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Ettore Sottsass Furniture

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. He was a wild man of the Radical Design movement that swept Italy in the late 1960s and ’70s, rejecting rationalism and modernism in favor of ever-more outrageous imaginings in lighting and furniture such as mirrors, lamps, chairs and tables.

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. 

The Memphis Group 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 created innovative furnishings for the likes of Artemide, Knoll, Zanotta and Poltronova, where he reigned as artistic director for nearly two decades beginning in 1958. His 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 inspired and expressive in smaller, secondary furnishings such as lamps and chandeliers, and in table pieces and glassware that have playful and sculptural qualities.

Sottsass left the Memphis Group in 1985 in order to concentrate on the growth of Sottsass Associati, a design and architecture consultancy he cofounded in 1980. 

It was as an artist that 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.

Find Ettore Sottsass lighting, decorative objects and furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Ettore Sottsass
Set of 4 "Harlow" Chairs by Ettore Sottsass, 1970s
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Roma, IT
Set of 4 "Harlow" Chairs by Ettore Sottsass, 1970s. Circular base and chromed single leg. Signs of wear on the leather and some minor oxydation of the chromed surface, otherwise go...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Metal

Ettore Sottsass, Shiva Vase, Blue, Glazed Ceramic, Spain, 1971
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Shiva vase was designed by Ettore Sottsass when he was travelling to Barcelona for love in 1971. It captures the essence and cultural vision of the bold and provocative Radical D...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Ettore Sottsass Wall Mirror Made by Santambrogio E De Berti, circa 1950
By Ettore Sottsass, Santambrogio & De Berti
Located in Rovereta, Repubblica di San Marino
Rare mirror by Ettore Sottsass. From a small series produced by Santambrogio and De Berti in the late 1950s. Tinted and clear mirrored glass. This is the largest example from this s...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Mirror

Ettore Sottsass Rose Gold "Apple" Large Ice Bucket, Italy 1950s
By Ettore Sottsass, Rinnovel
Located in Roma, IT
Spectacular and fully complete "Apple" large ice bucket in rose gold metal and brass designed by Ettore Sotsass and produced by Rinnovel in Italy during the 1950s. In fabulous condi...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass

Suvretta Bookcase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Radomsko, Województwo łódzkie
“Suvretta” is a Romansh word (language spoken in Engadine) that means: “above the small forest”. Like rows of overlapping trees, the books placed on the green shelves of Suvretta tak...
Category

1980s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Laminate, Wood, Plywood, Scrap Wood

Ettore Sottsass, Cometa Floor Light, by Poltronova circa 1970
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova Cometa floor lamp, no. L026 acrylic, lacquered metal, chrome, Italy, designed 1970 and produced for the Design Centre by Poltronova, Italy as part of t...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Ettore Sottsass Canada Armchair in Blue Velvet and Wood Poltronova 1960s
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Montecatini Terme, IT
Canada settee armchair with a structure in wood, seat, and back in padded blue-green velvet. It was designed by Ettore Sottsass Jr in 1959 and produced by the Italian company Poltro...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Velvet, Wood

Pausania Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Artemide, Italy
By Ettore Sottsass, Artemide
Located in Milano, IT
Iconic Pausania Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Artemide, Italy, 1980s. In the 1980s, the Italian designer Ettore Sottsass collaborated with Art...
Category

1680s Italian Mid-Century Modern Antique Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Metal

Teodora Chair by Ettore Sottsass, 1984, Vitra Editions
By Vitra, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Kansas City, MO
Ettore Sottsass designed the Teodora chair for Vitra Editions shortly after leaving the Memphis Group in 1985. Signed with decal manufacturer's label t...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Acrylic, Laminate

Malabar Bookshop by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milan
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in Ravenna, IT
Malabar is a cabinet-bookcase designed by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano in 1982 and purchased in 2000. Production number 21. Sold with certificate of Authenticity. Featuring she...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Metal

