$890
H 11.03 in W 5.12 in D 5.12 in
Postmodern Artec Table Clock by Nicolai Canetti, Metal, USA, 1980s
By Canetti
Located in Den Haag, NL
Rare Postmodern Constructivist Geometric Artec Collector's Collection Clock by Canetti, USA, 1980s
Metal
$250Sale Price|50% Off
H 13.78 in W 6.3 in D 2.76 in
Glass Pendulum Clock Takashi Kato Postmodern, 1980s Japanese Design
By Memphis Milano, Nathalie du Pasquier
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Glass pendulum clock by Sessa. It can be used as both standing on the table and hanging on the wall. Takashi Kato designed a lot of clocks in the 1980s-1990s. Some of clock collectio...
Glass, Plastic
1980s Postmodern Table Clock attr. to Shohei Mihara for Wakita and Canetti
By Canetti, Wakita
Located in Brooklyn, NY
amazing 1980s desk clock has all of the hallmarks of great 1980s Memphis-inspired postmodern design
Chrome
$650
H 22 in W 5.75 in D 4.5 in
A postmodern sculptural welded metal clock by Jon Sarriugarte, signed, 1991
By Jon Sarriugarte
Located in View Park, CA
« Postmodern Form and Reform », a hand-forged metal sculpture clock with long squiggle base by Jon
Metal
$322
H 7.88 in W 7.88 in D 1.78 in
outstanding 1980s TABLE CLOCK black and silver gray metal postmodern style
Located in Mannheim, DE
1980s table clock in outstanding design. Made of black and silver gray lacquered metal, white clock hands. Battery works (battery is not included). Dimensions in cm: Width 19.9 cm,...
Metal
$1,250
H 14 in W 8.25 in D 14 in
Postmodern Howard Miller George Nelson 1984 Olympus Table Clock "Tempo 21"
By Howard Miller, George Nelson
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rare "Olympus" table clock by Howard Miller Clock Company. From the 1984 "Tempo 21" collection. The circular red clock face is upheld by a green pyramid base. Slight signs of wear an...
Aluminum
Postmodern Desk Lamp
Located in New York, NY
A Postmodern red and black adjustable desk lamp. Shade and base are a red enameled metal. Neck is
Metal
Postmodern Chrome & Glass Desk table Lamp
Located in San Diego, CA
Great post-modern design double ceramic socket on this fabulous desk lamp, Italy, circa 1980s
Chrome
Italian Yellow and Black Postmodern Desk Lamp
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A beautiful 1980s Italian yellow and black Postmodern desk lamp. The lamp has a high-low switch and
Steel
$220Sale Price|20% Off
H 13 in W 10 in D 3.5 in
Multitask Multidirectional Petite Postmodern Table Desk Lamp
Located in San Diego, CA
Swing arm desk table lamp circa 1980's multidirectional enameled shade finish with ceramic socket
Chrome
1980's Postmodern Memphis era Table desk Lamp
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool enameled metal desk table lamp great condition circa 1980's a classic postmodern design
Metal
Italian Postmodern Green + White Steel Console or Desk
Located in Chicago, IL
This 1980s Italian console table captures the graphic spirit of postmodernism. Constructed entirely
Steel
Bamboo Console Table Red Formica Desk Postmodern, Italy
By Archizoom Associati, Andrea Branzi, Memphis Group
Located in Vienna, AT
15.74". A Postmodern desk or console table, perfect and stylish, comprised of formica on wood with
Bamboo, Formica
$300Sale Price|20% Off
H 17 in W 19 in D 9 in
1980's Italian Postmodern Multidirectional Desk Table Lamp
By Joe Colombo
Located in San Diego, CA
Rare postmodern Italian design, multidirectional table desk lamp enameled white metal finish with
Metal
1980's Postmodern Desk top Apple Envelope Holder
Located in San Diego, CA
Whimsical 1980's Wood lacquered apple , envelope desk top holder great condition.
Wood
1980's Italian Postmodern Leather Modernist Paper Desk Tray
Located in San Diego, CA
Elegant Single letter desk tray , postmodern Italian leather wrapped nice original condition.
