Ico Parisi: Exquisite Sculptural Console in Polished and Ebonized Wood, Italy 1950

Ico Parisi (1916 – 1996)

An exceptional sculptural console by Ico Parisi, in polished and lacquered fruitwood. The round-edged glass plateau, topped by a straight lacquered crossbar with jauntily coiled ends, is raised on a trapezoidal base in blond wood anchored by six thin, gracefully modeled legs. Subtly biomorphic, the legs sweep up at their tips, narrow at their feet, and angle outwards, opening up ethereal and airy negative spaces. In response to these sharper angles, a sinuous, starkly three-dimensional carved ribbon, in contrasting black lacquer, threads over and through the rear legs, buoyantly looping out several inches past the console’s edge. At the top, the ribbon curves deftly forward to support the glass, serving a lively aesthetic function while adroitly maximizing the stability of the sleek, asymmetrical base. While the console’s central two legs are straight, its outside legs are skillfully forked, providing perfect balance despite their acute tapering. An important work of exuberant dynamism, this console is a beautiful example of Parisi’s exploration of structurally complex shapes and minimalist construction.

Italy, 1950s.