Shiva Vase

Ettore SottsassWW-1973-127150

1973·Glazed earthenware·24.1 × 17.8 × 7.6 cm (9 1/2 × 7 × 3 in.)

<p>The Shiva Vase exemplifies the playful and iconoclastic nature of Ettore Sottsass’s work. Although the piece is domestic in scale, like the vases of his Ruins series, he referred to it as one of his “small, small architectures,” which he likened to ancient monuments and abandoned temples. The Shiva Vase also alludes to lingam shrines to the Hindu god that he encountered on repeated trips to India, beginning in 1961.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1973
Medium: Glazed earthenware
Dimensions: 24.1 × 17.8 × 7.6 cm (9 1/2 × 7 × 3 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Ettore Sottsass

Artist

Ettore Sottsass

Painting

Ettore Sottsass was an Italian architect and product designer. He was known for his designs of furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting, homeware and office supplies, and also worked on numerous buildings and interiors, often defined by bold colours.

Innsbruck, Austria

Full artist profile →