For the presentation of its 49th plate in December, the Fornasetti Milan-based shop is hosting the exhibition Calendarium. The series of plates started in 1968 as annual Christmas gifts, originating from Gio Ponti’s idea to create a yearbook in the form of a book ornament. He commissioned Fornasetti; the yearbooks were booklets printed by hand in a limited edition, to be donated to close friends as a good wish gift for the New Year. In 1968 Piero Fornasetti decided to replace the yearbooks with the Calendar plates that were produced until 1988, the year of his death. Each plate shows the days and months of the year and is illustrated with graphics and decorations from Fornasetti’s imagination, including suns, moons, playing cards, owls, cats and signs of the zodiac. Piero’s son Barnaba, who keeps the “Fornasetti” spirit alive with prudent reissues and visionary productions, has continued to produce a limited edition of 700 units a year. The calendar plates are now collectibles and keep the legacy of Piero Fornasetti alive, telling the story of his unconventional, figurative taste.