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.
Alberto Cabiddu “Massa Continua” modernist stone sculpture, Italy, 1999
Located in Weesp, NL
Importing Art into the United States is exempt from all U.S. tariffs but please, do check. Alberto Cabiddu “Massa Continua” modernist stone sculpture, Italy, 1999 “Massa Continua,”...
Limestone
Unique Memorias Del Agua I Sculptural Vessel in Ceramic by Soledad Christie
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Memorias Del Agua I Sculptural Vessel in Ceramic by Soledad Christie. One Of a Kind. Dimensions: W 13 x D 13 x H 29 cm. Materials: Low-temperature, burnished earthenware ceram...
Ceramic, Earthenware
$3,115 / item
Oriental Flowers Heritage Vase by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Oriental Flowers Heritage Vase by deBlona Dimensions: D 33 x H 54 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Colors: Empire red or aquamarine, black, golden yellow, cerium oxide. The “Oriental Flower...
Ceramic
Blue Ceramic Vase by Siup Studio, Post-Modern Design, 15cm Diameter
Located in Geneve, CH
Blue Vase by Siup Studio Dimensions: D15 x H28 cm Materials: Ceramics Siup is a small design studio based in Warsaw. The concept is created by three f...
Ceramic
Small Stella 3D Printed Vase by Jimena Montemayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Stella 3D Printed Vase by Jimena Montemayor Dimensions: D 23 x H 20 cm. Materials: 3D printed polylactic and aluminum filament. Available in l...
Other
Contemporary Art Pouf - Rose of Saint Petersbourg by Carla Tolomeo
Located in Pistoia, IT
Sculpture. Unique piece hand made by the artist. Vintage rectangular ottoman decorated by the Author. Pontoglio silk and cotton velvets- Trimmings
Silk, Cotton
$2,588 / item
Sculpture Bloomen 14 by Zanellazine Ceramics
Located in Geneve, CH
Sculpture Bloomen 14 by Zanellazine Ceramics Dimensions: W 26 x D 23 x H 43 cm Materials: Red and white clay, Green semi-refractorie clay. About: Giovanna Zighetti, ceramist and se...
Ceramic
$2,183 / item
Persian Blue Abisso Vase by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Persian Blue Abisso Vase by deBlona Dimensions: D 36 x H 50 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Colors: Persian Blue. The “ABISSO” vase, crafted and painted by hand in Deruta, Italy, draws ins...
Ceramic
Meridian Glass Bell, Hand-Sculpted Contemporary Crystal
Located in Geneve, CH
Meridian glass bell, hand-sculpted contemporary crystal. Hand-sculpted in crystal Dimensions: W 24 x D 15.5 x H 35 cm Materials: Crystal Weight: 1.1 kg. The Meridian glass bel...
Crystal
$3,186 / item
Sculptural Vase 2 by Donatas Zukauskas
Located in Geneve, CH
Sculptural Vase 2 by Donatas Zukauskas Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 28 x W 30 x H 66 cm. Materials: Recycled paper, concrete, cardboard, and glue. All products are handmade and uniqu...
Concrete, Other
Joel O'Dorisio for Lost Angel Glass Vase, American Studio Art Glass, 2003
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Fused glass vase features complex multilayered colored glass core in dark Bordeau or burgundy red, toffee brown, cream, and deep cobalt blue colors, encased in clear glass in sommer...
Art Glass, Sommerso
$507 / 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
$3,186 / item
Sculptural Vase B by Donatas Zukauskas
Located in Geneve, CH
Sculptural Vase B by Donatas Zukauskas Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 24 x H 64 cm. Materials: Recycled paper, concrete, cardboard, and glue. All products are handmade and unique, so t...
Concrete, Other
$247 / item
Bruciata Wooden Tray by Gabor Gobi
Located in Geneve, CH
Bruciata Wooden Tray by Gabor Gobi Limited Edition Of 5 Pieces. Dimensions: D 15 x W 15 x H 4 cm. Materials: Pine wood. Elegantly crafted, these wooden trays—ideal for jewelry or as...
Pine
$5,664 / item
Pitcher by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Pitcher by Laura Pasquino Limited Edition of 8 Dimensions: D 31 x H 48 cm Material: Soft-paste porcelain, glaze. Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ancient Korean ceramic...
