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Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

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 for Design Centre/Poltronova ‘Bruco’ Wall Lights
Ettore Sottsass for Design Centre/Poltronova ‘Bruco’ Wall Lights

Ettore Sottsass for Design Centre/Poltronova ‘Bruco’ Wall Lights

By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass

Located in Waalwijk, NL

Ettore Sottsass for Design Centre/Poltronova, ‘Bruco’ wall light from the Mobili Grigi series, chrome-plated brass, methacrylate (translucent Perspex), enameled aluminum, Italy, 1970...

Category

1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Aluminum, Brass, Chrome

20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova
20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova

20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova

By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass

Located in Torino, Piemonte

Ettore Sottsass was a 20th-century Italian architect, noted for also designing furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting, home and office wares, as well as numerous buildings and interio...

Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Opal

Modern Murano Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Venini, Signed ca. 1994
Modern Murano Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Venini, Signed ca. 1994

Modern Murano Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Venini, Signed ca. 1994

By Ettore Sottsass, Venini

Located in Merida, Yucatan

Beautiful table lamps in orange and green hand-blown Murano glass. Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Venini and manufactured in 1994. The glass shade is signed "Venini ". We have the ...

Category

1990s Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Murano Glass

Six Modern Table Lamps in Murano by Ettore Sottsass for Venini, Signed ca. 1994
Six Modern Table Lamps in Murano by Ettore Sottsass for Venini, Signed ca. 1994

Six 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 blue swirl hand-blown Murano glass. Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Venini and manufactured in 1994. The glass shade is signed "Venini ". Priced ind...

Category

1990s Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Murano Glass

Stoja Wall Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for IKEA, Sweden, 1970s
Stoja Wall Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for IKEA, Sweden, 1970s

Stoja Wall Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for IKEA, Sweden, 1970s

By Ettore Sottsass, IKEA

Located in Stockholm, SE

This “Stoja” wall lamp was designed by Ettore Sottsass for IKEA during the late 1970s, as part of the company’s short-lived collaboration with external architects and designers. The ...

Category

1970s Swedish Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Plastic, Wood

Ettore Sottsass Fiorucci Memphis Black Glass Wall Light 3x Targetti Sankey, 1980
Ettore Sottsass Fiorucci Memphis Black Glass Wall Light 3x Targetti Sankey, 1980

Ettore Sottsass Fiorucci Memphis Black Glass Wall Light 3x Targetti Sankey, 1980

By Targetti Sankey, Ettore Sottsass, Vittorio Fiorucci

Located in Vienna, AT

Three (3x) Ettore Sottsass designed for Fiorucci, produced by Targetti Sankey, Italy 1980 Please note, unlike the ad says it's a set of 3 pieces; if you need just 2 please inquire....

Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Aluminum

Ettore Sottsass Fiorucci Memphis Black Glass Wall Light 3x Targetti Sankey, 1980
Ettore Sottsass Fiorucci Memphis Black Glass Wall Light 3x Targetti Sankey, 1980

Ettore Sottsass Fiorucci Memphis Black Glass Wall Light 3x Targetti Sankey, 1980

By Targetti Sankey, Ettore Sottsass, Vittorio Fiorucci

Located in Vienna, AT

Three (3x) Ettore Sottsass designed for Fiorucci, produced by Targetti Sankey, Italy 1980 Please note, unlike the ad says it's a set of 3 pieces; if you need just 2 please inquire....

Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Aluminum

Related Items
Memphis Milano Tahiti Lamp by Ettore Sottsass
Memphis Milano Tahiti Lamp by Ettore Sottsass

Memphis Milano Tahiti Lamp by Ettore Sottsass

$2,300

H 27.6 in W 13.8 in D 3.9 in

Memphis Milano Tahiti Lamp by Ettore Sottsass

By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass

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Tahiti, a masterpiece by Ettore Sottsass, is an ironic lamp with a zoomorphic shape that recalls childhood games: a lamp is hidden in the head, ideal for lighting a table. The base w...

