The artist’s imprint

Emanuele LUZZATI -- painter, sculptor, ceramist, set director, architect and Oscar-nominated animator -- is one of Italy’s midcentury Renaissance men. “His work was emblematic of the period, mixing the figurative and the abstract, reflecting ancient mythology as well as his own Jewish heritage,” says Eugenio Manzoni, co-owner of Pegaso International in Los Angeles. A longtime Luzzati admirer, Manzoni recently saw his ship come in with the acquisition of Luzzati murals, bronze sculptures and ceramic tiles originally installed in the Greek cruise ship Stella Oceanis in 1964. The high-relief embossed metal panels, like the one shown here with Pegaso co-owner Brian Pinto, exhibit a strong imprint of folklore from ancient Crete. Luzzati’s more roughly hewn, forged bronze room dividers integrate gods and beasts in a primitive style reminiscent of Picasso and Chagall. Luzzati is “committed to making art for public consumption,” Manzoni says. In that spirit, the work will be on public display at Pegaso until, Manzoni says, “it all finds new homes.” Prices available upon request. 812 N. La Cienega Blvd., (310) 659-8159.

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FINDS

For little green thumbs

Linda Lennon suspects this fanciful spade, below, and hand rake, shown on the cover, by the French design firm Pylones “are probably used for Parisian window boxes and potted herbs.” The animated enameled tools, which look like Fisher-Price with a nod to the colorful 1980s Italian design movement Memphis, are certain to appeal to kids. What better way to reward the budding botanist at your house? The rake and spade, $20 each, are available at Lennon’s shop, Village Heights in Larchmont Village, (323) 463-9410.

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SAVE

Studded with glamour, for less

Vintage can be wonderful, but you can do better. Svenska Mobler, the Los Angeles emporium for 20th century Swedish design, is offering “original unused stock” of a 1970s Luxus lamp by Helena Tynell. At just under 2 feet high, the glamorous studded column evokes the classicism of Hermes and Chanel for fans of the Hollywood Regency style. Switch to a black lampshade and it’s pretty and punk. The price during Svenska Mobler’s summer sale, through July 2: $400, reasonable for an original. That’s 20% off the list price. Other items are 25% off. 154 N. La Brea Ave., (323) 934-4452.

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HAPPENING

Modern homes with beauty and brains

A self-guided home tour Sunday through Santa Monica and Venice will highlight the best of Southern California Modernist ideals: open floor plans and an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living, natural materials, energy efficiency and smart approaches to light. Begin or end the tour at a sustainable house by architects John Friedman and Alice Kimm, a live-work-rental space by Roger Sherman, architect Robert Thibodeau’s newly constructed Venice home or architect Larry Scarpa’s Solar House, shown here. The home, enveloped in solar panels and wired to the power grid, has a monthly electric bill of $8. The tour is organized by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Tickets are $65 per person if bought by Friday, $80 after. For hours and other information, call (213) 639-0769 or go to www.aialosangeles.org.

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Additional reporting by Times staff writer Lisa Boone. Comments: [email protected].