Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Italian
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 Memphis story begins in 1980, when Ettore Sottsass, then a beacon of Italian postmodernism, tapped a coterie of younger designers to develop a collection for the Milan Furniture Fair the next year, determined that all the new furniture they were then seeing was boring. Their mission: Boldly reject the stark minimalism of the 1970s and shatter the rules of form and function. (Sottsass’s Ultrafragola mirror, designed in 1970, embodied many of what would become the collective’s postmodern ideals.)
The group decided to design, produce and market their 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.
So as a record of Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile” played on repeat, they took their name from the song, devised their marketing strategy and plotted the postmodern look that would come to define the decade of excess — primary colors, blown-up proportions, playful nods to Art Deco and Pop art. A high-low mix of materials also helped define Memphis, as evidenced by Javier Mariscal’s pastel serving trays, which feature laminate veneer — a material previously used only in kitchens — as well as Shiro Kuramata’s Nara and Kyoto tables made from colored glass-infused terrazzo.
An image of Sottsass posing with his collaborators in a conversation pit shaped like a boxing ring appeared in magazines all over the world, and Karl Lagerfield furnished his Monte Carlo penthouse entirely in Memphis furniture. Meanwhile, members like Andrea Branzi, Aldo Cibic, Michele de Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Kuramata, Paola Navone, Peter Shire, George Sowden, Sottsass and his wife, journalist Barbara Radice, went on to enjoy fruitful careers.
Some people think of the Milan-based collective as the design equivalent to Patrick Nagel’s kitschy screenprints, but for others Memphis represents what made the early 1980s so great: freedom of expression, dizzying patterns and off-the-wall colors.
Eventually, the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990s minimalism, and Memphis fell out of fashion. Sottsass left the group in 1985, and by 1987, it had disbanded. Yet decades later, Memphis is back and can be traced to today’s most exciting designers.
“As someone who was born in the 1980s, Memphis at times feels like the grown-up, artsy version of the toys I used to play with,” says Shaun Kasperbauer, cofounder of the Brooklyn studio Souda. “It feels a little nostalgic, but at the same time it seems like an aesthetic that’s perfectly suited to an internet age — loud, colorful and utilizing forms that are graphic and often a little unexpected.”
Find a collection of vintage Memphis Group seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Creator: Memphis Group
CHAD Teapot, Designed by Matteo Thun in 1982. For the collection Memphis Milano.
By Matteo Thun, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in Beirut, LB
The Chad teapot (1981) disrupts the habitual characteristics of the object, thanks to a circular form with a hole in the middle.
Matteo Thun wagers on white for a series of objects ...
Category
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Porcelain
Squash Yellow Ashtray, by Maria Sanchez from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Maria Sanchez
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Squash Yellow Ashtray in ceramic was originally designed in 1985 by Maria Sanchez for Memphis Milano. The Squash ashtray is one of the smallest obje...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
1980s Marco Zanini for Bitossi Memphis Milano Black and Blue Ceramic Teapot
By Marco Zanini, Memphis Group
Located in Aci Castello, IT
A Memphis Milano black and blue ceramic tea pot designed by Marco Zanini for Bitossi in perfect conditions. The tea pot by Marco Zanini is a stunning piece of functional art. It embo...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Memphis Style Porcelain Cocktail Accessories by Matteo Thun
By Matteo Thun, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A contemporary manufacture set of porcelain Memphis-style cocktail accessories after designs by Matteo Thun in 1982 for the Memphis group. The pair comprises the 'Michigan' oil holde...
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Porcelain
Matteo Thun Memphis Milano Pair of 'Onega' Cocktail Cups
By Matteo Thun, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A pair of white porcelain 'Onega' cocktail cups, designed by Matteo Thun in 1982 for the Memphis group.
Memphis Milano formed in the 1980s as a response to the rather formulaic de...
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Porcelain
Matteo Thun Memphis Milano Hors d'oeuvre Set
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Matteo Thun
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A Memphis style porcelain tray set for hors d'oeuvres, designed by Matteo Thun in 1982 for the Memphis group. The set comprises the 'Manitoba' tray, 'Michigan' oil holder, 'Erie' sal...
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Porcelain
Rucola Ceramic Plate, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Rucola ceramic dinner plate was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass, in 1985, as part of a series of decorative plates. The playful names of the design items are a reminder of...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Squash Gold Ashtray, by Maria Sanchez from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Maria Sanchez
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Squash Gold Ashtray in ceramic was originally designed in 1985 by Maria Sanchez for Memphis Milano. The Squash ashtray is one of the smallest object...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Potato Ceramic Tray, by George Sowden from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, George Sowden, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Potato Ceramic tray with metal handles, was originally designed in 1985 by George Sowden for Memphis Milano. Red and white porcelain for a roun...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Nefertiti Teapot Matteo Thun for Memphis-Milano Original, 1980s
By Memphis Group, Matteo Thun
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Vintage original 1980s Nefertiti tea pot. Red is vintage color which is no longer production now. There is signature on bottom.
