La Danese Italian Domestic Goods Manufacturer

La Danese was founded in Milan by Bruno Danese and Jacqueline Vodoz. The company specialises in editing, designing, and marketing well-designed everyday products with a modern aesthetic. Three significant focus areas were domestic and office products, artistic editions, children’s games and creative play stimuli. 

Designers employed

The company employed many well‐known avant‐garde designers, including Enzo Mari and Bruno Munari (responsible for much of its output), Achille Castiglione, and Angelo Mangiarotti. 

Works

Danese produced ceramics, wood, glass, plastic and children’s games. Amongst the most celebrated Danese products were; 

• Munari’s melamine Cube Ashtray (1957)
• Mari’s aluminium and PVC Formosa desk calendar (1963). 
• Triangular lamp (1961)
• Set of Hemispherical bowls (1969)

Exhibitions

The company’s history was celebrated in a 1988–89 travelling exhibition entitled Objects Danesi: profil d’une collection. Danese was sold to the French company Strafor/Facom in 1992, was acquired by Carlotta de Bevilacqua in 1999 and is now part of the Artemide group, which caters for a sophisticated metropolitan clientele.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

Woodham, J. M. (2006). A dictionary of modern design. Oxford University Press.

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