From his cheerful Getsuen Lily chair to his provocative Ginza robot cabinet, Masanori Umeda’s furniture designs are often described by critics and collectors alike as poetic, ironic and full of whimsy.
Umeda was born in 1941 in Kanagawa, graduating from Tokyo’s Kuwasawa Design School in 1962. In 1967, he moved to Milan, Italy, where he began his design career working in the studio of Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. From 1970 to 1979, Umeda was a design consultant for the Olivetti studio, and there he met prolific furniture designer and architect Ettore Sottsass, who founded the Memphis Group, Italy's boldest, brashest postmodern design movement.
In the early 1980s, Umeda joined Memphis, creating his most famous piece, the Tawayara boxing ring seating unit in 1981. Comprising a monochrome, Tatami matte floor, tie-dyed cushions, bungee-style ropes and flexible lighting at each of the four corners, the Tawayara was Umeda’s homage to space-constrained Japanese living areas. It remains one of Umeda’s rarest pieces (only 30 were ever made). Fashion designer and icon Karl Lagerfeld once owned a Tawayara boxing ring that featured prominently in his Monaco apartment.
In 1986, Umeda returned to Japan and opened his U-MetaDesign Studio (now Umeda Design Studio Inc.) in Tokyo, garnering accolades for his uniquely lighthearted collection of armchairs, lounge chairs, table lamps and decorative objects.
Over the course of his career, Umeda has won several awards, including the BraunPrize in 1968, the Grand Prix of Japan Display Design Award in 1981, the Japan Commercial Space Design Award in 1984 and the Grand Prix of Good Design Award in 1990.
Umeda continues to design furnishings that embody the spirit of postmodernism, enjoying collaborations with Memphis Milano and Italian furniture manufacturer Edra. His pieces have been exhibited internationally and are held in the collections of museums around the world, including the M+ Museum in Hong Kong, which acquired more than 180 of his works in 2015.
On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Masanori Umeda seating, lighting and serveware.
TAWARAYA "Boxing Ring" Seating Pod by Masanori Umed, Memphis Design, Japan, 1983
By Masanori Umeda
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
The TAWARAYA Ring by Masanori Umeda for MEMPHIS srl is one of that design movements most famous & critically-discussed pieces from the inaugural MEMP...
Laminate, Wood
$22,400Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 23.63 in W 43.31 in D 27.56 in
Seating as Minimalist Sculpture, 4 Elements by Uredat, 1969, Mohair Upholstery
By Klaus Uredat, COR
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Amazing, museum quality, modular 'CORBI' seating set, composed of four elements, designed by Klaus Uredat for 'COR', Germany, 1969 complete with the original purchase invoice dated 1972. After receiving many requests to do so, we have carefully unpicked and removed the original custom order pop art upholstery and have now recovered the set in a more neutral, high quality mohair upholstery. A rare, beautiful and highly sculptural pure elemental design, the large dimensions of each .Corbi' seating element allow for them to be used equally as either individual lounge chairs or as a modular sofa. This particular set is a must for serious collectors, this set comes complete with the original German purchase invoice from 1972, which also confirms the additional expense of the custom order upholstery, we have carefully unpicked and kept the original upholstery fabric should the buyer wish to retain it for provenance (please see photos 14 and 15 which illustrate the set with it's original upholstery). The sculptural 'Corbi' modular lounge chair was designed in 1969 and only remained in limited scale production for a few years up to circa 1974. Today this super elegant design is both very popular and now extremely difficult to find due to the passage of time and the limited total production numbers so a large set of elements such as this, is really a rare opportunity. Each 'Corbi' element is composed of two independent Minimalist sculptural forms, one base element and one cylindrical seat back. With the base elements positioned end to end, day beds may...
Foam, Wood, Mohair
$13,265 / item
H 25.2 in W 96.07 in D 96.07 in
Saba Pixel Large Seating Pouf in Extra Kami A1 Upholstery by Sergio Bicego
By Sergio Bicego
Located in Brooklyn, NY
From the creativity of Sergio Bicego comes Pixel sofa, featuring a series of elements that can be freely combined, thanks to an exclusive connector created ...
