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.
Idalion vintage flower vase Venini Alessandro Mendini Postmodern
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
"idalion" flower vase designed by Alessandro Mendini for Venini. Vintage blue color. Made in 1995. "Venini 95 A.mendini" Carving on bottom. No chips, no cracks. good condition.
Blown Glass
$2,251 / 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. Waterproof insert is required when using with wate...
Ceramic
Toast Kaen Palo Santo Holder, Micro Ceramic Finish on Wood by Monics+Vieira
Located in Geneve, CH
Toast 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 ancient m...
Other
$170 / item
Medium Amber Magma Vase by Mana
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Amber Magma Vase by Mana Dimensions: D 14 x W 11 x H 21 cm. Materials: Recycled pet from post-consumer plastics, mainly discarded bottles/single use food packaging, collected ...
Plastic
Chrome Candle Holder in Recycled Steel, Copper, Nickel & Chrome by Panorammma
Located in Geneve, CH
Chrome Candle Holder in Recycled Steel, Copper, Nickel & Chrome by Panorammma Dimensions: D 17 x W 17 x H 6,5 cm. Materials: Steel, copper, nickel, and chrome. Suggested for interi...
Copper, Steel, Chrome, Nickel
Tall Forest Green Magma Vase by Mana, Recycled Plastic, Post-Modern
Located in Geneve, CH
Tall Forest Green Magma Vase by Mana Dimensions: D 11 x W 11 x H 25 cm. Materials: Recycled pet from post-consumer plastics, mainly discarded bottles/single use food packaging, colle...
Plastic
Karl Springer Lacquered Snakeskin Decorative Box
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A scrupulously-crafted, decorative trinket or jewelry box by Karl Springer comprising a rectangular body with a domed, hinged lid and a suede-lined interior. The outside is wrapped e...
Suede, Animal Skin
$2,239 / item
Aquarelle Tall Grey Vase by David Valner
Located in Geneve, CH
Aquarelle Tall Vase by David Valner Designed by Aleš Valner. Dimensions: D 14 x W 28 x H 45 cm. Materials: Glass. Weight: 12 kg. Where the fluidity of water meets the solidity of gl...
Glass
Vintage Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Nut Leaf Shaped Dish With Ball Feet
Located in Doraville, GA
Vintage sterling silver bowl as a stylized leaf with a raised central ridge, topped with an open circular scroll stem and smaller leaves, raised on two circular feet. The leaf is mar...
Sterling Silver
$10,130 / item
Last Light Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga
Located in Geneve, CH
Last Light Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga Dimensions: W 50 x D 7.5 x H 30 cm Materials: Bronze Kodai Suga’s work features an evocative modernistic silhouette that has been imbued wi...
Other, Bronze
$17,633 / item
Ki Chair by Ayse Zelal Tugrul
Located in Geneve, CH
Ki Chair by Ayse Zelal Tugrul Limited Edition. Dimensions: D 45 x H 68 cm. Materials: Handmade Copper and Marble. “Ki” means "earth, place, land" in Sumerian, symbolizing grounding ...
Marble, Copper
$4,752 / item
Unda Form Sculpture by Dust and Form
Located in Geneve, CH
Unda Form sculpture by Dust and Form Dimensions: D 27 x W 25 x H 12 cm Materials: vermont imperial Danby marble In Latin, the word “unda” is used to describe water, specifically...
Marble
$4,002 / item
Untitled No. 54 Vase by Marea Hildebrand
Located in Geneve, CH
Untitled No. 54 Vase by Marea Hildebrand Handmade Dimensions: D 38 x W 38 x H 32 cm Materials: Stoneware with slip. Waterproof insert is required when using with water or fresh flow...
Stoneware
Nugget Vase (Large), Clear Green and Matte Pink by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce, Corsi Design Factory
Located in Toronto, CA
Clear Green and Matte Pink "Nugget" Vase, size Large in soft resin, designed by Gaetano Pesce in 1995 for Fish Design collection. *All the pieces are handmade and therefore unique. ...
Resin
Antique Blue, Cerium Oxide, Golden Yellow Giglio Vase by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Antique Blue, Cerium Oxide, Golden Yellow Giglio Vase by deBlona Dimensions: W 42 x D 30 x H 27 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Colors: Antique Blue, Cerium Oxide, Golden Yellow. Waterproo...
Ceramic
Rare "Kallisti” - Large White Glass Artwork by Alekos Fassianos for Daum, 1988.
By Daum, Alekos Fassianos
Located in Lille, FR
Kallisti by Alekos Fassianos for Daum, pâte de verre, 1988. Signed and numbered 37/200. Alekos Fassianos (1935-2022) was one of Greece's most celebrated modern painters, known for a...
