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.
Hyatt Side Table by Ettore Sottsass, Chrome & Wood, Post-Modern Italy
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in Toronto, ON
Imposing and superb, Hyatt by Ettore Sottsass evokes the structure of the classical column with the “capital” equal to the base. A side table that certainly does not go unnoticed for...
Metal, Chrome
Ettore Sottsass ‘Harlow’ Dining Table for Poltronova in Dark Blue Lacquer
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Hellouw, NL
Few designers have had as profound an influence on post-war Italian design as Ettore Sottsass. Created during his prolific years with Poltronova, the ‘Harlow’ TPA 240 dining table em...
Steel
Manhattan Trolley by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Manhattan trolley in metal and glass by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano collection Additional information: Trolley in metal and colour...
Metal
Ettore Sottsas Ospite Table Zanotta Postmodern, 1980s
By Ettore Sottsass, Zanotta
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Ettore Sottsass's Ospite dining table. Designed in 1984 and produced by Zanotta. Painted brier veneer top and three brass silver legs.
Brass
Ettore Sottsass Lotto Rosso / Super Loto Dining Table, Poltronova, Italy, 1970s
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
A Lotto Rosso / Super Loto dining table designed by Ettore Sottsass and produced by Poltronova, Italy, 1970s. In very good original condition. Fast ship...
Granite, Metal
Tartar Table, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Tartar Table in laminated wood was originally designed in 1985, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano. Ettore Sottsass was born in ...
Wood
Ettore Sottsass 'Ospite' Dining Table
By Zanotta, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ettore Sottsass 'Ospite' dining table for Zanotta, 1980s.
Silver Plate, Brass
City Chrome-Plated Steel Table, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
City table, designed in 1983 by Ettore Sottsass, is a laminated composite board with chrome-plated steel, and enameled aluminum. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 19...
Steel, Aluminum
$2,561Sale Price|20% Off
Ettore Sottsass Post Modern Laminate Alicudi Dining Table for Zanotta Italy 1990
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Conversano, IT
Designed by Ettore Sottsass and produced by Zanotta in the early 1990s, the Alicudi table represents one of the most refined expressions of the master’s exploration of color, form, a...
Laminate, Wood, Cherry
Ettore Sottsass 'Ivory' Pedestal for Memphis Milano
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Dallas, TX
Ettore Sottsass 'Ivory' Pedestal for Memphis Milano, 1985.
Laminate
Rare Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova Dining Table in Teak
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, dining table, teak, lacquered steel, bronze, Tuscany, Italy, 1959 Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, this table was part of a limited-editio...
Bronze, Steel
“Murmansk” Coffee Table by Ettore Sottsass for Rossi e Arcandi, Italy 1980's
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Striking and sculptural “Murmansk” coffee table designed by Ettore Sottsass and produced by Rossi e Arcandi, Vicenza, Italy. This impressive piece captures Sottsass’s postmodern mast...
Steel, Nickel
Ettore Sottsass Lipari Side Table Zanotta Italy 1992 Postmodern Memphis Design
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A postmodern “Lipari” side table designed by Ettore Sottsass for Zanotta, Italy 1992. Original label adhered on underside. Silk-screened laminate top on beech wood with an anthracite...
Laminate, Wood
Postmodern Dining Table by Ettore Sottsass, Italy, 1980s
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Antwerp, BE
Round dining table designed by Ettore Sottsass, a piece of postmodern design in Memphis style. The solid wood round top is supported by four metal legs with wooden bases. This table ...
Metal
Freemont Gilded Wood Console, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Freemont gilded wood console in wood, plastic laminate and aluminum. Designed in 1985, by Ettore Sottsass. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck i...
Wood, Plastic
Mimosa Side Table by Ettore Sottsass: Glass & Wood, Post-Modern Design
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Toronto, ON
With its elementary shapes and delicate pastel colours, Mimosa by Ettore Sottsass seems to have come out of the world of childhood or dreams. This work asks us to free our imaginatio...
Glass, Laminate, Wood
Palm Springs Briar Dining Table by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Palm Springs dining table, in briar and plastic laminate was originally designed in 1984, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. ...
Wood, Plastic
Alcor Glass Vase, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Alcor Glass Vase was designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1983 for Memphis. Signed on the base. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated in architecture at...
