Lucite Swirl Sculpture
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Abstract Sculptures
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Stone
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Figurative Sculptures
Lucite
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Lucite
Vintage 1980s Post-Modern Abstract Sculptures
Glass
20th Century American Modern Abstract Sculptures
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
Brass
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Side Tables
Stainless Steel
2010s American Modern Table Lamps
Nickel
2010s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Granite
Vintage 1970s American Modern Abstract Sculptures
Onyx, Steel
Late 20th Century Post-Modern Barware
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Vintage 1980s Posters
Paper
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
Murano Glass
Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vases
Art Glass
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Murano Glass
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Vases
Glass
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Pedestals
Lucite
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Black and White Photography
Archival Pigment
2010s American Other Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Stone, Carnelian, Crystal, Multi-gemstone, Opal, Quartz, Rock Crystal, T...
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Glass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
Glass, Murano Glass
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Recent Sales
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculp...
Brass, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculp...
Brass, Steel
Vintage 1970s American Sculptures
Lucite
Late 20th Century American Modern Abstract Sculptures
Aluminum
20th Century American Sculptures
Brass
Vintage 1980s American Abstract Sculptures
Acrylic
Late 20th Century American Sculptures
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sculptures
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Modern Abstract Sculptures
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Acrylic
Antique 19th Century Italian Rococo Mounted Objects
Lucite, Giltwood
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Aluminum
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Brass, Nickel
20th Century Sculptures
Lucite
Late 20th Century American Sculptures
Brass
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Mobiles and Ki...
Brass, Steel
Materials: plastic Furniture
Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.
From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.
When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.
Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.
Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right sculptures for You
Styling your home with vintage, new and antique sculptures means adding a touch that can meaningfully transform the space. By introducing a sculptural work as a decorative finish to any interior, you’re making a statement, whether you tend toward the dramatic or prefer to keep things casual with modest, understated art.
A single, one-of-a-kind three-dimensional figurative sculpture mounted on your dining room wall is a guaranteed conversation piece, while a trio of abstract works arranged on your living room bookshelves can add spontaneity to the collection of first-edition novels or artist monographs you’re displaying as well as draw attention to them. Figurative sculptures are representational works that portray a specific person, animal or object. And while decorating with busts, which are sculpted or cast figurative works, hasn’t exactly topped the list of design trends every year, busts are back. According to designer Timothy Corrigan, “They give humanity in a way that a more abstract sculpture can’t give.” Abstract sculptures, on the other hand, are not meant to show something specific. Instead, they invoke a mood or scene without directly stating what they are portraying.
Busts made of stone or metal may not seem like a good fit for your existing decor. Fortunately, there are many ways for a seemingly incongruous piece to fit in with the rest of your room’s theme. You can embrace a dramatic piece by making it the focal point of the room, or you can choose to incorporate several elements made out of the same material to create harmony in your space. If an antique or more dramatic piece doesn’t feel like you, why not opt for works comprising plastic, fiberglass or other more modern materials?
When incorporating sculpture into the design of your home — be it the playful work of auction hero and multimedia visionary KAWS, contemporary fiber art from Connecticut dealer browngrotta arts or still-life sculpture on a budget — consider proper lighting, which can bring out the distinctive aspects of your piece that deserve attention. And make sure you know how the size and form of the sculpture will affect your space in whole. If you choose a sculpture with dramatic design elements, such as sharp angles or bright colors, for example, try to better integrate this new addition by echoing those elements in the rest of your room’s design.
Get started on decorating with sculpture now — find figurative sculptures, animal sculptures and more on 1stDibs today.
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