Carl Kauba Indian Canoe

Austrian sculptor Carl Kauba was fascinated by the American West, creating dynamic cast bronze sculptures of cowboys, Native Americans and buffalo. Between 1895 and 1912, his polychrome pieces captured the attention of an American audience, while his domestic statutory work in Austria helped solidify his artistic reputation.

He was born the son of a shoemaker in 1865 in Vienna, Austria. He later studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna before learning from sculptor Karl Waschmann and sculptor and medallist Stefan Schwartz. 

Although some accounts have Kauba traveling to the United States to create models and sketches, scholars have questioned the inaccuracies in his work’s weapon detailing and equestrian costumes. Kauba loved the Western tales of German author Karl May and was known to have a friend in Ohio who mailed him costume material, all of which may have provided his references for art.

Kauba’s bronze work is recognized as exceptional Viennese craftsmanship imbued with artistic intricacies and realism. His sculptures of cavalrymen, cowboys and Indigenous people from the American West put him in the same category as titans of American Western art like Frederic Remington and Charles Marion Russell. 

Original Carl Kauba art experienced a resurgence in popularity during a 1950s advertising campaign for Latendorfer in New York. His works have remained prized by Wild West collectors everywhere. 

Kauba’s art has been exhibited at many American art galleries, including the Thomas Nygard Gallery in Montana and the Ophir Gallery in New Jersey.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Carl Kauba decorative objects, collectibles and more.

Native American broadly describes any Indigenous people in North America and encompasses hundreds of tribes and groups, all with distinct cultures. Native American–style furniture and decor likewise varies widely, from pieces created by Indigenous people to those appropriated by non-native designers.

Indigenous furniture’s rich heritage includes the bentwood boxes of the Northwest Coast carved from cedar for storing household or ceremonial objects. Generations of Native American people have made baskets for holding household items, with those in the Northeast using sweetgrass and those in the Southeast using pine needles and wicker. Artisans in the Plateau region wove watertight pieces like cradles from plant materials. Although these objects were intricately made, they were usually utilitarian rather than decorative.

The colonization of North America and the removal of Indigenous people from their lands led to the suppression of these practices. Many styles that used Native American motifs — such as Southwestern style, which was heavily influenced by the geometric patterns of Navajo textiles — have historically not involved Indigenous creators and, instead, have taken their traditions without their tribal context.

When decorating a home with Native American–style furniture, it is important to do so respectfully, by understanding the origins of motifs and objects and examining who profits from their sale. There are now Indigenous-led companies, such as Cherokee designer Cray Bauxmont-Flynn’s Amatoya and Totem House Design, promoting Indigenous work in furniture and home decor. Supporting Indigenous artists and artisans is essential to confronting the still pervasive issue of cultural appropriation in design.

Find a collection of Native American living room furniture, folk art, rugs and carpets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.

Figurative sculpture is a modern art form in which artists create work that is typically representative of the visible world. However, sculptures that are considered to be figurative in style can definitely be inclusive of abstract elements. A wide range of antique, new and vintage figurative sculptures has been made over the years by both well-known and emerging artists, and these pieces can prove striking and provocative as part of your home decor.

Realistic representation in visual art has a very long history. And while figurative artists, whether figurative painters or sculptors, find inspiration in humans, animals and real-life objects, good figurative sculptures can make us think differently about how the real world should look. Just as figurative paintings might include Photorealistic human likenesses, they can also include elements of Surrealism and can suggest a creative and alternative reality. Figurative sculptures aren’t always realistic impressions of our world — depictions of the human form in classical Greek sculpture, for example, might emphasize beauty and physical perfection.

There are a variety of figurative sculptures on 1stDibs created by artists working in a number of styles, including Art Deco, Art Nouveau, mid-century modern and more. A large figurative sculpture can introduce an excellent focal point in a guest bedroom, while smaller works might draw the eye to spaces such as wall shelving or a bookcase that people may otherwise overlook.

When decorating your living room, dining room, home office and study areas with figurative sculptures, don’t be afraid to choose bold colors to inject brightness into neutral spaces. Texture is another factor to consider when purchasing figurative sculptures. A highly textural work of ceramics or wood will catch the eye in a sleek modern space, whereas a smooth, flat glass sculpture can offer an often much-needed contrast in a room that already has many textures.

On 1stDibs, find antique, new or vintage figurative sculpture or other kinds of sculpture for your home decor today.