks the mouth speaks;

Who loves me well loves my dog also;

Seek your salve where you got your sore;

Love is shown by many a bitter sign;

Love and red nose can't be hid;

The new love oft chaseth out the old;

Love is ne'er without jealousy.

The trompe-l'œil effect created by the heart’s border and the use of the bold gold and black color palette exemplify the sophisticated decorative style that set Fornasetti apart from his Modernist contemporaries.

Historical Context: Fornasetti's Post-War Graphics

These coasters date to the height of Fornasetti’s collaboration with architect Gio Ponti and his exploration of decorative objects for the home. The Love heart motif is an early and enduring design: prototypes featuring these same heart designs were exhibited as early as the VIII Milan Triennale in 1947, presented by Ceramiche di Bollate.

By producing these witty, everyday objects, Fornasetti championed decorative art and sought to inject humor, narrative, and imagination into domestic life, famously rejecting the severe "form follows function" tenets of pure Modernism. The sayings, drawn from classical proverbs and literary sources like Lord Byron, reflect Fornasetti's broad intellectual interests and his belief that art should serve as an "invitation to the imagination."

The reverse of each coaster is marked with the authentic printed black heart and the word LOVE, followed by the Fornasetti hand and brush signature below: Fornasetti. Milano/ Made in Italy.

Dimensions: 481 inches diameter ×21 inch height (10.48cm diameter).

This rare, complete set is a significant piece of Fornasetti ephemera, representing a moment in post-war Italian design where wit, decorative pattern, and high craftsmanship converged.

(Ref: NY10765-ckm) See less