Postmodern design was a short-lived movement that manifested itself chiefly in Italy and the United States in the early 1980s. The characteristics of vintage postmodern furniture and other postmodern objects and decor for the home included loud-patterned, usually plastic surfaces; strange proportions, vibrant colors and weird angles; and a vague-at-best relationship between form and function.
ORIGINS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE POSTMODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Critics derided postmodern design as a grandstanding bid for attention and nothing of consequence. Decades later, the fact that postmodernism still has the power to provoke thoughts, along with other reactions, proves they were not entirely correct.
Postmodern design began as an architectural critique. Starting in the 1960s, a small cadre of mainly American architects began to argue that modernism, once high-minded and even noble in its goals, had become stale, stagnant and blandly corporate. Later, in Milan, a cohort of creators led by Ettore Sottsass and Alessandro Mendini — a onetime mentor to Sottsass and a key figure in the Italian Radical movement — brought the discussion to bear on design.
Sottsass, an industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, gathered a core group of young designers into a collective in 1980 they called Memphis. Members of the Memphis Group, which would come to include Martine Bedin, Michael Graves, Marco Zanini, Shiro Kuramata, Michele de Lucchi and Matteo Thun, saw design as a means of communication, and they wanted it to shout. That it did: The first Memphis collection appeared in 1981 in Milan and broke all the modernist taboos, embracing irony, kitsch, wild ornamentation and bad taste.
Memphis works remain icons of postmodernism: the Sottsass Casablanca bookcase, with its leopard-print plastic veneer; de Lucchi’s First chair, which has been described as having the look of an electronics component; Martine Bedin’s Super lamp: a pull-toy puppy on a power-cord leash. Even though it preceded the Memphis Group’s formal launch, Sottsass’s iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell with radical pops of pink neon — proves striking in any space and embodies many of the collective’s postmodern ideals.
After the initial Memphis show caused an uproar, the postmodern movement within furniture and interior design quickly took off in America. (Memphis fell out of fashion when the Reagan era gave way to cool 1990’s minimalism.) The architect Robert Venturi had by then already begun a series of plywood chairs for Knoll Inc., with beefy, exaggerated silhouettes of traditional styles such as Queen Anne and Chippendale. In 1982, the new firm Swid Powell enlisted a group of top American architects, including Frank Gehry, Richard Meier, Stanley Tigerman and Venturi to create postmodern tableware in silver, ceramic and glass.
On 1stDibs, the vintage postmodern furniture collection includes chairs, coffee tables, sofas, decorative objects, table lamps and more.
$3,552 / item
L Ceramic Vase in White Matte by Mathilde Martin
Located in Geneve, CH
L Ceramic Vase in White Matte by Mathilde Martin One Of A Kind. Dimensions: Ø 25 x H 40 cm. Opening: 13 cm. Foot: 6,5 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Handmade. Dimensions may vary. Please...
Ceramic
$1,847Sale Price|65% Off
Abstract lifesize ceramic sculpture by Dieter Eichelmann, Germany 1980s
Located in ECHT, NL
Handcrafted ceramic sculpture. The sculpture is made from several tiles that form a human figure. The tiles are fixed to a wood back. Dieter Eichelmann Born: 1946 in Bardenberg -...
Ceramic, Clay
$663 / item
Earthen Gaze Pot by Deetee Home
Located in Geneve, CH
Earthen Gaze Pot by Deetee Home Dimensions: D 22.86 x H 27.94 cm Materials: Stoneware To craft timeless, luxury furniture and objects that celebrates India’s rich artisanal heritage...
Stoneware
$1,456 / item
Fermo Doorstop by Rampinelli Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Fermo Doorstop by Rampinelli Edizioni Designed by Martinelli Venezia Dimensions: D 11.5 x W 30 x H 25.5 cm, Materials: Metal. MARTINELLI VENEZIA Fermo is a metal doorstop, character...
Metal
Light Mahogany Tray with Antique Brass Handles
Located in Treadwell, NY
Individually stamped and numbered, these one of a kind presentation trays feature patinated brass handles with a satin finish lacquer top coat. Each wooden slab is has its own unique...
