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Federal Sculptures

FEDERAL STYLE

Following the Revolutionary War, the American republic referenced the Roman Republic in its designs to celebrate its independence and declare itself a powerful new country. Imbued with neoclassical elements like those being promoted by architect Robert Adam in Great Britain, antique Federal-style furniture was the first distinctly American style in its melding of ancient influences, European aesthetics and national pride.

Dating roughly from 1790 to 1830, the style featured angular furniture with saber legs and smooth surfaces that contrasted with the curvy Rococo style that was previously in fashion. Eagles were common ornamental motifs on Federal-period furniture, as were cornucopia, lyres, garlands and scrolls, adding subtle flair to pieces characterized by clean lines, geometric symmetry, balanced shapes and a sense of grandeur.

Instead of sculptural carvings, authentic Federal-style furniture was adorned with inlays and patterned veneers that showcased the rich character of different grains and types of wood. As social life tended to be informal in the young country, furniture was often lightweight, so it could be easily rearranged in a drawing room or bedroom. Pieces like dining tables with drop leaves and sideboards became popular, replacing larger chests of drawers.

The Federal style varied by region: Artisans in Charleston, South Carolina, decorated chairs with carved backs, for instance, while those in Baltimore, Maryland, preferred painted details. Its major proponents included father-and-son cabinetmakers John and Thomas Seymour in Boston, Duncan Phyfe and Charles-Honoré Lannuier in New York and Samuel McIntire in Salem, Massachusetts.

Find antique Federal tables, mirrors, storage cabinets and other Federal furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

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Style: Federal
Pair of Centennial 10" Bronzes of Washington & Franklin, Circa:1876
Located in Alexandria, VA
These statuettes of George Washington & Benjamin Franklin were hand cast, probably in France in the 1870s, to be sent to the USA for sale during the 100 year anniversary of the Ameri...
Category

1870s European Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Gilt Bronze Bust of George Washington
Located in Montreal, QC
Although the first American President has been much portrayed in paint and bronze; I have not been successful in locating another bronze on which this is based. He is dressed as General Washington...
Category

Mid-19th Century American Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

2 Antique Chelsea Porcelain Staffordshire Miniature Confetti Spaniel Dog Anchor
Located in Dayton, OH
Pair of antique Chelsea Porcelain miniature 18th century Staffordshire figurines in the shape of brown spotted King Charles Spaniels or poodles....
Category

18th Century Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

Corinithian Column Plaster Architectural Study Objet D’art
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A plaster study of a corinthian column. Marked in pencil “American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, PA.” Rough unsealed plaster patina.
Category

Late 20th Century American Federal Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Ionic Column Plaster Architectural Study Objet D’art
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A plaster study of an ionic column. Marked in pencil “American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, PA.” Rough unsealed plaster patina.
Category

Late 20th Century American Federal Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Antique Terra Cotta Federal Eagles 'Pair'
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Early antique federal eagles [pair] beautiful glaze. ca 1900, came from an antique collectors personal collection, you can see a repair on one of the eag...
Category

Early 20th Century French Federal Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

American Federal Gilt Eagle Figure
Located in New York, NY
American Federal (19th Cent) life size gilt carved eagle figure standing on serpent and round painted base
Category

19th Century American Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Giltwood

Outstanding Large Oak Carved Eagle Grasping Shield & Three Arrows
Located in Stamford, CT
Outstanding large oak carved eagle grasping shield with three arrows in his talons; most probably by a Philadelphia carver. Found in East Boothbay, Maine at collector's home. Arrows ...
Category

Late 19th Century American Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Oak

Related Items
Pair of Terra Cotta Decorative Panels
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of terra cotta decorative panels. Probably from a fireplace.
Category

1890s French Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Pair of Terra Cotta Decorative Panels
Pair of Terra Cotta Decorative Panels
H 31.75 in W 8 in D 6.5 in
Bronze After James Earl Fraser (1876-1953) Entitled End of the Trail
Located in New York, NY
Bronze After James Earl Fraser (1876-1953) Entitled End of the Trail, mounted on craved, stained wooden base.
Category

20th Century North American Federal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Fine Vintage Samson Porcelain Bolognese or Bichon Dog Figurine
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine Samson porcelain model of a Bolognese dog. Modeled after the figurines that Kaendler designed for Meissen in 18th century. A classic form that is always in style! The...
Category

