Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
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.
19th Century Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Leather
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Mahogany
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Canvas
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Wicker
Late 19th Century Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Wood
Early 1900s Indian Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Iron
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Oak
Late 19th Century Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Canvas
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Brass
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Brass
1940s Vintage Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Aluminum
Late 19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Zinc
19th Century Indian Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Iron
20th Century Japanese Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Aluminum, Steel
19th Century Mexican Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Wood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Brass
Early 20th Century Spanish Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Iron
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Pine
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Wood
19th Century American Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Iron
1880s Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Oak
19th Century Indian Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Iron
19th Century Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Canvas
1940s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Wood
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Metal
Mid-20th Century English Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Leather, Wood
1910s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Bronze
1930s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Trunks and Luggage
Oak