Ettore Sottsass, "Califfo Settee", Sofa, Beech, 1967
View Similar Items
Ettore Sottsass, "Califfo Settee", Sofa, Beech, 1967
About the Item
- Creator:Ettore Sottsass (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)Width: 78.75 in (200.03 cm)Depth: 25.5 in (64.77 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:Beech,Stained
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1967
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1026818489982
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.
- Fernando Laposse, Black Furry SofaLocated in New York, NYFernando Laposse [Mexican, b. 1998} Dyed agave fibers, upholstered linen, plywood 27.25 x 47 x 39.5 inches 69 x 119 x 100 cmCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Armchairs
MaterialsLinen, Plywood
- Misha Kahn, Mole Eats Worm SofaLocated in New York, NYMisha Kahn [American, b. 1989] Mole Eats Worm 2020 Foam, fabric, steel 38.75 x 107 x 45 inches 99 x 272 x 114 cmCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Sofas
MaterialsSteel
- Misha Kahn, Pig of the Earth SofaLocated in New York, NYMisha Kahn [American, b. 1989] Pig of Earth 2020 Wood, steel, wool upholstery 42 x 115 x 61.5 inches 107 x 292 x 156 cmCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Sofas
MaterialsSteel
- Fernando Laposse, Pink Furry ArmchairLocated in New York, NYFernando Laposse [Mexican, b 1988] Pink Furry Armchair 2022 Dyed agave fibers, upholstered linen, plywood Edition 1 of 8, 4APCategory
21st Century and Contemporary Armchairs
MaterialsLinen, Plywood
- Raphael Navot, "Acrostic (Lay-Curve)", 2021By Raphael NavotLocated in New York, NYRaphael Navot [Israeli, b. 1977] Acrostic (Lay-Curve), 2021 Oak, cashmere, silk Measures: 33.5 x 138 x 52.75 inches 85 x 350 x 134 cm Edition of 8 Multidisciplinary Raphael N...Category
2010s Sofas
MaterialsSilk, Oak
Price Upon Request - Wendell Castle, "No Slouch", 2013By Wendell CastleLocated in New York, NYWendell Castle [American, 1932-2018] No Slouch, 2013 Stained ash 30 x 76 x 27 inches 76.2 x 193 x 68.6 cm Edition of 8 Throughout a celebrated career spanning six decades, Wendell C...Category
2010s Benches
MaterialsAsh
Price Upon Request
- Mid-Century Orange "Califfo" Sofa by Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova, Italy, 1960sBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern orange "Califfo" sofa by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy, 1960s.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Ettore Sottsass Flying Carpet Armchair by Bedding Brevetti 1970s ItalyBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITThe Flying Carpet or Tappeto Volante armchair is an iconic seat with a base and an armrest in beech wood, the seat, and the back are made with polyuret...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Velvet
- Ettore Sottsass Canada Armchair in Blue Velvet and Wood Poltronova 1960sBy Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITCanada settee armchair with a structure in wood, seat and back in padded blue-green velvet. It was designed by Ettore Sottsass Jr in 1959 and produced by the Italian company Poltro...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Wood
- French Giltwood Sofa SetteeLocated in Douglas Manor, NYA French Louis XVI style giltwood sofa settee with white new damask upholstery. Structurally sound in good original conditions.Category
Vintage 1940s French Loveseats
MaterialsFabric, Hardwood
- Regency Scroll End Settee/SofaLocated in Folkestone, GBA grand Regency scroll-end settee constructed in rosewood with panels of intricately cut ivory. Adorned with acanthus leaf carving to the back and scroll...Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Settees
MaterialsRosewood
- Corner Sofa/Settee, Italy, 1950sLocated in New York, NYA striking piece and a versatile scale. It has a big look but doesn't have a large footprint.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsVelvet
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.
Italian Design Legend Andrea Branzi Is Putting Nature Back into His Work
After decades at the forefront of the country’s Radical design movement, the perennial iconoclast has embraced furniture inspired by the natural world.