Glass
Ettore Sottsass Coffee Table for Poltronova, 1959, Italy.
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brussels, BE
Ettore Sottsass rare coffee table for Poltronova, 1959, Italy. Walnut, cherry wood and brass top. Black metal feet. Dimensions: 80cm W, 80 cm D, 40 cm H. Original unrestored collecto...
Metal, Brass
Ettore Sottsass Tony Table Post-Modern Italy, circa 1970
By Ettore Sottsass, Anthologie Quartett 1
Located in Vienna, AT
A fine example of the work of Ettore Sottsass, the Tony 3 table was imagined by the famous designer in 1979. This piece was published by Anthology Quartett around 1984. It is charact...
Plastic, Wood
Mimosa End Table with Glass Top, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Mimosa end table in plastic laminate with glass top, designed in 1984, by Ettore Sottsass. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated in architecture at the...
Glass, Plastic
Park Lane Coffee Table by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Milano
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Park Lane coffee table in fiberglass & marble by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano collection Additional information: Coffee table in fi...
Fiberglass
Ettore Sottsass City Dining Table for Memphis Milano, 1983
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Kansas City, MO
Ettore Sottsass "City" dining table in black and brown spotted laminate with chrome plated steel legs. Very good condition with light scratches seen upon close inspection in raking ...
Steel, Chrome
Ettore Sottsass Rocchettone table model no. T36, ca. 1965 for Poltronova, Italy
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Skokie, IL
Ettore Sottsass Rocchettone table model no. T36, ca. 1965 for Poltronova, Italy circa 1965. Materials: Walnut, lacquered wood, gilt wood. Dimensions: 11 3/4" h x 14" dia Con...
Wood
Ettore Sottsass Custom Burl, Oak Coffee Table from Max Palevsky Residence, 1984
By Ettore Sottsass, Sottsass Associati
Located in Kansas City, MO
This one of a kind custom coffee table designed by Ettore Sottsass is from the Max Palevsky Residence, Malibu, CA. Beautiful burl wood top with oak frame and polished aluminum feet. ...
Chrome, Aluminum
Ettore Sottsass & Marco Zanini for Leitner Donau Collection Bed and Nightstand
By Memphis Group, Marco Zanini, Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Forney, TX
A rare and iconic Italian post-modern Donau Collection bed and matching nightstand designed by master architect and furniture designer Ettore Sottsass (Austria/Italy, 1917-2007) in collaboration with Marco Zanini (Milan, Italy; b.1971) for Leitner Interior Design, circa 1988. Scarce design, bold and dramatic, sculptural-form, exceptionally executed in bird’s-eye maple lacquered and laminated wood, including blue accents and columns that offer a visually striking contrast. Retaining the original manufacturer's label, signed, 195/88. Provenance / Acquisition: Acquired from highly reputable auction house Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas. Design Signature Auction catalog #8110 Dimensions: (approx) Bed: (Twin XL...
Laminate, Wood
Ettore Sottsass Calice Sculptural Side Table or Stool in Lime Green for Kartell
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Toronto, ON
Ettore Sottsass “Calice” sculptural vase for Kartell, designed in 2015 as part of the Kartell Goes Sottsass collection. Drawing on the Italian designer’s unmistakable Postmodern and ...
Plastic
Ettore Sottsass Calice Sculptural Side Table or Stool in Black for Kartell
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Toronto, ON
Ettore Sottsass “Calice” sculptural vase for Kartell, designed in 2015 as part of the Kartell Goes Sottsass collection. Drawing on the Italian designer’s unmistakable Postmodern and ...
Plastic
Cream End Table by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Cream end table in plastic laminate by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano collection Additional information: End tabl...
Plastic
Ettore Sottsass & Michele De Lucchi Table from the 'Icarus' System for Olivetti
By Michele de Lucchi, Ettore Sottsass, Olivetti
Located in Firenze, IT
A significant and rare desk (or dining table) from the 'Icarus' office system, designed by Ettore Sottsass and Michele De Lucchi for Olivetti Synthesis in 1982. The Icarus series rep...
