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.
Steven Kaye Post-Modern Floor Vase, Earthenware, Millennium Collection, 1989
By Stephen Kaye
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
A monumental studio pottery vessel by American ceramic artist Steven Kaye. Part of his Millennium Collection, created in Tempe AZ in 1989. One of the largest of the Millennium Collec...
Pottery, Clay, Earthenware
Midcentury Postmodern Steel and Wood Coat Stand in the Shape of a Man
Located in Doornspijk, NL
This playful Postmodern coat stand is not only a smart space saver in a hallway, pantry or dressing room, it is also a pleasant and cheerful interior e...
Steel
Postmodern yellow and pink Swedish Ps Series Tripod Bowl Ola Wihlborg Ikea
By IKEA
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Postmodern Swedish Ps Series Tripod Bowl by Ola Wihlborg for Ikea
Metal
TOWERX15 Architectural Iron Sculpture in Matte Black by Towerland
Located in Geneve, CH
TOWERX15 Architectural Iron Sculpture in Matte Black by Towerland. Dimensions: W 35 x D 15 x H 140 cm. Materials: Iron plate with Matte black brocade finish. The TOWERX1 series comp...
Iron
Murano glass drainer in shades of blue
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Murano Glass Sink in Blue Tones This Murano glass sink, crafted using the sommerso technique in the 1960s, features a vibrant gradation of blues that...
Art Glass
$4,477 / item
Platinum Luster Soreis Vase by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Platinum Luster Soreis Vase by deBlona Dimensions: D 35 x H 40 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Colors: 24 Kt Gold Luster / Platinum Luster. A sculptural vase hand-thrown from red clay sour...
Ceramic
$1,165 / item
Sidero Vase by Moldra
Located in Geneve, CH
Sidero Vase by Moldra Dimensions: D 34 x H 22 cm Materials: Stoneware Collaborative paint with Murali x Valpaint Moldra is a ceramic studio devoted to sculptural vases and objects....
Stoneware
Meritalia Big Surprise 2, Small / Yellow and Pink by Gaetano Pesce
Located in Toronto, ON
Each vase by Edizioni del Pesce embodies a singular and unrepeatable identity, telling a different story through innovative shapes, intricate details and a varied chromatic range. Th...
Resin
Meritalia Candelabre / Red by Gaetano Pesce
Located in Toronto, ON
"The flame: by definition lively, dancing. A free element, which cannot be controlled, but which can be captured to become part of special moments." The unique candelabras by Edizio...
Steel
$1,447 / item
La Sirene Beige Sandstone Vase by Lou Thomas
Located in Geneve, CH
La Sirene Beige Sandstone Vase by Lou Thomas Dimensions: ⌀ 38 x H 26 cm Materials: Beige sandstone "Drawing on her extensive travels to Japan, Mexico, and Morocco, Lou Thomas is pas...
Sandstone
Raw & Rainbow Dalla Terra Sculpture in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme
Located in Geneve, CH
Raw & Rainbow Dalla Terra Sculpture in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme Limited Edition Of 10 Pieces. Dimensions: Ø 22 x H 40 cm. Materials: Powder-coated aluminum. Elegant and ...
Aluminum
Finnish glass bowl Alvar Aalto for littala
By Alvar Aalto
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Finnish Glass Bowl Alvar Aalto Beautiful and fine Alvar Aalto glass bowl in a transparent green tone. Alvar Aalto has been the only architect of the Second Generation of the Modern M...
Art Glass
Raw & Rainbow Giostra Sculpture in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme
Located in Geneve, CH
Raw & Rainbow Giostra Sculpture in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme Limited Edition Of 10 Pieces. Dimensions: Ø 41 x H 30 cm. Materials: Powder-coated aluminum. A whirlwind of c...
Aluminum
Buon Appetito! Reppublica Italiana Tray in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme
Located in Geneve, CH
Buon Appetito! Reppublica Italiana Tray in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme Dimensions: Ø 32,5 x H 1,5 cm. Materials: Powder-coated aluminum. Available in different graphics. Pl...