Porcelain
$31,154 / item
Atlant Sapiens by Twenty Second Factory
Located in Geneve, CH
Atlant Sapiens by Twenty Second Factory Created by Vladislav Volosenko X Bogdan Kryvosheya Dimensions: D 52 x W 35 x H 60 cm Materials: Bronze. Founded in 2017 by Bogdan Kryvosheya,...
Bronze
$3,634 / item
Untitled No. 49 Vase by Marea Hildebrand
Located in Geneve, CH
Untitled No. 49 Vase by Marea Hildebrand Handmade Dimensions: D 32 x W 32 x H 37 cm Materials: Stoneware with slip. Marea Hildebrand (b. 1989) is a Zurich-based ceramic artist with...
Stoneware
$5,664 / item
Vessel by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Vessel by Laura Pasquino Limited Edition of 8 Dimensions: D 47 x H 32 cm Material: Soft-paste porcelain, glaze. Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ancient Korean ceramics...
Porcelain
$3,292 / item
Star Petal Gourd III by Julie Nelson
Located in Geneve, CH
Star petal gourd III by Julie Nelson One Of A Kind Dimensions: D 22 x H 26.5 cm Materials: Ceramic stoneware and porcelain Artist Julie Nelson uses ...
Ceramic, Porcelain
$1,427 / item
Velvet Realities Blue Wall Sculpture by Sven Jansse
Located in Geneve, CH
Velvet Realities Blue Wall Sculpture by Sven Jansse Collaboration with Studio Somé (Robyne Somé) and Sven Jansse. Dimensions: W 63 x D 1 x H 90 cm Materials: Print on CNC’d Acryllic...
Other
$859 / item
Stomata 7 Vase by Anna Karountzou
Located in Geneve, CH
Stomata 7 vase by Anna Karountzou Dimensions: D 9 x H 31 cm Materials: mixed black and white stoneware clay, clear glaze inside, fired at 1240 Born and based in Athens, Greece, ...
Other
Tapio Wirkkala and Dorothy Hafner Vase for Rosenthal
By Tapio Wirkkala, Rosenthal, Dorothy Hafner
Located in Oslo, NO
Refreshing vase from the 'Century New Wave' series in porcelain. Designed by Tapio Wirkkala and Dorothy Hafner. Made by Rosenthal from 1985. The vase is an exemplary piece from...
Porcelain
$1,427 / item
Recovered History Shards Large Vase by David Valner
Located in Geneve, CH
Recovered History Shards Large Vase by David Valner Dimensions: D 22 x W 22 x H 24 cm. Materials: Glass. Weight: 6 kg. Recovered history vase, large size, shards style, and various ...
Glass
Post-Modern American Studio Raku Ceramic Covered Vessel or Box, circa 1980s
Located in San Diego, CA
Expressive American studio raku ceramic covered vessel dating to the late 20th century. This sculptural postmodern form features a hand-built matte charcoal-black body raised on four...
Pottery
Mini Mint Blue Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Mini Mint Blue Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio Dimensions: D 8.9 x W 8.9 x H 17.8 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Available in Crystal Cream, Mint Blue, Br...
Ceramic
Mocca Leather and Steel Maggiz Magazine Rack by OxDenmarq
Located in Geneve, CH
Mocca Leather and Steel Maggiz Magazine Rack by OxDenmarq Dimensions: D 24 x W 47 x H 43 cm Materials: Steel, Leather Also Available: Different leather and frame colors available,...
Steel
$7,837 / item
Ramé Sage Green Wall Sculpture by NITUSH AROOSH
Located in Geneve, CH
Ramé Sage Green Wall Sculpture by NITUSH AROOSH Dimensions: Ø 100 cm. Materials: Stainless steel. Available in different finishes. All our lamps...
Stainless Steel
$19,805 / item
Mica Vase by Paolo Marcolongo
Located in Geneve, CH
Mica Vase by Paolo Marcolongo Dimensions: D 46.6 x W 17 x H 16.5 cm Materials: Murano glass and Mica. Paolo Marcolongo was born in Padua in 1956, he atte...
Murano Glass
Ettore Sottsass Attb Marble round box/ jewelry/decor , black and white
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful round box , polished very well inside and out , unsigned .
Marble
Mini Oxblood Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Mini Oxblood Wave Form Vase by Forma Rosa Studio Dimensions: D 8.9 x W 8.9 x H 17.8 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Available in Crystal Cream, Mint Blue, Bron...
