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.
$357Sale Price|43% Off
Massimo Lunardon Green Jellyfish-Tablet, Murano Glas, Medusa, Bowl
Located in Hamburg, DE
Special Jellyfish tray from the company Massimo Lunardon. Massimo Lunardon employs only experienced artisans who handcraft these great Murano glass objects. This clear blown glass se...
Murano Glass
Italy 1982 Post Modern Abstract Bronze Sculpture Lucky Charm by Concetto Pozzati
Located in Brescia, IT
This is a joyful bronze sculpture; this art work has signed by the well known Italian artist Concetto Pozzati. Title Lucky Charm. This is a multiple of a numbered edition of 1.000 p...
Bronze
Unique London Plane Sphere Bowl by Matt Kavanagh
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique London Plane Sphere Bowl by Matt Kavanagh. Signed by Matt Kavanagh. One of a Kind. Dimensions: W 28 x D 28 x H 26 cm. Materials: London Plane, scorch & wax. Unique piece,...
Hardwood
Unique London Plane Amphora by Matt Kavanagh
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique London Plane Amphora by Matt Kavanagh. Signed by Matt Kavanagh. One of a Kind. Dimensions: W 19 x D 16 x H 66.5 cm. Materials: London Plane, scorch & wax, chemical black. ...
Hardwood
Ambrosia Vessel with Lid in Multi-Colored Cast Resin by Joseph Algieri
Located in Geneve, CH
Ambrosia Vessel with Lid in Multi-Colored Cast Resin by Joseph Algieri Dimensions: D 20,3 x W 20,3 x H 35,6 cm. Materials: Cast resin.
Resin
Unique Horse Chestnut Bowl by Matt Kavanagh
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Horse Chestnut Bowl by Matt Kavanagh. Signed by Matt Kavanagh. One of a Kind. Dimensions: W 60 x D 54 x H 18 cm. Materials: Horse Chestnut, scorch & wax. Unique piece, ha...
Hardwood, Chestnut
$213 / item
Quick Release Key Ring by Henry Wilson
By Henry Wilson
Located in Geneve, CH
Quick Release Key Ring by Henry Wilson Dimensions: D 8 x H 8 cm Materials: Brass Solid brass machined key ring with quick release. "Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, o...
Brass
Kiotika 'Lamp' by Jacques Owczarek, Giraffe Bronze Sculpture and Lamp
By Jacques Owczarek
Located in PARIS, FR
Kiotika is a limited edition bronze sculpture and floor lamp by French contemporary artist Jacques Owczarek. The indicated dimensions refer to the...
Bronze
$2,155 / item
Unique Brown Ceramic Vase by Maria Loram
By Maria Loram
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Brown Ceramic Vase by Maria Loram Dimensions: W 20.3 x D 20.3 x H 21.6 cm Materials: Stoneware with a glazed finish. Colors: Brown. Custom dimensions and glaze finishes are a...
Stoneware
$2,605 / item
Unique Rustic Beige Vase by Maria Loram
By Maria Loram
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Rustic Beige Vase by Maria Loram Dimensions: W 35.6 x D 35.6 x H 21.6 cm Materials: Stoneware with a glazed finish. Colors: Gray. Custom dimensions and glaze finishes are ava...
Stoneware
$31,262 / 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
Brass Accented Crystal Tabletop Decoration by Dainte
Located in Geneve, CH
Brass Accented Crystal Tabletop Decoration by Dainte Dimensions: D 11.5 x W 11.5 x H 18 cm. Materials: Crystal and brass. The illustrious and luxurious crystal and brass tabletop de...
Crystal, Brass
Stoneware and Bronze, Distressed Vessel NO.1 by Alexandria Roby
Located in Geneve, CH
Stoneware and Bronze, Distressed Vessel NO.1 by Alexandria Roby Dimensions: D 17.78 x H 13.97 cm Materials: Black and White Stoneware Lined with Bronze Glaze Colors - Sandstone/Ivory...
Stoneware
Lotuso Green Ceramic Decorative Bowl by Simone & Marcel
Located in Geneve, CH
Lotuso Green 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
$112,497
72.5° Arcs x9
By Bernar Venet
Located in Paris, FR
Black patina steel sculpture 70 x 43 x 30 cm Title engraved at base of work Archive number: bv03ss10 To achieve a flawless curve, 72.5° Arcs x9 is based on the fundamental principle...