Glass, Art Glass
Modern Figural Terra Cotta Head Sculpture by Alexander Ney
Located in Dallas, TX
Rare Alexander Ney terra cotta head sculpture from the 1970s. Measures 12" High by 9" wide and 9" deep. In excellent condition. Signed on the bottom. Alexander Ney, born in 1939, is...
Terracotta
Vintage Amber Murano Sommerso Glass Owl Sculpture, Italy, 1970s
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Vintage Amber Murano Sommerso Glass Owl Sculpture, Italy, 1970s A stunning vintage Murano glass owl sculpture, crafted from richly toned amber and smoked glass, Italy, circa 1970. Th...
Art Glass
Val Saint Lambert green carved crystal vase.
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Val Saint Lambert green cut crystal vase. Green cut crystal vase. It features a cylindrical shape that widens slightly toward the top. The design features deep carving that creates a...
Art Glass
Set Of 2 Eroded Resin Candlesticks by Three One Four Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Set Of 2 Eroded Resin Candlesticks by Three One Four Studio Unique Pieces. Dimensions: D 10 x W 14 x H 25 cm. Materials: Resin. THREE ONE FOUR studio was born from the symbiotic rel...
Resin
$1,398 / 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
Stoneware Clay, Ceramic Flowing Silence Sculpture by Aleksandra Krasnopolska
Located in Geneve, CH
Stoneware Clay, Ceramic Flowing Silence Sculpture by Aleksandra Krasnopolska Dimensions: W 25 x D 10 x H 51 cm Materials: Stoneware clay. Unglazed ceramic sulface. Weight: 3,8 kg. ...
Ceramic, Clay, Stoneware
$352 / item
Charcoal Diogenèa Bowl by ZPS Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Charcoal Diogenèa Bowl by ZPS Studio Dimensions: D 23 x H 4.8 cm Materials: Charcoal. A number of 31 bowls of identical shape, made in limited edition by fine Italian artisans in 31...
Stone
Medium Candle Holder by Six Dots Design in Sanded Aluminum, UK
Located in Geneve, CH
Medium Candle Holder by Six Dots Design Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 11 x W 8 x H 2 cm Materials: Sanded raw aluminum. This sand cast aluminium candle holder is expressive, raw and t...
Aluminum
Blue Tea Cups Stack Vase, Italy, 1980s
Located in Firenze, IT
Blue tea cups stack vase Italy 1980s Measures : 31 cm H - 20 cm diam. Conditions: defects & repairs. Check the pictures.
Ceramic
Gaetano Pesce Medium Indian Summer Vase Clear Pink & Matte Lime for Corsi Design
By Corsi Design Factory, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Toronto, ON
The Medium Indian Summer Vase by Italian designer Gaetano Pesce for Corsi Design is a sculptural resin vessel from the iconic Fish Design collection, originally designed in 1995. Ha...
Resin
Postmodern Hand Carved and Burnished Stone Egg and Holster Set, Memphis Inspired
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Carefully curated set of semi-precious stone eggs in vibrant pastels with corresponding stone platform bases for display. Set is comprised of 5 eggs and 3 stone bases and one white e...
Quartz, Alabaster, Granite, Marble
$10,130 / item
Regeneration 03-2 Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga
Located in Geneve, CH
Regeneration 03-2 Bronze Sculpture by Kodai Suga Dimensions: W 50 x D 9 x H 30 cm Materials: Bronze Kodai Suga’s work features an evocative modernistic silhouette that has been imbu...
Bronze, Other
Lacewood Veneer, Horse Hair, Kutnu Fabric Serving Trolley by Studio Lugo
Located in Geneve, CH
Lacewood Veneer, Horse Hair, Kutnu Fabric Serving Trolley by Studio Lugo Dimensions: W 80 x D 40 x H 78.8 cm Materials: Roupala Tree/Brazilian Lacewood Veneer, Horse Hair, Kutnu Fabr...
Fabric, Wood
Red Kosta Boda Bowl by Anna Ehrner
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very colorful hand crafted blown glass bowl by Anna Ehrner for Kosta Soda. The bowl is small but has a great look and statement. - could be used for multiple purposes, including a...
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Grenat Foncé Vase III in Deep Burgundy Glazed Ceramic by Gazar Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Grenat Foncé Vase III in Deep Burgundy Glazed Ceramic by Gazar Studio Unique Piece Dimensions: Ø 14 x H 34 cm. Materials: Clay with deep burgundy glaze. Dimensions may vary. Please...
Clay
Brown and Beige Ceramic Vase with Abstract Geometric Decoration, Marked AS
Located in Berlin, DE
Brown and beige ceramic vase with abstract geometric decoration in ochre, rust-brown and charcoal. Its gently tapering body rises to a sharply defined shoulder and conical neck, crea...
Ceramic
Jon Gilmore 1992 Postmodern Lucite & Brass Pendulum Clock on Speckled Base
By Jim Gilmore
Located in St. Louis, MO
A striking 1992 Postmodern kinetic mantel clock designed by Jon Gilmore for Accessory Art Products, Inc. (Orange, CA). Embodying the iconic Memphis Design Movement aesthetic of the e...
Brass
$170 / item
Tall Amber Magma Vase by Mana
Located in Geneve, CH
Tall Amber Magma Vase by Mana Dimensions: D 11 x W 11 x H 25 cm. Materials: Recycled pet from post-consumer plastics, mainly discarded bottles/single use food packaging, collected an...
Plastic
$2,592 / item
Ochre Mid Pentacle III by Julie Nelson
Located in Geneve, CH
Ochre mid pentacle III by Julie Nelson. One of a kind. Dimensions: W 24 x D 30 x H 22 cm. Materials: ceramic stoneware and porcelain. Artist Julie Nelson...
Ceramic, Porcelain
Organic Salvaged Teak Wood Sphere Sculpture
Located in San Diego, CA
Super cool organic salvaged teak wood sphere sculpture, circa 1980s. The rustic sculpture is made of pieces of teak wood nailed together to form ...
Teak
$2,808 / item
Silver Wave I Vase by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Silver Wave I Vase by Homa Dimensions: W 24 x D 23 x H 40 cm Materials: Blown Glass. Silver Mirror. HOMA is a contemporary design atelier based in Istanbul. The atelier’s trademar...
Glass
$4,377 / item
Floating Chainmail Vase by Panorammma
Located in Geneve, CH
Floating Chainmail Vase by Panorammma Dimensions: ⌀ 21 x H 57 cm Materials: Nickel plated steel, glass The Chainmail Vase is a sculptural object in which a glass vessel is envelop...
Steel, Other, Nickel
$8,879 / item
Tiny Gods Sculpture by Carri
Located in Geneve, CH
Tiny Gods Sculpture by Carri Dimensions: W 35 x D 5 x H 50 cm Materials: Onyx. B 1995 Fernanda Carri ́s intimate practice spans painting, sculpture, ceramics, and textile, while her...
Onyx
$4,752 / item
Unique Unda Form by Dust and Form
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Unda Form by Dust and Form Dimensions: W 24.7 x D 27' x H 12 Materials: black Belgian marble. Special black Belgian marble Unda form. It is one of its kind and has a stun...
Marble
$32,959 / item
Wish Geometric Vase by Kreoo
Located in Geneve, CH
Wish Geometric Vase by Kreoo Designed by Christophe Pillet Dimensions: Ø 54 x H 118 cm. Materials: Marble. Available in different marble options. Ple...
Marble
$1,409 / item
Essenza by Rampinelli Edizioni
Located in Geneve, CH
Essenza by Rampinelli Edizioni Designed by Antonio De Marco Dimensions: D 13.5 x H 32 cm Materials: Metal. ANTONIO DE MARCO Essenza represents a bridge between two seemingly distant...
Metal
Set Of 2 Almas Caviar Bowl & Spoon in Horn & Crystal by Arcahorn
Located in Geneve, CH
Set Of 2 Almas Caviar Bowl & Spoon in Horn & Crystal by Arcahorn Dimensions: Ø 24 x H 7 cm. Materials: Horn and crystal. Colours and shades of horn processed by Arcahorn are unique ...
Crystal, Other
$7,571 / item
Ramé Copper Wall Sculpture by NITUSH AROOSH
Located in Geneve, CH
Ramé Copper Wall Sculpture by NITUSH AROOSH Dimensions: Ø 100 cm. Materials: Stainless steel. Available in different finishes. All our lamps can be wired according to each country....
Stainless Steel
Small Brass Mar de Cobre Wall Sculpture by Aura Carpio
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Brass Mar de Cobre Wall Sculpture by Aura Carpio Dimensions: D 40 x H 4 cm. Materials: Copper, Brass. Weight: 3 Kg. Aura Carpio® (CDMX). Mexican industrial designer graduated ...
Copper, Brass
Papaya Vase by Siup Studio - Ceramic Post-Modern Design, 21cm
Located in Geneve, CH
Papaya vase by Siup Studio Dimensions: D13 x H21cm Materials: Ceramics Waterproof insert is required when using with water or fresh flowers. Siup is a sm...
Ceramic
James Alloway Paperweight with Controlled Bubbles, American Studio Art Glass
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
The piece measures 3.25" high and 2.25" wide at the center. It is signed by the artist near the base. James Alloway (b. 1957) is a renowned American glass artist. James had a fasci...
Art Glass, Glass
Vestal Vase in Glazed, Hand-Thrown Ceramic by Gazar Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Vestal Vase in Glazed, Hand-Thrown Ceramic by Gazar Studio Unique Piece Dimensions: Ø 15.4 x H 39 cm. Materials: Glazed ceramic. Dimensions may vary. Please contact us. A hand-thro...
Clay
Ritus Uno Unique Candelabra & Censer in Carved White Marble by Andres Monnier
Located in Geneve, CH
Ritus Uno Unique Candelabra & Censer in Carved White Marble by Andres Monnier Unique Piece Dimensions: D 20 x W 12 x H 20 cm. Materials: White marble. Available in different finishe...
Marble
Atelier Prototype Porcelain Vase – Laura Fiume for Rosenthal, 1990
By Rosenthal
Located in Berlin, DE
Rare artist’s prototype vase in glazed porcelain by Italian designer Laura Fiume for Rosenthal Studio Line, with a hexagonal body, bold zigzag side elements and hand-painted postmode...
Porcelain
Popcorn Jug Sculpture in Ceramic by Liliana Silva
Located in Geneve, CH
Popcorn Jug Sculpture in Ceramic by Liliana Silva. Signed by Liliana Silva. Dimensions: W 24 x D 24 x H 28 cm. Materials: Ceramic. The “Popcorn Jug” from the Popcorn series captures...
Ceramic
Corpus Archetypus in Luster Sculptural Object By Caspi Ceramics NL
Located in Geneve, CH
Corpus Archetypus in Luster Sculptural Object By Caspi Ceramics NL Dimensions: W 30 x D 42 x H 23 cm. Materials: Ceramic, engobe, Arabian luster glaze press mold, reduction firing. ...
Ceramic
Contemporary Rough Organic Form, Dark Grey Ceramic Vase by Niclas Wolf
Located in Geneve, CH
Geoprimitive 129 Ceramic Vase by Niclas Wolf Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 35 x H 37 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Waterproof insert is required when using with water or fresh flowers. GEO...
Ceramic
$2,558 / item
Anatolian 1 Vase by Güler Elçi
Located in Geneve, CH
Anatolian 1 Vase by Güler Elçi Dimensions: W 20.3 x D 20.3 x H 25.4 cm. Materials: Stoneware Ceramic. Waterproof insert is required when using with water o...
Ceramic, Stoneware
$10,005 / item
Posthuman Sculptural Object By Caspi Ceramics NL
Located in Geneve, CH
Posthuman Sculptural Object By Caspi Ceramics NL Dimensions: W 20 x D 25 x H 58 cm. Materials: Ceramic, engobe, Jarre-a-la-corde, oxidation firing. About: From early childhood, cera...
Ceramic
$1,023 / item
Bud Wall Vase by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Bud wall vase by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 14 x H 12 cm Materials: patinated brass Each of these delicately, handcrafted Wall Vase is perfect as an individual home accessory. Mad...
Brass
Pedro Friedeberg Zebra Bronze Sculpture
Located in Mexico City, MX
A zebra bronze sculpture by Italian-born Mexican artist Pedro Friedeberg. The zebra's series is 6 / 10 and has a dark patina finish. It is signed on the leg. The sculpture is mounted...
Bronze
$39,019 / set
Set of 2 Isa and Belle Vases by BRNV Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Isa and Belle Vases by BRNV Studio Dimensions: D 10 x H 30 cm, D 15 x H 20 cm (Dimensions may vary). Materials: Forust 3D printed wood dust, bronze. The "Isa" and the "Bell...
Bronze
Duramen Stainless Steel Top and Solid Walnut Sculptural Object by Jules Lobgeois
Located in Geneve, CH
Duramen Stainless Steel Top and Solid Walnut Sculptural Object by Jules Lobgeois Unique Piece Dimensions: D 35 x H 42 cm. Materials: Solid walnut, stainless steel. The heartwood is ...
Stainless Steel
$716 / item
DYKA Vase by ZEMNA
Located in Geneve, CH
DYKA Vase by ZEMNA Designed by Tetiana Krasutska. Dimensions: D 10 x W 30 x H 30 cm. Materials: Clay. Each object in the DYKA collection is unique because it is sculpted by hand fr...
Clay