Yellow Dinnerware by Vignelli for Heller, Service for 8

About the Item

Winner of the prestigious Compasso d'oro award for Good Design in 1964, Massimo Vignelli's iconic dinnerware for Heller (likely designed with his equally talented wife Lella) has been in near constant production for over 50 years. This 43 piece set in yellow provides a service for eight with eight dinner plates, eight salad plates, eight bowls, two bowl lids, seven mugs, eight saucers, one creamer, and a serving bowl with lid. In good vintage condition with wear consistent with age and use, including utensil wear.

Creator:

Heller (Manufacturer),Massimo and Lella Vignelli (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 1 in (2.54 cm)Width: 11 in (27.94 cm)Depth: 11 in (27.94 cm)

Sold As:

Set of 43

Style:

Post-Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Plastic

Period:

Late 20th Century

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1980

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use.

Seller Location:

Brooklyn, NY

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU1546229951402

View Invoice

Shop All Massimo and Lella Vignelli

Massimo and Lella Vignelli

Massimo Vignelli and Lella Vignelli’s legacy can be seen everywhere in the logos of Bloomingdale’s, Ford and American Airlines, among others. In addition to their work in branding, they were prolific creators of modernist home furnishings, products and interiors, and the duo’s collaborations, which span 50 years, have left a profound mark on design and wider visual culture.

After meeting in Italy, Lella (1934–2016) and Massimo (1931–2014) began working together in 1961 and a decade later formed Vignelli Associates in New York. A self-described “information architect,” Massimo was committed to streamlining complex ideas into clear, visually arresting forms. (Witness the graphic identity that he cocreated with Bob Noorda for the New York City Transit Authority as well as his influential 1972 subway map.) The Vignellis’ most recognizable piece, for example, may be the Handkerchief chair, a stackable office chair made of compression-molded plastic that has the look of a cloth floating in air. It was created for Knoll in 1983 after they designed the brand’s logo.

Evidence of the couple’s influence can also be found in their Saratoga line (1964), the first collection of lacquered furniture, which helped herald in the trendy “glossy” look of the decade (and beyond). When the Vignellis created the Poltrona Frau Interview chair in 1988 for an Italian television station, it became widely sought after, “which goes to show you the power of the TV media,” the couple once said. Much like their elemental graphic designs, the Kono (1984) and Pisa tables (1985) — both created for Casigliani — cull the form of the table down to geometric shapes.

Vignelli furniture is often labeled as Massimo Vignelli’s alone, though he fought to have Lella recognized for her work, even throwing away magazines that neglected to give her due credit. As he wrote of their lifelong collaboration in his book Designed By: Lella Vignelli: “It is not holding a pencil with four hands that makes a partnership; it is sharing the creative act and exercising creative criticism which is reflected in the end result.”

Find vintage Massimo and Lella Vignelli seating, tables and other furniture today on 1stDibs.