Fornasetti – Capelli- Hats Trompe l’Oeil Umbrella Stand

The Capelli (“Hats”) Umbrella Stand by Piero Fornasetti is a rare and collectible example of Italian decorative design at its most inventive. The silhouette-shaped form is constructed of lacquered sheet metal and features a vivid trompe l’oeil composition. The visual features a whimsical stacked arrangement of colorful hats in green, orange, teal, gold, and silver, each rendered with extraordinary detail: feathered plumes, jeweled brooches, embroidered bands, and bead-trimmed brims. The piece functions as a traditional umbrella stand, with storage fitted to the reverse. Each example is unique, as motifs are applied first through lithographic transfer, then finished entirely by hand.

Piero Fornasetti (1913–1988) was an Italian painter, sculptor, and designer who created more than 13,000 products over his career, with a distinctive decorative language considered immediately recognizable and among the most inventive of the 20th century. Svenskt Tenn The company, founded in Milan in 1940, is today carried forward by his son, Barnaba Fornasetti.