Ettore Sottsass Shiva Capsule Limited Edition Blue Vase 142/999
By Ettore Sottsass, BD Barcelona Design
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Blue Shiva ceramic vase designed by Ettore Sottsass, circa 1973, edited by BD in Barcelona. This
Ceramic
$1,511
H 15.56 in Dm 7.09 in
Ettore Sottsass Postmodern "Tigris" Porcelain Vase for Memphis Milano, 1983
By Porcellane San Marco, Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in London, GB
For sale is a rare, early Post-Modern “TIGRIS” porcelain vase designed by Ettore Sottsass for
Ceramic, Porcelain
White Spark Vase by David Gil for Bennington Potters
By David Gil, Bennington Potters
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A white "Spark" vase (model 1998) designed in the 1960s by David Gil for Bennington Potters of
Ceramic
Ettore Sottsass Shiva Capsule Limited Edition Blue Vase 137/999
By BD Barcelona Design, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Blue Shiva ceramic vase designed by Ettore Sottsass, circa 1973, edited by BD in Barcelona. This
Ceramic
Mini Green Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
: Ceramic. Available in Crystal Cream, Mint Blue, Bronze, Green, and Oxblood colors. Our Wave Form Vase
Ceramic
Crystal Cream Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
: Ceramic. Available in Crystal Cream, Mint Blue, and Oxblood colors. Our Wave Form Vase is our classic
Ceramic
Mini Bronze Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
: Ceramic. Available in Crystal Cream, Mint Blue, Bronze, Green, and Oxblood colors. Our Wave Form Vase
Ceramic
Mini Oxblood Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
: Ceramic. Available in Crystal Cream, Mint Blue, Bronze, Green, and Oxblood colors. Our Wave Form Vase
Ceramic
Mint Blue Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Mint Blue Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio Dimensions: D 14 x W 14 x H 28 cm. Materials: Ceramic
Ceramic
Ettore Sottsass Shiva Capsule Limited Edition Blue Vase 144/999
By Ettore Sottsass, BD Barcelona Design
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Blue Shiva ceramic vase designed by Ettore Sottsass, circa 1973, edited by BD in Barcelona. This
Ceramic
$411
H 6.3 in W 6.3 in D 3.15 in
Vintage Postmodern Black and White Studio Pottery Vase from EH, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Postmodern Black and White Studio Pottery Vase from EH, 1980s, in Very Good conditions
Ceramic
Handcrafted Vase #2 by Teppei Ono
Located in Geneve, CH
Handcrafted Vase #1 by Teppei Ono Dimensions: D35 x H40 cm Materials: Clay, Ceramic. Unique
Ceramic, Clay
Ettore Sottsass Shiva Capsule Limited Edition Blue Vase 158/999
By Ettore Sottsass, BD Barcelona Design
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Blue Shiva ceramic vase designed by Ettore Sottsass, circa 1973, edited by BD in Barcelona. This
Ceramic
Ettore Sottsass Shiva Capsule Limited Edition Blue Vase 127/999
By BD Barcelona Design, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Blue Shiva ceramic vase designed by Ettore Sottsass, circa 1973, edited by BD in Barcelona. This
Ceramic
$1,995
H 15.16 in Dm 4.93 in
Alessandro Mendini & Lapo Binazzi for Alessi, Vase '100% Make Up', Italy 1992
By Alessandro Mendini, Memphis Milano, Alessi, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Malmö, SE
A postmodern limited-edition porcelain vase with lid from the first edition of the “100% Make-Up
Ceramic
Vintage Yellow Vase, Made In Italy By Ceramiche Tadinate
By Bitossi
Located in San Carlos, CA
For Sale: Stunning Italian Yellow Vase by Ceramiche Tadinate Add a touch of Italian elegance to
Ceramic, Clay
$2,522 / item
H 21.66 in Dm 11.82 in
Essence of Form Brushstroke Cobalt Blue Handcrafted Vase by Onofrio Acone
Located in Geneve, CH
Essence of Form Brushstroke Cobalt Blue Handcrafted Vase by Onofrio Acone One Of A Kind Dimensions
Ceramic
$1,963 / item
H 17.72 in Dm 13.78 in
Essence of Form Brushstroke Ocean Blue Handcrafted Vase by Onofrio Acone
Located in Geneve, CH
Essence of Form Brushstroke Ocean Blue Handcrafted Vase by Onofrio Acone One Of A Kind Dimensions
Ceramic
$1,689 / item
H 17.72 in Dm 14.97 in
Essence of Form Brushstroke Ochre Yellow Handcrafted Vase by Onofrio Acone
Located in Geneve, CH