Upholstery
$5,722 / set
H 21.66 in W 24.02 in D 36.23 in
Italian Mid-Century Modular Sofa or Seating Set in Ochre Boucle, 1970s Italy
Located in Zagreb, HR
Italian Mid-Century Modern lounge chairs or club chairs. Modules can be used as a modular sofa or modular seating set. Beautiful and unique shape. A 1970 design and production, fully...
Bouclé, Upholstery, Foam, Wood
1 Steelcase Modular Seating Group Lounge
By Steelcase
Located in Pasadena, TX
Turnstone for Steelcase Jenny Collection Designed with posture and a better sitting experience in mind, Jenny Modular seating provides ultimate comfort...
Wood
Chadwick Modular Seating by Herman Miller, 1975, Cornflower Blue
By Don Chadwick, Herman Miller
Located in Reading, Berkshire
An Original Don Chadwick for Herman Miller Chadwick Modular Seating Comprising of Four Separate Modular Seating Chairs In Original Cornflower ...
Wool, Foam
Harvey Probber “Cubo” Nuclear Seating Modular Sofa
By Harvey Probber
Located in Bensalem, PA
Original Harvey Probber tagged sofa.Circa 1970s from the Cubo line 10 pieces included, comes with original black plinth bases as seen please look at pictures and video for overall de...
Upholstery
$7,250 / set
H 26 in W 80.75 in D 29.5 in
Martin Visser SZ13 Three-Piece Leather Sectional Seating Group
By 't Spectrum Bergeijk, Martin Visser
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Produced by Dutch manufacturer 't Spectrum, the SZ13 seating system by Martin Visser pairs tubular chrome frames with thick sling-style leather seats and backrests. The three-piece g...
Chrome
$13,218 / item
H 20.48 in W 96.07 in D 96.07 in
Saba Pixel Small Seating Pouf in Extra Kami A1 Upholstery by Sergio Bicego
By Sergio Bicego
Located in Brooklyn, NY
From the creativity of Sergio Bicego comes Pixel sofa, featuring a series of elements that can be freely combined, thanks to an exclusive connector created ...
Upholstery
Roberto Matta for Gavina “Malitte” Modular Seating System
By Roberto Matta, Gavina
Located in Pawtucket, RI
Included in the permanent collection of MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City: "Malitte is a seating system, an ever-changing composition of f...
Textile, Foam
$9,729
H 27.96 in W 120.48 in D 29.93 in
George Nelson, Modular Sofa and Table Seating System, 1966 for Herman Miller
By Herman Miller, George Nelson
Located in Munster, NRW
George Nelson for Herman Miller, 1960s, United States. Very fine Modular §seater sofa by George Nelson (1908-1986) for Herman Miller. This sofa has a metal frame with square chro...
Steel, Chrome
Preview Sectional Designed by M. Fillmore Harty
By Preview, M. Fillmore Harty
Located in Chicago, IL
Discover a blend of comfort and style with this L-shaped sectional sofa designed by M. Fillmore Harty for Preview Furniture. With its three distinct sections, the sofa accommodates up to five people with ease, making it a versatile choice for various settings. Newly re-upholstered in plush foam, it promises a cushioned seating experience. The sofa shines with its sophisticated eggplant-colored mohair upholstery, adding a touch of elegance to any living space. A unique feature is its geometrically curved...
Mohair
$9,156
H 25.6 in W 100.79 in D 37.41 in
Tacchini Le Mura sectional in chenille fabric sofa designed by Mario Bellini
By Mario Bellini, Tacchini
Located in Offenburg, Baden Wurthemberg
in 1972 famous architect Mario Bellini designed the Le Mura sectional sofa for Cassina. after 50 years, in 2022 , famous Italian manufacturer launched this re-edition, celebrating on...
Fabric, Foam, Plywood