Skip to main content

Post-Modern Musical Instruments

POSTMODERN STYLE

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

  • Emerges during the 1960s; popularity explodes during the ’80s
  • A reaction to prevailing conventions of modernism by mainly American architects
  • Architect Robert Venturi critiques modern architecture in his Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture (1966)
  • Theorist Charles Jencks, who championed architecture filled with allusions and cultural references, writes The Language of Post-Modern Architecture (1977)
  • Italian design collective the Memphis Group, also known as Memphis Milano, meets for the first time (1980) 
  • Memphis collective debuts more than 50 objects and furnishings at Salone del Milano (1981)
  • Interest in style declines, minimalism gains steam

CHARACTERISTICS OF POSTMODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

  • Dizzying graphic patterns and an emphasis on loud, off-the-wall colors
  • Use of plastic and laminates, glass, metal and marble; lacquered and painted wood 
  • Unconventional proportions and abundant ornamentation
  • Playful nods to Art Deco and Pop art

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 Mendinia 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.

to
2
1
6
4
84
40
32
27
17
8
8
7
6
5
4
4
3
2
2
1
1
1
4
6
1
3
1
2
1
8
6
3
1
1
6
6
4
3
1
10
10
10
6
2
1
1
1
Style: Post-Modern
RR126 Radiophonograph & Record Player by the Castiglionis for Brionvega 1965
Located in Seattle, WA
Brionvega RR126 A.K.A. the “Musical Pet”. Designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1965. Originally from Italy Both the machine and the Dual 1226 record player has been se...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Steel

Bronze Scultural Singing-Stone MDL. C. Speaker
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Playfully referencing outdoor rock-shaped speakers, this bronze-cast music box reinterprets a mountain stone from the outskirts of Mexico City, transforming it into a listening stone...
Category

2010s Mexican Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Scultural Singing-Stone MDL. C. Speaker
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Playfully referencing outdoor rock-shaped speakers, this bronze-cast music box reinterprets a mountain stone from the outskirts of Mexico City, transforming it into a listening stone...
Category

2010s Mexican Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Scultural Singing-Stone MDL. C. Speaker
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Playfully hinting at popular outdoor rock shaped speakers, this bronze cast music box domesticates the shape of a stone found in the mountains near Mexico City. A  listening- stone-f...
Category

2010s Mexican Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Scultural Singing-Stone MDL. C. Speaker
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Playfully hinting at popular outdoor rock shaped speakers, this bronze cast music box domesticates the shape of a stone found in the mountains near Mexico City. A  listening- stone-f...
Category

2010s Mexican Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Lamp, Table, Floor, Guitar Electric, Jaxville, Condemned to Rock, Rock and Roll
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
Vintage, rock and roll or punk enthusiasts lamp or guitar that can easily be strummed or played. Upcycled from a vintage purple punk kick-ass guitar for the discerning rock chick. Oo...
Category

1970s British Vintage Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Acrylic

Thomson Prod. Alessi Clock Radio Coo Coo by Pilippe Starck Design Year 1994
Located in Biella, IT
Thomson prod. Alessi clock radio coo coo by Pilippe Starck design year 1994 colour is white/sand, the radio and clock are working and in good vintage condit...
Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Plastic

Bronze Scultural Singing-Stone MDL. C. Speaker
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Playfully hinting at popular outdoor rock shaped speakers, this bronze cast music box domesticates the shape of a stone found in the mountains near Mexico City. A  listening- stone-for-interiors that explores connections between sound and sculpture. An object through which to rehearse the sculptural convention of listening to the material.  When sculpting in stone, it is common practice to press one’s ear against the material while lightly tapping it. The sounds and vibrations can reveal properties in the medium that are hidden from sight; hollows, interior fractures, hardness, and so on. There is an instant feedback from listening to stones when sculpting them; a true conversation with the material.In the tradition of bronze sculpture there has been a pursuit in perfectioning casting techniques in order to achieve better sonic resonance. Bronze casting was used to make some of the first metal instruments like bells, cymbals, horns among others Exhibited at XPAN: Mexico City (2023) Chic By Accident...
Category

