c. 1985, ‘Sotsy’ Quartz Wristwatch with Case by Ettore Sottsass for Cleto Munari
View Similar Items
c. 1985, ‘Sotsy’ Quartz Wristwatch with Case by Ettore Sottsass for Cleto Munari
About the Item
- Creator:Ettore Sottsass (Designer),Cleto Munari (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 9.25 in (23.5 cm)Width: 1.25 in (3.18 cm)Depth: 0.13 in (3.31 mm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1985
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6326227323402
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.
- c. 1967, Ceramic Teapot by Liisi Beckmann for GabbianelliBy Liisi Meronen BeckmannLocated in New York, NYCollectable teapot in great condition.Category
Mid-20th Century European Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- c 1975, '3088 137' Elbow '5100 313' w Altalamp by E. Bellini for Targetti SankeyBy Targetti SankeyLocated in New York, NYClamp lamp with silvered bulb. Brand new and boxed Origin: Italy Condition: 09 / 10 Dimensions: 14.5” H.Category
Mid-20th Century Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- c. 1966, 'Grillo' Rotary Telephone by Marco Zanuso & Richard Sapper for SiemensBy Marco Zanuso, Richard Sapper, SiemensLocated in New York, NYCondition: 08/10. This design is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art [MoMA].Category
Vintage 1960s Italian More Desk Accessories
MaterialsPlastic
- Early 'PK61' Glass cocktail table by Poul Kjaerholm for E. Kold ChristensenBy Poul Kjærholm, E. Kold ChristensenLocated in New York, NYA later version of this coffee table was made in the 1980s by Fritz HansenCategory
Mid-20th Century Danish Minimalist Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsSteel
- c. 1973, 'Cibi' Highball Glasses by Cini Boeri for Arnolfo di Cambio, Set of SixBy Cini Boeri, Arnolfo di CambioLocated in New York, NYBrand new early edition. Set of six. Comes in the original box with a certificate of authenticity. Famous for its minute-long appearance in the Blade Runner film in 1982.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Glass
MaterialsCrystal
- 1986 Enorme Telephone by Ettore Sottsass for EnormeBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Brooklyn, NYA perfectly postmodern telephone designed by the Memphis Milano master, Ettore Sottsass, and produced in 1986. The Enorme telephone was the result of ...Category
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Scientific Instruments
MaterialsMetal
- Limited Edition Vase O by Ettore SottsassBy Design Gallery Milano, Ettore SottsassLocated in Barcelona, BarcelonaTwenty-seven woods for a Chinese Artificial flower vase O by Ettore Sottsass, edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 signed and numered pieces, number 3 / 1...Category
1990s European Modern Vases
MaterialsBrass
$8,299 Sale Price20% Off - Carlton Miniature / 1:4 Scale by Ettore SottsassBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Brooklyn, NYDesigned by Ettore Sottsass himself after his iconic full-scale object, the Carlton cabinet. Perfect reproduction of the Carlton bookcase. The vivid colors and seemingly random interplay of solids and voids suggest AvantGarde painting...Category
1990s Italian Post-Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
MaterialsLaminate, Wood
$1,500 / item - 1986 Enorme Telephone Handset by Ettore SottsassBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Brooklyn, NYA perfectly postmodern telephone handset designed by the Memphis Milano master, Ettore Sottsass, and produced in 1986. The Enorme telephone was the result of a collaboration between Sottsass and David Kelley, founder of the design firm IDEO. Sottsass created the conceptual design, and Kelley and his team were responsible for the engineering and detail design. To produce the telephone, the two formed the Enorme Corporation with Jean Pigozzi. Examples of this phone design are found in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, RISD Museum, and the Los Angeles County Museum. In vintage condition with wear consistent with age and use. This is the handset only and it has not been tested. Molded manufacturer's mark on handset and base: "Designed by Ettore Sottsass Enorme...Category
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Scientific Instruments
MaterialsPlastic
- 1986 Enorme Telephone Handset by Ettore SottsassBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Brooklyn, NYA perfectly postmodern telephone handset designed by the Memphis Milano master, Ettore Sottsass, and produced in 1986. The Enorme telephone was the result of a collaboration between...Category
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Scientific Instruments
MaterialsPlastic
- 1986 Gray and Black Enorme Telephone by Ettore Sottsass for EnormeBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Brooklyn, NYA perfectly postmodern telephone designed by the Memphis Milano master, Ettore Sottsass, and produced in 1986. The Enorme phone was produced in another color way but this is the much rarer gray and black version. The Enorme telephone was the result of a collaboration between Sottsass and David Kelley, founder of the design firm IDEO. Sottsass created the conceptual design, and Kelley and his team were responsible for the engineering and detail design. To produce the telephone, the two formed the Enorme Corporation with Jean Pigozzi. Examples of this phone design are found in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, RISD Museum, and the Los Angeles County Museum. In good vintage condition with wear consistent with age and use. Works great! Molded manufacturer's mark on handset and base: "Designed by Ettore Sottsass Enorme...Category
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Scientific Instruments
MaterialsPlastic