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Ettore Sottsass Bookcases

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
Carlton Wood Miniature Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Here you are shown an authentic and perfect reproduction of the Carlton bookcase, originally designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass. The vivid colors and...
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Bookcases

Materials

Wood, Plastic

Bookcase Cabinet Donau, Ettore Sottsass & Marco Zanini for Franz Leitner, 1980s
By Ettore Sottsass, Marco Zanini
Located in Zagreb, HR
A rare Memphis design bookcase cabinet from the "Donau" series designed in 1986 by Ettore Sottsass and Marco Zanini for the Austrian furniture maker...
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1980s Austrian Post-Modern Vintage Ettore Sottsass Bookcases

Materials

Metal

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

Materials

Wood, Plastic

Suvretta Plastic Bookcase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Group, Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Suvretta bookcase in plastic laminate was originally designed in 1981, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Ettore Sottsass Bookcases

Materials

Plastic

Carlton 30th Anniversary Bookcase by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Design
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Ravenna, IT
Carlton is the most famous and iconic of all the objects designed for Memphis Milano. The piece was designed by Ettore Sottsass and first presented at the historic Memphis exhibition...
Category

2010s Italian Post-Modern Ettore Sottsass Bookcases

Materials

Laminate, Wood

'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 Bookcases

Materials

Laminate, Wood

Malabar Bookshop by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milan
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
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 Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Ettore Sottsass "Giornio" bookcase Published by Fontana Arte
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Saint ouen, FR
Ettore Sottsass "Giornio" bookcase Published by Fontana Arte (Shopenhauer Prod.) Circa 1990 Lacquered wood / glass W 240 x H 224.8 x D 40 cm Perfect condition.
Category

1990s Ettore Sottsass Bookcases

Materials

Glass

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 Bookcases

Materials

Laminate, Wood, Plywood, Scrap Wood

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 Bookcases

Materials

Fiberglass

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Ettore Sottsass bookcases for sale on 1stDibs.

Ettore Sottsass bookcases are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Ettore Sottsass bookcases, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 4 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 6 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original bookcases by Ettore Sottsass were created in the modern style in europe during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider bookcases by Memphis Milano, Glas Italia, and LapiegaWD. Prices for Ettore Sottsass bookcases can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,003 and can go as high as $32,386, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $15,623.
Questions About Ettore Sottsass Bookcases
  • 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 ExpertApril 5, 2022
    The Carlton room divider is a Memphis-style icon made of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and plastic laminate. A highly sculptural piece, it features a bookcase, drawers and shelves painted in lovely muted primary colors. Shop Carlton room dividers from top sellers 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 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 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 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 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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