Ginza Miniature - / By Masanori Umeda, 1982 - Limited edition by Memphis Milano Multicoloured

The "Memphis Milano" catalogue includes icons designed by the famous Memphis collective between 1981 and 1988. True works of art, these collector's items revolutionised the creative and commercial logic of design in the 80s. 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, George J. Sowden. A true cultural phenomenon, Memphis really shook up the design codes by voluntarily stepping outside of the lines of "good taste" of the time. It was out with the pure, hard functionalism and austerity Bauhaus-style, and in came fantasy with colourful and eccentric creations. The first Memphis collection landed in the design world like a bombshell: a proliferation of exuberant patterns, explosive colours, intrepid asymmetries, geometric shapes stacked up like totems, new use of plastic laminate considered "cheap" until then. Soon, Memphis became THE subversive label of Italian design with its wacky, colourful world inspired by comics, Pop Art, cinema, Kitsch and Art Deco. It was a revolution: design, until then confined to the showrooms, invaded the media and inflamed passion. Considered symbols of Anti-design and New Design, the Memphis creations are above all the manifestation of an unlimited creativity which breaks free of the constraints dictated by industry and the law of the market. Within the confines of design, architecture, art and post-modernism, these exceptional pieces are now sought after by collectors around the world and exhibited in the most prestigious museums. More than 20 years after the end of the movement, the "Memphis Milano" company continues to produce around fifty hand-crafted historical pieces designed by Memphis between 1981 and 1988. These original models are collector's items all bearing the "Memphis" seal, a guarantee of authenticity. In addition, each piece has its own paper certificate of authenticity, itself bearing the "Memphis" seal. Some models bear the designer's signature. Here's a perfect, small-scale replica (scaled at 1: 6) of the Ginza bookcase, designed in 1982 by one of Memphis' founding members, Japanese designer Masanori Umeda. An iconic Memphis creation, this colourful totem in the shape of a robot is made up of a structure created using wood and laminate plastic. The shape of this bookcase is a reference to the robots found in Japanese science-fiction and to the popular toys inspired by the genre. Ironically, this bookcase is named after the trendiest business district in Tokyo. This piece symbolises everything that Memphis' post-modernist movement stands for: exuberance, playful geometric forms, vibrant colours, and an anti-conformist attitude. This miniature model is a limited edition (500 units), numbered with a seal under its base: a collector’s piece!.