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.
$1,716 / item
Relief Sculpture by Alexandra Madirazza
Located in Geneve, CH
Relief Sculpture by Alexandra Madirazza Dimensions: W 60 x D 3 x H 90 cm (These are approximate measurements) Materials: Concrete Alexandra is an ...
Concrete
Beige Ceramic Vase, France, Late 20th Century
Located in Rümmingen, BW
"shipping note: If your region or country is not listed under the shipping options please contact us directly" The vase features a distinctively waisted silhouette that flares towar...
Ceramic, Clay
Swedish Designer, Candlesticks, Pine, Sweden, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of turned pine candlesticks designed and produced in Sweden, 1970s.
Pine
Leslie Thornton, Large Mixed Media Floor Sculpture, "History of Printing"
Located in Morristown, NJ
Leslie Thornton (British, 1925-2016), "History of Printing", no signature observed, mounted on wood plinth. An arresting and fascinating piece, this tall floor sculpture...
Earthenware
Bird Sculpture in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Bird Sculpture in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor Limited Edition of 5 + 2AP. Dimensions: D 91 x W 117 x H 158 cm. Materials: Mirror-polished stainless steel....
Stainless Steel
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
Ettore Sottsass Floor Vases from 27 Woods for a Chinese Artificial Flower, Pair
Located in Kansas City, MO
Two large vases made of burl wood, black and brass designed by Ettore Sottsass for his "27 woods for a Chinese Artificial flower" series. Each of the 27 different vases were made in an edition of 12. These are Numbers 3 and 9 of the twelve "I" editions. Each is signed with applied manufacturers label, "Design Gallery, Milano, Ettore Sottsass, 1995, Made in Italy" with the edition number. Price is for the pair. Condition: Both are in very good vintage condition. No chips, dents or significant scratches. Both retain the original heavy brass vase insert...
Brass
$2,295 / item
Lumos Sculptural Candle Holder by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Lumos Sculptural Candle Holder by Homa Dimensions: W 22 x D 17 x H 45 cm Materials: Blown Glass. Silver or Smoke Mirror. Colour: Silver or Smoke. Please note that the Lumos Candle H...
Mirror, Blown Glass
Special Special Shiny Titanium Panoplia Sculptural Vase by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Special Special Shiny Titanium Panoplia Sculptural Vase by deBlona Dimensions: D 28 x H 48 cm. Materials: titanium. Colors: Special Special Shiny Titanium. The “Panoplia Titanium” ...
Metal
American Designer, Abstract Sculpture, Ceramic, USA, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
An abstract ceramic sculpture, designed and produced in the US, c. 1970s.
Ceramic
Swedish Designer, Vase, Ceramic, Sweden, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A beige-glazed ceramic vase, designed and produced in Sweden, c. 1970s.
Ceramic
Vintage Hand Blown Green Glass Centerpiece Bowl, Empoli, Italy, 1970s
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Empoli, Italy, 1970s. It is a high-quality centerpiece made in green hand blown and modeled glass. This is a vintage piece, therefore it might show slight traces of use, but...
Blown Glass
Gail Folwell Abstract Bronze Sculpture, Signed, Numbered, "Synaptic Gap"
By Gail Folwell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Great abstraction sculpture for the well known Colorado artist Gail Folwell, all measures are including marble base. This Piece is numbered 4/9 and signed.Title Synaptic Gap
Bronze
Aura Handcrafted Pendant Lamp in Neutral Beige Bio-Based Resin by Waves.STUDIO
Located in Geneve, CH
Aura Handcrafted Pendant Lamp in Neutral Beige Bio-Based Resin by Waves.STUDIO Dimensions: Ø 35 x H 35 cm. Materials: Bio-based resin. All our lamps can be wired according to each c...
Resin
$1,147 / item
Small Lingara Planter by Deetee Home
Located in Geneve, CH
Small Lingara Planter by Deetee Home Dimensions: W 39.37 x D 39.37 x H 45.72 cm Materials: Stoneware Lingara is an ode to that feeling. To divinity. To rootedness. INSPIRED BY Shivl...
Stoneware
Italian Decorative White / Ivory Ceramic 1970/80s Vases by La Bottega, Set of 2
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Italian artisanal vases in glazed earthware with a relief decoration. Name of the manufacturer imprinted under the base: "La bottega". Excellent vintage c...
Ceramic, Earthenware
1980s Avant-Garde Black and Green Marble Stone Brass Cones Candlesticks - a Pair
Located in Farmington Hills, MI
We are very pleased to offer a pair of avant-garde candlesticks, circa the 1980s. The foundation of each piece is a robust cone which then transitions into an inverted cone at the t...
