Copper Bread Box
Antique Mid-18th Century German Biedermeier Decorative Boxes
Brass, Copper
Early 20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Decorative Boxes
Brass, Copper, Tin
Recent Sales
Antique Mid-18th Century German Brutalist Decorative Boxes
Brass, Copper
Antique Early 1900s French Country Knife Boxes
Copper, Iron
People Also Browsed
Antique Early 1700s Chinese Qing Ceramics
Enamel
Antique 18th Century Dutch Vitrines
Oak
Antique Late 18th Century Danish Rococo Secretaires
Brass
Antique Mid-18th Century Baroque Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Antique 18th Century Italian Neoclassical Religious Items
Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Italian Baroque Cabinets
Metal, Wrought Iron
Antique 18th Century Danish Dutch Colonial Benches
Oak
Antique 19th Century French Folk Art Cabinets
Wood, Oak
Antique 18th Century French Baroque Figurative Sculptures
Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Porcelain
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Wrought Iron
Antique Early 18th Century French Rococo Fireplaces and Mantels
Breccia Marble
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Club Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
Iron
Materials: Copper Furniture
From cupolas to cookware and fine art to filaments, copper metal has been used in so many ways since prehistoric times. Today, antique, new and vintage copper coffee tables, mirrors, lamps and other furniture and decor can bring a warm metallic flourish to interiors of any kind.
In years spanning 8,700 BC (the time of the first-known copper pendant) until roughly 3,700 BC, it may have been the only metal people knew how to manipulate.
Valuable deposits of copper were first extracted on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus around 4,000 BC — well before Europe’s actual Bronze Age (copper + tin = bronze). Tiny Cyprus is even credited with supplying all of Egypt and the Near East with copper for the production of sophisticated currency, weaponry, jewelry and decorative items.
In the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, master painters such as Leonardo da Vinci, El Greco, Rembrandt and Jan Brueghel created fine works on copper. (Back then, copper-based pigments, too, were all the rage.) By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, decorative items like bas-relief plaques, trays and jewelry produced during the Art Deco, Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau periods espoused copper. These became highly valuable and collectible pieces and remain so today.
Copper’s beauty, malleability, conductivity and versatility make it perhaps the most coveted nonprecious metal in existence. In interiors, polished copper begets an understated luxuriousness, and its reflectivity casts bright, golden and earthy warmth seldom realized in brass or bronze. (Just ask Tom Dixon.)
Outdoors, its most celebrated attribute — the verdigris patina it slowly develops from exposure to oxygen and other elements — isn’t the only hue it takes. Architects often refer to shades of copper as russet, ebony, plum and even chocolate brown. And Frank Lloyd Wright, Renzo Piano and Michael Graves have each used copper in their building projects.
Find antique, new and vintage copper furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
Read More
How a Craving for Color Revolutionized Glass
After synthetic dyes changed fashion, home goods and printed matter, it was only a matter of time till glass caught up.
Kazuyo Sejima’s Flowering Tree Blooms Year-Round
The brilliantly simple design turns a modest bouquet into a major statement.
He Wrote ‘Oedipus Rex,’ but Do You Know What He Looked Like?
The Greek tragedian is said to have been handsome in his day.
Cigar Culture Was Once the Peak of Masculinity. Now, It’s a Compelling Curiosity
Even for those who don’t indulge, elegant smoking accessories and audacious art portraying cigar enthusiasts hold a nostalgic allure.
African Travel Plans on Hold? This Ardmore Leopard Vase Brings the Beauty of the Savanna to You
It’s an excellent example of the sought-after ceramics coming out of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.
With a High-Tech Flagship and Cool Collabs, Lladró Is Breaking the Mold for Porcelain Production
Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.
Zoë Powell’s Magnolia 05 Vessel Is Handmade from Clay She Unearthed Herself
The free-form stoneware piece is inspired by the magnolia tree and its associations with home.
8 Ways to Breathe New Life into a Space with Plants
The pair behind the Instagram account @houseplantclub share their tips for making any room of the house gloriously green.