Leather
Black and White Postmodern Table of Desk Lamp
Located in Miami, FL
Postmodern lamp with white enameled shade supported by a chrome stem and mounted on a black steel
Steel
$2,611
H 21.26 in W 37.41 in D 10.63 in
Postmodern Counterweight Desk Lamp Albert Sonneman, USA, 1970s
By Robert Sonneman
Located in Den Haag, NL
Stunning large Post Modern Desk lamp. Counter Weight using a solid Steel ball to move in every
Metal
Robert Sonneman Saturn Desk or Table Lamp Postmodern
By Robert Sonneman
Located in Chesterfield, NJ
Very cool and iconic brass and glass Saturn desk lamp from the 1980s designed by Robert Sonneman
Metal
80s Pop Art Desk Lamp in the Postmodern Memphis Style
Located in Montecalvoli, IT
80s Pop Art desk lamp in the postmodern Memphis Style 80s 90s Postmodern desk lamp that can be
Metal
Postmodern Period Wall Light Sconce Spotlight or Desk Lamp
Located in New York, NY
A small Postmodern period wall light sconce, spot-light, or small desk lamp, with adjustable head
Plastic
$522Sale Price|20% Off
H 13.59 in W 9.65 in D 2.96 in
Philips Z-Lamp FGG 200 Desk Lamp Postmodern Design
By Philips
Located in Bochum, NRW
Philips Z-Lamp FGG 200 Desk Lamp Foldable desk lamp from Philips, model FGG 200. Made in 1980s. It
Plastic
$300Sale Price|20% Off
H 24 in W 5.5 in D 5.5 in
Postmodern Solid Birch Wood & Aluminum Sculptural Table/ Desk Lamp
By Laurel Lamp Company
Located in San Diego, CA
Very rare solid birch with aluminum accents tall desk table lamp. doesn't include lampshade its 24
Aluminum
$640Sale Price|20% Off
H 15.25 in W 17.5 in D 4.75 in
1980s Postmodern Halogen Desk Lamp by Robert Sonneman, Glass & Brass
By Robert Sonneman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Postmodern design halogen desk lamp after Robert Sonneman for Kovacs. Use with halogen light bulb
Metal, Brass
Postmodern Flamingo Desk Lamp by Fridolin Naef for Luxo, 80s
By Fridolin Naef
Located in ROTTERDAM, ZH
80s postmodern flamingo desk lamp by Fridolin Naef for Luxo. This stunning piece is incredibly
Metal
$5,950 / set
H 29 in W 44 in D 27 in
1990s Memphis Style Postmodern Abstract Art Console Desk and Mirror
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
This one of a kind desk or console table is packed with personality! Outstanding design is
Glass, Wood, Paint
$900 / item
H 25.6 in W 5.91 in D 23.63 in
Postmodern Heron Desk Lamps by Isao Hosoe for Luxo, Norway, 1990s
By Isao Hosoe, Luxo
Located in Antwerp, BE
A set of adjustable “Heron” desk lamps, designed by Isao Hosoe for Luxo, Norway in 1994. The Heron
Plastic
Postmodern Gaucho Desk Lamp by Studio Per for Egoluce, 1980s
By Egoluce
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Italian postmodern lamp by Studio P.E.R for Egoluce. Iconic adjustable mechanism which not only
Metal
Italian Postmodern 1970's Marble & Polished Chrome Table Desk Spot Lamp
By Robert Sonneman
Located in San Diego, CA
Faboulous multidirectional chrome & marble spot desk Italian lamp , circa 1970's great
Marble, Chrome
Postmodern Italian Desk Table Lamp by Progetti Designed by G Tonetti
By Progetti, Gianpietro Tonetti
Located in San Diego, CA
great design multidirectional table desk lamp by Progetti modelo COSI designed by Gianpietro
Plastic
$842
H 25.2 in W 14.18 in D 10.24 in
Postmodern Design TEGOLA Desk Lamp by Bruno Gecchelin, Italy 1980's
By Bruno Gecchelin, Skipper
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Postmodern Design "TEGOLA" Desk or Table Lamp by Bruno Gecchelin for Skipper. Made in Italy
Marble, Metal
Striking Solid Large Cylinder Italian Marble Postmodern Table Desk Lamp
By Robs Johns Gibbons
Located in San Diego, CA
Tall large polished solid and heavy Italian cylinder marble architectural lamp, circa 1980s nice grain and condition no chips or cracks. With chrome fittings and rewired, 28" tall in...
