
Shiva Vase
<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

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.
Full artist profile →More
More by Ettore Sottsass
Euphrates
1983 · Vase
Carlton Room Divider
1981 · Wood and colored plastic laminate (formica)
'Carlton' Room Divider
1981 · Plastic laminate and wood
Sirio
1980 · Vase
Double Gourd
1978 · Vase
Study for Tea Pot (by Ocean with Shells), project (Perspective)
1973 · Graphite and self-adhesive letters on paper
Record
Verified by WattsOS- Artist
- Ettore Sottsass
- Year
- 1973
- Medium
- Glazed earthenware
- Dimensions
- 24.1 × 17.8 × 7.6 cm (9 1/2 × 7 × 3 in.)
- Watts ID
- WW-1973-127150
Source
- Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Source
- aic
- Reference
- View at source
- Status
- verified