Ultrafragola lighted mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 80s
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Iconic Ultrafragola illuminated mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1980. Perspex frame, neon lamps, mirrored glass, painted wood. Excellent condition, first productio...
Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Glass, Plexiglass, Wood

Asteroid Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy, 1968
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Melbourne, VIC
The Asteroid Lamp is indeed a remarkable piece of design created by Ettore Sottsass in 1968. Ettore Sottsass was a prominent Italian designer and archite...
Category

20th Century Italian Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Metal

Pair of Sconces, In style of Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsas, 1980s, Italy
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Rare Italian design yellow and black Wood Pair of Sconces, In style of Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, 1980s, Milano - Italy It is very ideal and suitable for all living areas. La...
Category

1980s Italian Space Age Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Wood

20th Century Ettore Sottsass RSVP Centerpiece Mod, Rosa in Colored Glass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Turin, Turin
Beatiful vase or centerpiece designed in the beginning of 2000 by the great italian designer Ettore Sottsass for RSVP. The centerpiece is entirely in colored glass, 10 mm thick. Th...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Glass

Staff 'Zumtobel' ID-S Floor Lamp/ Uplighter by Ettore Sottsass, Memphis, 1980s
By Ettore Sottsass, Staff Leuchten
Located in CULEMBORG, GE
Designed by Ettore Sottsass in the early 1980s, this rare ID-S Floor Lamp was firstly produced by Staff Leuchten until the company got taken over by the Austrian company Zumtobel. ...
Category

1980s Austrian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Steel

Quadrotto Accademia Lagostina Memphis design ETTORE SOTTSASS 1980
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Palermo, IT
Accademia Lagostina Quadrotto Tray (1980) - Memphis Design by Ettore Sottsass This rare "Quadrotto" tray is an iconic expression of 1980s postmodern design, conceived by visionary E...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Metal

Ettore Sottsass Tartar - UNIQUE
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 Furniture

Materials

Marble

Zanotta Edizioni Nairobi Bar Cabinet in Red Veneered Laminate by Ettore Sottsass
By Zanotta, Ettore Sottsass
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 Furniture

Materials

Wood

Ettore Sottsass. Modell 'Morosina', 1974 for Vistosi
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Zurich, CH
This work is number 208 from the edition of 250. Incised signature to underside: [E. Sottsass 202/250 Vistosi]. Excellent condition. literature: Sottsass Glass Works, Barovier, Bis...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Rucola Ceramic Plate, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Rucola ceramic dinner plate was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass, in 1985, as part of a series of decorative plates. The playful names of the design items are a reminder of...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Ultrafragola Mirror/Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Milan, Italy
This is Ultrafragola a nice mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova in the 1970. It is a translucent white plastic frame of undulating outline, concealing pink internal flu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Glass, Plastic

Fauteuil Tappeto Volante d’Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Saint ouen, FR
Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007) Circa 1974 Édition Bedding Brevetti Wood, polyurethane foam, velvet, cotton jersey, felt Height: 71 cm Depth: 112 cm Width: 180 cm
Category

1970s Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Wood

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 Furniture

Materials

Plastic

'Carlton' Room Divider and Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, Italy
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
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 Furniture

Materials

Laminate, Wood

34 Agelada Glass Vase, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Agelada Glass Vase with pendant was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1986 for Memphis. It's part of the “Vetri Glass” collection. Made in blown Murano glass, and signed ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Glass

Ettore Sottsass Shiva Limited Edition Black Prototype 2/8
By Ettore Sottsass, BD Barcelona Design
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Black Shiva ceramic vase designed by Ettore Sottsass circa 1973, edited by BD in Barcelona. This piece has been produced as a limited edition with a total of only 100 units. This...
Category

2010s Spanish Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Pink ‘Ultrafragola’ Mirror Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in London, GB
The curvaceous pink ‘Ultrafragola’ mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass is probably the most iconic of all his many designs. Originally produced in the 1970s by Poltronova, the ‘Ultrafragola’ formed part of a series of Sottsass designs named Mobili Grigi. When illuminated, the lights within the mirror transform the white opaline acrylic shell into a stunning multi-pink display. This unique, individually numbered, re-edition piece is still produced by the same Florentine company today and is sold with a “Certificate of Authenticity”. The perfectly pink ‘selfie’ mirror!
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Glass, Acrylic

