Kartell Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Kartell (1949 - ) Chemical engineer Giulio Castelli founded Kartell in 1949, producing plastic car accessories and then household items. Under Kartell, Castelli continued his experiments with plastics and branched out into lighting and laboratory equipment in 1958. Read the full biography

Kartell (1949 - ) Chemical engineer Giulio Castelli founded Kartell in 1949, producing plastic car accessories and then household items. Under Kartell, Castelli continued his experiments with plastics and branched out into lighting and laboratory equipment in 1958. In 1963 he opened a furniture and interior design division. Castelli, together with his architect wife Anna Castelli Ferrieri, also a designer of the company, worked starting from the assumption of wanting to introduce the plastic revolution into homes and laboratories, replacing glass and other traditional materials.
In 1972, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York invited Kartell to exhibit three prototypes in its exhibition 'Italy: The New Domestic Landscape'. It proved to be a turning point for Kartell and the springboard for its international market launch.
In 1988 Castelli passed the helm to his son-in-law, Claudio Luti, who continued to focus on design research. In the 90s he also began to establish collaborations with well-known international designers, such as Philippe Starck and Ron Arad.