Pair of Travertine Pedestals Attributed to Angelo Mangiarotti for UP & UP, 1970s

Pair of travertine pedestals produced by Up&Up in the 1970s — rare, sculptural and of exceptional material quality. Carved from solid travertine, each column rises in a pure, tapering form, culminating in a removable circular tray that rests with precise balance and proportion.

The pair consists of one taller pedestal measuring approximately 120.5 cm in height, with a 30 cm top diameter and a 20.5 cm base diameter; and a second pedestal at 95.5 cm in height, also with a 30 cm top diameter and a 17.5 cm base diameter. Their presence together creates a striking, architectural rhythm.

The trays lift off to reveal the conical terminations beneath. Both cones show small losses at the rim — a natural effect of age — yet once the trays are correctly aligned, they sit exactly as intended, remaining visually perfect, stable and structurally sound.

The patina is extraordinary: warm, tactile and deeply stratified. These pedestals read like monolithic architectural fragments — objects that speak of time, craftsmanship and Italian material culture. Ideal as sculpture stands, for vases and floral compositions, or simply as autonomous sculptural elements.

The clean geometry and material purity echo the sculptural vocabulary associated with Angelo Mangiarotti, although no formal attribution exists. Up&Up collaborated in the same period with Mangiarotti, Sergio Asti, the Vignellis and Ico Parisi, all designers known for their refined approach to stone and architectural form.