Aluminum, Other
$1,942 / item
Artefacto 03 by Federico Stefanovich
Located in Geneve, CH
Artefacto 03 by Federico Stefanovich Dimensions: D 19 x W 47 x H 36 cm. Material: Brass. Available in a smaller size: D 10 x W 26 x H 20 cm. Federico Stefanovich presents himself as...
Brass
$14,272 / item
Andromeda Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga
Located in Geneve, CH
Andromeda Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga Dimensions: W 50 x D 30 x H 30 cm Materials: Bronze Kodai Suga’s work features an evocative modernistic silhouette that has been imbued with...
Bronze, Other
Lotuso Ecru Ceramic Decorative Bowl by Simone & Marcel
Located in Geneve, CH
Lotuso Ecru Ceramic Decorative Bowl by Simone & Marcel Dimensions: D 31 x W 31 x H 8 cm. Materials:Ceramic. Different marble and ceramic options available. Custom options available on request. Please contact us. Our mission is to encourage people to make their home the best place to be, to get inspired and to receive friends and family. Designed and manufactured by ourselves, we offer lightings to help people creating distinctive living spaces. Enhancing the authenticity of natural and organic materials using associations and contrasts. Extreme quality behind a facade of ultra-minimalism. We find our materials to the source to ensure we give the best value...
Ceramic
$2,978 / item
Untitled No. 45 Vase by Marea Hildebrand
Located in Geneve, CH
Untitled No. 45 Vase by Marea Hildebrand Handmade Dimensions: D 29 x W 29 x H 32 cm Materials: Stoneware with slip. Marea Hildebrand (b. 1989) is a Zurich-based ceramic artist with...
Stoneware
Postmodern Design Rosenthal Gilbert Portanier Vase from the 1980s
By Rosenthal 3, Gilbert Portanier
Located in Boven Leeuwen, NL
Vintage design vase made by Rosenthal Germany, designed by Gilbert Portanier in the 1980s. Beautiful colors with golden details. The vase is in very nice condition. Measurements...
Porcelain
Postmodern Brown Murano Glass Fish Decorative Figure by Vincenzo Nason, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Vincenzo Nason & C. Murano, Italy, 1970s. This fish is made in Murano glass. It is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but it can be considered as in exce...
Murano Glass
Espresso Kaen Palo Santo Holder, Micro Ceramic Finish on Wood by Monics+Vieira
Located in Geneve, CH
Espresso Kaen Palo Santo Holder, Micro Ceramic Finish on Wood by Monics+Vieira. Dimensions: Ø 18 x H 4 cm. Materials: Micro-Ceramic Finish over Wood. Micro-Ceramic Finish: An ancien...
Other
'Sholapur' Sculpture Vase, Michele De Lucchi, Up & Up, Carrara, Italy, 1985
Located in Firenze, IT
'Sholapur' sculpture vase / centerpiece Michele de Lucchi for Up & Up, Carrara Italy, 1985 Postmodern Marble sculpture centerpiece. Composed of several geometric elements resting on a large marble disc, this abstract sculpture is an iconic decorative piece of highest quality and artistic value. Carrara Marble, Portoro Marble, Green Alpi Marble...
Belgian Black Marble, Carrara Marble, Siena Marble
Rare "Kallisti” - Large Blue Glass Artwork by Alekos Fassianos for Daum, 1988.
By Daum, Alekos Fassianos
Located in Lille, FR
Kallisti by Alekos Fassianos for Daum, blue pâte de verre, 1988. Signed and numbered 145/200. Alekos Fassianos (1935-2022) was one of Greece's most celebrated modern painters, known...
Glass, Art Glass
Pisces Crackle Glaze Ceramic Sculpture by Stephanie Phillips
Located in Geneve, CH
Pisces Crackle Glaze Ceramic Sculpture by Stephanie Phillips Dimensions: D8 x W 27 x x H 30 cm Materials: Ceramic Also available in other colors and custom sizes from 20cm tall - 5...
Ceramic
Postmodern Hand Carved and Burnished Stone Egg and Holster Set, Memphis Inspired
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Carefully curated set of semi-precious stone and glass eggs in vibrant colors with corresponding Lucite platform bases for display. Set is comprised o...
