Memphis Milano

Tahiti Table lamp metal plastic material by Ettore Sottsass / 1981

The "Memphis Milano" catalog features iconic pieces designed by the renowned Memphis collective between 1981 and 1988. True works of art, these collectible pieces revolutionized the creative and commercial approach to design in the 1980s.
Founded in Milan in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass, the Memphis group brought together international architects and designers such as Michele de Lucchi, Matteo Thun, Martine Bedin, Nathalie du Pasquier, Shiro Kuramata, and George Sowden...A true cultural phenomenon, Memphis shook up the conventions of design by deliberately placing itself outside the canons of the era’s “good taste.” Gone were hard-line functionalism and Bauhaus-style austerity; in their place came whimsy, with colorful and eccentric creations. The first Memphis collection made a huge splash: a profusion of exuberant patterns, explosive colors, bold asymmetries, geometric shapes stacked like totems, and a novel use of Plastic laminate—previously considered “cheap”... Very quickly, Memphis became THE subversive label of Italian design with its zany and colorful universe inspired by comic books, Pop Art, cinema, kitsch, and Art Deco. It was a revolution: design, previously confined to showrooms, took over the media and sparked a frenzy.
Regarded as symbols of Anti-design and New Design, Memphis creations are above all expressions of boundless creativity that defies the constraints dictated by industry and market forces. At the intersection of design, architecture, art, and postmodernism, these exceptional pieces are now sought after by collectors worldwide and exhibited in the most prestigious museums.
More than 20 years after the movement’s end, the company “Memphis Milano” continues to handcraft approximately fifty historic pieces designed by Memphis between 1981 and 1988. These original models are collector’s items, each bearing the “Memphis” seal as a guarantee of authenticity. In addition, each piece comes with a paper certificate of authenticity that also bears the “Memphis” seal. Some models bear the designer’s signature.

Designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass, the Tahiti lamp—with its duck-shaped head and vibrant mix of colors and materials—has become one of the Memphis Group’s greatest icons. This stylized bird consists of a rectangular base made of plastic laminate with a black confetti pattern, from which lacquered metal elements rise. Perched at the end of the long neck, the head—formed of a pink lacquered metal disc—holds the light source in its beak. The head swivels.

In detail:

• Variation : Multicoloured

• Brand : Memphis Milano

• Designer : Ettore Sottsass

• Type : Table lamp

• Colour : Multicoulered

• Material : Plastic laminate base - Lacquered metal

• Dimensions : H 60 cm
• Weight : 8.8 lb
• Characteristics : Original Memphis model designed in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass (Memphis Milano collection, 1981–1988) - Rotating head - Each piece bears the “Memphis” seal and comes with a paper certificate of authenticity that also bears the seal - Bulb (included): 1 x G9 3W 3000K LED - IP20 - Switch on the Cable
• Country of Manufacture : Italy