Pink ‘Ultrafragola’ Mirror Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in London, GB
The curvaceous pink ‘Ultrafragola’ mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass is probably the most iconic of all his many designs. Originally produced in the 1970s by Poltronova, the ‘Ultrafragola’ formed part of a series of Sottsass designs named Mobili Grigi. When illuminated, the lights within the mirror transform the white opaline acrylic shell into a stunning multi-pink display. This unique, individually numbered, re-edition piece is still produced by the same Florentine company today and is sold with a “Certificate of Authenticity”. The perfectly pink ‘selfie’ mirror...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Glass, Acrylic

Pink ‘Ultrafragola’ Mirror Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in London, GB
The curvaceous pink ‘Ultrafragola’ mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass is probably the most iconic of all his many designs. Originally produced in the 1970s by Poltronova, the ‘Ultrafragola’ formed part of a series of Sottsass designs named Mobili Grigi. When illuminated, the lights within the mirror transform the white opaline acrylic shell into a stunning multi-pink display. This unique, individually numbered, re-edition piece is still produced by the same Florentine company today and is sold with a “Certificate of Authenticity”. The perfectly pink ‘selfie’ mirror!
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Glass, Acrylic

Two Modern Table Lamps in Murano by Ettore Sottsass for Venini, Signed ca. 1994
By Venini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Merida, Yucatan
Beautiful table lamp in white and aqua-green hand-blown Murano glass. Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Venini and manufactured in 1994. The glass shade is signed "Venini ". The lamps ...
Category

1990s Italian Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Murano Glass

Original Ettore Sottsass Photography Art, 1975. Signed
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Kansas City, MO
Gelatin Silver Print Laid to Board. Signed, titled and dated 'Everybody Has Done His Business... But Some Keep Playing, Ettore Sottsass Jr. 1975'. Literature: The Complete Retrospec...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Wood, Paper

Zanotta Edizioni Mombasa Chest of Drawers in Brown Painted by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Zanotta
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 Furniture

Materials

Pearwood

Glass Pendant by Ettore Sottsass for Vistosi
By Vistosi, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Dronten, NL
Clear glass over white glass pendant with clear red glass ribbon, designed by Ettore Sottsass for Vistosi. Height adjustable steel cable. The original white enameled steel canopy is...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Steel

Pink ‘Ultrafragola’ Mirror Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in London, GB
The curvaceous pink ‘Ultrafragola’ mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass is probably the most iconic of all his many designs. Originally produced in the 1970s by Poltronova, the ‘Ultrafragola’ formed part of a series of Sottsass designs named Mobili Grigi. When illuminated, the lights within the mirror transform the white opaline acrylic shell into a stunning multi-pink display. This unique, individually numbered, re-edition piece is still produced by the same Florentine company today and is sold with a “Certificate of Authenticity”. The perfectly pink ‘selfie’ mirror!
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Glass, Acrylic

1 harlow dining chair by ettore sottsass for poltrona frau, 1971
By Poltrona Frau, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
ettore sottsass, austrian-born designer of global fame as co-founder of the „memphis“ group became a true „renaissance man“ of the 20th century. every design museum all over the worl...
Category

1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Midcentury Decorated Vase by Ettore Sottsass for Egizia, Italy, 1980
By Egizia, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Glass vase in orange shades with silver animals decoration. Beautiful piece made by Ettore Sottsass forEgizia. Italy, 1980 The vase has its original label.
Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Glass

Midcentury Armchairs by Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti, 1970s
By Ettore Sottsass, Olivetti
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Beautiful space age armchairs designed by Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti. Newly upholstered with the original color brown fabric. Simp...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Plastic

