Anna Eicher Sterling
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Sterling Silver
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Silver Bowls
Sterling Silver
People Also Browsed
20th Century English Early Victorian Sterling Silver
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Vintage 1920s American Arts and Crafts Vases
Art Glass
Late 20th Century Japanese Art Deco Barware
Crystal
20th Century Modern Silver Bowls
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century American Art Deco Barware
Crystal
Vintage 1910s American American Craftsman Vases
Art Glass
Vintage 1980s American Vases
Bronze
Antique 1890s French Louis XVI Tea Sets
Sterling Silver
Antique 19th Century Swiss Pocket Watches
18k Gold, Rose Gold
Antique Late 19th Century Dutch Victorian Brooches
Pearl, Natural Pearl, Oriental Pearl, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Vases
Glass
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
Art Glass, Murano Glass
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Serving Bowls and Tureens
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Antique 1890s Austrian Jugendstil Glass
Glass
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Vases
Blown Glass
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
Art Glass, Murano Glass
A Close Look at arts-and-crafts Furniture
Emerging in reaction to industrialization and mass production, the Arts and Crafts movement celebrated handcrafted design as a part of daily life. The history of Arts and Crafts furniture has roots in 1860s England with an emphasis on natural motifs and simple flourishes like mosaics and carvings. This work is characterized by plain construction that showcases the hand of the artisan.
The earliest American Arts and Crafts furniture dates back to the start of the 20th century. Designers working in this style in the United States initially looked to ideas put forth by The Craftsman, a magazine published by Wisconsin native Gustav Stickley, a furniture maker and founder of the Craftsman style. Stickley’s furniture was practical and largely free of ornament. His Craftsman style drew on French Art Nouveau as well as the work he encountered on his travels in England. There, the leading designers of the Arts and Crafts movement included William Morris, who revived historical techniques such as embroidery and printed fabrics in his furnishings, and Charles Voysey, whose minimal approach was in contrast to the ornamentation favored in the Victorian era.
American Arts and Crafts work would come to involve a range of influences unified by an elevation of traditional craftsmanship. The furniture was often built from sturdy woods like oak and mahogany while featuring details such as inlaid metal, tooled leather and ceramic tiles. The style in the United States was led by Stickley, whose clean-lined chairs and benches showcased the grain of the wood, and furniture maker Charles Rohlfs, who was informed by international influences like East Asian and French Art Nouveau design.
Hubs in America included several utopian communities such as Rose Valley in Pennsylvania and the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony in New York, where craftspeople made furniture that prioritized function over any decoration. Their work would influence designers and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, who built some of the most elegant and iconic structures in the United States and likewise embraced a thoughtful use of materials in his furniture.
Find antique Arts and Crafts chairs, tables, cabinets and other authentic period furniture on 1stDibs.