Designed by Ettore Sottsass and produced by Zanotta in the early 1990s, the Alicudi table represents one of the most refined testimonies of the master’s research on the language of color, form, and symbol within the domestic world.
Created after the period in which Sottsass founded the Memphis group, Alicudi fully fits into that climate of design freedom and experimentation that marked the rebirth of Italian design in the 1980s, with works that do not limit themselves to function but become aesthetic and cultural statements.
The table is part of the celebrated series dedicated to the Aeolian Islands — Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari, and Panarea — conceived as a small archipelago of forms and colors, a poetic homage to Mediterranean light and geography reinterpreted through the lens of design. In this collection, Sottsass abandons all modernist rigor to construct a new language, in which the object is no longer anonymous but charged with emotional, spiritual, and symbolic references.
The solid cherry wood structure is supported by four turned legs with a conical section, featuring an upper bulb-shaped joint that accentuates the verticality and plastic strength of the whole. These pure and totemic forms, almost primitive, evoke the columns of a small temple, while the rectangular top in decorative plastic laminate introduces a counterpoint of graphic rigor and chromatic lightness. The parallel bands in soft tones of light yellow and sage gray create a sophisticated balance between measure and invention, light and matter, evoking the gentle and sensual Mediterranean aesthetic filtered through Sottsass’s intellectual vision.
Every element of the Alicudi is conceived to dialogue autonomously with space: the calibrated proportions, the vertical tension of the legs, and the geometric composure of the top produce a sculptural, almost architectural presence. At the same time, the warmth of the wood and the chromatic delicacy of the laminate maintain a sense of domestic intimacy, typical of Sottsass’s philosophy, which always sought to combine thought and life, form and emotion.
Alicudi thus embodies the perfect synthesis of Sottsass’s vision for Zanotta: an intellectual yet profoundly human design, ironic and solemn at the same time, capable of transforming a table into a small inhabitable architecture. Not an object for everyday use, but a presence: a symbol of that unrepeatable moment when Italian design was able to merge craftsmanship, industry, and art into a single language.
Original example produced by Zanotta in the early 1990s, in excellent vintage condition, with slight signs of use consistent with age and materials.
Product Name: Alicudi table by Ettore Sottsass for Zanotta
Designer: Ettore Sottsass
Year of Design: Early 1990s
Style: Italian Postmodernism, with references to the symbolic and chromatic language of the Memphis group
Main Materials: Solid cherry wood structure; decorative plastic laminate top in light yellow and sage gray tones
Distinctive Design: Four turned legs with conical section and upper bulb-shaped joint emphasizing the verticality and plastic strength of the structure; rectangular top with parallel band decoration introducing a refined balance between graphic rigor and chromatic lightness. Pure and totemic forms evoke architectural columns, merging sculptural dimension and domestic sensitivity.
Dimensions: Length 180 cm | Width 90 cm | Height 73 cm
Comfort: Although not conceived as a traditional ergonomic table, it offers stability, balanced proportions, and a wide surface that make it functional without losing its artistic value.
Typical Use: Dining table or center table, ideal for representative environments, dining rooms, or exhibition spaces dedicated to twentieth-century Italian design.
Design Icon: Part of the series dedicated to the Aeolian Islands — Alicudi, Filicudi, Lipari, and Panarea — conceived as a small archipelago of forms and colors, a poetic homage to Mediterranean light and geography reinterpreted through Sottsass’s postmodern lens.
Versatility: The balance between natural material and decorative laminate allows harmonious placement both in domestic settings and in contemporary or collectible interiors, where it assumes the role of a functional sculpture.
Current Condition of the Design: Original example produced by Zanotta in the early 1990s, in excellent vintage condition, with slight signs of use consistent with age and materials.
Additional Notes: Please note that this object is in excellent vintage condition. Minor signs of time may be present, which do not affect its functionality. We invite you to consider these characteristics before purchase.
Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007) was one of the leading protagonists of twentieth-century Italian design. Architect, artist, and visionary, he transformed the language of design into a poetic territory where color, form, and symbol intertwine with the emotional and spiritual dimension of living. After early work with Poltronova and a long collaboration with Olivetti, for which he designed the famous Valentine typewriter, he founded the Memphis group in 1981, opening the postmodern season with ironic and radical objects that broke the rules of functionalism. Collaborating with companies such as Zanotta, Alessi, and Bitossi, Sottsass created a body of work that unites rigor and freedom, craftsmanship and industry, the everyday and the sacred, making him one of the most influential figures in contemporary design.
Founded in 1954 by Aurelio Zanotta, Zanotta is one of the emblematic companies of Italian design, known for transforming formal and technological experimentation into a distinctive hallmark recognized internationally. In the 1960s and 1970s the company collaborated with the greatest masters of design — including Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Gae Aulenti, Carlo Mollino, Enzo Mari, and Ettore Sottsass — creating objects that have become icons, such as the Mezzadro chair and the Sacco beanbag. Celebrated for its ability to unite craftsmanship, research, and design culture, Zanotta continues today to represent a benchmark for excellence and innovation in Made in Italy design.