Italian Brown and Grey Aluminium Crescent Catch-all by Simmi Italia, 1970s

Turin, 1970s. The Simmi workshop, based on Via Santa Teresa, developed a line of tableware and desk objects in polished aluminium, with sculptural forms and coloured interiors. This crescent-shaped catch-all is an elegant illustration of it. The shell, in mirror-polished aluminium, traces a tapered curve that rises into two points on either side of a small rectangular foot. The interior is finished in a finely ribbed brown enamel, its concentric lines evoking wood grain and catching the light. The contrast between the brightness of the metal and the warmth of the enamel is the piece’s whole strength. The underside is lined in black velvet and carries the original label “Simmi, Via S. Teresa 18, Torino”. Very good condition: the aluminium is bright with only very light marks of use, the interior enamel is intact and the velvet on the foot is preserved. At 20 cm long by 8.5 cm wide and 10.5 cm high, this catch-all sits on a console, desk or coffee table, as a decorative object or a receptacle. A graphic, luminous piece, typical of Italian seventies design.