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Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

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
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 Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Ettore Sottsass Shiva Capsule Limited Edition Blue Vase 158/999
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 piece has been produced as a limited edition with a total of only 999 units. This is...
Category

2010s Spanish Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Venini Oman Vase in Gray, Red & Aquamarine by Ettore Sottsass
By Venini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Oman glass vase in Gray/red/aquamarine by Ettore Sottsass. Handblown glass. Numbered edition for year Color: Gray/Red/Aquamarine Dimensions: Ø 33.5 cm, H 40 cm Year of ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Shiva Ceramic Flower Vase by Ettore Sottsass – A Timeless Masterpiece
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shiva Ceramic Flower Vase by Ettore Sottsass – A Timeless Masterpiece Designed by the legendary Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass in 1973, the Shiva Ceramic Flower Vase...
Category

2010s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Olivetti Typewriter Vintage Model "Valentine" 1969 Pop Art Icoon
By Ettore Sottsass, Giorgio Olivetti
Located in Antwerp, BE
The Olivetti Valetine is an icon for its expressive design and practical usability portable, manual typewriter known for its typical red ABS plastic housing and matching red case. Th...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Ceramic optical Tile Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Cedit Ceramiche, 1968
By Cedit Ceramiche 1, Ettore Sottsass
Located in taranto, IT
Rare ceramic tile designed in 1968 by Ettore Sottsass for Cedit Ceramiche aluminum frame Size with frame 35x35 cm, tile size 15x15 cm, protrusion from the wall 5 cm Very good cond...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Chalice Vase by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Bitossi
Located in Milan, IT
This elegant vase was designed by famous Italian architect Ettore Sottsass in 1962. It is in white clay and its geometric shape with a white finish is adorned with a series of parall...
Category

2010s Italian Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Twenty-Seven Woods Chinese Artificial Flower Vase U by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
"Twenty-Seven Woods" Chinese Artificial Flower Vase U by Ettore Sottsass: A Masterpiece of Limited Edition Design Presenting the exquisite "Twenty-Seven Woods for a Chinese Artifici...
Category

1990s European Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

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 Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

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 Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

26 Niobe Glass Vase, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Niobe Glass Vase was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1986. The vase is made out of blown glass and signed on the base. For further information please see authenticity i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Ettore Sottsass, Shiva Flower Vase, Pink, Glazed Ceramic, Spanish, XXth
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Shiva vase is sculpture and vase. It is a symbol of Ettore Sottsass and an icon. Sottsass designed the Shiva Vase when travelling to Barcelona for love in 1973. He encountered m...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti Valentine Typewriter, Italy 1960s
By Olivetti, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Naples, IT
Famous and Iconic Portable Typewriter Mod. Valentine designed by Ettore Sottsass and Peter King, for the company Olivetti in 1960, the typewriter is in very good condition with case ...
Category

1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Olivetti "Valentine" Typewriter by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Olivetti
Located in Vienna, AT
Famous portable typewriter by Sottsass for Olivetti, Italy from the 1960s. Totally functional with some wear. 3 pieces available.  
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Steel

Ettore Sottsass Shiva Capsule Limited Edition Blue Vase 158/999
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 piece has been produced as a limited edition with a total of only 999 units. This is...
Category

2010s Spanish Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti Valentine Typewriter Italy 1960s
By Ettore Sottsass, Olivetti
Located in Nicolosi, IT
Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti Valentine Typewriter Italy 1960s The Olivetti Valentine typewriter, designed by the renowned Ettore Sottsass...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Venini Goburam Glass Vase in Midnight Blue and Red by Ettore Sottsass
By Venini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini geometric glass vase with angular body in midnight blue and red designed by Ettore Sottsass in 2001. Perfect for indoor home decor as conta...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Venini Marito E Moglie Vase in Glass and Marble by Ettore Sottsass
By Venini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Marito E Moglie vase in tea/black/milk-white with marble base by Ettore Sottsass. Limited edition 99 art pieces. Composition of portoro-marble base and blown glasses finished ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Enorme Telephone Handset designed by Ettore Sottsass for Brondi, Italy 1986
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Milano, IT
Enorme Telephone Handset designed by Ettore Sottsass for Brondi, Italy 1986 This telephone handset, a quintessential example of postmodern design, st...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

Mirto Flower Vase a Ettore Sottsass Japanese Urushi Laquer Model
By Ettore Sottsass, Marutomi
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Mirto flower vase designed by Ettore Sottsass for Marutomi. This model is limited Japanese urushi laquer model. Japanese traditional urushi pigment is made from natural urushi tree,...
Category