Steel, Stainless Steel
Contemporary Art Armchair Elica L / R Black Leather by Paolo Portoghesi
Located in Pistoia, IT
Elica is another of Portoghesi’s limpid creations, defined by his poetics of the perceptive, dynamic fields of the directional lines. His poetics are, in turn, defined by various inf...
Bronze
1980 Italy Post Modern Figurative Bronze Sculpture
Located in Brescia, IT
This is an interesting multiple artwork signed by the author Andrea Picini, a talented artist of years 80' in Italy. This is a multiple of a numbered edition of 1.000 pieces; we c...
Bronze
1980 Italy Post Modern Abstract Bronze Sculpture Little Universe on Earth
Located in Brescia, IT
This is an interesting multiple artwork signed by the author Vanni Viviani, a well known artist of years 80' in Italy. This is a multiple of a numbered ...
Bronze
1980 Italy Post Modern Abstract Bronze Sculpture Horse Head
Located in Brescia, IT
This is an interesting multiple artwork signed by the author Roberto Nanut, a talented artist of years 80' in Italy. This is a multiple of a numbered ...
Bronze
Ulf Rollof, Sculpture "Heated Chair", 1993
By Ulf Rollof
Located in Stockholm, SE
Sculpture "Heated chair" 1993, mixed media. By Ulf Rollof b. 1961, Sweden. Chair with heating function.
Metal
Stupa Ekam Sculpture in Black Glazed Ceramic & Steel by Lucile Gracile
Located in Geneve, CH
Stupa Ekam Sculpture in Black Glazed Ceramic & Steel by Lucile Gracile Dimensions: D 40 x W 40 x H 150 cm. Materials: Glazed ceramic, steel, and ball bearings. Available in differe...
Steel
Transparent Silence Kinetic Sculpture in Metal Resin & Plaster by Atelier Ellery
Located in Geneve, CH
Transparent Silence Kinetic Sculpture in Metal Resin & Plaster by Atelier Ellery One Of a Kind. Dimensions: D 22 x W 50 x H 75 cm. Materials: Metal resin, plaster, and iron. Availab...
Metal, Iron
Ambrogio Pozzi for Rosenthal Studio-Line, Austria, White Porcelain Vase
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ambrogio Pozzi for Rosenthal Studio-Line, Austria, white porcelain vase.
Ceramic, Porcelain
$307 / item
2 Part Incense Holder by Edie Xu
Located in Geneve, CH
2 Part Incense Holder by Edie Xu Dimensions: W 12 x D 10 x H 8 cm. Materials: Stoneware. Edie Xu, b. in New York and graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago in 2023. Her work s...
Stoneware
$378 / item
Brass Bud Vase I by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Brass bud vase by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 5 x W 5 x H 10 cm Materials: dull tarnished brass Each of these delicately, handcrafted Bud Vases is...
Brass
$4,689 / item
#1 Sculpture by Evamarie Pappas
Located in Geneve, CH
#1 Sculpture by Evamarie Pappas Dimensions: D 31.75 x W 48.26 x H 44.45 cm Materials: Stoneware. This sculpture is finished with an underglaze and is non-functional. For Evamarie P...
Stoneware
S1100 Decorative Object in Tropical Driftwood by Jörg Pietschmann
Located in Geneve, CH
S1100 Decorative Object in Tropical Driftwood by Jörg Pietschmann Dimensions: D 21 x W 63 x H 11 cm. Materials: Tropical driftwood. In Pietschmann’s sculptures, trees that for cent...
Maple, Driftwood
$663 / item
Lace White 65 Pot by MOWEE
Located in Geneve, CH
Lace white 65 pot by MOWEE Dimensions: Ø71 x H76 cm Material: Polyethylene and stainless steel. Weight: 9 kg. Also available in different colors and finishes (Lacquered or retroi...
Stainless Steel, Other
Large Woven Freeform Sculpture by Klaus Titze, 1 of 2
By Klaus Titze
Located in Toronto, CA
Full of character and a little mischief, these oversized wicker figures by Klaus Titze bring a sense of movement and personality to a space. Handcrafted in the early 2000s, they refl...