2010s Mexican Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Scultural Singing-Stone MDL. C. Speaker
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Playfully hinting at popular outdoor rock shaped speakers, this bronze cast music box domesticates the shape of a stone found in the mountains near Mexico City. A  listening- stone-for-interiors that explores connections between sound and sculpture. An object through which to rehearse the sculptural convention of listening to the material.  When sculpting in stone, it is common practice to press one’s ear against the material while lightly tapping it. The sounds and vibrations can reveal properties in the medium that are hidden from sight; hollows, interior fractures, hardness, and so on. There is an instant feedback from listening to stones when sculpting them; a true conversation with the material.In the tradition of bronze sculpture there has been a pursuit in perfectioning casting techniques in order to achieve better sonic resonance. Bronze casting was used to make some of the first metal instruments like bells, cymbals, horns among others Exhibited at XPAN: Mexico City (2023) Chic By Accident...
Category

2010s Mexican Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Cubo' TS 502 Radio by Richard Sapper & Marco Zanuso
Located in Toronto, CA
A remake of a cult object of Italian design: the legendary radio cubo ts502 designed by Richard Sapper and Marco Zanuso. The same materials of the past. The ZAMAK metal alloy, the 6 ...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Metal

Related Items
Table Lamp With 4 Tier Deer Hoof With Nickel Bands And Antler Finial
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Mid-Century table lamp with 4-tier deer hoof with nickel bands and brass fitted antler finial. Shade is not included.
Category

20th Century American Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Organic Material

1978 Gibson Estate Fresh ES 335 TD Semi Hollow Body Electric Guitar
Located in Ferndale, MI
Out of long term storage. Very original Gibson ES 335-TD guitar. Td model is equipped with Gibson " dirty fingers " Humbucker . This allows for higher outpu...
Category

1970s American Vintage Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Chrome

Iconic set Grundig Audiorama 4000 Bullet speakers 1970s Germany
Located in Den Haag, NL
Grundig Pair of Audiorama 4000 Bullet Speakers by Grundig, 1970s on Aluminum Tulip base. Iconic German design with 360-degree surround sound. Compatible with any sound system, includ...
Category

1970s German Vintage Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Chrome

B&O Cona Passive Subwoofer (in MOMA) and Speakers
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The Beovox Cona, designed in beautifully austere fashion by David Lewis and now permanently in the MOMA collection, was the first B&O subwoofer loudspeaker. It was specifically inten...
Category

1980s Danish Vintage Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Metal

B&O Cona Passive Subwoofer (in MOMA) and Speakers
B&O Cona Passive Subwoofer (in MOMA) and Speakers
$695 Sale Price / set
26% Off
H 10.625 in W 16.5 in D 16.5 in
Elipson AS 30 Speakers 1969
Located in Santa Gertrudis, Baleares
Original 1969 Elipson AS30 speaker in staff with its round, sensual and warm shape, was an Elipson bestseller. It was relatively compact for its time (30 cm in diameter, with a 16 cm...
Category

1960s French Vintage Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Plaster

Elipson AS 30 Speakers 1969
Elipson AS 30 Speakers 1969
$1,803 / set
H 18.51 in Dm 11.82 in
Mid-Century World Map Globe Table Light or Lamp
Located in Miami, FL
Good quality world map globe lamp. If you are looking for stylish and beautiful quality item to upgrade your interior (whether at home or in your office) then this Parisian globe...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Chrome

Mid-Century World Map Globe Table Light or Lamp
Mid-Century World Map Globe Table Light or Lamp
$595 Sale Price
57% Off
H 22.5 in Dm 17 in
Aircraft Engine Gold Speaker
Located in Paris, FR
Speaker Aircraft Engine Gold is inspired by radial aircraft engines from early 20th-century radial aircraft engines. Structure in aluminum alloy wi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Aluminum, Gold Plate, Chrome