Ceramic
$19,860 / item
Surrounded by Green Vase by Paolo Marcolongo
Located in Geneve, CH
Surrounded by Green Vase by Paolo Marcolongo Dimensions: D 31 x W 16.4 x H 16.2 cm Materials: Murano Glass and Iron. Paolo Marcolongo was born in Padua in 1956, he attended the A...
Iron
Set of 12 Bronze Sculptural Contemporary Art Candleholders by Samuel Costantini
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 12 bronze candleholders by Samuel Costantini One of a Kind Dimensions: D 3.5 x H 5 cm (each). Materials: Bronze with white patine. Samuel Costantini The ability to create obj...
Bronze
$1,062 / item
Bunny Sweet Fuchsia Decorative Object by Aki Kuroda
Located in Geneve, CH
Bunny Sweet Fuchsia Decorative Object by Aki Kuroda Dimensions: D 22 x W 29 x H 60 cm. Materials: Polyethylene. Weight: 2 kg. Available in different color options. Prices may vary. ...
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
$17,654 / item
Blooming Sculpture II by Emilie Lemardeley
Located in Geneve, CH
Blooming Sculpture II by Emilie Lemardeley Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 43 x W 56 x H 75 cm. Materials: Bronze and mixed technique. Designed as jewellery for the interior, the Lemard...
Bronze, Other
$31,154 / item
Dazed Sapiens by Twenty Second Factory
Located in Geneve, CH
Dazed Sapiens by Twenty Second Factory Created by Roman Shcherbakov aka Dase X Vladislav Volosenko X Bogdan Kryvosheya Dimensions: D 52 x W 35 x H 60 cm Materials: Bronze. "Sapiens"...
Bronze
Jeweled Pewter and Enamel "Tree of Life" Menorah in the Style of Jay Strongwater
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous jeweled pewter and enamel "Tree of Life" Menorah in the style of Jay Strongwater (it may actually be a Strongwater piece, but it is not marked), circa 1990s. The menorah is ...
Rock Crystal, Enamel, Pewter
$2,832 / item
Balloon Object 000 by Louise Roe
Located in Geneve, CH
Balloon Object 000 by Louise Roe Dimensions: Ø 24 x H 32 cm. Materials: Stainless steel. THE ROE STUDIO BALLOON OBJECT 000 A limited and distinctive varia...
Stainless Steel
$4,153 / 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. Marea Hildebrand (b. 1989) is a Zurich-based ceramic artist with...
Stoneware
Large handblown glass vase in two-tone gray, 20th century
Located in View Park, CA
A large handblown glass vase in shades of gray, probably late 20th century. Bottom half is transparent gray, whilst the top is an opaque lighter shade of gray.
Art Glass
$3,115 / item
Medusa Vase by Casa Alfarera
Located in Geneve, CH
Medusa vase by Casa Alfarera Dimensions: D45.7 x H48.3 cm Materials: Matte Black glaze The Medusa Vase is a large flower pot or decorative piece that ta...
Glass
$436 / item
Candelabro 4 Candleholder by Camila Apaez
Located in Geneve, CH
Candelabro 4 Candleholder by Camila Apaez Unique Materials: Stoneware, Red Clay Dimensions: ⌀ 7 x H 20 cm Ila Ceramica emerged from a process of inner inquiry where ceramics became ...
Clay, Stoneware
$5,664 / item
Flask by Laura Pasquino
Located in Geneve, CH
Flask by Laura Pasquino Limited Edition of 8 Dimensions: D 38 x H 43 cm Material: Soft-paste porcelain, glaze. Laura Pasquino Incorporating references from ancient Korean ceramics ...
Porcelain
1980 Italy Bronze Abstract Sculpture by Luciana Matalon Gente E Dune
Located in Brescia, IT
This engaging bronze abstract sculpture was created by the Italian artist Luciana Matalon in 1980. This is a mulptiple of 1000 specimens numbered and signed. The title is " Gente e ...
Bronze
Set of 3 Dusty Peach Cibele Plant Stands by OK Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 3 Dusty Peach Cibele Plant Stands by OK Design Dimensions: D 35 x H 30 cm, D 35 x H 45 cm, D 35 x H 54 cm. Materials: Powder-coated metal. Available in small, medium, and lar...
Metal
$42,058 / item
Travertino Silver Tosca Bath by Serafini
Located in Geneve, CH
Travertino silver tosca bath by Serafini Materials: Travertino Silver marble. Dimensions: D 92 x W 170 x H 50 cm Available in other marbles. Also available in shaped version. Tap not...
