Ettore Sottsass Rectangular Wooden Coffee Table by Poltronova 1960s Italy
About the Item
- Creator:Ettore Sottsass (Designer),Poltronova (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)Width: 47.25 in (120 cm)Depth: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Wood,Other
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Montecatini Terme, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5304222272862
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.
Poltronova
Poltronova is known for embracing the creativity that opposites can introduce to a space. Its radical modernist furniture and lighting fixtures are simultaneously grounded in classic aesthetics and inspired by what were then new and provocative artistic movements in mid-century Italy, when the company was founded. This tension resulted in unique and extraordinary pieces at the manufacturer, from eccentric, glove-shaped armchairs to striking dining tables that feature a mix of materials and textures.
Italian designer Sergio Cammilli founded Poltronova in Tuscany in 1957. That same year, it won the Compasso d’Oro for the Panchetto chair designed by Luciano Nustrini. Revolutionary Italian architect Ettore Sottsass — a maestro of postmodern design who would later establish the Memphis Group — came on board as an art director in 1958. Poltronova manufactured many of his furniture and ceramic designs. Sottsass’s lighting, seating and other works for Poltronova showcase the designer’s bold experimentation with solid wood, glass, metal and laminate materials.
Other established names in Italian furniture design collaborated with Poltronova’s Sottsass and Cammilli, including Giovanni Michelucci, Gae Aulenti and Angelo Mangiarotti. However, the company truly set itself apart in its collaborations with Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, groups that were part of an irreverent, avant-garde movement in art and design that took shape during the 1960s in Florence, Turin and Milan. Collectives associated with the movement — which would one day be called Italian Radical design — drew on Pop art and minimalism and explored working with unconventional materials to create colorful, quirky and uniquely shaped objects and furnishings. At the time, Poltronova also worked with up-and-coming names in the art world, like painter Max Ernst and sculptor Mario Ceroli.
Poltronova showcased its groundbreaking designs in many exhibitions, such as “La Casa Abitata,” which was held in Florence in 1965. At Milan's Eurodomus trade show in 1970, Poltronova debuted an entire bedroom collection designed by Sottsass — including his sensuous Ultrafragola mirror. The brand’s furnishings were included in a 1972 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art called "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape," and in 1977, Poltronova again won the Compasso d’Oro for a book called Fare Mobili con Poltronova (Making Furniture with Poltronova).
Poltronova's enduring and acclaimed furniture designs came to be loved far outside Italy. During the 1960s, importer Charles Stendig represented the company and helped introduce it to the American market.
In 2005, Poltronova established the Centro Studi Poltronova to recreate some of the company's iconic furniture. The brand has also recently collaborated with English architect Nigel Coates, who worked with a Poltronova master craftsman in Italy to design a series of limited-edition furniture in 2011, including the Domo chair.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Poltronova tables, seating, storage cabinets and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Florence, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- 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
- Ettore Sottsass Califfo Sofa in Wood and Multicoloured Velvet Poltronova 1960sBy Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITTwo-seater Califfo sofa with a structure in a orange/red lacquered wood seat and back are structured by cushions upholstered with velvet fabric in a mixed...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Velvet
- Ettore Sottsass Rocchetto Round Side Table in Walnut Wood by Poltronova 1964By Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITRocchetto side table realized in lacquered walnut wood with bright orange decorations (under the table top and on the base), it was designed by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by Po...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Post-Modern Tables
MaterialsWood, Plastic, Walnut
- Ettore Sottsass Dining Table in Wood and Black Lacquered Metal by Poltronova 50sBy Poltronova, Ettore SottsassLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITRound dining table or living room table with four legs in black lacquered metal, table top in wood and brass details. The peculiar tabletop presents a beautiful decoration due to t...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Gio Ponti Coffee Table in Wood and Glass by Figli di Amedeo Cassina 1950sBy Gio Ponti, Figli di Amadeo CassinaLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITCoffee or occasional table with structure in wood a removable center part in sheet metal and a rectangular shaped table top designed by Gio Ponti and produced by Figli di Amedeo Cassina...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Massimo Vignelli Kono Table in Carrara Marble and Copper by Casigliani 1980sBy Massimo VignelliLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITKono coffee table designed by Massimo Vignelli and manufactured by Casigliani in 1980s. Low table with supports in oxidized copper and white Carrara marble and ground glass on top.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsCarrara Marble, Copper
- Vintage Marble Table by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy 1960s.By Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Roma, ITVintage Marble Table by E. Sottsass for Poltronova, Italy 1960s. Vintage table realized in 1965 by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova. Top and base in ''Rosso di Verona'' marble and b...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMarble, Metal
- Low Table by Ettore Sottsass in Wood and Brass by Poltronova 1950sBy Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaLocated in Rovereta, SMLow or living room round table with four brass legs, wooden top, and brass details. The particular table top features beautiful decoration due to the wood grain and also has four b...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBrass
- 1960s Scandinavian Vintage Rectangular Wood Coffee TableLocated in Ceglie Messapica, ITA vintage coffee table with wood and legs structure. Pure scandinavian style from the 1960s. In very good condtions with only few signs of time.Category
Vintage 1960s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- Loto Coffee Table, Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova, 1980By Ettore SottsassLocated in Milano, LombardiaThe small white marble Loto Coffee Table, designed by Ettore Sottsass for Poltronova in 1980, is a luxurious and sophisticated interpretation of the iconic piece. The choice of white...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMarble
- Dining Table by Ettore Sottsass, PoltronovaBy Poltronova, Ettore SottsassLocated in Brussels , BEDining table by Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMarble
- Wooden Coffee Table Zelda by Sergio Asti for Poltronova, 1960sBy Poltronova, Sergio AstiLocated in Padova, ITZelda coffee table by Sergio Asti for Poltronova – Italy – 1960s Table produced in the 60s by Poltronova based on a project by Sergio Asti. ?Structure and top in veneered wood. ?Hot...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood