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.
Paul Hoff for Gustavsberg — Limited Edition Stoneware Pumpkin, 1989
By Paul Hoff, Gustavberg
Located in Bochum, NRW
A rare and beautifully crafted stoneware pumpkin by renowned Swedish designer Paul Hoff, produced by Gustavsberg in 1989. This striking piece comes from a limited edition of only 15...
Ceramic, Stoneware
Fiorucci Canister Italy, c. 1980
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
This is a tall metal canister with a matching lid by Fiorucci, made in Italy circa the 1980s. The image is repeated on both sides.
Steel
$180 / item
Blue Vase by Siup Studio
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
Vintage Alessi Big Ovo Glass Biscuit Jar Designed by Joanna Lyle Italy
By Alessi
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Alessi Big Ovo Glass Biscuit Jar Designed by Joanna Lyle. Large Post Modern Big Ovo Jar designed by Joanna Lyle and manufactured by Alessi in It...
Glass, Plastic
$180 / item
Strawberry Vase by Siup Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Strawberry Vase by Siup Studio Dimensions: D11 x H20cm Materials: Ceramics Siup is a small design studio based in Warsaw. The concept is created b...
Ceramic
$786 / item
Lightscape Vase by Derya Arpac
Located in Geneve, CH
Lightscape vase by Derya Arpac Unique piece Dimensions: D 10 x H 25 cm Materials: Glass Mouth-blown glass vases Derya Arpac is a Copenhagen based architect and furniture des...
Glass
$2,500
Desk Component
By Argosy Designs, Erik Johnson
Located in Treadwell, NY
DESK COMPONENT (MONOLITH) APD00070 Hot rolled steel plate, bronze and mirror-polished brass 9.75” L 4.5” W 5.25” H 16.5lbs 1 of 1
Brass, Bronze, Steel
$1,118 / item
Terracotta Moon Jar No 10 by Elena Vasilantonaki
Located in Geneve, CH
Terracotta Moon Jar No 10 by Elena Vasilantonaki Unique Dimensions: ⌀ 14 x H 18.5 cm (Dimensions may vary) Materials: Local Terracotta Clay from the Island of Crete Growing up in Gr...
Clay
Beige Stoneware Coiled Moon Jar by Elena Vasilantonaki
Located in Geneve, CH
Beige Stoneware Coiled Moon Jar by Elena Vasilantonaki Unique Dimensions: ⌀ 23 x H 27 cm (Dimensions may vary) Materials: Stoneware, Earthenware Available finishes: Experimental Glaz...
Stoneware, Earthenware
$492 / item
Crash 1 Vase by Zieta
By Zieta
Located in Geneve, CH
Crash 1 vase by Zieta Dimensions: D 20 x W 13.5 x H 30 cm Materials: stainless steel. Zieta's main goal is to deliver uniqueness and customization in design and construction while k...
Stainless Steel
$4,456 / item
Anatolian 5 Vase by Güler Elçi
Located in Geneve, CH
Anatolian 5 Vase by Güler Elçi Dimensions: W 20.3 x D 20.3 x H 21.5 cm. Materials: Stoneware Ceramic. Güler Elçi is a ceramic artist based in Istanbul. In ...
Ceramic, Stoneware
$178 / item
Papaya Vase by Siup Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Papaya vase by Siup Studio Dimensions: D13 x H21cm Materials: Ceramics Siup is a small design studio based in Warsaw. The concept is created by three ...
Ceramic
Beige Stoneware Coiled Moon Jar by Elena Vasilantonaki
Located in Geneve, CH
Beige Stoneware Coiled Moon Jar by Elena Vasilantonaki Unique Dimensions: ⌀ 23 x H 27 cm (Dimensions may vary) Materials: Stoneware, Earthenware Available finishes: Experimental Glaz...
Earthenware, Stoneware
$3,173 / item
Medusa Black Vase by Casa Alfarera
Located in Geneve, CH
Medusa black vase by Casa Alfarera Dimensions: D 45.7 x H 48.3 cm Materials: Matte black glaze The Medusa Vase is a large flower pot or decorative p...
Glass
Terracotta Moon Jar No 19 by Elena Vasilantonaki
Located in Geneve, CH
Terracotta Moon Jar No 19 by Elena Vasilantonaki Unique Dimensions: ⌀ 13.5 x H 16 cm (Dimensions may vary) Materials: Local Terracotta Clay from the Island of Crete Growing up in Gr...
Clay
$1,441 / item
Appuntito Vase by Project 213A
Located in Geneve, CH
Appuntito Vase by Project 213A Dimensions: W17 x D17 x H26 cm Materials: Ceramic Each its own individual, the touch of hand from the ceramists, the blaze from the kiln, the dive in ...
