Rare bar cabinet attributable to Gio Ponti with painted panels signed Edina Altara, 1940s

Rare Italian bar cabinet produced in the 1940s, attributable to the design of Gio Ponti and enhanced by two extraordinary hand-painted front panels signed by Edina Altara. The painted panels depict an elegant mythological hunting scene, with female figures, horses, animals, and a refined landscape composition. The decoration recalls Altara's poetic and narrative language, where classical inspiration, decorative fantasy, and a delicate sense of movement merge into a composition of great theatrical charm. Edina Altara was one of the most fascinating Italian artists and decorators of the 20th century. A painter, illustrator, and designer, she is particularly known for her refined decorative work and her collaborations with Gio Ponti, for whom she created drawings and ornamental compositions applied to furniture and interiors designed by Ponti himself. The cabinet combines warm wood tones with sculptural geometric panels in solid walnut, worked with a repeated diamond pyramid motif. The front profiles framing the painted panels are in maple, creating a refined contrast with the pictorial richness of the doors and the three-dimensionality of the side and central panels. The base is particularly decorative, with curved ivory-lacquered supports, profiles enhanced with gold leaf, and a shaped wooden platform. The handles and keys are in brass. The two doors open to reveal a precious maple interior, completely mirrored, complete with glass shelves and small drawers, making the piece ideal as a bar cabinet or as a highly decorative storage unit. The contrast between the hand-painted doors, the solid walnut geometric panels, and the mirrored interior gives the cabinet a theatrical and refined presence, perfectly suspended between mid-century Italian design and decorative art. Measurements: 106 cm x 43 cm, H 134 cm Art.1121