Brass
Italy 1998 the Skyscrapers Brass Abstract Sculpture
Located in Brescia, IT
This is an artwork of Roberto Vecchione, an Italian artist friend of Giovanni Campus and Bruno Munari. Its work is a form of ‘mind architecture’ and this two pieces are representativ...
Brass
Soft Goblet Sculptural Vessel
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Making direct reference to the ability of bodily organs to function as vessels, while also alluding to plastic surgery and sex toys? Our soft vessels personify aided characters. Patients subdued by recomery. Impotent beings that struggle to perform the very tasks that define them as objects. Exhibited at Musée Des Arts Décoratifs Et Du Design De Bordeaux: Bordeaux (2023) PAD- BOON ROOM: Paris (2023) Healing- Club Mish Mish: Riyadh (2023) Mexican Design 1950's-now- Shak Gallery...
Stainless Steel, Nickel
$653Sale Price|20% Off
Biglia Box by Joe Colombo, Amethyst & Stainless Steel, Italy 1970s
By Joe Colombo
Located in Conversano, IT
Designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Arnolfo di Cambio in the early 1970s, the “Biglia” box is a refined example of material experimentation and functional design. The object refl...
Steel
Yōtan Unique Lighted Totem in White Marble, Aluminum & Glass by Andres Monnier
Located in Geneve, CH
Yōtan Unique Lighted Totem in White Marble, Aluminum & Glass by Andres Monnier Unique Piece Dimensions: D 40 x W 30 x H 300 cm. Materials: Marble, glass, and aluminum. Available in ...
Marble, Aluminum
1980's Postmodern Desk top Apple Envelope Holder
Located in San Diego, CA
Whimsical 1980's Wood lacquered apple , envelope desk top holder great condition.
Wood
$156Sale Price|20% Off
Studio Art Pottery Vase, Green, Brown, Tan, Hand-crafted, Postmodern
Located in New York, NY
Postmodern studio art pottery vessel/ vase. The glazed areas of green contrast beautifully with the unglazed tan clay. This is a striking piece that looks wonderful as part of a grou...
Clay
Contemporary Art Sofa - Nandì Verà by Carla Tolomeo
Located in Pistoia, IT
Sculpture. Unique piece hand made by the artist. 20th century sofa from the De Curtis home in Lugano. Decorations and velvet in Pontoglio silk, exclusive design by the Author. Gold,...
Silk
Porcelain Vessel in Glazed Porcelain & Iron Oxide by Robin Kerr
Located in Geneve, CH
Porcelain Vessel in Glazed Porcelain & Iron Oxide by Robin Kerr Dimensions: D 29 x W 29 x H 13,5 cm. Materials: Porcelain and iron oxide. Robin Kerr is a Swiss ceramic artist living...
Other
$284 / item
Leyki Vase 22 by Zieta
By Zieta
Located in Geneve, CH
Leyki Vase 22 by Zieta Dimensions: D 13 x W 11 x H 22 cm. Materials: Polished stainless steel. Multifunctional subtlety Leyki is a functional object with an architectural twist. It ...
Stainless Steel
Murano Style Art Glass Mushroom Toadstool Paperweight Green and Yellow 1980s
By Fornasa De Murano A L'Insegna Del Moreto
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Murano Style Italian Art Glass Mushroom Toadstool Paperweight Green and Yellow 1980s. Beautiful vintage Murano style hand made yellow with green spots Italian art glass mushroom toad...
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Gusum Metallslöjden, Candelabra, Brass, Sweden, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A brass candelabra designed and produced by Gusum Metallslöjden, c. 1970s. Holds 0.45” diameter candles
Brass
$4,950 / item
Ritus Cuatro Candelabra by Andres Monnier
Located in Geneve, CH
Ritus Cuatro Candelabra by Andres Monnier Unique Piece. Dimensions: W 72 x D 20 x H 40 Materials: White Onyx Treko Concrete is a Mexican studio based in Ensenada, that aims to creat...
Onyx
$331Sale Price|20% Off
Rosenthal Tall Periwinkle, Blue, Lilac Striped 80s Vase
By Thomas Germany, Rosenthal
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Tall cylinder pop art vase with hand-painted watercolor-like diagonal stripes in blue, lilac and burgundy colors on soft periwinkle background. Manufactured in the late 1980s by the ...