Steel
Pair of Side Tables Primavera by Ettore Sottsass, Italy, 1980s
By Ettore Sottsass, Ultima Edizione
Located in SAINT-OUEN, FR
Iconic pair set of side end low coffee cocktail bedside nightstand tables or gueridon model Primavera by the italian designer founder of the Memphis Group Ettore Sottsass for the man...
Marble, Metal
Ettore Sottsass Filicudi Dining Table
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Weesp, NL
Extendable Filicudi Dining Table, a masterpiece of design and functionality from the renowned Italian furniture brand, Zanotta. Designed by the legendary Ettore Sottsass in 1992, t...
Laminate, Wood
Ettore Sottsass Contemporary Modern Pair of Mod, "Demistella" Italian Consoles
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Madrid, ES
Pair of demilune shape Console tables mod. "Demistella" designed by Ettore Sottsass. Composed of solid wood and three different marble pieces. Italy 1990s. Ettore Sottsass is one of...
Marble
Ettore Sottsass Set of two Rocchettone Round Side Table by Poltronova 1960s
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Rocchettone side table realized in lacquered walnut wood with bright orange decorations (under the table top and on the base), it was designed by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by ...
Plastic, Wood, Walnut
Volcano Table by Ettore Sottsass for Zanotta
By Ettore Sottsass, Zanotta
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1980s. Italy. Very rare tri leg table with chrome legs and patterned top. Tagged.
Chrome
Ettore Sottsass Mobile 5-B Side Tables, Pair Oak Design Edizion
By Ettore Sottsass, Oak Design Edizioni
Located in Kansas City, MO
Very rare pair of Ettore Sottsass Mobile 5-B end / side tables by Oak Design Edizioni, Italy, 2000. Very good to excellent condition. Heavy weighted bases make these very stable. Not...
Stainless Steel
Ettore Sottsass Montenegro Carrara Marble & Granite Console for Ultima Edizione
By Ultima Edizione, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Almelo, NL
Ettore Sottsass Montenegro Carrara Marble & Granite Console for Ultima Edizione 1980s The Montenegro console table, created by Ettore Sottsass in...
Granite, Carrara Marble
Donau Dining Set by Ettore Sottsass and Marco Zanini for Leitner, Italy, 1980s
By Marco Zanini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Antwerp, BE
Designed by Ettore Sottsass in collaboration with Marco Zanini for the Austrian manufacturer Leitner, the Donau dining set forms part of a rare and ambitious body of work produced in...
Wood
Ettore Sottsass Single Bedside Table for Poltronova, Italy, 1963
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Milan, IT
Ettore Sottsass single bedside table for Poltronova Original Label Italy, 1963.
Wood
Italian modern dining table Loto Rosso Ettore Sottsass Poltronova, 1960s
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern dining table Loto Rosso by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1960s Dining table model Loto Rosso with round white marble top. The cylindrical central structure is made o...
Marble, Metal
Square table model "Mettsass" by Ettore Sottsass red glass, 20th century design
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Barcelona, ES
One of Sottsass first designs for BD, the "Mettsass" has lost none of the personality with which Sottsass designed it for BD some 40 years ago, in 1972. The structure is made of flat...
Glass
$10,804Sale Price|30% Off
Marble Montenegro Console Table by Ettore Sottsass for Ultima Edizione, 1980s
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in amstelveen, NL
Marble console table, Montenegro model, by Ettore Sottsass, Ultima Edizione, Italy, 1980 The top is made of black marble and held by two white marble pedestals. Iconic designer Etto...
Marble
Mettsass Table in Black by Ettore Sottsass Jr. for BD Barcelona
By BD Barcelona Design, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Metsass table designed by Ettore Sottsass Jr. for BD Barcelona. The structure is made of flat sheets of steel, painted in red. The glass top is painted in the same color as the base....
Steel
Ettore Sottsass Monumental Walnut and Rosso Verona Marble, Italy 1960s
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Almelo, NL
Ettore Sottsass Monumental Walnut and Rosso Verona Marble, Italy 1960s Monumental walnut and rosso verona marble table designed by Ettore Sottsass in the 1960s, for the fine Italian manufacturer Poltronova. This enormous table...