Essence of Form Brushstroke Ochre Yellow Handcrafted Vase by Onofrio Acone One Of A Kind Dimensions
Ceramic
$1,404 / item
H 15.75 in Dm 13.39 in
Essence of Form Brushstroke Meadow Green Handcrafted Vase by Onofrio Acone
Located in Geneve, CH
Essence of Form Brushstroke Meadow Green Handcrafted Vase by Onofrio Acone One Of A Kind Dimensions
Ceramic
$938 / set
H 9.06 in W 7.48 in D 2.76 in
Set of 2 Italian Postmodern Minimalist Vases from Bel Mondo, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Italian Postmodern Minimalist Vases from Bel Mondo, 1980s, Set of 2, in Very Good conditions
Ceramic
$1,759
H 7.48 in W 9.06 in D 4.33 in
Postmodern Dutch Studio Pottery Sculptural Vase with Bird Design, Holland, 1996
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern Dutch Studio Pottery Sculptural Vase with Bird Design from Agu Reuver, Holland, 1996, in
Ceramic
Vintage New Zealand Pottery Vases by Paul Laird, "Three Ladies"
Located in North Miami, FL
These THREE (3) wonderful and whimsical glazed ceramic vases in form of plump ladies in varying
Ceramic
$587
H 3.94 in W 3.94 in D 2.36 in
Vintage Postmodern German Fossilia Vase by Uta Feyl for Rosenthal, 1980s
By Rosenthal
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Postmodern German Fossilia Vase by Uta Feyl for Rosenthal, 1980s, in Flawless conditions
Ceramic
$475 / set
H 9 in W 3.5 in D 3.5 in
Set of Three Postmodern Vases by Heide Warlamis for Vienna Collection
By Heide Warlamis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An outstanding set of three postmodern ceramic vases by Austrian artist and designer Heide Warlamis
Ceramic
Mini Crystal Cream Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Mini Crystal Cream Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio Dimensions: D 8.9 x W 8.9 x H 17.8 cm
Ceramic
Mini Mint Blue Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
: Ceramic. Available in Crystal Cream, Mint Blue, Bronze, Green, and Oxblood colors. Our Wave Form Vase
Ceramic
Ceramiche Daedalus Vietri Majolica Bud Vase, Italy Postmodern
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Playful bud vase is hand painted with bright and cheerful decor of houses, fruits, and flowers
Ceramic, Majolica, Pottery
$392Sale Price|28% Off
H 16 in W 7.5 in D 7.5 in
Masa Mami Pink Satin Glaze Memphis Style Squiggle Vase
Located in View Park, CA
A monumental pink postmodern Memphis Milano style cylindrical ikebana vase with squiggle collar
Ceramic
$824Sale Price|20% Off
H 12.21 in Dm 4.73 in
Postmodern Ettore Sottsass Model 592 "Fischietto" Vase For Habitat, 2000
By Ettore Sottsass, Habitat International
Located in London, GB
For sale a rare & iconic Post-Modern “FISCHIETTO” ("Whistle" in Italian) vase designed by
Ceramic, Earthenware
Handmade Rimini Blue Lacquered Ceramic Jug by Aldo Londi for Bitossi, Italy
By Bitossi, Aldo Londi
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Handmade in Italy, 1970s. This jug is made in Rimini blue lacquered ceramic. It is a vintage item
Ceramic
$4,783 / item
H 23.04 in W 25.2 in D 11.03 in
Rough Organic Form, Dark Grey Sculptural Contemporary Vase by Niclas Wolf
Located in Geneve, CH
Geoprimitive 081 Sculptural Vase by Niclas Wolf Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 28 x W 64 x H 58,5 cm
Ceramic
$1,300
H 10.75 in W 21 in D 8.75 in
Overscale Whimsical Postmodern Studio Pottery Vase Sculpture by Gail Kendall
Located in Miami, FL
Overscale Whimsical Postmodern Studio Pottery Vase Sculpture by Gail Kendall Offered for sale is
Ceramic, Pottery
$949 / set
H 9.85 in W 10.63 in D 2.37 in
Postmodern Geometrically Shaped Pair of Vases Designed by Dorothé Van Agthoven
Located in Doornspijk, NL
Pair of geometrically shaped ceramic vases with 'built-in' handle. Very easy on the eye. The vases
Ceramic
$550
H 13.5 in W 9 in D 5.5 in
Heide Warlamis Postmodern Memphis Design Large Vase, Vienna Collection, 1980s
By Heide Warlamis
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful and decorative large vase (13.5” tall) from the 1980s, designed by artist and designer
Ceramic, Pottery
$257Sale Price|20% Off
H 9.06 in Dm 4.34 in
Postmodern Calacatta Marble Pedestal Vase Made in Italy Around 1980s
Located in Rümmingen, BW
us directly" Striking Italian pedestal vase sculpted from Calacatta marble, dating ca to the 1980s