Porcelain
$13,024 / set
Set of 5 Unique Roots Candles by Jeremy Descamps
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 5 unique roots candles by Jeremy Descamps. Unique pieces. Materials: candles in solid oak from the country burned in flam, inserts in brass, support of candles in brass. Di...
Brass
$201 / item
Brass Brute Handle by Henry Wilson
By Henry Wilson
Located in Geneve, CH
Brass Brute Handle by Henry Wilson Dimensions: W 3 x D 2 x H 10 cm Materials: Brass This versatile handle can be used for cabinetry, sliding doors and sash windows. Each piece is s...
Brass
Italy 1980 Bronze Abstract Sculpture Walter Valentini Tavole Panels
Located in Brescia, IT
Walter Valentini was born in 1928 in South Italy. A painter and engraver, he lives and works in Milan. He is Holder of the chair for engraving at the Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in...
Bronze
Majestic Tall Ceramic Vase by Natalie Du Pasquier by Bitossi
By Bitossi, Nathalie du Pasquier
Located in San Diego, CA
Standing on a yellow truncated cone, a white cylinder with a semicircular top completes this stunning ceramic sculpture by Natalie Du Pasquier, creating an artistic focal point in an...
Ceramic
Unique Hand-Painted Screen with Sculptural Brass by Jan Garncarek
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Hand-Painted Screen with Sculptural Brass by Jan Garncarek and Ewelina Makosa Each screen is unique and signed by Jan Garncarek and Ewelina Makosa Full brass frame. Hand painted on both sides of the screen. Dimensions: 180 x 5 x 200cm Weight:20 kg Hand painted cloth...
Brass
Contemporary Abstract Bronze Sculpture by Bertrand Créach
Located in London, GB
" Famille I " Bronze sculpture by Bertrand Creach, 2021. Limited edition 1/8, hand-crafted adorned in a black patina. ______ Dimension: H 35 x 15.5 x ...
Bronze
Set of 4 Brass Coasters by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 4 Brass Coasters by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 12 x W 9.5 cm Materials: dull, tarnished brass. Hand-formed from a sheet of brass, each piece emphasizes the material’s pliab...
Brass
Gunnar Andersson, Vase, Stoneware, Sweden, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A brown and beige and green-glazed stoneware vase designed by Gunnar Andersson and produced by Höganäs Keramik, Sweden, c. 1970s.
Stoneware
Maitland Smith Tessellated Stone Brass Jewelry/Dresser Box, 1980
Located in Chicago, IL
Maitland Smith Tessellated Stone Brass Jewelry/Dresser box, 1980’s. Original Measures 9” x 9” 4.5” tall
Stone, Brass
$603 / item
An3 Sculpture by Eglė Šimkus
Located in Geneve, CH
An3 Sculpture by Eglė Šimkus Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 13 x H 23 cm. Materials: Clay. My name is Eglė Šimkus, and I was born in Lithuania in 1990 to a R...
Clay
Large Vintage Clock Kurt B.Del Banco Acerbis Kloks Morphos Italy 1980
Located in Biella, IT
Kloks Morphos Italy Kurt B.Del banco design, large clock years ’80 Acerbis International production (Memphis era) XL size of 32 inches 82 cm for side, good vintage condition.
Plastic, Plexiglass
$13,024 / item
Stoneware Namara Sculpture by Munier
Located in Geneve, CH
Stoneware Namara Sculpture by Munier Dimensions: W 55 x D 55 x H 45 cm. Materials: Stoneware. Weight: 12 kg. I specialize in the ancient technique of coil building, a traditional ha...
Ceramic
Doors of Perception by Pilar Zeta
Located in Geneve, CH
Doors of Perception by Pilar Zeta Unique piece. Materials: Carrara marble, mirror, brass and car paint installation. Dimensions: W 501 x D 852.5 x H 270 cm....
