Desk/ Bureau and Chair Designed by Sottsass and Zanini 1986
View Similar Items
Desk/ Bureau and Chair Designed by Sottsass and Zanini 1986
About the Item
- Creator:Ettore Sottsass (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 50.01 in (127 cm)Width: 47.64 in (121 cm)Depth: 16.93 in (43 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Metal,Wood
- Place of Origin:Europe
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1986
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses.
- Seller Location:Berlin, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4616216243182
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.
- Original LED Ultrafragola Mirror Designed by Ettore Sottsass for PoltronovaBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Berlin, BerlinUltrafragola mirror, designed by Ettore Sottsass in the 1970s. Original recent production mirror using LED lighting, made of moulded fibreglass with hard-back and shaped mirror. The...Category
2010s Italian Modern Floor Mirrors and Full-Length Mirrors
MaterialsMirror, Plastic
- Pair of Office Chairs by Ettore Sottsass & Hans Von Klier, 1969By Ettore SottsassLocated in Berlin, BerlinPair of office chairs designed by Ettore Sottsass and Hans von Klier. Italy, Design Centre (Poltronova), 1969. An original set of the 'PROGRESS...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- The Euphrates Ceramic Vase by SottsassBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Berlin, BerlinVase in ceramic, by Ettore Sottsass, 1983. The Euphrates vase, made of ceramic porcelain. This is part of the Rivers series, designed by Sottsass 1981-1988. Stamped underneath....Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Vases
MaterialsCeramic
- Dining Table 2615 'Round' by Benjamin Cherner, 2003By Benjamin ChernerLocated in Berlin, BerlinRound dining table designed by Benjamin Cherner. U.S.A., Cherner, 2003. The top is made of cross-ply plywood featuring classic walnut veneer with a tapered profiled exposed edge. ...Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Large Coffee Table by Marco FANTONI for TECNO 1971By Marco FantoniLocated in Berlin, BerlinMinimalist coffee table (Tecno T147) with brushed metal base on wood containing eight drawers, thick glass shelf with brushed metal insert. Tecno labels on glass and all drawers. Eig...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Dining Table by Vittorio Introini for Saporiti, 1972By Vittorio IntroiniLocated in Berlin, BerlinDining table designed by Vittorio Introini. Italy, Saporiti, 1972. Cast aluminum base in the shape of a petal with the rare original round glass top including mirrored rim. Model ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsAluminum
- Bureau Table Designed by Earnest StudioBy Earnest Studio, SchönbuchLocated in New York, NYThe table from the Bureau line melds clear modernity with timeless class, its rounded lines being a key design feature. Bureau is the perfect size for a dining table, but also makes the ideal showcase for creative arrangements of plants or decorative accessories. An eye-catching addition to any space, it can equally well be used as a home office desk. To make space for other things when needed, laptops and office utensils can quickly be stowed in the handy storage compartment under the tabletop. The compartment is closed on three sides and can be fitted with two electrical sockets if desired. Whether at home or in a hotel room, the elegant Bureau table complements any interior. The frame is made of solid beech, with an array of matte colors to choose from to add a personal touch. Alternatively, Bureau is available in bleached, matte maple or oiled, natural walnut wood, with a solid wood top and frame. With the painted versions of Bureau, the top can additionally be finished with a protective nano coating that is especially resilient and ideal for commercial settings. The Bureau line also includes a slim console table...Category
2010s German Tables
MaterialsBeech
$2,797 / item - Roos Desk by Atra DesignBy ATRALocated in Geneve, CHRoos desk by Atra Design Dimensions: D 182.6 x W 78.1 x H 74.9 cm Materials: walnut wood Other woods available. Atra Design We are Atra, a furniture brand p...Category
2010s Mexican Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
$16,487 / item - Bent Desk by Gentner DesignBy Christopher GentnerLocated in Geneve, CHBent desk by Gentner Design Dimensions: D 147 x W 63.5 x H 76 cm Materials: bronze, walnut wood A single metal sheet is bent creating the surface and sides, aptly giving the desk its name. The finish is darkened by hand through a proprietary solution and the drawers are made from solid walnut and veneered fronts. Perfect as a writing desk in any residential library or office or even as a concierge desk...Category
2010s American Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBronze
$25,777 - Mantis Desk by Atra DesignBy ATRALocated in Geneve, CHMantis desk by Atra Design Dimensions: D 120 x W 80 x H 72 cm Materials: walnut wood, steel Other top materials available. Atra Design We are Atra, ...Category
2010s Mexican Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsSteel
$17,377 / item - S3 Desk by Atra DesignBy ATRALocated in Geneve, CHS3 desk by Atra Design Dimensions: D 213 x W 64 x H 77 cm Materials: Taj Mahal marble, brass, oak wood Atra Design We are Atra, a furniture brand produced by Atra form a mexico...Category
2010s Mexican Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMarble, Brass
$69,522 / item - Object 006 Desk by Ng DesignLocated in Geneve, CHObject 006 desk by NG Design Dimensions: D160 x W75 x H75 cm Materials: Powder coated steel. Also Available: All of objects available in different materials and colors on demand...Category
2010s Polish Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsSteel