Modern Decorative Objects
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Cement
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain
1970s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Maple
20th Century Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century French Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary South African Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
1970s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Suede, Wood, Lacquer
1960s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Pewter
1970s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Chrome
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Brass, Chrome
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Stone, Brass
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Art Glass
1970s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Brass, Bronze, Gold Leaf
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Metal, Brass
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Art Glass
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Art Glass
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Travertine
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Stone, Brass, Metal
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Travertine, Stone
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Marble, Stone
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1970s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Chrome
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Porcelain, Clay
1990s American Modern Decorative Objects
Wood
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Earthenware
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Porcelain, Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Objects
Acrylic, Fiberglass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Decorative Objects
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Blown Glass
Modern decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.
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