Designed by Matteo Thun for Memphis Milano.
Category
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Broccoli Fruit Bowl, by Marco Zanini from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Marco Zanini, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Ceramic three-level fruit bowl originally designed by Marco Zanini in 1985 for Memphis Milano. The three geometrical shapes in three colors complete the idea of a trilogy.
Marco Zan...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Squash Ashtray, by Maria Sanchez from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Maria Sanchez
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Squash Ashtray is made in ceramic, and is one of the smallest objects in the Memphis Milano collection. The overlapping of shapes and colors are dis...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Squash Purple Ashtray, by Maria Sanchez from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Maria Sanchez
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Squash Purple Ashtray in ceramic was originally designed in 1985 by Maria Sanchez for Memphis Milano. The Squash ashtray is one of the smallest obje...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Chad Teapot, by Matteo Thun from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Matteo Thun
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Chad teapot was originally designed by Matteo Thun for Memphis, in 1982. The decorated white porcelain pot's shape is more interested in its fo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Porcelain
Onega White Porcelain Cup, by Matteo Thun from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Matteo Thun
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The kitchen took a new revolutionary appeal when Matteo Thun designed its series of white decorated porcelains for Memphis Milano. The rite of the quickie espresso changed forever wi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Porcelain
Tomato Ceramic Serving Platter, by Michele De Lucchi from Memphis Milano
By Michele de Lucchi, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Tomato Serving platter was originally designed in 1985 by Michele De Lucchi in ceramic, for Memphis Milano. Here we are offering this item by Memphis Group themselves.
Michele De L...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Ladoga White Porcelain Cocktail Glass, by Matteo Thun from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Matteo Thun
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Ladoga vase or goblet, was originally designed by Matteo Thun for Memphis in 1982, and it takes its name from the biggest European lake. Decorated in white porcelain, a complex s...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Porcelain
Indivia Ceramic Plate, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Indivia ceramic dinner plate was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass, in 1985, as part of a series of decorative plates. The playful names of the design items are a reminder o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Parana Ceramic Fruit Bowl, by Masanori Umeda from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Masanori Umeda, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Trigonal ceramic fruit bowl in pastel colors was originally designed by Masanori Umeda in 1983 for Memphis Milano.
Was born in 1941 at Kanagawa in Japan. He obtained his diploma fro...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Colorado Ceramic Teapot, by Marco Zanini from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Marco Zanini, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Colorado teapot in ceramic was originally designed by Marco Zanini in 1983.
Marco Zanini was born in Trento in 1954. He graduated in architecture ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Murmansk Silver Plated Brass Fruit Bowl, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Murmansk Fruit Bowl in Brass with plated Silver. The "Murmansk" is a fruit bowl is one of the first designs produced by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis in 1982. The sleek bowl is plated silver over brass, and sitting on six stepped legs...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Brass, Silver
Manitoba White Porcelain Tray, by Matteo Thun from Memphis Milano
By Matteo Thun, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Tray in white porcelain. The Manitoba tray was originally designed in 1982 by Matteo Thun, and belongs to the Memphis Milano Collection 1981-1988. The white porcelain tray...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Porcelain
Lettuce White Ceramic Dinner Plate, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Lettuce ceramic dinner plate was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass, in 1985, as part of a series of decorative plates. The playful names of th...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Cauliflower Fruit Bowl, by Nathalie du Pasquier from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Memphis Group, Nathalie du Pasquier
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Cauliflower ceramic fruit bowl was originally designed in 1985 for Memphis Milano by the ingenious pattern designer of the Memphis Group, Nathalie du Pasquier. Enthusiastic, expl...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Celery Serving Plate, by Michele De Lucchi from Memphis Milano
By Michele de Lucchi, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Celery serving plate was originally designed by Michele De Lucchi in 1985.
Michele De Lucchi was born in 1951 in Ferrara and graduated in architecture in Florence during the period of radical and experimental architecture he was a prominent figure in movements like Cavart, Alchymia and Memphis. His architectural designs have been mainly for office buildings in Japan, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. He has taken care of numerous art and design exhibitions and has planned buildings for museums as Triennale di Milano, Palazzo delle Esposizioni di Roma and Neues Museum...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Squash Light Blue Ashtray, by Maria Sanchez from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Maria Sanchez, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Squash Light Blue Ashtray in ceramic was originally designed in 1985 by Maria Sanchez for Memphis Milano. The Squash ashtray is one of the smallest ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Ceramic
Kariba Fruit Bowl, by Matteo Thun from Memphis Milano
By Matteo Thun, Memphis Milano, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Kariba fruit bowl was originally designed by Matteo Thun in 1982 for Memphis.
