"Treetops" Floor Lamp by Ettore Sottsass, 1981
About the Item
- Creator:Memphis Milano (Manufacturer),Ettore Sottsass (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 76.75 in (194.95 cm)Width: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Depth: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)
- Power Source:Hardwired
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1981
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Scattered scratches and minor signs of use.
- Seller Location:Skokie, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8194234533402
Ettore Sottsass
An architect, industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, Ettore Sottsass led a revolution in the aesthetics and technology of modern design in the late 20th century.
Sottsass was the oldest member of the Memphis Group — a design collective, formed in Milan in 1980, whose irreverent, spirited members included Alessandro Mendini, Michele de Lucchi, Michael Graves and Shiro Kuramata. All had grown disillusioned by the staid, black-and-brown “corporatized” modernism that had become endemic in the 1970s. Memphis (the name stemmed from the title of a Bob Dylan song) countered with bold, brash, colorful, yet quirkily minimal designs for furniture, glassware, ceramics and metalwork. They mocked high-status by building furniture with inexpensive materials such as plastic laminates, decorated to resemble exotic finishes such as animal skins. Their work was both functional and — as intended — shocking. Even as it preceded the Memphis Group's formal launch, Sottsass's iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell and radical pops of pink neon — embodies many of the collective's postmodern ideals.
Sottsass's most-recognized designs appeared in the first Memphis collection, issued in 1981 — notably the multihued, angular Carlton room divider and Casablanca bookcase. As pieces on 1stDibs demonstrate, however, Sottsass is at his most imaginative and expressive in smaller, secondary furnishings such as lamps and chandeliers, and in table pieces and glassware that have playful and sculptural qualities.
It was as an artist that Ettore Sottsass was celebrated in his life, in exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in 2006, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art a year later. Even then Sottsass’s work prompted critical debate. And for a man whose greatest pleasure was in astonishing, delighting and ruffling feathers, perhaps there was no greater accolade. That the work remains so revolutionary and bold — that it breaks with convention so sharply it will never be considered mainstream — is a testament to his genius.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Skokie, IL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Rare and Unique TOTEM Floor Lamp Sculpture by Gianni Tosin, circa 1984By Ettore SottsassLocated in Skokie, ILArchitect Gianni Tosin rare and unique totem floor lamp sculpture acquired directly from the Gianni Tosin estate Gianni Tosin unique totem floor lamp s...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsCeramic
- Ettore Sottsass classic "Don" lamp for Stilnovo, ItalyBy Stilnovo, Ettore SottsassLocated in Skokie, ILThe lamp consists of a relative heavy emerald green cubic base, a white slanted rod and a striking adjustable white shade. This shade is connected to the light bulb with a white lacq...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Enamel
- "Sol" Fruit Bowl in Glass by Ettore Sottsass, 1982By Ettore SottsassLocated in Skokie, ILEttore Sottsass "Sol" fruit bowl for Compagnia Vetraria Muranese for Memphis Italy, 1982 Additional Information: Materials: Glass Dimensions: 10 1/4" H × 12 1/2" W × 11 3/4" D ...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
MaterialsGlass
- "Arco" Floor Lamp by Achille Castiglioni, circa 1970sBy Achille CastiglioniLocated in Skokie, ILAchille Castiglioni "Arco" floor lamp for Flos, Italy, circa 1970s The Arco floor lamp offers timeless design and quality. Inspired by street lanterns, this modern classic is incl...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMarble, Steel, Aluminum, Stainless Steel
- "Demistella" Demilune Console Table in Marble by Ettore Sottsass, Italy, 1980sBy Up & Up, Ettore SottsassLocated in Skokie, ILEttore Sottsass "Demistella" marble demilune console table for UP & Up, Italy, 1980s A beautiful ad iconic demilune shape console tabl...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
MaterialsMarble
- Large Murine Glass Floor Lamp by Luciano Vistosi, 1970sBy Luciano Vistosi, VistosiLocated in Skokie, ILLuciano Vistosi large murine glass floor lamp for Vistosi, Italy, 1970s Additional Information: Materials: Blown glass, murano glass Dimensions: 73 1/4" H x 11 1/2" Dia.Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsAluminum, Steel
- Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano Treetops Floor Lamp, 2019By Memphis Milano, Ettore SottsassLocated in London, GBOriginally designed by Ettore Sottsass for his company Memphis Milano in 1981, the Treetops floor lamp has since become an icon of the Memphis design movement. Constructed from painted metal, the lamp perfectly balances irony and charm to create a fun design inspired by a tree bending in the breeze. The cast iron base is formed from a green wedge...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Treetops Floor Lamp 'EU' 220 Volts, by Ettore Sottsass from Memphis MilanoBy Memphis Group, Memphis Milano, Ettore SottsassLocated in La Morra, CuneoHere you are shown the EU wired 'Treetops' floor lamp, designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1981 in metal with halogen bulb. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated in architecture at the Politecnico di Torino. One of the most influential and important figures of the last century. As an Architect and Designer, he has participated in all radical movements whether created from the 1970s and 1980s. In 1981 he founded the Memphis Group, a group that has radically changed the scenario of Italian and world design. Honored with numerous international awards, was winner of the Golden...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Treetops Floor Lamp USA 110 Volts, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano CollectBy Memphis Group, Memphis Milano, Ettore SottsassLocated in La Morra, CuneoHere you are shown the US wired "Treetops" floor lamp designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1981 in metal with halogen bulb. Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck in 1917. In 1939 he graduated in architecture at the Politecnico di Torino. One of the most influential and important figures of the last century. As an Architect and Designer, he has participated in all radical movements whether created from the 1970s and 1980s. In 1981 he founded the Memphis group, a group that has radically changed the scenario of Italian and world design. Honored with numerous international awards, was winner of the Golden Compass in 1959. He designed the first laptop "Valentina" by Olivetti. He died in 2007 at the age of 90 years. Memphis Milano is the great cultural phenomenon of the 1980s that revolutionized creative and commercial logics in design. Born from the idea of Ettore Sottsass and a group of young designers and architects, in Milan, coupled in the years by famous designers from the international scene, Memphis turned upside down all of the existing parameters on living. Ettore Sottsass as the backbone of the group, design gained a new concept and expression through new shapes, materials and patterns, expanding the creative limits of the industry. Memphis became a symbol of New Design. Its influence is still clear in various sectors of production and beyond. Additional Info: - Dimensions: H 76.75 inches, Base W. 10.75 inches, D. 40.25 inches. - Materials: Metal. - Color options: Available in yellow fixture, orange stem, turquoise knob and mint green base; or in an orange fixture...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Italian 20thC "Treetops" Floor Lamp By Ettore Sottsass For Memphis Milano c.1980By Memphis Milano, Ettore SottsassLocated in Royal Tunbridge Wells, KentOriginally designed by Ettore Sottsass for his company Memphis Milano in 1981, the Treetops floor lamp has since become an icon of the Memphis design movement. Constructed from paint...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Other Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- King's Floor Lamp EU 220 V. by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano CollectionBy Memphis Milano, Ettore SottsassLocated in La Morra, CuneoKing's floor lamp EU wiring 220 V. in Metal and Glass by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano collection Additional Information: Floor lamp in metal and glass. Collection: Memphis...Category
2010s Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- KING'S Floor Lamp UE 230 V, by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano collectionBy Memphis Milano, Ettore SottsassLocated in La Morra, CuneoKING'S Floor Lamp UE Wiring 230 V. in Metal and Glass by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano collection Additional Information: Floor lamp in metal and glass. Collection: Memphis...Category
2010s Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal