Box with Lid The Ballet or Homage to the Snobs

The large bonbon dish was designed by Gio Ponti in 1925 for the exhibitions in Monza and Paris, where it enjoyed considerable success. The colored example bears the mark with the name Omaggio agli snob, a title later changed to Il Balletto, as shown in the caption published in the catalog Ceramiche moderne d’arte Richard-Ginori, Milano [1930], p. 49. This is a reconsideration by Ponti, who, while identifying the object with the original title, preferred that it not be used officially nor displayed under the pieces. The presence of the name on the colored museum example, produced in 1927, could be due to the fact that it was not intended for commercial sale. The expression snob refers to the figures of peasants dancing on the lid, an ironic tribute to those who look down on art and folk traditions.

The fluted motif of the container, characteristic of the Art Déco taste, demonstrates knowledge of metal examples produced by the Officine Viennesi based on designs by Josef Hoffmann. The Museum owns a second example in the version decorated in gold (inv. 5377).