Zanotta Edizioni Nairobi Bar Cabinet in Red Veneered Laminate by Ettore Sottsass
About the Item
- Creator:Zanotta (Manufacturer),Ettore Sottsass (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 74.81 in (190 cm)Width: 33.47 in (85 cm)Depth: 21.66 in (55 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:21st Century
- Production Type:New & Custom(Current Production)
- Estimated Production Time:13-14 weeks
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:
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.
Zanotta
Entrepreneur Aurelio Zanotta founded Zanotta in 1954 in Nova Milanese, Italy. Originally called Zanotta Poltrona, it specialized in traditional furniture. By the early 1960s, however, Zanotta had established a reputation for edgy mid-century modern design. Today’s vintage furniture collectors know the brand well for its innovative and wholly sculptural chairs, coffee tables and more.
One of Zanotta’s earliest successes was the Mezzadro stool — better known as the Tractor stool — designed by Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and his brother Achille in the late 1950s. In 1965, Zanotta was among the first furniture companies to work with expanded polyurethane foam and frameless construction, such as for the Throw-Away sofas and armchairs designed by Willie Landels. Another popular design was the Blow chair — designed by Jonathan De Pas, Donato D’Urbino, Paolo Lomazzi and Carla Scolari — viewed by many as a physical expression of late '60s carefree culture.
In 1969, amid the provocative movement we now call Italian Radical Design, Zanotta’s Sacco chair garnered major attention. The boundary-pushing beanbag chair was the brainchild of designers Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro who presented it to Aurelio Zanotta as a transparent vinyl sack loosely filled with small polystyrene balls. He suggested its signature brightly colored leather.
The Sacco chair won the 1970 ADI Design Museum’s Compasso d’Oro award. In 1972, the Museum of Modern Art in New York included it in the landmark exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” curated by designer Emilio Ambasz. In 2020, it received a Compasso d’Oro ADI Lifetime Achievement Award for 50 years of enduring popularity. It is now in museum collections around the world including the Triennale Design Museum of Milan, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.
After Aurelio Zanotta died in 1991, the company remained in his family and has been run by his three children since 2002. Zanotta continues to set the bar high for furniture design with trend-setting pieces.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Zanotta seating, tables and other furniture.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Nova Milanese, Italy
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Zanotta Edizioni Mikiolone Bar Cabinet in Lacquered Wood by Alessandro MendiniBy Alessandro Mendini, ZanottaLocated in Brooklyn, NYZanotta Edizioni Mikiolone Bar Cabinet in Lacquered Wood by Alessandro Mendini Nine originals, numbered and signed. Wooden frame lacquered in various colours. Legs in turned wood ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Dry Bars
MaterialsWood
- Zanotta Edizioni Mombasa Chest of Drawers in Brown Painted by Ettore SottsassBy Zanotta, Ettore SottsassLocated in Brooklyn, NYZanotta Edizioni Mombasa Chest of Drawers in Brown Painted by Ettore Sottsass Signed original. Upper frame, lower drawer top and feet veneered in open pore dark brown painted ash. L...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsPearwood
- "Perf" Bar Cabinet in Varnished Steel by Moroso for DieselBy Diesel Creative Team 1, MorosoLocated in Brooklyn, NY"Perf" is a bar cabinet, designed by Diesel Creative Team and manufactured by Moroso, in varnished steel black mat, with doors in varnished steel available in these colors: copper, b...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dry Bars
MaterialsSteel
- Zanotta Edizioni Genesio Chest of Drawers in Veneered Wood by Alik CavaliereBy Zanotta, Alik CavaliereLocated in Brooklyn, NYZanotta Edizioni Genesio Chest of Drawers in Veneered Wood by Alik Cavaliere Signed original. Wooden frame veneered in walnut-root in various colours. Cast bronze handles represent the Genesis Born from the experimentations of Zabro Zanotta Edizioni is a special collection of furnishing items verging on art and design. Items in this collection are inspired by the Italian artistic handcrafting tradition. Free from the bonds of industrial production, they are charged with the powerful charm of "handmade” objects. Furniture as sculptures and stories. Creations designed by Alik Cavaliere have an unmistakeable mark in art as in design. The role of decoration is central: wooden inlay work, smelted metal and lacquered images. This Roman artist who became Milanese by adoption (for 30 years, he taught sculpture at the Academy of Brera, where he was also the director) was also a design alchemist. He used metals, bronzes, porcelain and glass and experimented with enamels, rare pigments and even gold. He worked from memory by soldering, smelting and assembling. “I always used materials like a director does, like a theatrical property man or the narrator of stories and tales.” Cavaliere has created 3 show pieces...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWood
- Sem In Sync Collection Collage Bar Cabinet by ZavenBy Studio Zaven, SEMLocated in Brooklyn, NYCollage is a family of furniture “accessories” built in wood with natural veneers coated in different colors. The faintly visible presence of the wood’s veins transforms the object i...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Dry Bars
MaterialsWood
- DeCastelli Barista Mobile Bar Cabinet in Brushed Copper by Adriano DesignBy Adriano Design, DeCastelliLocated in Brooklyn, NYBarista is a compact mobile bar with a sculptural volume, characterised by a ribbed effect comprising natural copper rods of differing diameters which create an irregular texture and give life to a soft play...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Dry Bars
MaterialsCopper
- Nairobi Bar Cabinet by Ettore SottsassBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Doral, FLNairobi Bar Cabinet by Ettore Sottsass for Zanotta Edizioni Red veneered laminate frame Base and inner frame with drawer and fold down tray in black stained wood Adjustable shelves...Category
1990s Italian Cabinets
MaterialsBrass
- Cabinet, Bar, Solid Mahogany, Copper Leaf Veneer, LacquerLocated in Saint-Ouen, FRCabinet, bar, solid mahogany, copper leaf veneer, lacquer. Production time: 12 weeks Measures: H 64.97 in, W 43.31 in, D 23.63 in H 165 cm, L 110 cm, D 60 cm.Category
2010s European Modern Cabinets
MaterialsCopper
- 'Circle of life' Solid Wood Cabinet-Bar in Flaming Maple Veneer from Egli designLocated in London, GBThis magnificent cabinet is inspired by the geometric style and lavish charm of local artisans. The entire structure is made entirely of wood with a flaming maple...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Baltic Arts and Crafts Cabinets
MaterialsStone, Metal
- Bar Cabinet by FrigerioBy FrigerioLocated in New York, NYBar cabinet by Gio Frigerio. Red lacquer doors and mirrored interior. Makers label affixed to back.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Dry Bars
MaterialsGlass, Lacquer
- Elie Red Brass Elephant Bar Storage Cabinet by Matteo CibicBy Matteo Cibic, Scarlet SplendourLocated in Kolkata, INElie red brass elephant bar storage cabinet by Matteo Cibic is a grand elephant with a lovable brass head and a smart red uniform. It opens up as a fantastic sculptural cabinet. “...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Cabinets
MaterialsBrass
- "Times" Bar Cabinet by Torbjørn Afdal in RosewoodBy Torbjørn Afdal, Mellemstrands MøbelfabrikLocated in Dronten, NLRare and practical bar cabinet model Times designed by Torbjørn Afdal and produced by Mellemstrands Møbelfabrik in Norway. Exceptional piece in beautiful all original condition. Tor...Category
Vintage 1960s Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Dry Bars
MaterialsBrass