Table Mirror by Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova, Italy, circa 1960
View Similar Items
Table Mirror by Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova, Italy, circa 1960
About the Item
- Creator:Ettore Sottsass (Designer),Poltronova (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 18.9 in (48 cm)Width: 15.75 in (40 cm)Depth: 7.09 in (18 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Berlin, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU98311759172
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.
Poltronova
Poltronova is known for embracing the creativity that opposites can introduce to a space. Its radical modernist furniture and lighting fixtures are simultaneously grounded in classic aesthetics and inspired by what were then new and provocative artistic movements in mid-century Italy, when the company was founded. This tension resulted in unique and extraordinary pieces at the manufacturer, from eccentric, glove-shaped armchairs to striking dining tables that feature a mix of materials and textures.
Italian designer Sergio Cammilli founded Poltronova in Tuscany in 1957. That same year, it won the Compasso d’Oro for the Panchetto chair designed by Luciano Nustrini. Revolutionary Italian architect Ettore Sottsass — a maestro of postmodern design who would later establish the Memphis Group — came on board as an art director in 1958. Poltronova manufactured many of his furniture and ceramic designs. Sottsass’s lighting, seating and other works for Poltronova showcase the designer’s bold experimentation with solid wood, glass, metal and laminate materials.
Other established names in Italian furniture design collaborated with Poltronova’s Sottsass and Cammilli, including Giovanni Michelucci, Gae Aulenti and Angelo Mangiarotti. However, the company truly set itself apart in its collaborations with Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, groups that were part of an irreverent, avant-garde movement in art and design that took shape during the 1960s in Florence, Turin and Milan. Collectives associated with the movement — which would one day be called Italian Radical design — drew on Pop art and minimalism and explored working with unconventional materials to create colorful, quirky and uniquely shaped objects and furnishings. At the time, Poltronova also worked with up-and-coming names in the art world, like painter Max Ernst and sculptor Mario Ceroli.
Poltronova showcased its groundbreaking designs in many exhibitions, such as “La Casa Abitata,” which was held in Florence in 1965. At Milan's Eurodomus trade show in 1970, Poltronova debuted an entire bedroom collection designed by Sottsass — including his sensuous Ultrafragola mirror. The brand’s furnishings were included in a 1972 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art called "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape," and in 1977, Poltronova again won the Compasso d’Oro for a book called Fare Mobili con Poltronova (Making Furniture with Poltronova).
Poltronova's enduring and acclaimed furniture designs came to be loved far outside Italy. During the 1960s, importer Charles Stendig represented the company and helped introduce it to the American market.
In 2005, Poltronova established the Centro Studi Poltronova to recreate some of the company's iconic furniture. The brand has also recently collaborated with English architect Nigel Coates, who worked with a Poltronova master craftsman in Italy to design a series of limited-edition furniture in 2011, including the Domo chair.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Poltronova tables, seating, storage cabinets and more.
- Sidetable by Ettore Sottsass, 1960By Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Berlin, DESidetable on wheels with drawers on both sides rosewood and ash tree Ettore Sottsass, 1960.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsAsh, Rosewood
- Table Mirror by Archimede Seguso, circa 1940By Archimede SegusoLocated in Berlin, DETable mirror by Archimede Seguso, circa 1940. 'Twisted rope' Murano glass. Label retailer back side.Category
Antique 1640s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Mirrors
MaterialsGlass, Mirror, Murano Glass
- Mirror by Michele di Lucchi, 1984By Michele de LucchiLocated in Berlin, DETable mirror made of lacquered wood and mirror and glass. Designed by Michele di Lucchi, 1984 Signed.Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Table Mirrors
MaterialsWood
- Rare Light Object 'Asteroide' by Ettore Sottsass, 1968By Design Centre, Ettore SottsassLocated in Berlin, DERare light object by Ettore Sottsass One side pink, translucent on the other Black-lacquered aluminium stand, chromed metal bow, acryl, neon Original sti...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Aluminum
- Mirror by Albert Leclerc, 1965By Albert Leclerc, PoltronovaLocated in Berlin, DEMirror by Albert Leclerc, red-orange lacquered wood Dimensions: H. 61cm, W. 75cm, D. 2.5cm Design: Albert Leclerc Manufacturer: Poltronova, Planula, Italy.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsWood
- Vase "Pumpkin" from Albisola, Italy, circa 1960Located in Berlin, DEVase "Pumpkin" from Albisola, Italy, circa 1955 with artist signature.Category
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- 20th Century Ettore Sottsass Tilting Mirror "Sandretta" Model SP63 PoltronovaBy Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Turin, TurinTable tilting mirror "Sandretta" model SP63 designed in 1960s by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova. Structure in wood, lacquered wood, mirrored glass, bras...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Mirrors
MaterialsBrass
- Ultrafragola Mirror/Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, ItalyBy Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Milan, ItalyThe Ultrafragola mirror / lamp with its sinuous shape, evocative of a wavy female hair, belongs to the Gray Furniture series, a complete bedroom and liv...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsGlass, Plastic
- Ultrafragola Mirror/Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, ItalyBy Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Milan, ItalyThis is Ultrafragola a nice mirror designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova in the 1970. It is a translucent white plastic frame of undulating outline, concealing pink internal flu...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsGlass, Plastic
- 20th Century Ettore Sottsass Mirror Ultrafragola for PoltronovaBy Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Turin, TurinEttore Sottsass was a 20th-century Italian architect, noted for also designing furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting, home and office wares, as well as numerous buildings and interio...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsOpal
- Ettore Sottsass Jr. "TOTEM" Console with Mirror for Poltronova, Italy, 1962By Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Milan, ITRare Arch. Ettore Sottsass Jr. "TOTEM" console with mirror for Poltronova A rarely seen piece by Architect Ettore Sottsass Jr. Reference: E. Paoli, "Quaderni Vitrum, n°8, Specc...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
MaterialsMirror, Wood
- Ultrafragola Mirror / Lamp by Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Brussels, BEUltrafragola mirror / lamp by Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova. Sold with original box and certificate of authenticity.Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Floor Mirrors and Full-Leng...
MaterialsPlastic
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
We Dare You Not to Smile at These Whimsical Italian Designs
Make anyplace your happy place with Italian furniture at its subversive best.
Jochum Rodgers Has Long Brought the Best of 20th-Century Design to Berlin and Beyond
Opened by Hans-Peter Jochum some 40 years ago, the pioneering gallery specializes in mid-century gems but also spotlights contemporary pieces by European artists and makers.