Quartz, Alabaster, Granite, Marble
$1,094 / item
Beige Stoneware Amphora Vase by Elena Vasilantonaki
Located in Geneve, CH
Beige Stoneware Amphora Vase by Elena Vasilantonaki Unique Dimensions: ⌀ 16 x H 36 cm (Dimensions may vary) Materials: Stoneware Available finishes: Black, Beige, Brown, Red, Terraco...
Stoneware
Sholapur Marble Vase by Michele De Lucchi, Carrara, 1985
Located in Tinton Falls, NJ
'SHOLAPUR' sculptural marble vase / centerpiece Michele de Lucchi for Up & Up, Carrara Italy, 1985 Postmodern Marble sculpture centerpiece. Composed of several geometric elemen...
Marble
Mindscape 02 Medium Travertine Sculpture by Jeroen Broux
Located in Geneve, CH
Mindscape 02 Medium Travertine Sculpture by Jeroen Broux Dimensions: D 15 x W 15 x H 22,5 cm Materials: Travertine This modular sculpture, comprised of six individual stones, invite...
Travertine
Stoneware Clay, Unglazed Ceramic Ethereal Sculpture by Aleksandra Krasnopolska
Located in Geneve, CH
Stoneware Clay, Unglazed Ceramic Ethereal Sculpture by Aleksandra Krasnopolska Dimensions: W 25.5 x D 19 x H 35 cm Materials: Stoneware clay. Unglazed ceramic sulface. Weight: 5,6 k...
Ceramic, Clay, Stoneware
Leuca Sculpture in Horn, Lacquered Wood & Stainless Steel by Arcahorn
Located in Geneve, CH
Leuca Sculpture in Horn, Lacquered Wood & Stainless Steel by Arcahorn Designed by Filippo Dini Dimensions: D 16 x W 16 x H 80/90 cm. Materials: Stainless steel, horn, and lacquered w...
Stainless Steel, Other
$4,979 / item
Large Vanilla Ceramic Vase BonBon by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Vanilla Ceramic Vase BonBon by deBlona Dimensions: D 34 x H 42 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Colors: Matt pastel color, 24 kt gold luster. This exquisite large ceramic vase feature...
Ceramic
$11,489 / item
São Paulo 01 Totem by Gabriela Campos
Located in Geneve, CH
São Paulo 01 Totem by Gabriela Campos Dimensions: W 36 x D 36 x H 120 cm. Materials: American Oak, Freijó. ESTÚDIO MAIS ALMA moves toward the authentic and the unique, whether in ...
Oak
1961 Danish Holmegaard Blue Glass "Duckling" Vase by Per Lütken
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
1961 Holmegaard blue glass "Duckling" vase by Per Lütken, Denmark. Monogram signature, Per Lütken, dated 1961 & Holmegaard signature. Lütken was the ar...
Blown Glass
Scandinavian Modern Decor Handmade Textured Ceramic Large Vase by Maku Ceramic
Located in Geneve, CH
Scandinavian Modern Decor Handmade Textured Ceramic Large Vase by Maku Ceramic Dimensions: Ø 38.1 x H 38.1 cm Materials: Ceramic, Stoneware, Clay Maku Ceramic is an Istanbul-based c...
Ceramic, Clay, Stoneware
$1,683 / item
XXL Popcorn Sculpture in Ceramic by Liliana Silva
Located in Geneve, CH
XXL Popcorn Sculpture in Ceramic by Liliana Silva. Signed by Liliana Silva. Dimensions: W 47 x D 47 x H 55 cm. Materials: Ceramic. “XXL Popcorn” tak...
Ceramic
$1,012 / item
XL Popcorn Sculpture in Ceramic by Liliana Silva
Located in Geneve, CH
XL Popcorn Sculpture in Ceramic by Liliana Silva. Signed by Liliana Silva. Dimensions: W 39 x D 39 x H 44 cm. Materials: Ceramic. “XL Popcorn” ampli...