Ceramic
$589 / item
Vase with Flowers by Caroline Harrius
Located in Geneve, CH
Vase with flowers by Caroline Harrius Dimensions: 32 H cm Material: Porcelain Numbered Vase with flower, 32 cm high, casted in porcelain, paint...
Porcelain
$24,729 / item
Surrounded by Red Vase by Paolo Marcolongo
Located in Geneve, CH
Surrounded by Red Vase by Paolo Marcolongo Dimensions: D 38.8 x W 16.7 x H 16.2 cm Materials: Murano Glass and Iron. Paolo Marcolongo was born in Padua in 1956, he attended the A...
Iron
Terracotta Moon Jar No 9 by Elena Vasilantonaki
Located in Geneve, CH
Terracotta Moon Jar No 9 by Elena Vasilantonaki Unique Dimensions: ⌀ 14 x H 18 cm (Dimensions may vary) Materials: Local Terracotta Clay from the Island of Crete Growing up in Greec...
Clay
$180 / item
Barro Tostado Femme I Vase by Camila Apaez
Located in Geneve, CH
Femme I vase by Camila Apaez Materials: Ceramic Dimensions: ? 13 x H 20 cm Options: White Bone, Chocolate, Charcoal black, Natural, Barro tostado. Additional pictures are just ...
Ceramic
$560 / item
Brass Watering Can by Gentner Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Brass watering can by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 16.5 x W 3.8 x H 8.2 cm Materials: dull tarnished brass Each of these delicately, handcrafted Bud Vases is perfect as an indiv...
Brass
$1,691 / item
Queen Green Vase by Purho
Located in Geneve, CH
Queen green vase by Purho Dimensions: D20 x H30 cm Materials: Glass Other colors and Dimensions are available. Purho is a new protagonist of made in Italy design , a work of s...
Glass
$2,765 / item
Rio Vase by Purho
Located in Geneve, CH
Rio vase by Purho Dimensions: D15 x H58 cm Materials: Murano glass Available in other colors. Rio is a vase from the Laguna Collection designed by Ludov...
Murano Glass
$1,190 / item
Petalo Blue Small Vase by Purho
Located in Geneve, CH
Petalo blue small vase by Purho Dimensions: D20 x H22 cm Materials: Glass other colours and Dimensions are available. Purho is a new protagonist of made in Italy design, a work of...
Glass
$1,899 / set
Set of 2 Volcan Duo Vase by Sophie Parachey
Located in Geneve, CH
Set of 2 Volcan Duo vase by Sophie Parachey Dimensions Big: W 37 x D 27 x H 9.5 cm Dimensions Small: W 18 x D 9 x H 21 cm Materials: Raw handpicked clay from Guatemala Also avail...
Clay, Stoneware
Burned and Black Stained Solid Oak Lahmu Vase by Sizar Alexis
By Sizar Alexis
Located in Geneve, CH
Burned and Black Stained Solid Oak Lahmu Vase by Sizar Alexis Dimensions: W 24 x D 18 x H 35 cm Materials: Burned and Black Stained Solid Oak. About: Sizar Alexis is a Swedish-Iraqi...
Oak
Modern Steel and Brass Vessel
By Erik Johnson, Argosy Designs
Located in Treadwell, NY
DUAL VESSEL NO.1 Hot-rolled steel plate, various brass alloys Dimensions: 10” L x 6.25” W x 10.75” H Weight: 15lbs 1 of 1
Brass, Steel
$3,500
Modern Brass Vessel
By Erik Johnson, Argosy Designs
Located in Treadwell, NY
VESSEL (COMET ENCKE) Various brass alloys Dimensions: 9” L x 4” W x 8.125” H Weight: 6lbs 1 of 1
Brass
$295Sale Price|64% Off
Néstor Post-Modern Hand Painted Ceramic Vase, 1990
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Sizeable modernist ceramic handmade, hand painted vase manufactured in 1990 by Néstor. Multicolored cubist decorations in pink, yellow and blue under clear glaze. Beautiful vintage c...
Pottery, Stoneware, Ceramic
Stanley Tigerman White Ceramic "Tigerman City" Coffee Canister
Located in Chicago, IL
Extremely rare 1988 porcelain coffee canister for Swid Powell by winner of the 1933 World's Fair "Beautiful Baby" contest and Chicago Seven architect and iconoclast, Stanley Tigerman.
Porcelain
$20,232 / item
Surrounded by Red Vase by Paolo Marcolongo
Located in Geneve, CH
Surrounded by Red Vase by Paolo Marcolongo Dimensions: D 26 x W 16.7 x H 16.2 cm Materials: Murano Glass and Iron. Paolo Marcolongo was born in Padua in 1956, he attended the Art...
