Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Italian, 1917-2007
An architect, industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, Ettore Sottsass led a revolution in the aesthetics and technology of modern design in the late 20th century.
Sottsass was the oldest member of the Memphis Group — a design collective, formed in Milan in 1980, whose irreverent, spirited members included Alessandro Mendini, Michele de Lucchi, Michael Graves and Shiro Kuramata. All had grown disillusioned by the staid, black-and-brown “corporatized” modernism that had become endemic in the 1970s. Memphis (the name stemmed from the title of a Bob Dylan song) countered with bold, brash, colorful, yet quirkily minimal designs for furniture, glassware, ceramics and metalwork. They mocked high-status by building furniture with inexpensive materials such as plastic laminates, decorated to resemble exotic finishes such as animal skins. Their work was both functional and — as intended — shocking. Even as it preceded the Memphis Group's formal launch, Sottsass's iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell and radical pops of pink neon — embodies many of the collective's postmodern ideals.
Sottsass's most-recognized designs appeared in the first Memphis collection, issued in 1981 — notably the multihued, angular Carlton room divider and Casablanca bookcase. As pieces on 1stDibs demonstrate, however, Sottsass is at his most imaginative and expressive in smaller, secondary furnishings such as lamps and chandeliers, and in table pieces and glassware that have playful and sculptural qualities.
It was as an artist that Ettore Sottsass was celebrated in his life, in exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in 2006, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art a year later. Even then Sottsass’s work prompted critical debate. And for a man whose greatest pleasure was in astonishing, delighting and ruffling feathers, perhaps there was no greater accolade. That the work remains so revolutionary and bold — that it breaks with convention so sharply it will never be considered mainstream — is a testament to his genius.
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Creator: Ettore Sottsass
BEVERLY Sideboard by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Sideboard in wood covered with decorative laminate and natural wood essence.
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Laminate, Wood
Ettore Sottsass "Giornio" bookcase Published by Fontana Arte
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Saint ouen, FR
Ettore Sottsass
"Giornio" bookcase
Published by Fontana Arte (Shopenhauer Prod.)
Circa 1990
Lacquered wood / glass
W 240 x H 224.8 x D 40 cm
Perfect condition.
Category
1990s Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Glass
Nairobi Bar Cabinet by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Doral, FL
Nairobi Bar Cabinet by Ettore Sottsass for Zanotta Edizioni
Red veneered laminate frame
Base and inner frame with drawer and fold down tray in black stained wood
Adjustable shelves...
Category
1990s Italian Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Bastonio Chest of Drawers, circa 1964
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Ettore Sottsass 'Bastonio' chest of five drawers, designed 1963 and manufactured by Poltronovo, Agliana, Italy.
Constructed from Sipo and Beechwood with Indian Rosewood veneer and b...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Ash, Beech, Rosewood, Paint
Five “Cubirolo” modules, 1967 by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, ES
Five “Cubirolo” modules, 1967
Laminated wood and plastic knobs
49.5 x 90 x 45h cm each 19.29 x 35.43 x 35.43h in each 45 x 90 x 10h cm (bases) 17.71 x 35.43 x 3.93h in (bases)
Category
1960s Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood
Ettore Sottsass - "Carlton" Bookcase
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in PAU, FR
Bookcase named "Carlton" design by Ettore Sottsass in 1981.
Produced by Memphis Milano, Italie.
Height : 198 cm
Width : 190 cm
Depth : 40 cm
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood
Set of 2 Wardrobe by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1970 Circa
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Milano, Lombardia
This wardrobe is a beautiful object for real. The use of high-quality materials, coupled with meticulous craftsmanship, ensures both aesthetic appeal and functional durability. This ...
Category
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Textile, Wood
Wardrobe by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1970 Circa
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Milano, Lombardia
This wardrobe is a beautiful object for real. The use of high-quality materials, coupled with meticulous craftsmanship, ensures both aesthetic appeal and functional durability. This ...
Category
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Textile, Wood
Ettore Sottsass Tartar Prototype
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Naples, FL
An Ettore Sottsass masterwork, this unique "Tartar" table is museum worthy. It is perhaps a prototype or very rare special commission. The table differs from the production version w...
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Marble
Ettore Sottsass, Custom Cabinet, Maple, Italy, 1989
By Sottsass Associati, Ettore Sottsass
Located in High Point, NC
A maple and white-painted maple cabinet designed by Ettore Sottsass and custom-produced by Sottsass Associati, Italy for the Mayer-Schwarz Gallery, Beverly Hills in 1989.