Marble, Brass
Margareta Hennix, Large Glass Vase, Reijmyre Sweden Post-Modern
By Reijmyre Glasbruk, Margareta Hennix
Located in Stockholm, SE
A large apple green glass vase designed by Margareta Hennix for Reijmyre Sweden 1990s. Signed M. Hennix In good condition.
Glass
Vintage Japanese Studio Ceramic Vase
Located in Oakland, CA
Absolutely stunning Japanese ceramic studio glazed vase with original box. Dreamy purple lavender glaze with hints of greens. Expertly crafted, unknown artist. Fully signed on box an...
Clay
Black Semi Matte Glaze Intuitive Built Sculpture 2 by Anna Shipulina Ceramics
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Semi Matte Glaze Intuitive Built Sculpture 2 by Anna Shipulina Ceramics Dimensions: W 34 x D 42 x H 14 cm. Materials: Ceramic. This piece is shaped from stoneware clay and fo...
Ceramic
$4,037 / item
Clay Sink by Studio Loho
Located in Geneve, CH
Clay sink by Studio Loho Dimensions: D 40 x H 15 cm Materials: clay. Available in 3 models: round sink, oval sink and sink on structure. Due to the producti...
Clay
$4,534 / item
Platinum Luster Auri Vase by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Platinum Luster Auri Vase by deBlona Dimensions: D 29 x H 46 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Colors: 24 Kt Gold Luster / Platinum Luster. A sculptural vase crafted from red clay sourced fr...
Ceramic
$304Sale Price|20% Off
Double Spout Studio Art Glass Vase Signed Dated
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Murano style studio art glass vase has an unusual double spout shape and is decorated with black and white line swirls and abstract dots and gold flecks pattern on the colorful black...
Art Glass, Glass, Blown Glass
Rare Post-Modern Artist Signed Ceramic Raku 1980s Pottery Vase
Located in San Diego, CA
A unique rare tall Raku fired art pottery vase, circa 1980's. This piece is 11.25" tall, 3" wide and 10.5" deep and is in good vintage condition. The iridescent and mottled colors, a...
Pottery
Twins C Vase (Large), Matte Pastel Pink and Coral Red by Gaetano Pesce
By Corsi Design Factory, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Toronto, ON
Large 'Twins C' Vase in soft resin designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1995 for Fish Design collection. Matte Pastel Pink and Coral Red. *All the pieces are hand-made and therefore unique...
Resin
$2,344 / item
Platinum Luster Elia Vase by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Platinum Luster Elia Vase by deBlona Dimensions: D 25 x H 31 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Colors: 24 Kt Gold Luster / Platinum Luster. A sculptural vase hand-thrown from red clay source...
Ceramic
Large Concave Ceramic "Rock Shaped" Catchall / Vide-Poche, Artist Unknown
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Large Concave Ceramic "Rock Shaped" Catchall / Vide-Poche Not Marked - Artist Unknown - American (perhaps Japanese) "is it real or is it memorex" "internet says rocks are the hotte...
Ceramic
1980s Black Postmodern Wall Clock by Chass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
With a vibrant 1980s touch of class, this 'Chass' Postmodern Wall Clock features a black case and face, pastel numbers, geometric accents, and an asymmetrical hand arrangement. Remin...
Plastic
$331Sale Price|20% Off
Handmade Rimini Blue Lacquered Ceramic Jug by Aldo Londi for Bitossi, Italy
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Handmade in Italy, 1970s. This jug is made in Rimini blue lacquered ceramic. It is a vintage item, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but it can be considered as in excell...
Ceramic
$274Sale Price|20% Off
Pair of Cyan Murano Cased Glass Vases by Carlo Moretti, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s. Made in cased Murano glass. The smaller vase is labelled (as shown in the video), while the other had it but lost it due to cleaning. We've had an identical vas...
Murano Glass
French Art Deco Chrome and Rosewood Double Glass Photo Frame - 1930s
By Marcel Breuer, Robert Mallet-Stevens, (after) Jean Michel Frank, Jacques Adnet
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
A refined French Art Deco modernist photograph frame dating from the 1930s, combining elegant geometry with noble materials characteristic of the period. The frame features a minima...
