Memphis Inspired Colorful Glass Studio Vase

A fun Memphis Group-inspired colorful glass vase with contrasting shapes that seem to be stacked. The wide circular base is clear glass with swirling orange stripes, surmounted by a cobalt sphere that supports a purple and red semi-frosted cavity.

Memphis Design is a new style that only started in 1980. The 80s was a period of eclectic transformation, where previous trends were rejected but borrowed from, and new, unusual technologies, materials, and futuristic influences began to feature. The design movement began with a meeting in Milan, Italy, where designer Ettore Sottsass founded the ‘Memphis Design group named after a Bob Dylan song.

Like most art, the movement was a counterargument against the rigidity of modern and minimalism. Instead, Memphis Designers wanted to bring out the ‘radical, funny and outrageous’ – blending Art Deco geometry with pop art style colors and 1950s furniture chic.

The group's success debuted in 1981 at the Salone del Mobile of Milan and found a big fan in Karl Lagerfeld and, subsequently, David Bowie, who collected more than 400 pieces. While the style never really entered the mainstream thanks to its unashamedly unusual nature, it did appear in popular culture in films and TV shows such as Back to the Future II and Saved by the Bell.

REFERENCE NUMBER: LU825815544821
PERIOD: Late 20th Century
CONDITION: Excellent
MEASUREMENTS: Height: 17.63" Diameter: 5.88"
COUNT: 1
MATERIAL: Glass
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United States