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Joe Colombo Glass Box, Italy 1970
$1,061.33
£785.87
€890
CA$1,465.94
A$1,570.02
CHF 844.03
MX$19,068.84
NOK 10,664.77
SEK 9,764.39
DKK 6,782.93
About the Item
Designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Arnolfo di Cambio in the early 1970s, the “Biglia” box is a refined example of material experimentation and functional design. The object reflects Colombo’s modular and futuristic vision, in which every element was conceived as part of a coherent system for contemporary living: compact, essential, and technically advanced. The base is crafted in amethyst–coloured crystal with perfectly balanced proportions, while the curved, sliding lid in polished stainless steel creates an elegant dialogue between transparency and reflection, warmth and coldness, organic and industrial. The exceptional construction quality, characteristic of Arnolfo di Cambio’s production, is evident in the impeccable polishing of the crystal and the precision of the metal, which transform a simple container into a luminous micro-sculpture. Signed “Joe Colombo” and labelled Arnolfo di Cambio, the Biglia represents a rare synthesis of function and sculpture within 1970s Italian design, a testament to Colombo’s visionary aesthetic and to the artisanal excellence of Tuscan manufacturing. In excellent condition, with minor signs of age on the steel.
Product Name: “Biglia” Box by Joe Colombo for Arnolfo di Cambio, Italy, 1970s
Designer: Joe Colombo
Year of Design: Early 1970s
Style: Experimental 1970s Italian design, futuristic and organic language
Main Materials: Amethyst-coloured blown crystal; mirror-polished stainless steel
Distinctive Design: Solid crystal base with essential proportions and a luminous internal texture, combined with a curved, sliding stainless-steel lid; a material dialogue between warm/cold, organic/industrial, transparent/opaque, typical of Colombo’s design philosophy
Dimensions: Length 21 cm Width 13 cm Height 4 cm
Typical Use: Decorative box, fine container, or domestic micro-sculpture; ideal on consoles, coffee tables, or design desks
Design Icon: An emblematic example of Joe Colombo’s modular and visionary research, in line with projects such as the Total Furnishing Unit and the Tube Chair; among the most sought-after creations in Arnolfo di Cambio’s production
Versatility: Perfect for modern, contemporary, or eclectic interiors; the balance between coloured crystal and reflective steel integrates easily in both bright and dark settings
Current Condition: Crystal in excellent condition; minor age-related signs on the steel lid, consistent with age
Additional Notes: Please note that this object is in excellent vintage condition. Minor signs of age may be present, which do not affect its functionality. We kindly ask you to take these characteristics into consideration before purchasing.
Joe Colombo (1930–1971) was one of the most visionary and innovative designers of the twentieth century, a central figure in Italian design during the 1960s and 1970s. His research focused on the creation of environments and objects conceived as modular, flexible, and adaptable systems for contemporary living, anticipating concepts now regarded as revolutionary: micro-housing, modular furnishings, multifunctional objects, and technologies integrated into daily life. Among his most celebrated works are the Tube Chair, the Multichair, the Boby trolley, the Elda Chair, and the Total Furnishing Unit, a complete living module of just 28 m² that combined living room, bedroom, and kitchen into a single functional organism. Colombo worked with materials that were experimental at the time, such as moulded plastic, fibreglass, and chromed metals, creating organic and futuristic forms. Despite his short career, his legacy is immense: many of his ideas are now considered precursors of contemporary living, and the objects he designed are icons exhibited in major museums around the world, from MoMA to the Triennale Design Museum. Joe Colombo remains a symbol of “future-oriented” design, capable of uniting utopia, technology, and everyday life.
- Creator:Joe Colombo (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 1.58 in (4 cm)Width: 8.27 in (21 cm)Depth: 5.12 in (13 cm)
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Absolutely no chips, no cracks on the glass.
- Seller Location:Conversano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8395247647382
Joe Colombo
He died tragically young, and his career as a designer lasted little more than 10 years. But through the 1960s, Joe Colombo proved himself one of the field’s most provocative and original thinkers, and he produced a remarkably large array of innovative chairs, table lamps and other lighting and furniture as well as product designs. Even today, the creations of Joe Colombo have the power to surprise.
Cesare “Joe” Colombo was born in Milan, the son of an electrical-components manufacturer. He was a creative child — he loved to build huge structures from Meccano pieces — and in college he studied painting and sculpture before switching to architecture.
In the early 1950s, Colombo made and exhibited paintings and sculptures as part of an art movement that responded to the new Nuclear Age, and futuristic thinking would inform his entire career. He took up design not long after his father fell ill in 1958, and he and his brother, Gianni, were called upon to run the family company.
Colombo expanded the business to include the making of plastics — a primary material in almost all his later designs. One of his first, made in collaboration with his brother, was the Acrilica table lamp (1962), composed of a wave-shaped piece of clear acrylic resin that diffused light cast by a bulb concealed in the lamp’s metal base. A year later, Colombo produced his best-known furniture design, the Elda armchair (1963): a modernist wingback chair with a womb-like plastic frame upholstered in thick leather pads.
Portability and adaptability were keynotes of many Colombo designs, made for a more mobile society in which people would take their living environments with them. One of his most striking pieces is the Tube chair (1969). It comprises four foam-padded plastic cylinders that fit inside one another. The components, which are held together by metal clips, can be configured in a variety of seating shapes (his Additional Living System seating is similarly versatile).
Vintage Tube chairs generally sell for about $9,000 in good condition; Elda chairs for about $7,000. A small Colombo design such as the plastic Boby trolley — an office organizer on wheels, designed in 1970 — is priced in the range of $700.
As Colombo intended, his designs are best suited to a modern decor. If your tastes run to sleek, glossy Space Age looks, the work of Joe Colombo offers you a myriad of choices.
Find vintage Joe Colombo lamps, seating and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
About the Seller
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