Contemporary Art Ceramic Totem Chocolate Piece Number 33/99 by Ettore Sottsass
By Mirabili, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Pistoia, IT
The message that Mirabili intends to portay involves well-known artist and designers, selected for their particular gifts and their poetic world, lending an innovative and sensitive ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Ceramic, Wood

Ettore Sottsass Shiva Capsule Limited Edition Blue Vase 137/999
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 piece has been produced as a limited edition with a total of only 999 units. This is...
Category

2010s Spanish Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

20th Century Ettore Sottsass Pair of Ottomans Mod Dado T29 for Poltronova, 1960s
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Turin, Turin
Ettore Sottsass grew up in Turin, and graduated in architecture from the Turin Polytechnic in 1939. In 1947, he founded his own studio in Milan. In 1956, Sottsass moved to New York where he began working in the studio of the designer George Nelson. Back in Italy, he began important collaborations with Poltronova (1957) and Olivetti (1958). From the late 60s to the 70s he collaborated with Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, as part of the Radical Architecture movement, until the founding of the Memphis group in 1981. Ettore Sottsass has been the recipient of numerous international awards and was the winner of the ADI Compasso d'Oro Award in 1959. His works are now exhibited in the permanent collections of many museums around the world. Here we have a pair of wooden ottomans...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Wood

Ettore Sottsass Contemporary Modern "Demistella" Marble Italian Console
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Ibiza, Spain
The "Demistella" console, designed by Ettore Sottsass for Up & Up, features a solid wood structure with briar root and lacquered wood accents. Its cylindrical legs are crafted from M...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Marble

Ettore Sottsass Casablanca cabinet Memphis Milano 1981
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Ettore Sottsass's Casablanca cabinet boasts a totem-like profile, closely resembling his iconic Carlton room divider and Ashoka lamp. This piece stands out...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Laminate

1990s Ettore Sottsass Studio Westside Lounge Chair in Multi-Color Fabric
By Knoll, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Westside Collection Lounge Armchair, initially designed by Ettore Sottsass for KnollStudio in 1983. Not too many of these were produced. This one dates to the 1990s based o...
Category

1980s American Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Steel

Modern Colored Steel Callimaco Floor Lamp by Sottsass for Artemide 1980s
By Ettore Sottsass, Artemide
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Created in the early 1980s by the great designer Ettore Sottsass, Callimaco is an object with an ambiguous and ironic design, a luminous sculpture inspired by the famous Greek artist...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Steel

Ettore Sottsass Pink Neon Lamp "Ultrafragola" Italian Mirror, Ready to Ship
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Madrid, ES
Available for immediate delivery. A colorful iconic mirror model "Ultrafragola" designed by Ettore Sottsass and edited by Poltronova. Made of white perp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Steel

Italian Modern Yellow Ceramic Vase ET1 by Ettore Sottsass for A. Sarri, 1990s
By Ettore Sottsass, Alessio Sarri
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern yellow ceramic Vase ET1 by Ettore Sottsass for A. Sarri, 1990s Rare and elegant vase mod. ET1 with round base in ceramic painted in yellow and glazed in white. The st...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Portable typwriter valentine by Ettore Sottsass / Perry King for Olivetti
By Olivetti, Perry King, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
The Olivetti Valentine is a portable, mechanical, travel typewriter that was manufactured by the Italian company Olivetti from 1969 to 2000. It is known for its unconventional design...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Metal

Ettore Sottsass ID-S Edition Floor Lamp
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Dronten, NL
In 1987, while working for Zumtobel, the Milan-based design studio Sottsass Associati developed a floor lamp which caused quite a stir both because of its design and its lighting tec...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Steel

Coat Stand and Umbrella Stand by E. Sottsass for Olivetti Synthesis, Italy 1970s
By Olivetti, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Roma, IT
Coat stand and umbrella stand is an original design object realized by Ettore Sottsass in the 1970s. Bordeaux plastic coat stand and umbrella stand designed for Olivetti Synthesis...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Ettore Sottsass Central Park Cocktail Table in Marble, Rare, 1983
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rare Central Park cocktail table designed in 1983 by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll Studio, comprising a floating, Emperador Dark marble base and eight Nero Marquina marble columns with i...
Category