Marble, Brass
$8,552 / item
Mettsass Dining Table, Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Geneve, CH
Mettsass dining table, Ettore Sottsass Dimensions: 110 x 110 x 73 H cm Materials: steel, glass The structure is of flat sheets of steel painted in red. The glass on the top is p...
Steel
Ettore Sottsass, Square Coffee Table, Poltronova, Italy 1950s
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Ettore Sottsass Square Living Room Table manufactured circa 1959 by Poltronova, Italy teak with patinated metal legs, on adjustable brass feet 77cm wide, 77cm deep, 38cm high Litera...
Metal, Brass
Ettore Sottsass Rocchettone Round Side Table in Walnut Wood by Poltronova 1960s
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Rocchettone side table realized in lacquered walnut wood with bright orange decorations (under the table top and on the base), it was designed by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by ...
Wood, Plastic, Walnut
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...
Marble
Ettore Sottsass, Pirulino Coffee Table, model TC70, 1963
By Poltronova, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Wargrave, Berkshire
Ettore Sottsass Pirulino Coffee Table, model TC70 designed in 1963 and manufactured by Poltronova, Italy rosewood and ash woods, fitted two back-to-back drawers, on castors with part...
Ash, Rosewood
1983 Ettore Sottsass for Knoll Central Park Marble Coffee Table, Marble & Glass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Central Park coffee table, designed in 1983 by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll Studio. The design was part of his West Side collection, and the middle of the table is meant to re...
Marble
Ettore Sottsass Rectangular Wooden Coffee Table by Poltronova 1960s Italy
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Cascina, Pisa
A rectangular low coffee table entirely made in wood, designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Agliana 1960s. The son of an architect, Ettore Sottsass Jr. (1917-2007) was born i...
Wood
Ettore Sottsass “Loto” Carrara Marble Dining Table, Poltronova 1960s
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova "Loto" round dining table in white Carrara marble and black lacquered metal. Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007) was an Italian architect and designer, best ...
Carrara Marble
Etrusco Entry Cabinet with Mirror by Ettore Sottsass for Glas Italia
By Glas Italia, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
Designed by Ettore Sottsass for Glas Italia, the Etrusco is a striking entryway cabinet that combines sculptural elegance with functional design. Featuring a full-length crystal mirr...
Mirror, Wood
City table by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Ravenna, IT
Table designed by Ettore Sottrass for Zanotta in 1990. The supporting legs are sinuous and rounded, while the top is decorated with floral shapes. Unique piece, discontinued. Underne...
Steel
"Filicudi" coffee table by Ettore Sottsass and Marco Zanini for Zanotta 1993
By Ettore Sottsass, Marco Zanini, Zanotta
Located in Renens, CH
Coffee table form the "Filicudi" series by Ettore Sottsass and Marco Zanini for Zanotta Italy 1993. Beautiful and sculptural coffee table which stands on four diabolo shaped beachwo...
Laminate, Pearwood
"Le Strutture Tremano" Stand by Ettore Sottsass for Belux Edition
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brussels, BE
"Le Strutture Tremano" stand by Ettore Sottsass for Belux Edition.
Metal
21st Century Ettore Sottsas Demistella Console in Briar, Polychrome Marble, Wood
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in massa, IT
Polychrome marble console designed by Ettore Sottsass. Description: Console with top in polychrome marble, wood, Macchia Vecchia Marble, Marquinia Bla...
Marble
Vintage 'Donau' Collection Coffee Table by Ettore Sottsass and Marco Zanini
By Marco Zanini, Ettore Sottsass
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Incredibly rare and exceptional post-modern coffee table by the two of the masters of design, Ettore Sottsass and Marco Zanini. Table is executed in birds eye maple has blue tubular ...
Wood
Coffee Table in Laminated Wood by Ettore Sottsass for Alessi, Italy
By Ettore Sottsass, Alessi
Located in Asti, Piemonte
A beautiful coffee table in laminated wood designed by Ettore Sottsass for Alessi, circa 1990. Biography Ettore Sottsass (Italian, 1917–2007) was an architect and designer, labeled ...
Wood
Memphis Milano "Mimosa" Postmodern Side Table / Coffee table by Ettore Sottsass
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1984 for Memphis Milano, the "Mimosa" side table feels as though it has emerged directly from the realm of childhood or a dre...
Glass, Laminate, Wood