Marble, Metal, Brass
Turquoise and Natural Terra Cotta Abisso Caraibi Vase by deBlona
Located in Geneve, CH
Turquoise and Natural Terra Cotta Abisso Caraibi Vase by deBlona Dimensions: D 36 x H 50 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Colors: Turquoise and natural terra cotta. The “ABISSO” vase, craft...
Ceramic
Ricardo Santamaria, "Hors Cadre", 1974
Located in Catonvielle, FR
Sculpture titled "Hors cadre" dated 1974 by Ricardo Santamaria (1920-2013). Atypical artist, Ricardo Santamaria is a member of the Zaragoya group (Saragossa 1950). Ricardo Santa...
Wood
Sculpture Vessel Regina Heinz Sunrise Pottery
By Regina Heinz
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
Regina Heinz B. 1957 SUNRISE 1998 Regina's award winning work has been purchased by the National Art Collector's Fund and is presented in collections worldwide, including the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, the Museum of Contemporary Ceramics in Gifu, Japan, the International Ceramics Museum in Faenza, and the Yingge County Ceramics Museum in Taipei. With degrees in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and in ceramics from Goldsmiths’ College, London, Regina combines in her work the sensibility of a fine artist with outstanding expertise in ceramics. As an artist, Regina draws on her love for her native countryside and her background as a painter. Her passion for colour, form and beautiful ceramic surfaces led her to set up her architectural ceramics practice in 2011 to explore the integration of art, architecture and landscape. Regina regularly works with international interior designers, art consultants and private clients world-wide. Her portfolio includes an exclusive 3D tile line for the American tile retailer Ann Sacks...
Pottery
Set of 2 Makemake Purple Iridescent L Vase + Bowl by Eloa
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Makemake Purple Iridescent L Vase + Bowl by Eloa. No UL listed Material: Glass Dimensions: D40 x W40 x H25 cm Also Available in different colours and dimensions. Makemake is reminiscent of Jupiter‘s ring...
Glass
"EARLY PRIMARY" Wall Clock by Kim Mullis as Wilderness Bodies
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A stunning contemporary wall clock that brings bold artistic flair to any space, this "Early Primary" piece by Kim Mullis as Wilderness Bodies showcases a captivating array of geomet...
Corian
$28,773 / item
Itzcali Matla Marble Sculpture by Sebastián Ángeles
Located in Geneve, CH
Itzcali Matla Marble Sculpture by Sebastián Ángeles Dimensions: D 70 x W 27 x H 95 cm Materials: Santo Tomás Marble Conceived as a functional sculpture, MATLA reinterprets the figur...
Marble
Rib 16X Monolith Deep Blue Cornice Vessel by Lenny Stopp
Located in Geneve, CH
Rib 16X Monolith Pitch Black Cornice Vessel by Lenny Stopp Dimensions: D 25 x H 100 cm Materials: Alpha crystalline gypsum (Hard plaster) Cornice is an evolving collection of vessel...
Other
Helle Lavender Green Cast Glass Sculpture by Bowen Liu
Located in Geneve, CH
Helle Lavender Green Cast Glass Sculpture by Bowen Liu Dimensions: D 2.25 x W 5 x H 7 cm Materials: Cast Glass Based in, produced and shipped from the US. Bowen Liu founded her aw...
Other
Arthur M. Bernhang Gray Marble Abstract Sculpture, Chrome Base, 1985
Located in Astoria, NY
Arthur M. Bernhang (American, XX) Gray Marble Sculpture, 1985, the abstract form atop two chrome supports affixed to hardstone base signed and dated. Overall: 16.75" H x 23.5" W x 8....
Marble
Vintage Querandí Green Art Glass Vase, Argentina, 1970s
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Vintage Querandí Green Art Glass Vase, Argentina, 1970s A stunning vintage Querandí art glass vase, crafted in a rich emerald green. The piece features a distinctive organic silhoue...
Art Glass
Soft Vase in Steel, Tinted Silicone and Silk by Panorammma
Located in Geneve, CH
Soft Vase in Steel, Tinted Silicone and Silk by Panorammma Dimensions: D 15 x W 15 x H 34 cm. Materials: Stainless steel, nickel-plated steel, tinted silicone, and silk suture. Cust...
Steel, Stainless Steel, Nickel
Vintage Boho Stacked Stone and Marble Geometric Sphere Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Exuding a bold, graphic glamour, this vintage monumental sculpture is a stunning example of 1980s Postmodern design. The piece features a dramatic, large-scale sphere meticulously cr...