Early 2000s Japanese Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

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 Decorative Objects

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 Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Ettore Sottsass Pink Ceramic Shiva Flower Vase, by BD Barcelona
By BD Barcelona Design, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shiva ceramic flower vase designed by Ettore Sottsass, circa 1973, edited by BD in Barcelona. In good original condition with minor wear consistent with age and use preserving a b...
Category

2010s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Murmansk Silver Plated Brass Fruit Bowl, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Murmansk Fruit Bowl in Brass with plated Silver. The "Murmansk" is a fruit bowl is one of the first designs produced by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis in 1982. The sleek bowl is plated silver over brass, and sitting on six stepped legs...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass, Silver

25 Astimelusa Glass Vase, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Astimelusa Glass Vase was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1986. The vase is part of the “Vetri Glass” collection, and made out of blown Murano glass. Signed “E.Sottsass...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

1980s Gorgeous Red Vase "Hsing" Designed by Ettore Sottsass. Made in Italy
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Milano, IT
1980s Gorgeous vase "Hsing" in red glazed ceramic designes by Ettore Sottsass for Alessio Sarri, Sesto Fiorentino. This vase is in excellent condition. Made in Italy. It's marked at ...
Category

1980s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Nilo Vase, Designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1983 for the Collection Memphis Milano
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in Beirut, LB
The Nilo vase was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1983 for Memphis Milano 1981-1988. Produced by Memphis in 2013-2014. A classic by Sottsass, the Nilo porcelain vase is par...
Category

1980s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Porcelain

Tilia Small Box Ettore Sottsass Postmodern
By Marutomi, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
"Tilia" small box designed by Ettore Sottsass for Marutomi. Designed in 1997, Produced in 2000.
Category

Early 2000s Japanese Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Plastic

Ettore Sottsass Twenty-Seven Woods for a Chinese Artificial Flower Vase G
By Design Gallery Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Twenty-seven woods for a Chinese Artificial flower vase G by Ettore Sottsass, edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 signed and numered pieces, number 3 / 1...
Category

1990s European Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Ettore Sottsass for Fontana Arte Vase Model 2665
By Fontana Arte, Ettore Sottsass
Located in New York, NY
Ettore Sottsass for Fontana Arte rare large graphic colored crystal vase consisting of dark blue central square cylinder with attached brown tria...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

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 Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Ettore Sottsass Twenty-Seven Woods for a Chinese Artificial Flower Vase G
By Design Gallery Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Twenty-seven woods for a Chinese Artificial flower vase G by Ettore Sottsass, edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 signed and numered pieces, number 3 / 1...
Category

1990s European Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Contemporary Art Ceramic Totem Chocolate Piece Number 33/99 by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Mirabili
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 Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic, Wood

Pink Glazed Ceramic Shiva Flower Vase by Ettore Sottsass 20th Century Spanish
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Shiva vase is sculpture and vase. It is a symbol of Ettore Sottsass and an icon. Sottsass designed the Shiva Vase when travelling to Barcelona for love in 1973. He encountered m...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Twenty-Seven Woods for a Chinese Artificial Flowers, Vase F by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Design Gallery Milano
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
F vase made for the collection of twenty-seven woods for Chinese Artificial flowers vase by Ettore Sottsass, Edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 numbered pi...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Portable typwriter valentine by Ettore Sottsass / Perry King for Olivetti
By Olivetti, Ettore Sottsass, Perry King
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 Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Pair of Ettore Sottsass Silver Candlesticks for Swid Powell and Reed and Barton
By Reed & Barton, Swid Powell, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Kansas City, MO
Striking pair of silver plated candlesticks designed by Ettore Sottsass and made by Swid Powell in collaboration with Reed and Barton, 1980s.  
Category

1980s American Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Silver

Italian Modern Yellow Ceramic Vase ET1 by Ettore Sottsass for A. Sarri, 1990s
By Alessio Sarri, Ettore Sottsass
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 Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Alioth Glass Vase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Alioth Glass Vase was designed by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis in 1983. The Venetian glass vase features blue fusions and black threads. Signed on the base. Ettore Sottsass was b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Sirio Glass Flower Vase, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Group, Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Sirio glass vase was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1982. Signed on the edge of the Stand: "E. Sottsass per Memphis Milano”. For further information please see authen...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Twenty-Seven Woods for a Chinese Artificial Flower Vase V by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Design Gallery Milano
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Twenty-seven woods for a Chinese artificial flower vase V by Ettore Sottsass, edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 numered pieces, number 6 / 12. In go...
Category

1990s Spanish Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze, Chrome

Shiva Flower Vase by Ettore Sottsass
By BD Barcelona Design, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Shiva flower vase by Ettore Sottsass was designed in 1973 following the inspiration garnered from his love for Catalan women w...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

