Anna Anselmi for Bieffeplast.

ANNA ANSELMI (Italy, 1936–2021) for Bieffeplast.
“Yucca” illuminated vanity mirror, 1980s.
Lacquered metal and chrome-plated metal.
In good condition, with visible signs of wear consistent with its age and use.
Measurements: 48 x 57 x 14.5 cm.
The “Yucca” vanity mirror, designed by Anna Anselmi for the Italian firm Bieffeplast during the 1980s, is an interesting example of the formal experimentation that characterized Italian design during that period. The piece combines the functionality of a lighted mirror with a composition of distinctly sculptural character, in which the metal elements take on an expressive prominence.
Its structure is centered around a central mirror, flanked by four chrome-plated metal tubes topped with small spherical bulbs. The vertical arrangement of these elements evokes a stylized plant form, alluding to the silhouette of the yucca plant that gives the design its name. Yucca is part of the context of 1980s Italian postmodern design, marked by a critical reevaluation of rationalism and by a growing freedom in the use of color, geometry, and figurative references. Its formal language shares affinities with the design culture that crystallized around the Memphis group, particularly in its desire to endow functional objects with an autonomous visual identity
Anna Ferrarese Anselmi was an Italian designer and artistic director whose career was closely linked to the evolution of industrial and furniture design in Italy during the 1970s and 1980s. From her position at the helm of the creative department at Bieffe and Bieffeplast, she helped transform a company specializing in technical drawing equipment into a platform for experimentation in the field of residential and professional furniture