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. He was a wild man of the Radical Design movement that swept Italy in the late 1960s and ’70s, rejecting rationalism and modernism in favor of ever-more outrageous imaginings in lighting and furniture such as mirrors, lamps, chairs and tables.
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.
The Memphis Group 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 created innovative furnishings for the likes of Artemide, Knoll, Zanotta and Poltronova, where he reigned as artistic director for nearly two decades beginning in 1958. His 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 inspired and expressive in smaller, secondary furnishings such as lamps and chandeliers, and in table pieces and glassware that have playful and sculptural qualities.
Sottsass left the Memphis Group in 1985 in order to concentrate on the growth of Sottsass Associati, a design and architecture consultancy he cofounded in 1980.
It was as an artist that 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.
Find Ettore Sottsass lighting, decorative objects and furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
2-Seat Sofa Model Bastiano Tobia and Afra Scarp, 1975
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
2-seat sofa model Bastiano Tobia and Afra Scarpa Knoll, 1975 Measures: Length 153 x 80 x 70 Rosewood and nude leather 4500.
Leather
Osvaldo Borsani D70 sofa Tecno edition 1960 Limited edition
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Osvaldo Borsani D70 sofa Tecno edition 1960 Limited edition fabric and leatherette Original fabric Adjustable Fold-out sofa bed L 190 x H 81 x D 78 cm 5,900 euros Tecno Spa -...
Fabric
Tobia and Scarpa Bastiano Sofa '1962 Model'
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Afra and Tobia Scarpa Bastiano sofa (created in 1962) Knoll Edition 1975 Restored cream-coloured leather and original period solid wood In perfect condition! 153 x 80 x 65 cms
Leather, Wood
Marc Sadler Armchair and Ottoman Model "Poggiapiedé Hal", 1997
By Marc Sadler
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very rare! Marc Sadler Armchair and ottoman Measures: Fauteuil: H 103 x L 94 x P 97 Ottoman: H 38 x L 66 x P 54 Model Poggiapiedé Hal Designed in 1997 Published by Cassina Metal stru...
Leather
Patricia Urquiola Back Wing” armchair Cassina Edition
By Patricia Urquiola
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Patricia Urquiola Back Wing” armchair Cassina Edition Canaletto walnut and natural 360 leather new L 91 × l 73 × h 69 cms Ref : PMY24 5980 € → 2900 € 571 Back-Wing Armchair - Canale...
Leather, Wood
Fabio Lenci Armchair – Confort Line Edition
By Fabio Lenci
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Fabio Lenci Armchair – Confort Line Edition Armchair designed by Fabio Lenci, produced by Confort Line. Stainless steel structure with brown vintage le...
Leather
ETTORE SOTTSASS Flying Carpet Armchair for Bedding Brevetti
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in LAGUNA BEACH, CA
ETTORE SOTTSASS "Tappeto Volante" (Flying Carpet) Armchair for Bedding Brevetti The "Flying Carpet" armchair is a testament to Sottsass's avant-garde...
Fabric, Textile, Velvet, Foam, Wood, Fruitwood
Ettore Sottsass Tappeto Volante Flying Carpet Chair Bedding Brevetti Italy 1972
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A postmodern lounge chair “Tappeto Volante (Flying Carpet)” designed by Ettore Sottsass for Bedding Brevetti, Italy 1972. Original label adhered to side. Beechwood and stain, stretch-jersey fabric, velvet, and carpeting. A standout example of Sottsass’s exploration of domestic form, the piece blends furniture and rug into a single surrealist gesture. Composed of soft upholstered elements– including a red carpet-like base, multicolored cushions, and asymmetrical armrests– it invites relaxation through both function and whimsy. “Tappeto Volante” reflects Sottsass’s growing interest in emotional design, blurring boundaries between utility, symbolism, and play. It has been featured in design retrospectives at the Triennale di Milano and Centre Pompidou and appears in publications documenting radical Italian design of the 1970s. “Tappeto Volante” is also in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and Vitra Design Museum. A unique opportunity to own a museum quality furniture...
Velvet, Wood
Ettore Sottsass Flying Carpet Armchair by Bedding Brevetti 1970s Italy
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Cascina, Pisa
The 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...
Fabric, Wood, Velvet
Fauteuil Tappeto Volante d’Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Saint ouen, FR
Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007) Circa 1974 Édition Bedding Brevetti Wood, polyurethane foam, velvet, cotton jersey, felt Height: 71 cm Depth: 112 cm Width: 180 cm
Wood
Ettore Sottsass Flying Carper Tappeto Volante Sofa for Bedding Brevetti
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Padova, IT
Ettore Sottsass designed this sofa after having known the Indian culture. A crucial journey in his formation is that of 1961 in India, undertaken with Fernanda Pivano. On this journe...
Fabric, Velvet, Wood
Ettore Sottsass Tappeto Volante - Flying Carper armchair for Bedding Brevetti
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Padova, IT
Ettore Sottsass designed this armchair after having known the Indian culture. A crucial journey in his formation is that of 1961 in India, undertaken with Fernanda Pivano. On this jo...
Fabric, Velvet, Wood
The Italian designer’s oeuvre extends beyond the iconic Ultrafragola mirror.
Before founding the Memphis Group, Sottsass bent the rules of lighting design with the wonderfully wavy Cometa.