Iron
$3,217 / item
Amarillo Vase Hand-Crafted, Fine Crystal
Located in Geneve, CH
Amarillo vase hand-crafted, fine crystal Dimensions: W 42.5 x D 22 x H 40 cm Materials: Crystal We delight in the beauty, vibrant colors, and ceaseless action of the butterfly. Reflections Copenhagen have designed the Amarillo Vase to infuse the profound mystery of a butterfly and fine hand cut crystal. This crystal vase offer is perfect both as a vessel for your flowers, a sentiment for your loved ones, or a decorative addition to your home. With cylinder and square designs, and contemporary cut crystal you will find a magnificent piece that refracts light into beautiful shimmers and shines. The Reflections Copenhagen Amarillo Statement Vase is a stunning combination of brilliance, geometric cuts and clarity. You cannot improve on nature, but you can come close with the Amarillo Statement Vase. Accentuate the beauty of floral arrangements with this stunning fine crystal vase...
Crystal
$200Sale Price|20% Off
Post-Modern Italian Marble Lidded Jar
Located in San Diego, CA
Post-modern Italian marble lidded jar, circa 1970s. The jar is in very good vintage condition with no chips or cracks and measures 4"D x 5"H. Great pinkish ...
Marble
Matt Nolen Polychrome Glazed Art Pottery, 2 Pcs.
Located in Astoria, NY
Matt Nolen (American, b. 1960) Two Polychrome Glazed Art Pottery Pieces, comprising: "Quench" pitcher with leopard interior rim and feather patterned body, signed to the underside, a...
Pottery
Modern Brass and Copper Vessel
By Argosy Designs, Erik Johnson
Located in Treadwell, NY
SHADOW VESSEL (9:28 AM 9.14.23) Brass and copper Dimensions: 13” L x 2” W x 7.375” H Weight: 4.5lbs 1 of 1
Brass, Copper
$1,935 / item
Sculptural Etched Jug by Deetee Home
Located in Geneve, CH
Sculptural Etched Jug by Deetee Home Dimensions: W 29.21 x D 29.21 x H 113.03 cm Materials: Stoneware This sculptural jug handcrafted from solid clay. The taller piece, with its ele...
Ceramic, Stoneware
$3,702 / item
Moon Jar in Raw by Solem Ceramics
Located in Geneve, CH
Moon Jar in Raw by Solem Ceramics Dimensions: Ø 42 x H 42 cm. Materials: Red stoneware, white slip, glaze This Jar is also available in Gloss and Obsidian finish. Please contact us. ...
Stoneware
$24,729 / item
Surrounded by Green Vase by Paolo Marcolongo
Located in Geneve, CH
Surrounded by Green Vase by Paolo Marcolongo Dimensions: D 38.3 x W 16.5 x H 16 cm Materials: Murano Glass and Iron. Paolo Marcolongo was born in Padua in 1956, he attended the A...
Iron
$687 / item
Terracotta Vase by Marta Bonilla
Located in Geneve, CH
Terracota vase by Marta Bonilla Dimensions: D20 x H33 Materials: Terracotta, clay. Terracota vase: Low temperature hand modeled piece. Enameled inside. Outside it keeps the natu...
Terracotta
$3,702 / item
Moon Jar in Obsidian by Solem Ceramics
Located in Geneve, CH
Moon Jar in Obsidian by Solem Ceramics Dimensions: Ø 42 x H 42 cm. Materials: Black Stoneware, Gold essence. This vase Jar is also available in Raw finish. Solem’s work pulls f...
Stoneware
$1,118 / item
Terracotta Coiled Moon Jar by Elena Vasilantonaki
Located in Geneve, CH
Terracotta Coiled Moon Jar by Elena Vasilantonaki Unique Dimensions: ⌀ 23 x H 27 cm (Dimensions may vary) Materials: Stoneware, Earthenware Available finishes: Experimental Glazes, e...
Earthenware, Stoneware
$687 / item
Small Amphora in Terracotta by Marta Bonilla
Located in Geneve, CH
Small amphora in terracotta by Marta Bonilla Dimensions: D20 x H25 cm Materials: Terracotta, clay Small amphora in terracotta: Low temperature hand modeled piece. Enameled insid...
Clay, Terracotta
$24,729 / item
Surrounded by Red Vase by Paolo Marcolongo
Located in Geneve, CH
Surrounded by Red Vase by Paolo Marcolongo Dimensions: D 42 x W 16.5 x H 16.2 cm Materials: Murano Glass and Iron. Paolo Marcolongo was born in Padua in 1956, he attended the Art...
Iron
$2,943 / item
Anatolian 3 Vase by Güler Elçi
Located in Geneve, CH
Anatolian 3 Vase by Güler Elçi Dimensions: W 15.2 x D 12.7 x H 24.1 cm. Materials: Stoneware Ceramic. Güler Elçi is a ceramic artist based in Istanbul. In the light of her engineeri...
