Gino Colombini, Mirror 4724/5

GINO COLOMBINI (Milan, 1915–2011) for KARTELL. Italy, 1972.
Model 4724/5 mirror.
Molded red acrylic and mirror.
Vintage piece. Exhibits wear consistent with age and use.
Measurements: 138 x 48 cm.

Large-format wall mirror designed by Gino Colombini for Kartell in 1972, a piece representative of the heyday of Italian plastic design and of Kartell’s mission to transform everyday objects into affordable and chromatically expressive design icons. The frame is made of molded red methacrylate, with a rectangular shape featuring straight corners that frames an ovoid-shaped mirror with rounded edges, creating a visual tension between the orthogonal geometry of the frame and the capsule-like shape of the glass—a design fully in keeping with the Pop and Space Age aesthetics of the era. The red color gives the piece a striking decorative presence.

Colombini, an architect and designer trained in Franco Albini’s studio, served as technical director at Kartell from 1953 to 1960, a period during which he received five Compasso d’Oro awards and laid the foundations for the Milanese firm’s visual identity.