Ceramic, Clay
Large Abstract Pink Ceramic Planter
Located in Fairfield, CA
A large vintage postmodern ceramic planter. Unique organic abstract shape. Glossy pale blush finish
Ceramic
Toutes Les Vase in White Matte, Medium Size by Mathilde Martin
Located in Geneve, CH
Toutes Les Vase in White Matte, Medium Size by Mathilde Martin One Of A Kind. Dimensions: D 27 x H
Ceramic
Judith Stiles Postmodern Vase, New York Art Studio Pottery, 1980s
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Playful vintage vase features hand painted abstract graphic designs in Postmodern style on ombre
Ceramic, Pottery
$9,816 / item
H 22.45 in Dm 17.72 in
Inspired from Earth’s Origins, Organic Form Clay Sculptural Vase by Niclas Wolf
Located in Geneve, CH
Geoprimitive 115 Sculptural Vase by Niclas Wolf Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 45 x H 57 cm. Materials
Ceramic
$1,924
H 9.45 in W 7.09 in D 2.76 in
1st Edition 'Shiva' Vase by Ettore Sottsass for B.D Barcelona, Spain, c.1973
By Ettore Sottsass, BD Barcelona Design
Located in London, GB
Designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1973, the Shiva vase is a striking and sculptural piece that
Ceramic
$937Sale Price|25% Off
H 9 in W 8 in D 4 in
Ambrogio Pozzi for Rosenthal Studio-Line, Austria, White Porcelain Vase
By Rosenthal, Ambrogio Pozzi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ambrogio Pozzi for Rosenthal Studio-Line, Austria, white porcelain vase.
Ceramic, Porcelain
$855Sale Price|38% Off
H 18.5 in Dm 5.5 in
George J. Sowden, Bitossi Ceramiche Handmade Limited Edition Clay Triangle Vase
By George Sowden, Bitossi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
George J. Sowden, Bitossi Ceramiche Handmade Limited Edition Clay Triangle Vase. Numbered 057/299
Ceramic
Large Jan Van Der Vaart Porcelain Taurus Vase for Rosenthal Studio Line
By Jan van der Vaart, Rosenthal
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Striking large and colorful porcelain vase designed by influential ceramist Jan Van Der Vaart for
Ceramic, Porcelain
Set of 2 Handcrafted Vases #2 by Teppei Ono
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 handcrafted vases #2 by Teppei Ono Dimensions: D 35 x H 40 cm Materials: Clay, ceramic
Ceramic, Clay
$999 / item
H 13.78 in W 13.78 in D 3.94 in
Contemporary Organic Form, Ruby Red Ceramicc Medium Vase by Willem Van Hooff
Located in Geneve, CH
Aloi Medium Vase by Willem Van Hooff Dimensions: W 35 x D 10 x H 35 cm (Dimensions may vary as
Ceramic
$1,297 / set
H 16.93 in Dm 8.27 in
Black and Azure Ceramic 1980s Decorative Bottles by L. Boscolo for Forma & Luce
By Luigi Boscolo
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Set of 4 decorative bottles made from blue/violet and black ceramic. Measures: Big bottle: cm 43 H
Ceramic
$951 / set
H 9.45 in Dm 5.91 in
Set of Three Postmodern Blue and Yellow Glazed Vase and Bottles by Parravicini
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s. These two blue bottles and yellow vase are made in glazed ceramic by
Ceramic
$416 / set
H 10.24 in Dm 11.42 in
Set of 2 Geometric Glazed Porcelain KYO Star Vases in Royal Blue by Mazo Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Geometric Glazed Porcelain KYO Star Vases in Royal Blue by Mazo Design Dimensions: D 29 x
Other
$1,130 / item
H 9.85 in Dm 14.18 in
Contemporary Organic Shape, Rustic Terracotta Ceramic Pot by Willem Van Hooff
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Luno 3D Pot by Willem Van Hooff Dimensions: Ø 36 x H 25 cm. Materials: Glazed earthenware. This piece is fired twice in the kiln above 1200 degrees to add this glaze glass e...
Earthenware
$2,046 / item
H 20.48 in Dm 22.84 in
Contemporary Block Form, Plain Beige Flat Ceramic Vessel by Willem Van Hooff
Located in Geneve, CH
Sasa Flat Vessel by Willem Van Hooff Dimensions: Ø 58 x H 52 cm. Materials: Glazed earthenware. This piece is fired twice in the kiln above 1200 degrees to add this glaze glass eff...
Earthenware
$2,665 / item
H 24.02 in Dm 14.97 in
Contemporary Textured Brown with Green Glazed Ceramic Pot by Willem Van Hooff
Located in Geneve, CH
Koni 3D Pot by Willem Van Hooff Dimensions: Ø 38 x H 61 cm. Materials: Glazed earthenware. This piece is fired twice in the kiln above 1200 degrees to add this glaze glass effect o...