The Euphrates Ceramic Vase by Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Berlin, Berlin
Vase in ceramic, by Ettore Sottsass, 1983. The Euphrates vase, made of ceramic porcelain. This is part of the Rivers series, designed by Sottsass 1981-1988. Stamped underneath....
Category

1980s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Ettore Sottsass, Shiva Flower Vase, Pink, Glazed Ceramic, Spanish, 20th
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Shiva vase is sculpture and vase. It is a symbol of Ettore Sottsass and an icon. Sottsass designed the Shiva Vase when travelling to Barcelona for love in 1973. He encountered m...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Sol Glass Fruit Bowl, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Sol glass fruit bowl was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1982. Signed on the base, for further information please see authenticity info below. Ettore Sottsass was bo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

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 Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

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

2010s Spanish Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Limited Edition Vase O by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Twenty-seven woods for a Chinese Artificial flower vase O by Ettore Sottsass, edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 signed and numered pieces, number 3 / 12. ...
Category

1990s European Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

“Luna” Blown glass vase resting on a marble base by Ettore Sottsass
By Venini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Uccle, BE
Luna by Ettore Sottsass “Luna” Blown glass vase resting on a marble base by Ettore Sottsass. Very pale green glass vase resting on a gray veined white marble base. From a limited edition of 29 copies. Our example designed and manufactured in 1997 and bearing the number 1/29. Lit. : Marino Barovier, Sottsass: Glass works, 1998, p.108. Our example designed and manufactured in 1997 and bearing number 1/29. Signed with diamond point “venini 97 Ettore Sottsass 1/29”. Original transparent plastic label holder...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Marble

A Memphis Milano Alcor glass vase designed by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Oxford, GB
A Memphis Milano Alcor glass vase designed by Ettore Sottsass, made by Compagnia Vetraria Muranese, designed 1983, clear, green and opaque white glass swollen panels, applied with bl...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Black and White Reel Vase by Ettore Sottsass
By Bitossi, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Milan, IT
This vase's simple shape is complemented by its geometric decoration that features striking motifs in black on the white background of the cylindrical shape. This piece was designed ...
Category

2010s Italian Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Ettore Sottsass Pink Ceramic Shiva Flower Vase, by BD Barcelona
By BD Barcelona Design, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shiva ceramic flower vase designed by Ettore Sottsass, circa 1973, edited by BD in Barcelona. In good original condition with minor wear consistent with age and use preserving a b...
Category

2010s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti Valentine Typewriter Italy 1960s
By Ettore Sottsass, Olivetti
Located in Nicolosi, IT
Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti Valentine Typewriter Italy 1960s The Olivetti Valentine typewriter, designed by the renowned Ettore Sottsass...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Deneb Glass Vase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Deneb vase in multicolored glass was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1982 for Memphis. Signed “E.Sottsass per Memphis Milano”. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

20th Century Ettore Sottsass RSVP Centerpiece Mod. Indigo in Colored Glass
By 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 w...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Ettore Sottsass Pink 'Shiva Vase' for BD Barcelona, Spain, 1971
By BD Barcelona Design, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Ettore Sottsass ceramic pink 'Shiva Vase' designed in 1971 and produced by BD Barcelona, Spain. The vase will ship in the original box and is in excellent condition. Sottsass: “I continue to produce small, small, small architectures, such as this ceramic piece, for example, a little like monuments, a little like tombs, a little like the abandoned temples of the gods, a little like the ruins of the ancient and unknown civilization in which something –the say– was known; it is said that they understood the axes, the curves, the intersections, perhaps even the causation of the courses of the cosmic bodies, along which each day slide the private vertices of the atoms that make up our fragile flesh and...
Category

1970s Spanish Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Rare Model 585 Vase by Ettore Sottsass for Il Sestante, Italy, 1960
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Dronten, NL
Oxblood red vase model 585 designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1960. Realized circa 1961 by Società Ceramica Toscana di Figline for Milanese gallery Il Sestante in different colors. Signe...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

1950s Italian Decorative Object "MELA" by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mela" apple bowl was designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1953 for Rinnovel. Sottsass wasn't originally italian, he was born on 1917 in Innsbruck, (Austria), but...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Chrome

Ettore Sottsass, Shiva Vase, Pink Glazed, Ceramic, Spanish, 20th Century
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Shiva vase is sculpture and vase. It is a symbol of Ettore Sottsass and an icon. Sottsass designed the Shiva Vase when travelling to Barcelona for love in 1973. He encountered m...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Mizar Glass Vase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Mizar vase was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1982. The piece features clear and blue glass with multicolored handles. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated in architecture at the Politecnico di Torino One of the most influential and important figures of the last century, Architect and Designer, he has participated in all radical movements whether created from the 1970s and 1980s. In 1981 he founded the Memphis group, a group that has radically changed the scenario of Italian and world design. Honored with numerous international awards, was winner of the Golden...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