Steel
Two Rings- Contemporary Italian Gold Patinated Bronze Abstract Modern Sculpture
By Fp Art, Cosulich Interiors & Antiques
Located in New York, NY
Cosulich Interiors & Antiques’ biggest aspiration, through this Contemporary Collection, launched for WNWN 2023, is to communicate the power of colors to trigger personal healthy env...
Granite, Bronze
Peter Shire Anchorage Teapot for Memphis, 1982
By Peter Shire, Rossi & Arcandi
Located in Kansas City, MO
This is a rare "Anchorage Teapot" by designer and artist Peter Shire. Rossi e Arcandi for Memphis, Milano, 1982. The teapot is completely original and shows signs of wear to be expec...
Silver Plate, Brass
Set of Six Post-Modern Art Glass Paperweights, 20th Century
Located in Astoria, NY
Collection of Six Encased Bubble Art Glass Paperweights, comprising: a Val St. Lambert paperweight with controlled bubbles and cobalt blue glass center, an iridescent ovoid paperweig...
Art Glass
Postmodern Table Clock, 1980s
Located in Čelinac, BA
Tis Postmodern is part of unique series of 24 hand made wall or table clock by the young designer Ernest Hofman from 1980s.Each clock is unikue.
Wood
Abstract Pink Alabaster Sculpture by Karen Chera
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Pink Alabaster Sculpture by Karen Chera, signed and dated '88. on its original metal base.
Alabaster
Life Sized Wall Mounted Mule Deer Bust by The Peak Antler
Located in Geneve, CH
Life Sized Wall Mounted Mule Deer Bust by The Peak Antler Dimensions: W 73.66 x D 50.80 x H 132.08 cm Materials: naturally shed antlers Based in, produced and shipped from the US. ...
Antler
Biblichor Sculpture with Candle by Marcela Cure
Located in Geneve, CH
Biblichor sculpture with candle by Marcela Cure Dimensions: W 19 x D 14 x H 6 cm Materials: Resin and Stone Composite Also Available: Sandalwood and Tobacco colours available. No...
Stone
$5,920 / item
Cosmo Bunny Sweet Fuchsia Sculpture by Aki Kuroda
Located in Geneve, CH
Cosmo Bunny Sweet Fuchsia Sculpture by Aki Kuroda Dimensions: D 65 x W 88 x H 185 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 15 kg. Available in different color options. Prices may vary. ...
Other
$140Sale Price / item|20% Off
Modernist Copper Enamel Tray with Abstract Decor
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Graphic Modernist rectangular tray or catch-all dish in enameled copper features colorful abstract decor in teal and copper colors with red and green accents. The underside of the t...
Metal, Copper, Enamel
Hand-Crafted Chrome Candle Holder by Panorammma, Mexico
By Panorammma
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
The Chrome Candle Holder is the first in a series exploring the potential of upcycled electroplating rods—industrial remnants transformed into sculptural artifacts. These rods, used ...
Copper, Nickel, Chrome, Steel
Postmodern Dutch Studio Pottery Sculptural Vase with Bird Design, Holland, 1996
Located in Hamburg, DE
Postmodern Dutch Studio Pottery Sculptural Vase with Bird Design from Agu Reuver, Holland, 1996, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1990 to 1999 This piece has an attribution mark. A...
Ceramic
Lot of 3 Art Glass vases att. to Seguso c. 1980's
By Seguso
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional collection of three art glass vases, made in Italy, circa 1980's - attributed to Seguso. The vases feature a black glass bodies, with pink glass threading wrapped around ...
Art Glass
$674 / item
Woman 216 Vase by Karina Smagulova
Located in Geneve, CH
Woman 216 Vase by Karina Smagulova One of a Kind. Dimensions: Ø14 x H 24 cm. Materials: White and grey stoneware. With an Armenian and Kazakhstan he...
Stoneware
1980s Postmodern Table Clock attr. to Shohei Mihara for Wakita and Canetti
Indian Summer Vase (Large), Clear Turquoise and Silver by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce, Corsi Design Factory
Located in Toronto, ON
Large "Indian Summer" Vase in soft resin designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1995 for Fish Design collection. Colour: Clear Turquoise and Silver. * All the pieces are hand-made and theref...
Resin