For sale is a rare, early Post-Modern “TIGRIS” porcelain vase designed by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano and produced by Porcellane San Marco, in the 1980s.
In 1983, Ettore Sottsass designed the iconic Tigris, Euphrates, and Nilo (Nile) vases, as part of his “Three Rivers” series, for the Memphis Milano collective. These pieces reimagine the classical ceramic vessel through stacked, interlocking forms that appear at once playful and precarious. Predominantly white, each vase is accented with a single, carefully placed colour – blue, pink, or yellow – underscoring Sottsass’s interest in balance, rhythm, and symbolic resonance. Rather than serving purely as containers, the works stand as sculptural statements, embodying Memphis’s challenge to functionalist tradition and its embrace of design as a medium of cultural expression.
Crafted in white and black glazed porcelain with a single vibrant powder blue accent, this early version of the vase is in excellent vintage condition, with the only notable issue being a small scratch to the edge of the black base (see photos). The piece has its original printed mark, “E. Sottsass Per MEMPHIS” to the base, and remnants of the factory production label.
Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007) was an architect and designer who consistently broke with convention, seeking to infuse objects with emotion and vitality. From early collaborations with Olivetti—most notably the Valentine typewriter—to his later experiments with ceramics, furniture, and architecture, Sottsass rejected modernist austerity in favour of colour, symbolism, and joy. His designs explore the ways material culture shapes human experience, positioning objects not as neutral tools but as carriers of meaning and affect.
The Memphis Group, founded in Milan in 1981 under Sottsass’s direction, became one of the defining movements of postmodern design. With its bold palettes, unconventional materials, and sculptural forms, Memphis redefined the relationship between art, design, and daily life. Although the group dissolved in 1987, its brief existence left an enduring impact, inspiring generations of designers and artists to see furniture and objects as sites of imagination, rebellion, and cultural dialogue.
Measuring: H 39.5 cm / W 18 cm / D 15 cm
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