Antique Elf Ornaments

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.

Vintage, new and antique garden ornaments and classical statues can help elevate your outdoor space. The right decorative touch can accentuate the areas you’ve set aside for outdoor meals and garden parties as well as create a welcome, relaxing environment for guests and family.

In ancient civilizations, garden ornaments and statues were symbolic of religious devotion, conveyed wealth and social class, and eventually were used primarily as decoration. Today, the addition of antique garden ornaments can still elevate garden decor and help personalize an outdoor entertaining area. Finding the right decorative elements and deciding where to integrate them can greatly enhance the visual impact of your home’s exterior and transform your landscape design.

Over time, artists have used ceramic, iron, stone and metal to cast garden ornaments such as porcelain urns, cast-iron lanterns, stone obelisks and marble seating. Positioning antique and vintage garden ornaments amid meticulously manicured greenery can help render more prominent the beauty of the outdoor space you’ve tended over the years. We promise that your brightly colored flowers and other plants will pop against the antique building and garden elements you’ve introduced to your outdoor space.

Nestling a garden bench or other garden furniture near statues or an antique fountain proves welcoming to guests, offering a place to appreciate the work you’ve done on your outdoor space or to enjoy a cocktail in the open air. A large statue in the corner of the garden can draw attention to an area that might otherwise go overlooked, while a grouping of smaller statues can create a similar effect in a less-traveled corner of the yard.

Exterior design matters. Express your individuality and emphasize the natural beauty of an outdoor space with a collection of antique and vintage garden ornaments on 1stDibs that includes modern garden ornaments, Art Deco fixtures, Victorian ornaments and more.