Marble
$1,722 / item
Paper Brass Bowl III by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Paper brass bowl III by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 50 x W 50 x H 25.5 cm Materials: tarnished brass Available in tarnished brass and darkened brass. The Paper Series embodies the ...
Brass
$1,970 / item
Structured By Nature Large Vase by David Valner
Located in Geneve, CH
Structured By Nature Large Vase by David Valner Dimensions: D 22 x W 22 x H 72 cm. Materials: Glass. Weight: 9 kg. Finish: Large-size “bark” production style, brown color. “Authenti...
Glass
Large Origins Mar de Cobre Wall Sculpture by Aura Carpio
Located in Geneve, CH
Large Origins Mar de Cobre Wall Sculpture by Aura Carpio Dimensions: D 100 x H 5 cm. Materials: Copper. Weight: 12 Kg. Aura Carpio® (CDMX). Mexican industrial designer graduated an...
Copper
$2,265 / item
Big Sculptural Vase by Alexandra Madirazza
Located in Geneve, CH
Big Sculptural Vase by Alexandra Madirazza Dimensions: ⌀ 30 x H 40 cm (These are approximate measurements) Materials: Stoneware Also available in ...
Stoneware
$708 / item
Raw Berlin Blue S Vase by Milena Kling
Located in Geneve, CH
Raw Berlin Blue S Vase by Milena Kling Unique Piece. Dimensions: Ø 19 x H 20 cm. Materials: Mouth-blown crystal glass. Each RAW Vase is one of a kind and personally signed by Milen...
Glass
$1,553 / item
BG 446 Handcrafed Sculpture by Bronwen Grieves
Located in Geneve, CH
BG 446 handcrafed sculpture by Bronwen Grieves Dimensions: D 40 x W 18 x H 18 cm Materials: black stoneware white slip. Other models can be done. Fired to 1180 c Bronwen Gri...
Stoneware
$1,427 / item
Structured By Nature Medium Vase by David Valner
Located in Geneve, CH
Structured By Nature Medium Vase by David Valner Dimensions: D 22 x W 22 x H 52 cm. Materials: Glass. Weight: 8 kg. Finish: Medium-size “branches” production style, purple and pink c...
Glass
$1,239 / item
Recovered Medium Vase by David Valner
Located in Geneve, CH
Recovered Medium Vase by David Valner Dimensions: D 15 x W 15 x H 30 cm. Materials: Glass. Weight: 7 kg. Finish: Medium size, turquoise and clear. “The history of a glass factory an...
Glass
Sitting Black & White Cat Art Glass Sculpture by Maciej Habrat, 1990s
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage art glass sculpture features an expressionist, Modernist sitting cat figure in black and white fused glass; the use of clear glass and controlled air bubbles add texture and ...
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass
$1,475 / item
Recovered Large Vase by David Valner
Located in Geneve, CH
Recovered Large Vase by David Valner Dimensions: D 23 x W 23 x H 24 cm. Materials: Glass. Weight: 9,5 kg. Finish: Large size, purple and clear. “The history of a glass factory and i...
Glass
$207 / item
Cu Vessel by Studio Cúze
Located in Geneve, CH
Cu vessel by Studio Cúze Dimensions: D 8 x W 23 x H 19.5 cm Materials: ceramic, copper The Cu Vessel is a handmade piece for holding and collecting incense sticks. The piece owes it...
Copper
Cisco Jiménez Hand-Painted Big Ceramic Vase With Green And Black Lines
Located in Mexico City, MX
A big white ceramic vase hand-painted with green and black lines by Mexican artist Cisco Jiménez. The lines on the vase are entangled in a dynamic composition. The vase is signed and...
Ceramic
$1,274 / item
Sympoiesis No 92 Vessel by Studio Viv Lee
Located in Geneve, CH
Sympoiesis no 92 vessel by Studio Viv Lee Unique and signed Dimensions: W 25 x D 14 x H 28 cm Materials: White stoneware, glaze containing foraged oyster sh...
Stoneware
1980s Post Modern Gold and Black Ceramic Italian Vide Poche by Capodimonte
By Capodimonte
Located in Aci Castello, IT
This piece is as functional as it is decorative. It is ideal for an entryway table, coffee table, or desk to hold keys, coins, or small objects. It also works beautifully as a standa...
Ceramic