20th Century French Federal Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

1940s Brass Greek Key Architectural Element
Located in Stamford, CT
1940s long solid brass Greek key architectural element. Recently polished in a satin brass finish. There are 4 pre drilled holes for mounting (mounting har...
Category

1940s American Vintage Federal Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Pair of Japanese Bronze Bookends, circa 1880
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Japanese bronze bookends, circa 1880.
Category

1880s Japanese Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Bronze Models of a Standing Bull and a Running Cow, circa 1890
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A pair of large and finely patinated bronze models of a standing bull and a running cow after models by Isidor-Jules Bonheur, Cast on a Naturalistic Base. French, circa 1890. Signed 'I BONHEUR' and stamped 'PEYROL EDITEUR'. Bonheur was a regular exhibitor at the Paris Salon and his naturalistic depiction of farm animals, including cattle, was one of his most popular subjects. The bronze was cast by his brother-in-law, Hippolyte Peyrol, who ran one of the most successful art foundries in Paris at this time. Isidore-Jules Bonheur (1827-1901) was the son of the painter Raymond Bonheur and younger brother of Rosa Bonheur, the famous sculptor. He was born in Bordeaux and studied painting, at first with his father and then with the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, moving on to sculpture in 1848. He made his debut at the Paris Salon in 1848 with a painting and plaster study of the same subject ‘African horseman attacked by a lioness’. From then onwards, Bonheur exhibited regularly at the Salon as well as other exhibitions, winning medals in 1865 and 1869 together with the prized Gold Medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1889. He was awarded the Legion d’Honneur in 1895. Most of Bonheur’s casts were by his uncle by marriage, Hippolyte Peyrol, whose tiny foundry mark is often very difficult to find. Bonheur’s studies range from farm animals, bears and tigers in a very naturalistic vein to equestrian groups. Although noted primarily for his small groups he did complete two large scale commissions, one to his sister Rosa, at Fontainbleau and the other, two stone lions at the steps of the Royal...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Antique Miniature Staffordshire Pottery Spaniel Dog Figurine with Confetti Fur
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique English Staffordshire pottery figurine. Depicting a seated Spaniel. With confetti fur and painted black highlights. Simply a wonderful Staffordshire dog figurine...
Category

Late 19th Century British Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Pottery

Bronze Bust of a Man's Head
Located in New York, NY
Mid-century bronze bust of a man's head mounted on a black marble cube base. (Signed "H. Haas '71).     
Category

20th Century American Federal Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Bronze Bust of a Man's Head
Bronze Bust of a Man's Head
H 20 in W 7 in D 10.5 in
Victorian Terra-Cotta Harlequin
Located in New York, NY
French Victorian terra-cotta figure of a harlequin holding an umbrella with a white face and wearing a cap & clown outfit with large buttons (signed: HANISOFF, with additional marking)
Category

19th Century French Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Victorian Terra-Cotta Harlequin
Victorian Terra-Cotta Harlequin
H 29.75 in W 6.5 in D 10.5 in
Bronze Bust of Roman Emperor
Located in New York, NY
large and impressive mid century Italian Bronze Bust of Roman Emperor on a marble base.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Federal Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Bronze Bust of Roman Emperor
Bronze Bust of Roman Emperor
H 26 in W 17 in D 12 in
I Need a Boy-Toy, Vanity Mirror, Mixed Media Objet D'art
Located in Chicago, IL
Self-taught artist John Seubert, AKA John Dolly, uses objects he uncovers as he rehabs older homes in Chicago. This piece has two frames that are hinged together. A mirror adorns the outside. When opened, the right panel has a primitive figure painting while the left has a metal plaque with the phrase "I Need a Boy Toy" stamped into it. When closed, the back panel is stamped with "Like I Need a Refrigerator" and signed. John Seubert I Need a Boy-Toy (Like I Need a Refrigerator) mixed media 12.50h x 8.50w x 1.50d in 31.75h x 21.59w x 3.81d cm JSE074 In the early Nineties, John Seubert was living in a former hotel in a high-rise building on St. James Place in Chicago. The apartment was tiny, as hotel rooms tend to be, and clad with paper-thin walls allowing sound to pass from one apartment to the other. At the time, John’s artwork consisted of pounding copper sheets into tables which was a noisy endeavor to say the least. Following several noise complaints from the neighbors, John had a dream that he was living in a ramshackle house but with plenty of room to work and no attached neighbors. The following day after lunching at the McDonalds in Lincoln Park, John wandered the neighborhood a came upon a shabby, falling-down old Victorian house. He located the real estate agent, put in an offer, and weeks later was pushing a shopping cart full of his belongings to his new home. This 144-year-old Painted Lady provided a blank canvas for this inimitable artist. For many years the house remained so empty that John was able to ride his Japanese fold up bike throughout the 1st floor. “Some people want to have sex...
Category