Rattan
Transmission Sculpture in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Transmission Sculpture in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor Limited Edition of 3 + 2AP. Dimensions: D 103 x W 130 x H 164 cm. Materials: Mirror-polished stainle...
Stainless Steel
$937 / item
Column Vase by Marta Bonilla
Located in Geneve, CH
Column vase by Marta Bonilla Dimensions: D27 x H37 cm Materials: Terracotta, Clay Column vase: Piece of high temperature hand modeled with pinkish brown clay with chamotte. Glaz...
Clay, Terracotta
$2,605 / set
Unique Sculpture Wine Decanter Set by Karystios
Located in Geneve, CH
Unique Sculpture Wine Decanter Set by Karystios Dimensions: W 28 x D 20 x H 20 cm Materials: Ceramic from High Temperature Oven. The sculptural piece studies debris in a paradoxical...
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Vintage Boho Abstract Kinetic Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Unleash a dynamic focal point into your curated space with this captivating Vintage Boho Abstract Kinetic Sculpture. This monumental piece of modern art boasts an intricate compositi...
Metal
Wing Small Wall Piece in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Wing Small Wall Piece in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor Limited Edition of 8 + 4AP. Dimensions: D 12 x W 81 x H 87 cm. Materials: Mirror-polished stainless s...
Stainless Steel
Crane Sculpture in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Crane Sculpture in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor Limited Edition of 3 + 2AP. Dimensions: D 68 x W 58 x H 69 cm. Materials: Mirror-polished stainless steel. ...
Stainless Steel
Wing Wide Wall Piece in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor
Located in Geneve, CH
Wing Wide Wall Piece in Welded Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel by Julian Mayor Limited Edition of 5 + 4AP. Dimensions: D 25 x W 228 x H 122 cm. Materials: Mirror-polished stainless ...
Stainless Steel
$380Sale Price|20% Off
Handmade Ebonized Red Oak & Purple Heart Tall Wood Vase Signed & Dated
Located in San Diego, CA
Handmade ebonized red oak & purple heart tall wood vase signed & dated, beautiful piece of art in great condition.
Oak
$272 / item
Brass Bottle Opener by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Brass bottle opener by Gentner Design. Dimensions: D 14 x W 1.9 x H 1.9 cm. Materials: polished brass. Strong in form and heavy in weight, the...
Brass
$1,563 / item
Tan Duo I Hand Crafted Sculpture by Rachael Heritage
Located in Geneve, CH
Tan Duo I Hand Crafted Sculpture by Rachael Heritage Each Piece is Unique Dimensions: D 22 x W 18 x H 22 cm Materials: recycled card, fibre-cement, tan burnished plaster. Each piece...
Other
Lekythos Decorative Vase in Blue Marbled Ceramic by Stella Orlandino
Located in Geneve, CH
Lekythos Decorative Vase in Blue Marbled Ceramic by Stella Orlandino Dimensions: D 24 x W 24 x H 51 cm. Materials: Ceramic. Lekythos is part of the "Segnacoli" collection and is ins...
Ceramic
Bona Omi - Plaster, Fiberglass, Wood, and Glass Sculpture by Brent Warr Studios
By Brent Warr
Located in Bainbridge, GA
"2 figures embrace to seek solace from the world around them. As the viewer looks upon the piece, the figures and images behind the portholes are blurred. Causing the viewer to guess...
Blown Glass, Epoxy Resin, Acrylic, Fiberglass, Plaster, Hardwood
$14,589 / item
Ruin is a Gift! Sculpture by Carri
Located in Geneve, CH
Ruin is a Gift! Sculpture by Carri Dimensions: W 100 x D 5 x H 77 cm Materials: White Cantera. B 1995 Fernanda Carri ́s intimate practice spans painting, sculpture, ceramics, and te...
Stone
$19,929 / 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
$603 / item
An4 Sculpture by Eglė Šimkus
Located in Geneve, CH
An4 Sculpture by Eglė Šimkus Unique Piece. Dimensions: D 13 x H 17 cm. Materials: Clay. My name is Eglė Šimkus, and I was born in Lithuania in 1990 to a R...