Ceramic
$4,477 / item
Platinum Luster Astra Vase by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Platinum Luster Astra Vase by deBlona Dimensions: D 36 x H 40 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Colors: 24 Kt Gold Luster / Platinum Luster. A sculptural vase crafted from red clay sourced f...
Ceramic
$12,302 / item
Incarnato 2 Sculpture by Camille De Prêtre
Located in Geneve, CH
Incarnato 2 Sculpture by Camille De Prêtre Dimensions: W 24 x D 24 x H 156 cm. Materials: Burned pine. About Camille De Prêtre is a Belgian artist and furniture designer based betw...
Wood
Design Rituals Kaen Candle in White Natural Wax by Monics+Vieira
Located in Geneve, CH
Design Rituals Kaen Candle in White Natural Wax by Monics+Vieira. Dimensions: D 15 x W 15 x H 12 cm. Materials: Natural wax blend, Cotton wick, Premium fragrance oils. Free from para...
Other
Bigger Sculptural Vase in Ceramic by Liliana Silva
Located in Geneve, CH
Bigger Sculptural Vase in Ceramic by Liliana Silva. Signed by Liliana Silva. Dimensions: W 33 x D 33 x H 55 cm. Materials: Ceramic. “Bigger” takes the concept of scale to the extrem...
Ceramic
$1,424 / item
Sun Sculpture in Ceramic by Liliana Silva
Located in Geneve, CH
Sun Sculpture in Ceramic by Liliana Silva. Signed by Liliana Silva. Dimensions: W 48 x D 48 x H 42 cm. Materials: Ceramic. “Sun” is a unique ceramic piece that captures the essence ...
Ceramic
$552Sale Price|20% Off
Joe Colombo Post Modern Italian Steel and Glass Biglia Jewelry Box 1970
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
$495
Wood Jewelry Box
Located in New York, NY
A rectangular wood box, Postmodern design period, circa late-20h century. Box has three wood hues, velvet lined, easy open/close lid. Very good condition as shown.
Velvet, Wood
$506 / item
Bronze Stack Trays by Henry Wilson
By Henry Wilson
Located in Geneve, CH
Bronze Stack Trays by Henry Wilson Dimesions: W 25 x D 5 x H 10 cm Materials: Bronze The stack trays are sold in a set of three that can be used togethe...
Bronze
Abbott Pattison Bronze Sculpture on Marble Base 'Signed'
Located in North Miami, FL
Bronze with slight green patina on original rectangular marble base. This abstract figural sculpture is extremely detailed. Mr. Pattison was educated at the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, Yale and the Yale School of Fine Arts. (B. 1916 - 1999) In 1939, he was granted Yale's first traveling fellowship, enabling him to study and work in China and Japan for 12 months. Mr. Pattison's many other prestigious prizes included the Logan, Eisendrath, and Pauline Palmer Awards from the Art Institute of Chicago. The Logan prize, awarded in 1942, was for a bronze titled "Kneeling Women." In 1951 Mr. Pattison placed first in the Metropolitan Museum's contemporary American sculpture show. Between 1940 and 1970 alone, Mr. Pattison had 10 one-man shows in Chicago. His work is on display in some of the world's most renowned museums, including the Art Institute; the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City; the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C.; and the Israeli State Museum in Jerusalem. His public commissions include installations for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.; the U.S. State Department; Stanford University Medical Center; the Johnson Wax...
Marble, Bronze
Obliqua White Raku Clay Ceramic Sculpture by Stephanie Phillips
Located in Geneve, CH
Obliqua White Raku Clay Ceramic Sculpture by Stephanie Phillips Dimensions: D 12 x W 28 x x H 45 cm Materials: Ceramic, Raku Clay Also available in other colors and custom sizes fr...
Ceramic, Clay
Italian Multicolored Leather, Velvet & Glass 1980-1990s Picture Frames, Set of 2
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Pair of brown velvet and multicolored suede picture frames produced in Italy around the 1980-1990s. Very good condition: just very small defects of the leather on the big frame. Measures: Small picture frame: cm 28.5 H x 24 W x 11.5 D Big picture frame...