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Maple
Sottsass Ettore design in years 70 for Olivetti Italy typewriting desk Synthesis
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Biella, IT
Sottsass Ettore design in years 70 for Olivetti Italy typewriting desk Synthesis
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Metal
Bookcase Cabinet Donau, Ettore Sottsass & Marco Zanini for Franz Leitner, 1980s
By Marco Zanini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Zagreb, HR
A rare Memphis design bookcase cabinet from the "Donau" series designed in 1986 by Ettore Sottsass and Marco Zanini for the Austrian furniture maker...
Category
1980s Austrian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Metal
Ettore Sottsass Essetre Shelving Unit for Poltronova, 1970s
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Padova, IT
Rare bookcase designed by Ettore Sottsass form the series Mobili Grigi for Poltronova. While artistic director of Poltronova Sottsass created the Mobili G...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Fiberglass
Sottsass Ettore design in years 70 for Olivetti Italy typewriting desk Synthesis
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Biella, IT
Sottsass Ettore design in years 70 for Olivetti Italy typewriting desk Synthesis
the color of the desk are white/cream and brown
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Metal
Suvretta Plastic Bookcase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Suvretta bookcase in plastic laminate was originally designed in 1981, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano.
Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Plastic
Ettore Sottsass Rare Limited Edition Piccoli Libri Cabinet, 1992
By Ettore Sottsass, Design Gallery Milano
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Piccoli Libri cabinet designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1992 edited by Design Gallery Milano.
P.A from a Limited edition of 9 + 3 P.A.
Plastic laminate-covered, maple-veneered woo...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Plastic, Wood
Carlton Memphis Milano Bookcase or Room Divider by Ettore Sottsass, 1981
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Chicago, IL
Memphis Milano Carlton bookcase by Ettore Sottsass. Post-Modern, sculptural, multicolor "Carlton" room divider or bookcase, designed by Sottstass ...
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood, Laminate
Barbarella Writing Desk / Secretary by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1966/1985
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Kansas City, MO
Ettore Sottsass Barbarella cabinet for Poltronova, Italy. Designed in 1966, produced in 1985. The cabinet features three drawers over a drop-front ...
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Brass
Carlton Wood Miniature Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Here you are shown an authentic and perfect reproduction of the Carlton bookcase, originally designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass. The vivid colors and...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood, Plastic
'Carlton' Room Divider and Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, Italy
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in London, GB
Probably the most iconic of all Ettore Sottsass' designs, the colourful Carlton is half room divider, half bookcase and full size sculptural marvel. Des...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Laminate, Wood
Zanotta Edizioni Mombasa Chest of Drawers in Brown Painted by Ettore Sottsass
By Zanotta, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Edizioni Mombasa Chest of Drawers in Brown Painted by Ettore Sottsass
Signed original. Upper frame, lower drawer top and feet veneered in open pore dark brown painted ash. L...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Pearwood
Zanotta Edizioni Nairobi Bar Cabinet in Red Veneered Laminate by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Zanotta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Edizioni Nairobi Bar Cabinet in Red Veneered Laminate by Ettore Sottsass
Signed original. Red veneered laminate frame (design E. Sottsass). Base and inner frame with drawe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood
"Icarus" Metal Case Piece by Sottsass and De Lucchi for Olivettti, Italy, 1970s
By Olivetti, Ettore Sottsass, Michele de Lucchi
Located in Milan, IT
Metal cabinet from the Icarus project designed by Ettore Sottsass and Michele De Lucchi for Olivetti.
Sturdy and capable piece able to bring the office concept to the domestic scale...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Metal
Malabar Sideboard by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Malabar sideboard with cupboard in plastic by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano collection
Additional information:
Sideboard with cupboa...
Category
2010s Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Plastic
Beverly Wood Sideboard, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Beverly sideboard in wood and covered with plastic laminate and natural briar, plus a two-door container with shelf, was originally designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass for Memphi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood, Plastic
TARTAR Sideboard by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Tartar sideboard by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis (1985) is remarkable in several ways. Sottsass once concurred that this iconoclastic piece was an avid attempt to create a Sottsas...
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Laminate, Wood, Hardwood
Casablanca Wood Cabinet, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Casablanca cabinet designed in 1981 for Memphis by Ettore Sottsass, in wood and plastic laminated colors. This is an unlimited edition with a number...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood, Plastic
"Casablanca" Cabinet, Design by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, Italy, 1981
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Napoli, IT
"Casablanca" cabinet designed by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, Italy, 1981.
Wood construction with colored laminate covering shelving with two doors and three drawers.
