Vintage Chalkware Animals

Invite the untamed wonders of the animal kingdom into your home — and do so safely — with the antique, new and vintage animal sculptures available on 1stDibs.

Artists working in every medium from furniture design to jewelry to painting have found inspiration in wild animals over the years. For sculptors, three-dimensional animal renderings — both realistic and symbolic — crisscross history and continents. In as early as 210 B.C., intricately detailed terracotta horses guarded early Chinese tombs, while North America’s native Inuit tribes living in the ice-covered Arctic during the 1800’s wore small animal figurines carved from walrus ivory. Indeed, animal sculpture has a long history, and beginning in the 19th century, the art form started becoming not only fashionable but artistically validated — a trend that continues today. At home, animal sculptures — polished bronze rhinos crafted in the Art Deco style or ceramic dogs of the mid-century modern era — can introduce both playfulness and drama to your decor.

In the case of the frosted glass sculptures crafted by artisans at legendary French glassmaker Lalique, founded by jeweler and glass artist René Lalique, some animal sculptures are purely decorative. With their meticulously groomed horse manes and detailed contours of their parakeet feathers, these creatures want to be proudly displayed. Adding animal sculptures to your bookcases can draw attention to your covetable collection of vintage monographs, while side tables and wall shelving also make great habitats for these ornamental animal figurines.

Some sculptures, however, can find suitable nests in just about any corner of your space. Whimsical brass flamingos or the violent, realist bronze lions created by Parisian sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye are provocative and versatile pieces that can rest on windowsills or your desk. Otherwise, the brass cat shoehorns and bronze porcupine ashtrays designed by Viennese artist Walter Bosse are no longer roaming aimlessly throughout your living room, as they’ve found a purpose to serve.

Embark on your safari today and find a fascinating collection of vintage, modern and antique animal sculptures on 1stDibs.