Strumenti Musicali by Piero Fornasetti

Boomerang Chair – “Strumenti Musicali” by Piero Fornasetti, Italy, circa 1955.
Boomerang chair with a black lacquered wooden structure resting on four tapered legs, characteristic of the furniture designed by Piero Fornasetti in the mid-20th century. The seat and backrest, in bright red lacquered wood, are decorated with the Strumenti Musicali pattern, depicting stringed musical instruments finely rendered in black and white and arranged in a crossed composition.
The extremely detailed painted and lithographed graphic, emblematic of Fornasetti’s visual language, lends the piece a playful yet erudite quality, in which the illusion of drawing engages in dialogue with the rigor of the form. The contrast between the intense red lacquer, the monochrome motifs, and the black structure enhances the sculptural presence of the chair while preserving a refined functional elegance.
At the intersection of furniture and graphic art, this chair perfectly illustrates Fornasetti’s singular approach, transforming a utilitarian object into a poetic and narrative support emblematic of post-war Italian design.