Suede, Velvet, Glass
$2,566 / item
M Ceramic Vase in White Matte by Mathilde Martin
Located in Geneve, CH
M Ceramic Vase by Mathilde Martin One Of A Kind. Dimensions: Ø 30 x H 30 cm. Opening: 14,5 cm. Foot: 6 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Handmade. Dimensions may vary. Please contact us. D...
Ceramic
$448Sale Price|25% Off
Giotto Stoppino For Kartell 1970 Italian Magazine Holder In Cream Plastic
Located in Miami, FL
Magazine holder designed by Giotto Stoppino (1926-1911) for Kartell. Stunning and very decorative piece, designed in Milano Italy by the architect Giotto Stoppino, back in the 1970....
Plastic
Useless Sculpture in Ceramic by Liliana Silva
Located in Geneve, CH
Useless Sculpture in Ceramic by Liliana Silva. Signed by Liliana Silva. Dimensions: W 23 x D 23 x H 44 cm. Materials: Ceramic. “Useless” inspired by the “Dadaism” trend, challenges ...
Ceramic
Raw & Rainbow Gallo Sculpture in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme
Located in Geneve, CH
Raw & Rainbow Gallo Sculpture in Powder-Coated Aluminum by altreforme Limited Edition Of 10 Pieces. Dimensions: Ø 67 x H 67 cm. Materials: Powder-coated aluminum. As a hymn to joy, ...
Aluminum
Postmodern Marble Sculpture Attributed to Renoir, Circa 1980s
By Maitland Smith, Marquis Collection of Beverly Hills 1, Renoir Designs
Located in Round Top, TX
Postmodern pink and black marble sculpture with a twisty, swirly presentation. Attributed to Renoir production, in the Philippines, this tessellated marble treasure seems to be a rar...
Marble
Coralina Abyss Sculptural Vessel in Ceramic by Julius Nobre
Located in Geneve, CH
Coralina Abyss Sculptural Vessel in Ceramic by Julius Nobre. Dimensions: W 20 x D 20 x H 30 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Abyss translates the silent gesture of the mushroom coral attach...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Brutalist Studio Pottery Art Sculpture, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Studio Pottery Art Sculpture, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989. Additional information: Materials: Ceramic Style: Postmodern Color: Beige ...
Ceramic
Postmodern Fred Garbotz Aluminum Figural Sculpture Memphis Era Signed
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Rare postmodern figural sculpture of a kissing couple. Brushed aluminum signed and dated. Great whimsical postmodern design with a slim profile. Figure reflects styling of Keith Haring.
Aluminum
Lorenza Bozzoli Arabescato Marble Handmade Bucket Vessel Vase, Editions Milano
By Editions Milano, Lorenza Bozzoli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Lorenza Bozzoli Arabescato Marble Handmade Bucket Vessel Vase, Editions Milano, Italy. Bucket in opaque Arabescato marble with the handle in hand-brushed brass. It recalls the tradit...
Marble, Brass
Curtis Norton Minimalist Sculptural Stainless Steel Candlesticks, Pair
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A striking pair of minimalist stainless steel candlesticks by American artist and designer Curtis Norton, individually fabricated, welded, hand-finished and signed by the artist. Th...
Stainless Steel
Vintage Acrylic Fish Sculpture on Lucite Base, Circa 1980
Located in Fairfield, CA
A wonderful vintage sculpture of a fish. Made of acrylic with great realistic detailing. Mounteed with wires on a rectangular lucite base. Measures 10"W x 3"D x 5.5"H
Acrylic
Murano Orange with Black incluisions Handblown Flower
By Murano 5
Located in Pasadena, TX
This flower is handblown. It was crafted in Murano, Italy. It has a beautiful orange with black color. Makes for a great gift.
Art Glass
Sculpture Centerpiece in Jurassic Fossil Stone by NERINEA
Located in Geneve, CH
Sculpture Centerpiece in Jurassic Fossil Stone by NERINEA. Dimensions: W 50 x D 15 x H 15 cm. Materials: Natural Stone (Jurassic Fossil TOP). Designed by Paco Camús. The Sculpture C...
Stone