Earthenware
$1,737 / item
H 16.54 in Dm 11.03 in
Contemporary Organic Shape, Rustic Light Blue Ceramic Pot by Willem Van Hooff
Located in Geneve, CH
Anga 3D Pot by Willem Van Hooff Dimensions: Ø 28 x H 42 cm. Materials: Glazed earthenware. This piece is fired twice in the kiln above 1200 degrees to add this glaze glass effect o...
Earthenware
Stanley Tigerman White Ceramic "Tigerman City" Coffee Canister
By Stanley Tigerman
Located in Chicago, IL
Extremely rare 1988 porcelain coffee canister for Swid Powell by winner of the 1933 World's Fair "Beautiful Baby" contest and Chicago Seven architect and iconoclast, Stanley Tigerman.
Porcelain
$832 / item
H 13.78 in Dm 12.6 in
Unique High Neck Flat Plain Bright Orange Ceramic Vessel by Willem Van Hooff
Located in Geneve, CH
Dura Flat Vessel by Willem Van Hooff Dimensions: Ø 32 x H 35 cm. Materials: Glazed earthenware. This piece is fired twice in the kiln above 1200 degrees to add this glaze glass eff...
Earthenware
$1,035 / item
H 13.78 in Dm 12.6 in
Unique High Neck Flat Large Ceramic Vessel, Light Brown by Willem Van Hooff
Located in Geneve, CH
Rabu Flat Vessel by Willem Van Hooff Dimensions: Ø 32 x H 35 cm. Materials: Glazed earthenware. This piece is fired twice in the kiln above 1200 degrees to add this glaze glass eff...
Earthenware
$1,749 / item
H 19.69 in Dm 18.9 in
Plain Dark Brown Flat Ceramic Vessel, Body Large Opening by Willem Van Hooff
Located in Geneve, CH
Kupi Flat Vessel by Willem Van Hooff Dimensions: Ø 48 x H 50 cm. Materials: Glazed earthenware. This piece is fired twice in the kiln above 1200 degrees to add this glaze glass eff...
Earthenware
Postmodern design was a short-lived movement that manifested itself chiefly in Italy and the United States in the early 1980s. The characteristics of vintage postmodern furniture and other postmodern objects and decor for the home included loud-patterned, usually plastic surfaces; strange proportions, vibrant colors and weird angles; and a vague-at-best relationship between form and function.
ORIGINS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE POSTMODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Critics derided postmodern design as a grandstanding bid for attention and nothing of consequence. Decades later, the fact that postmodernism still has the power to provoke thoughts, along with other reactions, proves they were not entirely correct.
Postmodern design began as an architectural critique. Starting in the 1960s, a small cadre of mainly American architects began to argue that modernism, once high-minded and even noble in its goals, had become stale, stagnant and blandly corporate. Later, in Milan, a cohort of creators led by Ettore Sottsass and Alessandro Mendini — a onetime mentor to Sottsass and a key figure in the Italian Radical movement — brought the discussion to bear on design.
Sottsass, an industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, gathered a core group of young designers into a collective in 1980 they called Memphis. Members of the Memphis Group, which would come to include Martine Bedin, Michael Graves, Marco Zanini, Shiro Kuramata, Michele de Lucchi and Matteo Thun, saw design as a means of communication, and they wanted it to shout. That it did: The first Memphis collection appeared in 1981 in Milan and broke all the modernist taboos, embracing irony, kitsch, wild ornamentation and bad taste.
Memphis works remain icons of postmodernism: the Sottsass Casablanca bookcase, with its leopard-print plastic veneer; de Lucchi’s First chair, which has been described as having the look of an electronics component; Martine Bedin’s Super lamp: a pull-toy puppy on a power-cord leash. Even though it preceded the Memphis Group’s formal launch, Sottsass’s iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell with radical pops of pink neon — proves striking in any space and embodies many of the collective’s postmodern ideals.
After the initial Memphis show caused an uproar, the postmodern movement within furniture and interior design quickly took off in America. (Memphis fell out of fashion when the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990’s minimalism.) The architect Robert Venturi had by then already begun a series of plywood chairs for Knoll Inc., with beefy, exaggerated silhouettes of traditional styles such as Queen Anne and Chippendale. In 1982, the new firm Swid Powell enlisted a group of top American architects, including Frank Gehry, Richard Meier, Stanley Tigerman and Venturi to create postmodern tableware in silver, ceramic and glass.
On 1stDibs, the vintage postmodern furniture collection includes chairs, coffee tables, sofas, decorative objects, table lamps and more.
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.