Early 2000s American Federal Sculptures

Materials

Reclaimed Wood, Paint, Mirror

Bronze 'Super Egg' Objet d'Art Piet Hein
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Esoteric art object. Simple and mundane. Arresting and bold. Hold it your hand for comfort and energy or cool your cocktail. Solid bronze. Original vintage condition with a nice pati...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Federal Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Previously Available Items
Vintage Spreadwing Brass Eagle Bookends by Virginia Metalcrafters, 1952
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Offered is a beautiful pair of spread-wing eagle bookends by Virginia Metalcrafters, stamped 1952. The eagle is shown with its wings fully spread and a laurel branch and bundle of arrows clutched in its left talon. The eagle clutches a Union shield across its breast. The Union shield has a chief with three stars and six stripes completing the design. The eagle motif in décor and folk art has been widely used throughout our nation's history, most notably as part of our Great Seal. The founders of the United States were fond of comparing their new republic with the Roman Republic, in which eagle imagery, usually the golden eagle, was prominent. On June 20, 1782, the Continental Congress adopted the design for the Great Seal of the United States depicting a bald eagle grasping 13 arrows and an olive branch with its talons. When Charles Thomson put together the final design for the Great Seal, he placed a bundle of arrows in the eagle's left (sinister) talon. The official description specifies the bald eagle holding "in his sinister a bundle of thirteen arrows." The thirteen arrows are tightly aligned – a symbol of "strength in unity" that's found in the traditional cultures everywhere, from the Romans to the Iroquois— in this case a nod to the unity of the original 13 colonies. William J. Loth founded Virginia Metalcrafters in 1890, under the name Waynesboro Stove Company. The company, which made ornately cast cook...
Category

1950s American Vintage Federal Sculptures

Materials

Brass

Antique Federalist Styled Carved & Gilt Finished Eagle Sculptural Table Lamp
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This antique well executed carved eagle table lamp is unsigned, but presumed to have originated from the United States and date to approximately 192...
Category

Early 20th Century American Federal Sculptures

Materials

Gesso, Softwood

19th Century American Gilt Eagle Weather Vane Perched on Belted Ball and Arrow
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
With wings spread high and richly molded detail this gilt on copper eagle weathervane, dating to the late 19th century, is mounted on a belted...
Category

Late 19th Century North American Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Copper

Vintage Parcel Gilt Mahogany Federal Wall Mirror with Phoenix, 20th Century
Located in Big Flats, NY
A vintage Federal style wall mirror offers mahogany frame having crest with central gilt phoenix flanked by gilt foliate and scroll broken arch surmounting mirror with gilt foliate f...
Category

20th Century American Federal Sculptures

Materials

Mirror, Mahogany

Thomas Jefferson White Marble Figure Holding the Declaration of Independence
Located in New York, NY
Thomas Jefferson white marble figure holding the declaration of independence, 19th century, in the manner of horatio stone (1808-1875) ...
Category

1860s American Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Statuary Marble

Antique Federal Chippendale Figural Mahogany & Gilt Phoenix Wall Mirror
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique Federal Chippendale wall mirror features cutout scroll form mahogany frame with pierced crest having central spread-eagle gilt phoenix and mirr...
Category

19th Century American Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Mahogany, Mirror

18th Century Cast Iron Federalist Masonry Building Stars Andirons
Located in Hyattsville, MD
USA, Marked 1739. Rare Antique 18th Century Masonry Star Structural Building Ties as Andirons. Large One Inch Federalist Numerals, "1739" in Radial Conf...
Category

18th Century and Earlier American Antique Federal Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Federal sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Federal sculptures for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage sculptures created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, building and garden elements, folk art and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, plaster and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Federal sculptures made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Europe pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original sculptures, popular names associated with this style include and Chelsea Porcelain. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $300 and tops out at $67,500 while the average work can sell for $750.

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