31 Imera Glass Vase, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Group, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Imera Glass Vase was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1986. The vase is made out of blown glass, and signed on the base, for further information please see authenticity ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Shiva Ceramic Flower Vase by Ettore Sottsass – A Timeless Masterpiece
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Shiva Ceramic Flower Vase by Ettore Sottsass – A Timeless Masterpiece Designed by the legendary Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass in 1973, the Shiva Ceramic Flower Vase...
Category

2010s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Twenty-Seven Woods for a Chinese Artificial Flower Vase S by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Design Gallery Milano
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Twenty-seven woods for a Chinese artificial flower vase S by Ettore Sottsass, edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 signed and numbered pieces, number 10 ...
Category

1990s European Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

“Medusa” Blown glass vase by Ettore Sottsass - Venini MURANO
By Venini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Uccle, BE
“Medusa” Blown glass vase by Ettore Sottsass. Spectacular vase formed by a large spherical element in milky glass resting on a circular base in blue glass faceted on the reverse. The...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Rare Limited Edition of 12 Vase Alpha by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Design Gallery Milano
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Twenty-seven woods for a Chinese artificial flower vase alpha by Ettore Sottsass, edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 signed and numbered pieces, number 7 / 12. This piece has also been produced as a limited edition with a total of only 12 units. In good original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina. Ettore Sottsass (14 September 1917-31 December 2007) was an Italian architect and designer of the late 20th century. His body of designs included furniture, jewelry, glass, lighting and office machine design. Sottsass was born on 14 September 1917 in Innsbruck, Austria, and grew up in Milan, where his father was an architect. In 1956, Ettore Sottsass began working as a design consultant for Olivetti, designing office equipment...
Category

1990s European Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Twenty-Seven Woods, Chinese Artificial Flower Vase Omega by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Design Gallery Milano
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Twenty-seven woods for a Chinese artificial flower vase omega by Ettore Sottsass, Edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition ...
Category

1990s European Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Aluminum

Ceramic Shiva Flower Vase, Pink Glazed, by Ettore Sottsass, 20th, Spanish
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, ES
The Shiva vase is sculpture and vase. It is a symbol of Ettore Sottsass and an icon. Sottsass designed the Shiva Vase when travelling to Barcelona for love in 1973. He encountered m...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Venini Oman Vase in Gray, Red & Aquamarine by Ettore Sottsass
By Venini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Oman glass vase in Gray/red/aquamarine by Ettore Sottsass. Handblown glass. Numbered edition for year Color: Gray/Red/Aquamarine Dimensions: Ø 33.5 cm, H 40 cm Year of ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Altair Glass Flower Vase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Altair Glass Flower Vase was designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1982. Signed on the base, please see below for further information. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. I...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

5 Atamante Glass Vase, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
5 Atamante vase is in blown glass, and originally designed in 1986 by Ettore Sottsass. Signed on the base, for further information please see authenticity info below. Ettore Sott...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Twenty-Seven Woods for a Chinese Artificial Flower Vase S by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass, Design Gallery Milano
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Twenty-seven woods for a Chinese artificial flower vase S by Ettore Sottsass, edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 signed and numbered pieces, number 10 ...
Category

1990s European Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Shiva Flower Vase by Ettore Sottsass, Pink, Glazed Ceramic, Spanish, XXth
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, ES
Sottsass designed the Shiva Vase when travelling to Barcelona for love in 1973. He encountered many cultures, religious symbolism, and inspiration on his travels. The smooth, curving...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Ettore Sottsass Alessio Sarri Pottery Centerpiece Italian Postmodern Memphis
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Wilton, CT
Vintage Ettore Sottsass ET4 postmodern centerpiece with lopsided walls and garden green glaze produced by Alessio Sarri, circa 1980's. 4 3/4" high, 9 3/4" wide, 9 3/4" deep. Excellen...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects

Materials

Pottery

Ettore Sottsass decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.

Ettore Sottsass decorative objects are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of glass and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Ettore Sottsass decorative objects, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 95 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 67 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original decorative objects 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 decorative objects by Fulvio Bianconi, Alessandro Mendini, and Paolo Venini. Prices for Ettore Sottsass decorative objects can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $201 and can go as high as $75,474, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,337.
Questions About Ettore Sottsass Decorative Objects
  • 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 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 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 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 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 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.
  • 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.

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