Marble
$260 / set
1980s Memphis Style Brass Candlesticks
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A sculptural pair rooted in early 1980s postmodern design. These vintage candlesticks pull from the Memphis Milano playbook, bold geometry, exaggerated scale, and a graphic sense of ...
Brass
Rib 16X Sturdy Tall Deep Blue Cornice Vessel by Lenny Stopp
Located in Geneve, CH
Rib 16X Sturdy Tall Deep Blue Cornice Vessel by Lenny Stopp Dimensions: D 18 x H 50 cm Materials: Alpha crystalline gypsum (Hard plaster) Cornice is an evolving collection of vessel...
Other
Eberhard Bank Carving, Sculpture of Two Dolomite Seals, on Black Obsidian Base
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This an amazing carving by the German certified artist Eberhard Bank. This sculpture is of two seals in white dolomite on snowflake black obsidian , seals are marked with monogram EB...
Stone
$1,402 / item
Recovered History Kopna Large Vase by David Valner
Located in Geneve, CH
Recovered History Kopna Large Vase by David Valner Dimensions: D 21 x W 21 x H 30 cm. Materials: Glass. Weight: 6 kg. Recovered history vase, large size, kopna style, and various co...
Glass
Hypomea Copper Decorative Contemporary Art Bowl by Samuel Costanini
Located in Geneve, CH
Hypomea copper bowl by Samuel Costantini Dimensions: D25 x H8 cm Materials: copper Copper bowl worked en-rely by hand. The oxydation of copper ...
Copper
Black and Azure Ceramic 1980s Decorative Bottles by L. Boscolo for Forma & Luce
By Luigi Boscolo
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Set of 4 decorative bottles made from blue/violet and black ceramic. Measures: Big bottle: cm 43 H x 21 D Medium bottle: cm 36 H x 18 D Small bottle: cm 20...
Ceramic
Postmodern Iridescent Black and Azure Cased Glass Vase, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, Murano, 1980s. It is made in quite heavy 3-layered iridescent black and cornflower blue hand-blown cased glass. This is a vintage piece, therefore it might show sligh...
Murano Glass
Natalie Du Pasquier Vase Bitossi Ceramic Date & Numbered 2004 ED.133/299
By Bitossi, Nathalie du Pasquier
Located in San Diego, CA
Vase by Bitossi Ceramiche with elements in white clay casting. Original and elegant, it was conceived by the famous French designer and painter Natalie Du Pasquier. It is finished in...
Ceramic
Italian Postmodern Glass and Green Plastic Vase by Cleto Munari, 2000s
By Cleto Munari
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian postmodern Glass and green plastic vase by Cleto Munari, 2000s Hemispherical vase in perforated glass. There are small threads of light green plastic in the holes. It has a ...
Glass, Plastic
Glazed Earthenware Abstract Woman by Ernest Treccani, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy in the 70s by Ernesto Treccani. This is an incredible polished earthenware piece that would fit perfectly in a museum. Measures: height: 140 cm width: 41 cm depth: 22 ...
Earthenware
$243 / item
Incense Burner by Saturday Yard Work
Located in Geneve, CH
Incense Burner by Saturday Yard Work Dimensions: W 10 x D 10 x H 2.5 cm Materials: Aluminium. Finish: Polished face / blackened texture. SATURDAY YARD WORK by Nathan Martin is a Ka...
Aluminum
Postmodern Black Murano Glass Lemon with Gold and Silver Flakes, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s. This lemon is made in black Murano glass with silver and gold flakes and then covered in transparent Murano glass. It might show slight traces of use since it's...
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
$5,971 / item
Materia Colectiva V Resin Vessel by Marcela Cure
Located in Geneve, CH
Materia Colectiva V Vessel by Marcela Cure Limited Edition of 8 Dimensions: W 30 x D 24 x H 40 cm Materials: Hand-pigmented resin. A faceted vessel with a single sculptural "ear," l...
Resin
$2,110 / item
Lumi Candle Holder V by Homa
Located in Geneve, CH
Lumi Candle Holder V by Homa. Dimensions: W 21 x D 17 x H 18 cm. Materials: Blown Glass. Silver Mirror. Colour: Silver. HOMA is a contemporary design atelier based in Istanbul. The ...
Glass, Mirror
Vintage Large Earthenware Vide-Poche / Decorative Plate by Pino Castagna, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1980s. This catchall / vide-poche / decorative plate is made in glazed earthenware. It is signed by Pino Castagna. This is a vintage piece, therefore it might show sl...
