Sottsass Euphrates
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Vases
Ceramic
2010s Vases
Porcelain
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Vases
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vases
Porcelain
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Vases
Porcelain
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Chairs
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ashtrays
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Tables
Wood, Plastic
Vintage 1970s Italian Sofas
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Alpaca
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Metal
2010s Carts and Bar Carts
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Stools
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vases
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Bookcases
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern End Tables
Glass, Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern End Tables
Plastic, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Silk, Velvet
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Decorative Bowls
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Tables
Metal
Recent Sales
Vintage 1980s Italian Memphis Group Vases
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Vases
Porcelain
20th Century Italian Vases
Porcelain
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Ceramics
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Vases
Porcelain
Ettore Sottsass for sale on 1stDibs
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.
Finding the Right vases for You
Whether it’s a Chinese Han dynasty glazed ceramic wine vessel, a work of Murano glass or a hand-painted Scandinavian modern stoneware piece, a fine vase brings a piece of history into your space as much as it adds a sophisticated dynamic.
Like sculptures or paintings, antique and vintage vases are considered works of fine art. Once offered as tributes to ancient rulers, vases continue to be gifted to heads of state today. Over time, decorative porcelain vases have become family heirlooms to be displayed prominently in our homes — loved pieces treasured from generation to generation.
The functional value of vases is well known. They were traditionally utilized as vessels for carrying dry goods or liquids, so some have handles and feature an opening at the top (where they flare back out). While artists have explored wildly sculptural alternatives over time, the most conventional vase shape is characterized by a bulbous base and a body with shoulders where the form curves inward.
Owing to their intrinsic functionality, vases are quite possibly versatile in ways few other art forms can match. They’re typically taller than they are wide. Some have a neck that offers height and is ideal for the stems of cut flowers. To pair with your mid-century modern decor, the right vase will be an elegant receptacle for leafy snake plants on your teak dining table, or, in the case of welcoming guests on your doorstep, a large ceramic floor vase for long tree branches or sticks — perhaps one crafted in the Art Nouveau style — works wonders.
Interior designers include vases of every type, size and style in their projects — be the canvas indoors or outdoors — often introducing a splash of color and a range of textures to an entryway or merely calling attention to nature’s asymmetries by bringing more organically shaped decorative objects into a home.
On 1stDibs, you can browse our collection of vases by material, including ceramic, glass, porcelain and more. Sizes range from tiny bud vases to massive statement pieces and every size in between.