Extraordinary Model 110 chair, designed by Gio Ponti in 1951 and produced by Cassina, unanimously recognized as one of the highest and most refined expressions of Italian postwar design.
This model represents a masterful synthesis of Ponti’s thinking: structural lightness, geometric rigor, and a timeless elegance that transcends simple function to become architectural language. The Model 110 chair is not merely a piece of furniture, but a true cultural device, capable of embodying the innovative and visionary spirit of Italian Mid-Century design, a period in which design became a tool of modernity, representation, and national identity.
Its presence recurs in some of Gio Ponti’s most celebrated and significant projects: from the Casa di Fantasia to the Appartamento Lucano, created in collaboration with Piero Fornasetti, to the famous Hotel Room presented at the 1951 Milan Triennale. It was also chosen as the courtesy chair of Studio Ponti, a recurring element in his workspaces and representative interiors.
Model 110 was also employed in contexts of the highest institutional and symbolic prestige: from the interiors of the ocean liners Conte Biancamano, Oceania, and Africa—true floating ambassadors of Italian design worldwide—to the gaming tables of the Casino di Sanremo, and the bedroom of the Fornasetti house. The cited sources represent only a portion of the many documented contexts in which this chair appears, attesting to a selective yet culturally central diffusion.
Produced in limited numbers and difficult to find on the market today, the Model 110 chair is considered a rare example of great prestige and museum-level relevance, sought after by collectors, institutions, and architects for its historical importance and the absolute quality of its design.
This specific example has been reupholstered with a vintage Fornasetti fabric, signed on the back of the backrest. A measured and conscious curatorial intervention, conceived as an erudite tribute to the collaboration between Gio Ponti and the great Milanese master, strengthening the historical dialogue between two absolute protagonists of the twentieth century without altering the chair’s original identity.
An authentic piece of Italian design history, of exceptional rarity and cultural value, capable of narrating—through form, function, and memory—one of the highest and most representative chapters of the twentieth century.
Product Name: 110 Chair by Gio Ponti and Fornasetti for Cassina, 1953
Designer: Gio Ponti
Year of Design: 1951
Style: Italian postwar Mid-Century Modern
Main Materials: Wooden structure, padding, textile upholstery; this example features a later reupholstery in vintage Fornasetti fabric
Distinctive Design: Masterful synthesis of Ponti’s thinking, characterized by structural lightness, geometric rigor, and timeless elegance; a project that transcends function to assume architectural and cultural value
Dimensions: Width 53 cm | Depth 50 cm | Height 87 cm | Seat Height 40 cm
Comfort: Balanced and measured, conceived for representative use as well as functional purposes, in line with Gio Ponti’s vision of harmony between body, space, and architecture
Typical Use: Representative and courtesy chair for elite domestic interiors, professional studios, luxury naval interiors, and high-profile institutional contexts
Design Icon: Considered one of the highest and most refined expressions of Italian postwar design and one of the most emblematic examples of Gio Ponti’s design language
Versatility: Capable of fitting naturally into modern, historic, and museum contexts, dialoguing with both prestigious residential interiors and institutional collections
Current Condition: Originally produced by Cassina in limited numbers, today extremely rare and difficult to find on the market; an example of great prestige and museum-level relevance
Additional Notes: Please note that this object is in excellent vintage condition. Minor signs of age may be present and do not affect its functionality. We invite you to consider these characteristics prior to purchase.
Gio Ponti (1891–1979) was one of the most influential and comprehensive figures of twentieth-century Italy, capable of moving with extraordinary freedom and coherence across architecture, design, decorative arts, and publishing. Architect, designer, theorist, and tireless cultural promoter, he conceived design as a synthesis of function, beauty, and invention, rejecting any dogmatic rigidity in favor of an idea of modernity that was cultured, humanistic, and profoundly Italian. Founder and editor of Domus magazine from 1928, Ponti played a central role in shaping the identity of Italian design worldwide, fostering dialogue between industry and craftsmanship and collaborating with the leading manufacturers of his time. His work ranges from icons of domestic design to major symbolic architectures, such as the Pirelli Tower in Milan, always maintaining a poetic tension between structural lightness, geometric rigor, and timeless elegance. His legacy lies not only in the objects and buildings he created, but above all in a vision of design as a total cultural act, capable of influencing the ways in which modernity is inhabited, lived, and represented.
Cassina, founded in 1927 in Meda, is one of the most authoritative and influential companies in the history of Italian and international design. A pioneer in the transition from excellence in craftsmanship to high-quality industrial production, Cassina played a central role in defining the language of modern design, collaborating with some of the greatest masters of the twentieth century. Through constant technological research, meticulous attention to materials, and a cultural approach to design, the company has transformed furniture into authentic timeless icons. With its ability to combine innovation, tradition, and editorial rigor, Cassina has contributed decisively to the international dissemination and legitimization of Italian design, establishing itself as a reference point for collectors, architects, and cultural institutions.