1980s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Marble

Large Green and Red Centrepiece by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Bitossi
Located in Milan, IT
This elegant centerpiece in white clay features a base in dark grey supporting a conic body made of concentric steps that are finished in red on the outside and in vivid matte green ...
Category

2010s Italian Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

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 piece has been produced as a limited edition with a total of only 999 units. This is...
Category

2010s Spanish Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Casablanca Wood Cabinet, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
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 Furniture

Materials

Wood, Plastic

Ettore Sottsass "Cream" occasional table for Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Skokie, IL
Cream end table in plastic laminate by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano collection. Applied aluminum manufacturer's label to side ‘Memphis Milano Ettore Sottsass 1984 Made in Italy.'
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Plastic, Plywood

Ettore Sottsass Essetre Shelving Unit for Poltronova, 1970s
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Padova, IT
Rare "ESSETRE" white fiberglass bookcase from the "Mobili Grigi" furniture series designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova in the '70s. Provenance Molinari - Visentin collection, A...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Fiberglass

Cavalieri Floor Lamp EU 220 V. by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Cavalieri Floor Lamp EU Wiring 220 V. in Wood and Plastic Laminate by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano collection Additional Information: Floor lamp in wood and plastic laminat...
Category

2010s Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Venini Bhusanam Table Lamp in Aquamarine by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Bhusanam table lamp in Aquamarine by Ettore Sottsass. Numbered Edition for year Year of Manufacture: 1994 - 2017 Metal: Blue Painted Color: Aquamarine Measurements: Ø 1...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Glass

Large serigraph (architetural study) by Ettore Sottsass, 1987
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Offenburg, Baden Wurthemberg
Beautiful and rare screen print “Senza titolo” (architectural study) by Ettore Sottsass, 1987 Produced by Kalos Arti Applicate in 1987, signed and numbered 22/100 in pencil. Fram...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Paper

Ettore Sottsass 'Ospite' Dining Table
By Ettore Sottsass, Zanotta
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ettore Sottsass 'Ospite' dining table for Zanotta, 1980s.
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Silver Plate, Brass

Ettore Sottsass original early edition mirror by Santambrogio & De Berti, 1958
By Ettore Sottsass, Santambrogio & De Berti
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A rare and original early edition mirror by Ettore Sottsass. Produced by Santambrogio & De Berti, Italy, 1958 This striking mirror, an original creation by Ettore Sottsass, features...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Furniture

Materials

Brass

Ettore Sottsass furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Ettore Sottsass furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Ettore Sottsass furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 389 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 188 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture 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 furniture by Gaetano Pesce, Alessandro Mendini, and VG-VGnewtrend. Prices for Ettore Sottsass furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $104 and can go as high as $88,999, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,267.
Questions About Ettore Sottsass Furniture
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    Ettore 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.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Ettore 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.
  • 1stDibs ExpertNovember 13, 2024
    The Italian design group led by Italian architectural and product designer Ettore Sottsass is called the Memphis Group. To many people, postmodern design is synonymous with the Memphis Group. This Italian collaborative created the most radical and attention-getting designs of the period, upending most of the accepted standards of how furniture should look. The group decided to design, produce and market its own collection, one that wouldn’t be restricted by concerns like functionality and so-called good taste. Its debut at Milan’s 1981 Salone del Mobile drew thousands of viewers and caused a major stir in design circles. In addition to Sottsass, the members of the group included Andrea Branzi, Aldo Cibic, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Kuramata, Paola Navone, Peter Shire, George Sowden and Barbara Radice, who was Sottsass's wife. Find a collection of Memphis Group furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Ettore 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.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Ettore 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.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    To 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.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Ettore 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 ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Ettore 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 ExpertFebruary 1, 2024
    Ettore 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, 2022
    Ettore 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, 2022
    Ettore 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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