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2010s Italian Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

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Ettore Sottsass Callimaco Floor Lamp for Artemide
Ettore Sottsass Callimaco Floor Lamp for Artemide

Ettore Sottsass Callimaco Floor Lamp for Artemide

$2,535 / item

H 78.75 in Dm 15.375 in

Ettore Sottsass Callimaco Floor Lamp for Artemide

By Ettore Sottsass, Artemide

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Ettore Sottsass 'Callimaco' floor lamp for Artemide. Originally created in 1982, Ettore Sottsass’ “horn” of light creates the remarkable illusion of an oversized musical instrument...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

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19th Century  Pair Italian White Porcelain Baroque Mirrors with Flowers
19th Century  Pair Italian White Porcelain Baroque Mirrors with Flowers

19th Century Pair Italian White Porcelain Baroque Mirrors with Flowers

Located in Brescia, IT

Beautiful and fine pair of white Maiolica mirrors with elegant multi-color flowers drawings, in Baroque Style, handmade in Bassano by the well known Manufacturer Antonibon, coming fr...

Category

Early 19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Iron

Rare Exclusive Vintage Wall Lamps from IKEA Sweden, Type V204, 1980s
Rare Exclusive Vintage Wall Lamps from IKEA Sweden, Type V204, 1980s

Rare Exclusive Vintage Wall Lamps from IKEA Sweden, Type V204, 1980s

By IKEA

Located in Praha, CZ

- Made in Sweden - Made of plastic, metal - Re-polished - Fully functional - Good, original condition.

Category

1980s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Plastic

Italian modern Red metal Wall lamp by Sankey Targetti, 1970s
Italian modern Red metal Wall lamp by Sankey Targetti, 1970s

Italian modern Red metal Wall lamp by Sankey Targetti, 1970s

By Targetti Sankey

Located in MIlano, IT

Italian modern Red metal Wall lamp by Sankey Targetti, 1970s Round base wall lamp in bright red painted metal. The structure tends to narrow towards the bulb holder and tends to wide...

Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Metal

Pair of Early 19th Century Continental Neoclassical Giltwood Sconce Mirrors
Pair of Early 19th Century Continental Neoclassical Giltwood Sconce Mirrors

Pair of Early 19th Century Continental Neoclassical Giltwood Sconce Mirrors

Located in Essex, MA

Pair of early 19th century continental sconce mirrors with original early glass and original gilding. Two arm sconces for candles. Great size and wo...

Category

Early 19th Century Danish Neoclassical Antique Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

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Mirror, Beech, Giltwood

Targetti Sankey Ceiling or Wall Mounts II
Targetti Sankey Ceiling or Wall Mounts II

Targetti Sankey Ceiling or Wall Mounts II

By Targetti Sankey

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Iconic 1970s champagne colored ceiling or wall mount lighting fixtures by Targetti Sankey of Italy. Diameter: 15”. Depth: 4” with out bulb. Depth: 9” with chrome top bulbs.  

Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Aluminum

18th Century, Giltwood Pair of Italian Louis XV Candle Wall Sconce with Mirror
18th Century, Giltwood Pair of Italian Louis XV Candle Wall Sconce with Mirror

18th Century, Giltwood Pair of Italian Louis XV Candle Wall Sconce with Mirror

Located in IT

Pair of Piedmontese Italian candle wall sconce in carved and gilded wood with mirror. Turin (Italy), Louis XV period, mid-18th century The precious pair of sconce, made around th...

Category

Mid-18th Century Italian Louis XV Antique Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

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Pair of 1970s Targetti Sankey Sconces
Pair of 1970s Targetti Sankey Sconces

Pair of 1970s Targetti Sankey Sconces

$995 / set

H 23.63 in Dm 1.97 in

Pair of 1970s Targetti Sankey Sconces

By Targetti Sankey

Located in Echt, NL

Pair of 1970s Targetti Sankey sconces / wall lamps. Chromed metal tube with a black flexible arm. The tube can be moved up and down through the wall mount. If you have any q...

