Ettore Sottsass Casablanca cabinet Memphis Milano 1981

Ettore Sottsass’s Casablanca cabinet boasts a totem-like profile, closely resembling his iconic Carlton room divider and Ashoka lamp. This piece stands out with its anthropomorphic silhouette, featuring vibrant red shelves that extend from a central column of cupboards and drawers. The entire cabinet is covered in Sottsass’s distinctive spugnato (sponged) pattern, designed in 1979 and made from plastic laminate covered wood.

Much like the Carlton cabinet, the Casablanca serves both as a room divider and a storage unit, with its angled shelves specifically designed to hold wine bottles. Its striking colors and bold patterns challenge the principles of functionalism, yet its structure reveals Neo-Classical influences with a base, central section, and capital. Michele De Lucchi famously remarked, “One bookcase by Ettore Sottsass is enough to furnish a room,” emphasizing the transformative presence of Sottsass’s designs. This particular version of the Casablanca is among the first produced, predating the numbered editions that began in the early 1980s, making it a rare and unique collector’s item only dated 1981 which.

The cabinet remains in very good original condition, free from any significant marks, presenting a valuable opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts of Sottsass’s revolutionary design work.