Aircraft Engine Gold Speaker
Aircraft Engine Gold Speaker
$51,250
H 16.15 in W 17.33 in D 21.66 in
Pair of Sculptural Summit Speakers
Located in Antwerp, BE
Pair of sculptural summit speakers.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Acrylic

Pair of Sculptural Summit Speakers
Pair of Sculptural Summit Speakers
$5,772 / set
H 19.69 in Dm 15.75 in
Braun PC3 Record Player by Wilhelm Wagenfeld and Dieter Rams
Located in Vienna, AT
Record player Braun Pc3 Design in Germany in 1950s by Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Dieter Rams for Max Braun AG, Frankfurt a. M., Fully restored by a Brun specialist.
Category

1950s German Vintage Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Steel

White Brionvega RR126 Radiophonograph & Record Player by Castiglioni, Italy 1965
Located in Roma, IT
Fabulous Brionvega RR126 a.k.a. the “Musical Pet”. This iconic radio phonograph and record player was designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1965. Fully original, in ...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Bose 901 Series Speakers On Eero Saarinen Tulip Bases
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of newly finished and upholstered, mid-century modern, Bose 901 series speakers on tulip base stands designed by the Finnish-American designer and architect Eero Saarinen, circa...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Metal

Bose 901 Series Speakers On Eero Saarinen Tulip Bases
Bose 901 Series Speakers On Eero Saarinen Tulip Bases
$1,800 / set
H 30.5 in W 20.5 in D 13 in
French 19th Century Brass Altar Candlestick Lamp and Shade
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
An antique brass altar candlestick from 19th century France, that has been converted into an electrified lamp. This gorgeous fixture i...
Category

19th Century French Antique Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Brass

Previously Available Items
Ettore Sottsass Attributed Marantz Audio Set; Speakers and Marantz Components
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of audio equipment from manufacturer Marantz including Memphis style speakers attributed to Italian designer Ettore Sottsass. Components in champagne metal. Buyer to verify full functionality of all components. Turns on. Included: Marantz SD1010 Stereo Cassette Deck (1981-94), 2050 AM/FM Stereo Tuner...
Category

Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Metal

Pair of Post Modern Solid Cherry & Mahogany Small JVC Bookcase Speaker Japan
By JVC
Located in San Diego, CA
Great design on this pair of 1980's postmodern JVC bookcase speakers, in perfect working condition made in Japan solid mahogany and cherry wood case.
Category

20th Century Japanese Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Cherry, Mahogany

Pair of Vintage Rare Set of Speakers by Bowers & Wilkins England Model DM110
Located in San Diego, CA
Great pair of B&W speakers very nice clean condition working Model DM110, set its rare comes with a base as shown, with a faux wood laminate finish.
Category

20th Century English Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Laminate

Bang & Olufsen Complete Stereo System Design Jacob Jensen, 1990s
Located in Parma, IT
ang & Olufsen complete stereo system designed by Jacob Jensen 1990s. Consisting of: Beocenter 9300 with mirror finish, with radio, amplifier, CD player, c...
Category

1990s Danish Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Metal

Very Cool Vintage Harmonicas Display Hohners Swan Mariane Band Chrome Gold Gilt
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Wimbledon-Furniture Wimbledon-Furniture is delighted to offer for sale this very cool man cave wall hanging of various luxury harmonicas A great decorative thing, you have vari...
Category

20th Century English Post-Modern Musical Instruments

Materials

Chrome

Post-modern musical instruments for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Post-Modern musical instruments for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage musical instruments created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include more furniture and collectibles, lighting and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Post-Modern musical instruments made in a specific country, there are Europe, Mexico, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original musical instruments, popular names associated with this style include Maika Palazuelos, Greece Is For Lovers, and Philippe Starck. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for musical instruments differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $385 and tops out at $4,500 while the average work can sell for $1,926.

Recently Viewed

View All