Carrara Marble
$650
H 15.5 in W 4.75 in D 17.5 in
Robert Sonneman for George Kovacs Postmodern Halogen Desk Lamp, White, USA, 1980
By George Kovacs, Robert Sonneman
Located in San Carlos, CA
A sculptural postmodern desk lamp by Robert Sonneman for George Kovacs, produced in the late 1980s
Metal
$2,077Sale Price|30% Off
H 29 in W 36 in D 12 in
Postmodern Counterweight Desk Lamp by Robert Sonneman, USA 1970-80s
By Robert Sonneman, Sonneman Lighting
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Ingenious desk lamp with a counterweight mechanism which allows the lamp to be stable in every
Aluminum, Steel, Stainless Steel, Chrome
Postmodern Adjustable Angle Poise Desk Lamp by LUXO c 1970's
By Luxo
Located in New York, NY
Unusual adjustable desk, or task, lamp made in Denmark by Luxo. This model features a hood shade
Metal
$1,650 / set
H 38 in W 16.5 in D 19.88 in
Italian Black Leather Side Dining Desk Chairs Postmodern Pair, circa 1970s
Located in New York, NY
A pair of '70s Italian Postmodern black leather and high-gloss metal chairs, circa 1970s, Italy
Metal
$2,077
H 18.51 in W 23.63 in D 7.09 in
Postmodern yellow Gaucho Desk Lamp by Studio Per for Egoluce, 1980s
By Egoluce
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Italian postmodern lamp by Studio P.E.R for Egoluce. Iconic adjustable mechanism which not only
Metal
$480
H 15 in W 10 in D 10 in
Robert Sonneman for George Kovacs PostModern Deco Sleek Chrome Bankers Desk Lamp
By Robert Sonneman, George Kovacs
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
1980’s, award winning, postmodern, Memphis.Era, modernist, re-imagined art deco, bankers desk touch
Chrome
$246Sale Price|72% Off
H 14.97 in W 19.69 in D 4.73 in
Vintage Postmodern Polish Modern Desk Lamp with Clock by Wojciech Dybek
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
This iconic Type 27.B.101 desk lamp was designed by Wojciech Dybek for POLAMP - FSOiUT PUŁTUSK in
Plastic
Rare XXL Desk Lamp In The Postmodern Popart Memphis Style of Haba, 90s
Located in Montecalvoli, IT
Rare XXL desk lamp in the postmodern popart Memphis style of Haba, 90s Very nice and rare
Wood
$451
H 14.97 in W 5.12 in D 5.91 in
Postmodern Desk Lamp Designed by Damiano Alberti for Ycami Collection, Italy 90s
By Ycami Collection
Located in Lucija, SI
Yellow Desk Lamp was designed by Damiano Alberti for Ycami Collection in Italy in '90s. It is made
Metal
XXL POP Art Desk Lamp In The Postmodern Memphis Style of Haba 80s, 90s
Located in Montecalvoli, IT
XXL POP Art desk lamp in the postmodern Memphis style of Haba 80s, 90s Very nice and rare
Wood
$3,400Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 16.93 in Dm 11.03 in
Postmodern Desk Lamps in the manner of Memphis Milano, Set of 2
Located in Niederdorfelden, Hessen
Elegant set of two extremely rare Postmodern metal Table Arc Lamps. Exceptional functionality
Chrome, Metal
$1,500
H 23.5 in W 6 in D 6 in
1980s BE-YANG Memphis Style Postmodern Table / Desk Lamp in Black and Teal
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a 1980s vintage BE YANG desk and table lamp in teal and black. The lamp was
Steel
$2,605
H 11.42 in W 11.42 in D 21.26 in
Italian Table or Desk Lamp in Postmodern Style Steel and Murano Glass by Leucos
By Leucos Design Lab
Located in Doornspijk, NL
Wonderful arch shaped table or desk lamp by Italian light specialist Leucos. Its base is made of
Steel
$680Sale Price|20% Off
H 15.25 in W 17.5 in D 4.5 in
Postmodern Black & Brass Halogen Desk Lamp Inspired by Sonneman
By Robert Sonneman, George Kovacs, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Postmodern desk or bankers lamp in the style of Robert Sonneman for George Kovacs from the
Brass, Metal
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.
It's hard to resist the allure of a beautiful pool. So, go ahead and daydream about whiling away your summer in paradise.
Alessandro Mendini, Michael Graves, Ettore Sottsass and other design luminaries contributed to this unusual collection of porcelain wares representing a time capsule of late-20th-century decorative art.
Aided by photos taken of the maestro in his Milan studio, we honor the influential design talent who died last month at 87.
Adam Charlap Hyman and Andre Herrero, rising young design talents, are debuting a new, eclectic line of textiles.