Category

20th Century Italian Space Age Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

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Pair of 18th Century English Giltwood Chinoiserie Mirrors with Candleholders
Pair of 18th Century English Giltwood Chinoiserie Mirrors with Candleholders

Pair of 18th Century English Giltwood Chinoiserie Mirrors with Candleholders

Located in New York, NY

Beautiful pair of antique 18th century George II chinoiserie English carved giltwood mirrors with candleholders. These magnificently hand-carved giltwood mirrors are meticulously detailed and adorned with acanthus leaves flourishing throughout the frame with flowers and vines blossoming all around. On each mirror has a double arm gilt metal candleholder held up by acanthus vines growing upwards out of the plane of the mirrors, the primary wood is pine. From an Important and old NYC...

Category

1780s English Chinoiserie Antique Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Mirror, Giltwood

Previously Available Items
Pair of Sconces, In style of Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsas, 1980s, Italy
Pair of Sconces, In style of Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsas, 1980s, Italy

Pair of Sconces, In style of Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsas, 1980s, Italy

By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano

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 Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Wood

20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova
20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova

20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova

By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass

Located in Torino, Piemonte

Mirror / lighting "Ultrafragola" designed in 1970s by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, in vacuum-formed opaline acrylic. Ultrafragola, with its sinuous shape, evocative of a wavy female hair, belongs to the series of Grey Furniture...

Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Opal

Modern Murano Glass Sconce by Ettore Sottsass for Venini, Signed 1994
Modern Murano Glass Sconce by Ettore Sottsass for Venini, Signed 1994

Modern Murano Glass Sconce by Ettore Sottsass for Venini, Signed 1994

By Ettore Sottsass, Venini

Located in Merida, Yucatan

Beautiful Sconce in orange and green hand-blown Murano glass (These colours fade away when turned on as seen in the photographs). Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Venini and manufactured in 1994...

Category

1990s Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Murano Glass

Ettore Sotsass for Venini Murano Firenze Teal Glass Flush Light Fixture, 1995
Ettore Sotsass for Venini Murano Firenze Teal Glass Flush Light Fixture, 1995

Ettore Sotsass for Venini Murano Firenze Teal Glass Flush Light Fixture, 1995

By Ettore Sottsass, Venini

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Ettore Sotsass for Venini Murano Firenze fresh teal art glass flush light fixture, 1995. Signed and dated. Original production. Comes with installation...

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Murano Glass

20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova
20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova

20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova

By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass

Located in Torino, Piemonte

Mirror / lighting "Ultrafragola" designed in 1970s by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, in vacuum-formed opaline acrylic. Ultrafragola, with its sinuous shape, evocative of a wavy female hair, belongs to the series of Grey Furniture...

Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Opal

20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova
20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova

20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for Poltronova

By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova

Located in Torino, Piemonte

Mirror / lighting "Ultrafragola" designed in 1970s by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, in vacuum-formed opaline acrylic. Ultrafragola, with its sinuous shape, evocative of a wavy female hair, belongs to the series of Grey Furniture...

Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Opal

Sottsass Fiorucci Memphis Wall Light
Sottsass Fiorucci Memphis Wall Light

Sottsass Fiorucci Memphis Wall Light

By Ettore Sottsass

Located in New York, NY

A rare large Ettore Sottsass designed Fiorucci Wall lamp for Targetti circa 1980.

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Metal

Ettore Sottsass wall lights and sconces for sale on 1stDibs.

Ettore Sottsass wall lights and sconces 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 wall lights and sconces, although pink editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original wall lights and sconces by Ettore Sottsass were created in the modern style in italy during the late 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider wall lights and sconces by Mario Botta, Prisma, and Carlo Forcolini. Prices for Ettore Sottsass wall lights and sconces can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,790 and can go as high as $16,471, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,495.

Questions About Ettore Sottsass Wall Lights and Sconces

  • 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
    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 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 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.
  • 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.