Earthenware
$9,530 / item
36 Small Mirrors Wall Piece by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
36 small mirrors wall piece by Gentner Design Dimensions: W 8.9 x H 76 cm Materials: brass, stainless steel A 6 squared myopic reflection of you...
Brass, Stainless Steel
Pair of Vintage Burgundy Candlestick holders done in Memphis Style, Italy 1990s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a pair of vintage candlestick holders. They feature striking design resembling a lot Memphis style. The candlestick holders are made of cermic or plaste...
Plaster
Ray Geary Contemporary \ Resin and Pill Sculpture Titled "White Pill Circle"
Located in Queens, NY
Contemporary abstract resin sculpture titled, "White Pill Portal," a rectangular white resin piece with a translucent central circle in which various colorful pills are suspended. (R...
Resin
Helle Erbium Pink Cast Glass Sculpture by Bowen Liu
Located in Geneve, CH
Helle Erbium Pink Cast Glass Sculpture by Bowen Liu Dimensions: D 2.25 x W 5 x H 7 cm Materials: Cast Glass Based in, produced and shipped from the US. Bowen Liu founded her award...
Other
$21,427 / item
Ray Of Light Menorah Candleholder by Alina Alamorean
Located in Geneve, CH
Ray Of Light Menorah Candleholder by Alina Alamorean One Of A Kind. Dimensions: D 15 x W 30 x H 19 cm. Materials: Steel and silver. Also available in bronze. Please contact us. Bo...
Steel, Silver
Pawn Sculpture in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Pawn Sculpture in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor Limited Edition of 5 + 2AP. Dimensions: D 60 x W 60 x H 198 cm. Materials: Mirror-polished stainless steel. ...
Stainless Steel
L'Heure Bleue Vase I in Deep Midnight Blue Glazed Ceramic by Gazar Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
L'Heure Bleue Vase I in Deep Midnight Blue Glazed Ceramic by Gazar Studio Unique Piece Dimensions: Ø 15 x H 23,5 cm. Materials: Clay with deep burgundy glaze. Dimensions may vary. ...
Clay
Postmodern Beige Encased and Hand-blown Glass Decanter Bottle, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1960s - 1970s. This decanter bottle is part of a three-piece set. It is made in three-color encased glass with green edges and murrines. This is a vintage item, the...
Murano Glass
$3,571 / item
Keong Teak Wood Patina Black Vase by Mary Verspoor
Located in Geneve, CH
Keong Teak Wood Patina Black Vase by Mary Verspoor Dimensions: D 37 x H 43 CM Materials: Teak wood Mary Verspoor, of Indonesian-Dutch descent, is a Bali-based designer and creator. ...
Other
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
Outfold Silver and Gold Metal Wall Sculpture, Post-Modern, 1985
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Prepare to be swept away by an emblem of shimmering sophistication: Curtis Jere’s “Outfold” wall sculpture, a cascading wave of silver and gold metal artistry from the glamor-drenche...
Metal
$5,681 / item
Imperial M Decorative Object by Kreoo
Located in Geneve, CH
Imperial M Decorative Object by Kreoo Designed by Christophe Pillet Dimensions: Ø 50 x H 16 cm. Materials: Black and Gold marble. Available in different marble and travertine optio...
Marble
Rib 16X Monolith Pitch Black Cornice Vessel by Lenny Stopp
Located in Geneve, CH
Rib 16X Monolith Pitch Black Cornice Vessel by Lenny Stopp Dimensions: D 25 x H 100 cm Materials: Alpha crystalline gypsum (Hard plaster) Cornice is an evolving collection of vessel...
Other
Krupp & Giuliana Gramigna Vide Poche Steel And Attb Fontana Arte Glass
By Arthur Krupp
Located in London, GB
This object is a vintage Space Age style valet tray or ashtray (vide-poche) designed in 1974 by Giuliana Gramigna and Sergio Mazza for Arthur Krupp Milano. The heavy, Nile-green-tint...
Stainless Steel
Rib 16X Sturdy Deep Blue Cornice Vessel by Lenny Stopp
Located in Geneve, CH
Rib 16X Sturdy Deep Blue Cornice Vessel by Lenny Stopp Dimensions: D 25 x H 45 cm Materials: Alpha crystalline gypsum (Hard plaster) Cornice is an evolving collection of vessels bor...
Other
Postmodern Gold Flecked Murano Glass Bowl / Vide-Poche, Italy
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s. This bowl or vide-poche is made in Murano glass and features gold fleck inclusion. It may show slight traces of use since it's vintage, but it can be considere...
Gold Leaf