Ceramic, Stoneware
$952 / 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
$20,232 / 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
$1,707 / item
Petalo Orange Large Vase by Purho
Located in Geneve, CH
Petalo Orange large vase by Purho Dimensions: D20 x H40 cm Materials: Glass Other colours and Dimensions are available. Purho is a new protagonist of made in Italy design , a w...
Glass
Grey Stoneware Coiled Moon Jar by Elena Vasilantonaki
Located in Geneve, CH
Grey Stoneware Coiled Moon Jar by Elena Vasilantonaki Unique Dimensions: ⌀ 23 x H 27 cm (Dimensions may vary) Materials: Stoneware, Earthenware Available finishes: Experimental Glaze...
Earthenware, Stoneware
Small Amphora in White Terracotta by Marta Bonilla
Located in Geneve, CH
Small amphora in white terracotta by Marta Bonilla Dimensions: D20 x H25 cm Materials: Terracotta, Clay Small Amphora in terracotta: Low temperature hand modeled piece. Enameled...
Clay, Terracotta
$4,760 / item
Handcrafted Vase #2 by Teppei Ono
Located in Geneve, CH
Handcrafted Vase #1 by Teppei Ono Dimensions: D35 x H40 cm Materials: Clay, Ceramic. Unique Piece Description A large, wood fired comb jar. Comb ware is...
Ceramic, Clay
$4,760 / item
Moon Jar in Gloss by Solem Ceramics
Located in Geneve, CH
Moon jar in gloss by Solem Ceramics Dimensions: Ø 42 x H 42 cm. Materials: Red stoneware, white slip, glaze. This Jar is also available in Raw and Obsidian finishes. Solem’s wo...
Stoneware
Terracotta Moon Jar No 17 by Elena Vasilantonaki
Located in Geneve, CH
Terracotta Moon Jar No 17 by Elena Vasilantonaki Unique Dimensions: ⌀ 13.5 x H 16 cm (Dimensions may vary) Materials: Local Terracotta Clay from the Island of Crete Growing up in Gr...
Clay
$3,907 / item
Mahar Vase by Elham Nejati
Located in Geneve, CH
Mahar vase by Elham Nejati Dimensions: Ø 30 x H 35 cm Materials: Black Marble, Stainless Steel. Elham Nejati: "My name is Elham Nejati. I have a mas...
Marble, Stainless Steel
Alessandro Mendini & Linde Burkhardt Limited Edition Ceramic by Superego 2000s
By Linde Burkhardt, Superego, Alessandro Mendini
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Limited edition ceramic vase model Colletto 4 from 4 Mani series, it was composed of two different pieces (a black one and a white one) designed by Alessandro Mendini decorated by Li...
Ceramic
$1,118 / item
Terracotta Moon Jar No 11 by Elena Vasilantonaki
Located in Geneve, CH
Terracotta Moon Jar No 11 by Elena Vasilantonaki Unique Dimensions: ⌀ 14.5 x H 17 cm (Dimensions may vary) Materials: Local Terracotta Clay from the Island of Crete Growing up in Gr...
Clay
$3,690 / item
Barena Vase by Purho
Located in Geneve, CH
Barena vase by Purho Dimensions: D45 x H10 cm Materials: Murano glass Available in other colors. Barena is a bowl from the Laguna Collection design...
Murano Glass
$264 / item
Diosa Vase by Camila Apaez
Located in Geneve, CH
Diosa Vase by Camila Apaez. Materials: Ceramic. Dimensions: 13 x H 27 cm Options: White Bone, Chocolate, Charcoal black, Natural, Barro tostado. Additional pictures are just re...
Ceramic
$1,155 / item
Harlem Vase, Hand-Sculpted Contemporary Crystal
Located in Geneve, CH
Harlem vase, hand-sculpted contemporary crystal Decorative bowl Hand-sculpted in crystal Measures: L 21.3 x H 17.8 x D 10 cm Art Deco is a distinctive architectural style that ...
Crystal
$1,971 / item
Kountess Vase by Purho
Located in Geneve, CH
Kountess vase by Purho Dimensions: D 25 x H 18 cm Materials: glass Other colours and dimensions are available. Purho is a new protagonist of made i...
Glass
$1,572 / item
Anatolian 6 Vase by Güler Elçi
Located in Geneve, CH
Anatolian 6 Vase by Güler Elçi Dimensions: W 11.4 x D 11.4 x H 12.7 cm. Materials: Stoneware Ceramic. Güler Elçi is a ceramic artist based in Istanbul. In the light of her engineeri...
Ceramic, Stoneware