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.
ETTORE SOTTSASS "Poker" prototype ring
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Gilded silver ring With onyx elements 70.4 g Size 61 Designed ca 1983 by Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007) - Edited by CLETO MUNARI This rare and architectural ring is UNIQUE. It is a PR...
Onyx, Vermeil
ETTORE SOTTSASS "SCIVOLO" a Statement 18ct gold onyx diamonds ring 1980'
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Large 18ct gold ring, long rectangular gold table on which is set a black onyx disc, a small bar set with diamonds. Size 61 37,9 g ca 1983-1984 Edited by CLETO MUNARI Edition of 9 +...
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
ETTORE SOTTSASS "Portal" 18ct gold mono earring, 2002
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Bruxelles, BE
“Portal” Single earring Collection “La Seduzione” 18 ct gold 12,6 g 2002 Edited by CLETO MUNARI Limited edition of 9 + 1AP In the early 1980s, Italian designer Cleto Munari develop...
18k Gold
$80,135 / set
L 2.96 in
Fairies Earrings in 18ct White Gold with 8.95ct White Diamonds Sybarite Jewell
By Sybarite Jewellery
Located in London, GB
Discover Sybarite’s Fairies Earrings in white gold with 8.95ct diamonds. A magical tribute to day, night, and the multifaceted beauty of femininity. Sybarite "Fairies" Dangle Earring...
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
Oval Simulated Topaz Halo Dome Ring
By Bijoux Num
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Halo Oval Simulated Yellow Topaz and Simulated Diamond Vermeil Dome Ring This bold cocktail ring features beautiful top quality 6.5ct oval simulated topaz with halo round simulated ...
Other, Sterling Silver, 18k Gold, Vermeil
$1,000Sale Price|20% Off
Heidi Abrahamson Pearl Gold Gilt Sterling Silver Handmade Post Modernist Ring
By Heidi Abrahamson
Located in Palm Springs, CA
14k gold leaf over sterling silver and a natural pearl within cocktail created by ring Heidi Abrahamson. Ring is a finger size 6 3/4 to 7. In very good vintage 2010 condition.
Natural Pearl, Pearl, Sterling Silver, Gold, Vermeil
Rare Bent Exner Danish Modernist Kinetic Sterling Silver Vermeil Ring
By Bent Exner
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Rare sterling silver ring with a light wash of gold on the kinetic rocking balls. Created by Bent Exner of Denmark in the 1960s. Size 5.5 and in very good condition.
Vermeil, Sterling Silver
1980s European 18k gold, onyx and diamond ring
Located in London, GB
This beautiful European 18k gold and onyx cocktail ring is adorned with white gold and 0.35 c round cut diamonds. It is a hefty piece that is very comfortable to wear and it can be r...
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold
Augustine Jewels Sky Blue Topaz and Cream Enamel Cocktail Ring
Located in London, GB
From our Aurora Collection, this stunning Sky Blue Topaz and White Enamel Ring takes inspiration from sensational Bright Blue lights that can often be spotted in the skies above Scan...
Topaz, Blue Topaz, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Antique 18ct White Gold Onyx & Diamond Deco Ring
Located in Brighton, GB
Antique Onyx & Diamond Ring 18ct White Gold Tested A Fabulous Rectangular Shaped Onyx with Diamond Centre & Border. Handmade Conversion Piece From a 1920’s Cufflink Measures Appr...
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 18ct Gold Diamond Stud Earrings
Located in Brighton, GB
Vintage Diamond Stud Earrings 18ct Yellow & White Gold Beautiful Little Rub Over Set Diamond Stud Earrings. Set with Old European Cut Diamonds from an Old Antique Brooch...
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Augustine Jewels Peridot and Navy Enamel Cocktail Ring
Located in London, GB
From our Aurora Collection, this stunning Peridot and Navy Enamel Ring takes inspiration from Bright Green and Dark Blue naturally occurring light display known as the Aurora Boreali...
Peridot, 14k Gold, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Tsavorite Diamond Interlocking Claw Ring
By Meghna Jewels
Located in Hoffman Estate, IL
Handcrafted in 18K and sterling silver. It is set in 1.25 carat tsavorite and 1.90 carat diamonds. Wear this dramatic piece to add edge to feminine cocktail outfits. This ring has a ...
Diamond, White Diamond, Tsavorite, Yellow Gold, Vermeil, Rhodium, Silver
Large Ornate Vermeil Sterling 6 Carat Amethyst Diamond Ring Size 8
Located in Webster, SD
This stunning estate ring is gold vermeil over sterling silver. It features a faceted amethyst, estimated to be around 6 carats, accented by genuine diamonds. The face of this ring ...
Amethyst, Diamond, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
Ammanii Green Chrysoprase and Zircon 18k Gold Vermeil Cocktail Ring
By Ammanii
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
The Queen statement ring is beautifully handcrafted from vermeil gold, sterling silver base with 18k yellow gold plating, in our signature satin finish with green Chrysoprase and han...
Chrysophrase, Zircon, 18k Gold, Vermeil, Sterling Silver
Ettore Sottsass "Ruota" 'Wheel' 18 Carat and Coral Ring, Limited Edition 1997
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Indulge in the sheer magnificence of an extraordinary creation: an 18ct gold and coral wheel ring designed by the esteemed Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007), an influential figure in 20th-...
Coral, 18k Gold