Unlimited Edi...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Wood
Radical Design Kubirolo Cabinets by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy, 1960s
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Milan, IT
Scarce set of 7 Kubirolo modular shelving system by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova.
The elements can be positioned in several ways, from full horizontal to vertical, creating differe...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Plastic, Wood
"Carlton" Shelf or Room Divider by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis, Italy, 1981
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Miami, FL
Ettore Sottsass Carlton Shelf, 1981, by Memphis Italy, room divider in very good condition.
Iconic piece of contemporary Italian design, signed and numb...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Materials
Laminate, Wood
Ettore Sottsass case pieces and storage cabinets for sale on 1stDibs.
Ettore Sottsass case pieces and storage cabinets are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Ettore Sottsass case pieces and storage cabinets, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 18 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 14 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original case pieces and storage cabinets by Ettore Sottsass were created in the modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider case pieces and storage cabinets by Alessandro Mendini, LapiegaWD, and George Sowden. Prices for Ettore Sottsass case pieces and storage cabinets can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,003 and can go as high as $80,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $16,633.
Creators Similar to Ettore Sottsass
Questions About Ettore Sottsass Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
- What did Ettore Sottsass do?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Ettore Sottsass was an architect and designer. He founded the Memphis Group, a collective of designers active from 1981 to 1987. The Ultrafragola mirror is one of his most well-known designs. On 1stDibs, you can shop a variety of Ettore Sottsass furniture.
- Where is Ettore Sottsass from?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Ettore Sottsass was from Innsbruck, Austria. He was born there on September 14, 1917, but he moved to Turin, Italy, as a child. The Italian architect and designer died in Milan, Italy, on December 31, 2007. You'll find a variety of Ettore Sottsass furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
- What inspired Ettore Sottsass?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Ettore Sottsass was inspired by many things, including pop culture, travel and various cultures from around the world. His primary objective of his work was to bring out the deeper beauty of whatever he created. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Ettore Sottsass furniture.
- Why is Ettore Sottsass famous?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024Ettore Sottsass is famous for his work as an architect and an industrial designer, which spurred a revolution in the aesthetics and technology of modern design in the late 20th century. He was the oldest member of the Memphis Group, a design collective formed in Milan in 1980. Having grown disillusioned by the staid, black-and-brown corporatized modernism that had become endemic in the 1970s, the Memphis Group produced bold, brash, colorful, yet quirkily minimal designs for furniture, glassware, ceramics and metalwork. They mocked high status by building furniture with inexpensive materials, such as plastic laminates, decorated to resemble exotic finishes like animal skins. Other than his Ultrafragola mirror (1970), Sottsass's most-recognized designs appeared in the first Memphis collection, issued in 1981. They include the multihued, angular Carlton room divider and Casablanca bookcase. Shop a diverse assortment of Ettore Sotsass furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
- What did Ettore Sottsass design?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Ettore Sottsass was a famous 20th century architect and designer known for his work in furniture, lighting, jewelry and more, as well as from his work in designing buildings. He was Italian, though he was born in Austria, and lived from 1917 to 2007. Shop a range of Ettore Sottsass pieces on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To pronounce Ettore Sottsass, say "AY-tore-ee SOAT-sas." The second syllable of the designer's surname sounds similar to the word “sauce” but with a shorter, clipped vowel. On 1stDibs, find a range of Ettore Sottsass furniture.
- Where did Ettore Sottsass study?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Ettore Sottsass studied at the Politecnico di Torino in Turin, Italy. In 1939, he graduated from the institution with a degree in architecture. Sottsass began working as an artist and designer in the late 1940s. He produced furniture, ceramics, paintings, sculptures and jewelry. Find a variety of Ettore Sottsass furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024Ettore Sottsass used a variety of materials over the course of his career. The Italian artist experimented with glass, ceramics, enamel, brass, textiles and more. Along with fellow members of the Memphis Group, he skewed expectations for furniture by using inexpensive materials such as plastic laminates decorated to resemble exotic finishes like animal skins. He also revolutionized ceramics through the pieces he created for the Italian maker Bitossi. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Ettore Sottsass art.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Ettore Sottsass's father, also named Ettore Sottsass, designed modernist architecture. He worked for the firm Movimento Italiano per l'Architettura Razionale or MIAR. Giuseppe Pagano was the company's head architect. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Ettore Sottsass furniture.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Ettore Sottsass did not design the Carlton room divider for a specific patron or client. He created the piece while working with the Memphis Group, an art collective that held joint shows from 1981 to 1987. Find a selection of Ettore Sottsass furniture on 1stDibs.
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