Born 1952 in Bolzano, Italy. Matteo Thun studies under Oskar Kokoschka at the Salzburg Academy of A...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Porcelain
Aldebaran Glass Fruit Bowl, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Aldebaran Glass Fruit Bowl was designed for Memphis in 1983 by Ettore Sottsass. This bowl features a tapering cylindrical shape with three green handles, with the side decorated ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Glass
Sol Glass Fruit Bowl, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Sol glass fruit bowl was originally designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1982. Signed on the base, for further information please see authenticity info below.
Ettore Sottsass was bo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Glass
Rigel Glass Bowl, by Marco Zanini for Memphis Milano Collection
By Memphis Milano, Marco Zanini, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Rigel Glass Bowl was originally designed by Marco Zanini in 1982. The piece features blue, black, green, red and clear glass with lid and ste...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Glass
Labrador Brass-Plated Silver Sauce-Boat, by Andrea Branzi from Memphis Milano
By Memphis Milano, Andrea Branzi, Memphis Group
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
The Labrador sauce-boat was originally designed by Andrea Branzi in 1982. This piece is featured in brass with plated silver 925, or in solid 925 silver. Prices may vary for the soli...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Materials
Brass, Silver
Memphis Group serveware, ceramics, silver and glass for sale on 1stDibs.
Memphis Group serveware, ceramics, silver and glass are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of ceramic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Memphis Group serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 6 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 25 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original serveware, ceramics, silver and glass by Memphis Group were created in the modern style in italy during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider serveware, ceramics, silver and glass by Richard Hutten, Stefano Giovannoni, and Memphis Milano. Prices for Memphis Group serveware, ceramics, silver and glass can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $104 and can go as high as $5,316, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $530.
Creators Similar to Memphis Group
Questions About Memphis Group Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
- Who was in the Memphis Group?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Numerous artists and designers were in the Memphis Group. Ettore Sottsass founded the collective and served as its leader. Other members included Aldo Cibic, Andrea Branzi, Javier Mariscal, Martine Bedin, Massimo Iosa Ghini, Michael Graves, Michele De Lucchi, Nathalie du Pasquier, Peter Shire and Shiro Kuramata. You'll find a range of Memphis Group furniture at 1stDibs.
- What is the Memphis Group?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The Memphis Group was an art and design collective formed in 1980 by Ettore Sottsass. The group debuted in 1981 and continued working together until 1987, producing furniture, decorative objects and textiles. Shop a selection of Memphis Group furniture at 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The Memphis Group designed a wide variety of items from 1980 to 1987 when the collective was active. Their designs included furniture and textiles as well as decorative objects made out of ceramics, metal and glass. Shop a collection of Memphis Group furniture at 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The Memphis Group formed in 1980 when Italian designer Ettore Sottsass invited fellow artists and designers to band together and create a collective. In 1981, the group debuted with a show in Milan, Italy, and continued to collaborate until disbanding in 1987. You'll find a variety of Memphis Group furniture at 1stDibs.
- Who founded the Memphis Group?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The Italian designer Ettore Sottsass founded the Memphis Group in 1980 to fulfill his vision of having a team of like-minded designers collaborating to produce unique furniture and decorative objects. In 1981, the group held their first exhibition and continued to design together until 1987. You'll find a selection of Memphis Group furniture at 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The Memphis Group was created by Italian designer Ettore Sottsass to bring together artists and designers with similar visions. He hoped to combine the ideas of all the members and create single furniture and decorative object designs under one name. You'll find a collection of Memphis Group furniture at 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 15, 2024The Memphis Group is famous for creating the most radical and attention-getting designs of the postmodern period, upending most of the accepted standards of how furniture should look. Its story begins in 1980, when Ettore Sottsass, then a beacon of Italian postmodernism, tapped a coterie of younger designers to develop a collection for the upcoming Milan Furniture Fair. Their mission was to boldly reject the stark minimalism of the 1970s and shatter the rules of form and function. 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. The group remained active until the 1990s. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of Memphis Group furniture and decorative objects.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The Memphis Group got its name from the Bob Dylan song "Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again." During the group's first meeting led by Italian designer Ettore Sottsas the song was on repeat, and the gathered artists and designers drew inspiration from the title. You'll find a variety of Memphis Group furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The Memphis Group debuted their designs in 1981 with an exhibition at the Salone del Mobile of Milan in Milan, Italy. Although many people criticized their designs at the time, the design group developed a cult following that boasted famous creatives like fashion designer Karl Lagerfield and musician David Bowie. Shop a variety of Memphis Group furniture at 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022The Memphis Group had an eclectic style created by combining the creativity of numerous artists and designers. Its furniture, textiles and decorative aspects blend elements of Pop Art and Art Deco design. Shop a range of Memphis Group furniture at 1stDibs.
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