Magnetic Perpetual Calendar by Tite-Paul Tilche for Arform, France, 1957-1958

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Designed in the late 1950s, this perpetual calendar translates time into a small mechanical landscape: suspended wires, magnets and tags … Read more Designed in the late 1950s, this perpetual calendar translates time into a small mechanical landscape: suspended wires, magnets and tags become elements of a poetic micro-architecture, typical of the best postwar italian design. An object that combines function and visual play, born of paolo tilche's vision and arform's design culture, today sought after as a rare reminder of when even the desk was a ground for modernist experimentation. Rare magnetic perpetual table calendar model "tite," designed by paolo tilche and produced by arform (milan) between 1957 and 1958. An icon of postwar italian design, the "tite" translates an everyday object into a poetic and rational form: two side elements with suspended tags (days of the week and numbers) "dialogue" with a central magnet, allowing the current date to be dialed with a simple and scenic gesture. The frame is enameled/painted metal, with printed paper components, wire and magnet. Exemplary in the white configuration with french-language tags (months and days), complete with movable tile set: a sought-after detail because it restores the object's international destination and its "cultured" positioning within the high-end giftware of the period. Paolo tilche (born in alexandria, egypt in 1925, active in milan) was an architect and designer, a central figure in post-world war ii home culture. A graduate of the milan polytechnic (1949), in 1955 he founded arform in milan together with his wife anna pontremoli and combined design with an intense popular and professional activity, also collaborating with important italian design brands. Arform was founded in milan in 1955 as a store and production reality related to design: a pioneering place where formal research, quality craftsmanship and modern taste coexist, with the declared goal of proposing objects "in good taste and never in fashion." over time, arform became a city landmark for designer furniture and giftware, with productions and selections curated directly by tilche. The "tite" is now recognized and collected as an emblematic example of the season in which italian design experimented with simple but intelligent mechanisms, industrial materials, and micro-desktop architecture. The french language on the cards is a distinguishing feature from the english version, which is often more widely used and seen in the u.s. Market. This may be an added value for european collectors or enthusiasts of authentic "continental" pieces. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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