Clay
Resin Decorative Basket in Gold Epoxy Resin by Joseph Algieri
Located in Geneve, CH
Resin Decorative Basket in Gold Epoxy Resin by Joseph Algieri Dimensions: D 33 x W 33 x H 33 cm. Materials: Epoxy resin.
Epoxy Resin
$1,094 / item
Vase by Evelina Kudabaite Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Vase by Evelina Kudabaite Studio Handmade Materials: oak, brass Dimensions: H 260 mm x D 120 mm Colour: dark brown Notes: for indoor use Since 2015, product designer Evelina ...
Brass
Black Resting Hand Crafted Sculpture by Rachael Heritage
Located in Geneve, CH
Black Resting Hand Crafted Sculpture by Rachael Heritage Each Piece is Unique Dimensions: D 22.5 x W 26 x H 26 cm Materials: recycled card, fibre-cement, black burnished plaster. Ea...
Other
Z Candle Holder in Gypsum & Fiberglass by Brent Warr Studios
By Brent Warr
Located in Bainbridge, GA
An abstract take on the letters X, Y, and Z, this collection of three candle holders is an elegant addition to any living room or dining table. With its organic but monolithic curves...
Epoxy Resin, Fiberglass, Plaster, Hardwood, Paint
Functional Sculpture 'Praying Mantis' by Salvino Marsura, Italy, 1950s
Located in Antwerp, BE
Functional sculpture by Italian artist Salvino Marsura, crafted in the 1950s. Hand-forged from steel and finished with vibrant powder pigments, the piece embodies Marsura’s deep resp...
Steel
$246 / item
Small Vase 20 by Dechem Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Small vase20 by Dechem Studio. Dimensions: D 14 x H 20 cm. Materials: glass. Available in 2 sizes: D 14 x W 20/ D 17.5 x H 25 cm. Available in white matte, crystal clear, pine gr...
Glass
$1,871 / 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, green color. “Authenti...
Glass
$1,657
Caleido Bowl
Located in Milano, MI
The progressive extinction of some traditional craft techniques brings with it a difficult availability of some materials: this is the case of some types of glass used for stained gl...
Stained Glass
Flores Hammered Suar Wood Patina Black Vase by Mary Verspoor
Located in Geneve, CH
Flores Hammered Suar Wood Patina Black Vase by Mary Verspoor Dimensions: D 50 x H 50 CM Materials: Suar wood Mary Verspoor, of Indonesian-Dutch descent, is a Bali-based designer and...
Other
Saucer Fruit Bowl in Gypsum & Fiberglass by Brent Warr Studios
By Brent Warr
Located in Bainbridge, GA
The Saucer Fruit Bowl by Brent Warr is a bold sculptural vessel that merges utility with expressive form. Featuring soft, concentric curves and a deep basin, the piece is hand-shaped...
Epoxy Resin, Fiberglass, Plaster, Paint
Sergio Asti for Vistosi Sixties Collection Luigiona & Lingham Murano Glass Vases
By Sergio Asti, Vistosi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Sergio Asti for Vistosi, Sixties collection, Luigiona and Lingham works. Both signed on bottoms and numbered 6 of 33 and 16 of 33 (respectively). Dimensions: 5" height x 10.5" diam...
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass, Opaline Glass
Y Candle Holder in Gypsum & Fiberglass by Brent Warr Studios
By Brent Warr
Located in Bainbridge, GA
An abstract take on the letters X, Y, and Z, this collection of three candle holders is an elegant addition to any living room or dining table. With its organic but monolithic curves...
Epoxy Resin, Fiberglass, Plaster, Hardwood, Paint
$14,553 / 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
Resin Decorative Basket No. 2 in Grey Epoxy Resin by Joseph Algieri
Located in Geneve, CH
Resin Decorative Basket No. 2 in Grey Epoxy Resin by Joseph Algieri Dimensions: D 25,4 x W 25,4 x H 40,6 cm. Materials: Epoxy resin.
Epoxy Resin
Construction Vase No. 3 in Ceramic, Metal Wire, Foam & Resin by Joseph Algieri
Located in Geneve, CH
Construction Vase No. 3 in Ceramic, Metal Wire, Foam & Resin by Joseph Algieri Dimensions: D 40,6 x W 45,7 x H 38,1 cm. Materials: Ceramic, metal wire, foam, and epoxy resin.
Metal
'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