These gorgeous plates were designed by Italian artist Piero Fornisetti, and they became the object of my obsession the moment our eyes met. The face that adorns them belongs to Lina Cavalieri, an opera singer whose image became Fornasetti’s source of inspiration. He went on to create over 350 variations of her face and applied them to objects such as plates, pillows, trays and vases. I love the haunting stare, the mysterious costumes and the touch of whimsy, which makes it hard to settle for just one, but ideal for a collection. It is now one of my goals to one day have a nicely curated group of Fornasetti plates hanging on my walls, and this one is first on my list!
