WMF Secessionist Art Nouveau Pewter Inkstand of Rectangular Organic Flowing Form
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in London, GB
WMF. Secessionist Art Nouveau Pewter Inkstand. Germany.
Pewter
WMF Secessionist Art Nouveau Pewter Inkstand of Rectangular Organic Flowing Form
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in London, GB
WMF. Secessionist Art Nouveau Pewter Inkstand. Germany.
Pewter
$2,750Sale Price|21% Off
WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil Secessionist Mirror, Germany, circa 1905
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Rare WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil Secessionist pewter mirror, Germany, circa 1905.
Pewter
WMF. A 12-person cutlery service in original stylized secessionist oak cabinet
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in London, GB
WMF A rare cutlery service for 12 persons in original stylised secessionist oak cabinet with single drawer, lower shelf and stylised silver plated mounts and handles, the lower plaqu...
Silver Plate
$2,750Sale Price|21% Off
Rare Design WMF Jugendstil Mirror, circa 1905
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
Rare WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil Secessionist pewter Mirror, Germany C.1905.
Silverplated Secessionist Bowl with Geometric Handle and Perforations by WMF Jug
Located in Brooklyn, NY
1910, Germany. Silverplated bowl with perforated border that creates an intricate visual pattern and an angular handle. Stamped by WMF, a prestigious German metalware manufacturer.
Silver Plate
Secessionist WMF Silverplated Inkwell
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Secessionist WMF Inkwell featuring a rivet design and geometric hearts.
Glass
WMF secessionist silver-plated brass basket w/ glass liner
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A nice WMF secessionist basket with a glass liner. It has lost almost all of it's silver-plating.
Brass
Secessionist WMF Vanity Mirror
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in New York, NY
A great period secessionist vanity standing mirror in polished pewter by the firm WMF with hall marks on leg.
Pewter
WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Silver plate Box, Germany
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Silver plate large Jewellery or Cigar Box, Germany, C.1906.
Silver Plate
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau Secessionist Photograph Frame Germany
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau Secessionist Photograph Frame, Germany C.1905.
Art Nouveau Secessionist Photograph Frame, WMF, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Art Nouveau Secessionist polished pewter photograph frame, WMF, circa 1906.
Art Nouveau Secessionist Photograph Frame, WMF, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
Art Nouveau Secessionist polished pewter photograph frame, WMF C.1906.
Sold
H 6.75 in W 6.75 in D 3 in
WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil Secessionist Candlesticks Candelabra, Germany
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil secessionist candlesticks candelabra, Germany, circa 1900.
Pewter
Art Nouveau Secessionist Photograph Frame, WMF, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
Art Nouveau Secessionist polished pewter photograph frame, WMF C.1906.
Secessionist Jugendstil Pewter Inkstand, WMF, Germany, circa 1910
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Secessionist Jugendstil Pewter Inkstand, WMF, Germany, circa 1910.
Pewter
Art Nouveau Secessionist Pewter Photograph Frame, WMF, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
Large Art Nouveau Secessionist pewter photograph frame, WMF, circa 1906.The frame of stylised jugendstil form, the bottom section of pierced gothic like panels, the upper section wit...
Art Nouveau Secessionist Pewter Photograph Frame, WMF, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Large Art Nouveau Secessionist pewter photograph frame, WMF, circa 1906.The frame of stylised jugendstil form, the bottom section of pierced gothic like panels, the upper section wit...
Pewter
WMF Frame Jugendstil Art Nouveau Secessionist Germany, circa 1905
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau secessionist photograph Frame, Germany, circa 1905.
Pewter
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau Secessionist Biscuit Box, circa 1905
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Jugendstil Art Nouveau secessionist silver plated stylized cut-glass biscuit box.
Silver Plate
WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Silvered Pewter Box Germany, circa 1900
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Jugendstil secessionist silvered pewter Box Germany, circa 1900.
Pewter
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau Secessionist Mirror, Germany, circa 1910
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
W.M.F Mirror, oval shape in silver plate and brass with supports and lower section of celtic decorated accents WMF beehive mark, original back and spiral easel, easel back also marke...
Silver Plate
Sold
H 15.125 in W 11.75 in D 15.125 in
WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil Secessionist Large Silver Plate Mirror, Germany
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil secessionist large silver plate mirror, Germany, circa 1900.
Metal
Sold
H 11.75 in W 6.75 in D 2 in
WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil Secessionist Photograph Frame, Germany circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Art Nouveau silver plate Photograph Frame, WMF Germany C.1906. The Frame, secessionist and art nouveau design with open stylised berries.
Sold
H 2.5 in W 5.5 in L 8.75 in
Jugendstil Nouveau Secessionist Silver Plate Box, WMF Germany, circa 1910
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
Jugendstil Nouveau Secessionist Silver plate Jewellery Box, WMF Germany C.1906.
Silver Plate
Sold
H 9.5 in W 5 in D 1 in
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau Secessionist Photograph Frame, Germany, circa 1905
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau secessionist photograph frame, Germany, circa 1905.
Sold
H 4 in W 5.5 in D 5 in
WMF Jewellery Box Jugendstil Secessionist Silver Plate, Germany, circa 1900
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Jugendstil secessionist silver plate jewellery box, Germany, circa 1900.
Silver Plate
Sold
H 9.5 in W 5 in D 1 in
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau Secessionist Photograph Frame, Germany, circa 1905
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau secessionist photograph frame, Germany, circa 1905.
WMF Jewellery Box Jugendstil Secessionist Silver Plate, Germany, circa 1900
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
WMF Jugendstil secessionist silver plate jewellery box, Germany, circa 1900.
Silver Plate
Sold
H 6 in W 3.25 in D 1 in
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau Secessionist Photograph Frame, Germany, circa 1905
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau secessionist photograph frame, Germany, circa 1905.
Metal
WMF Jewelry Box Jugendstil Secessionist Silver Plate, Germany, circa 1900
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Jugendstil secessionist silver plate jewelry box, Germany, circa 1900.
Silver Plate
Sold
H 11.75 in W 8 in D 2 in
Art Nouveau Jugendstil Secessionist Pewter Photograph Frame, WMF, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Large Art Nouveau Secessionist polished pewter photograph frame, WMF, circa 1906.
Pewter
Sold
H 5.5 in W 9.5 in D 5.5 in
WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Silver Plate Jewelry Box Germany, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Jugendstil Secessionist silver plate large Jewelry box, Germany, circa 1906.
Jewelry Box WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Silver Plate Germany, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Silver plate large Jewellery Box, Germany, C.1906.
Set of 4 WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Art Nouveau Candelabra C.1900
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
Set of 4 of WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Art Nouveau Brass three light candelabra, Germany C.1900.
Sold
H 5.5 in W 9.5 in D 5.5 in
WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Large Jewelry or Cigar Box, Germany, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF Jugendstil secessionist silver plate large jewelry or cigar box, Germany, circa 1906.
Silver Plate
Sold
H 6.5 in W 3.75 in D 3.5 in
WMFB Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik Secessionist Style Candlesticks
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Lovely pair of Art Nouveau candlesticks in the secessionist style made in the early 1900s.
Metal
WMF Box Jugendstil Germany, circa 1900
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Silver plate Jewellery Box, Germany, C.1900.
WMF Frame Jugendstil, Germany, circa 1905
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau Secessionist Photograph Frame, Germany C.1905.
Jugendstil Wine Labels, WMF, circa 1910
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Very rare pair of Jugendstil wine spirit labels, pewter probably WMF, circa 1910. Striking secessionist design, vacant upper panel to allow for particular name of label to be inserte...
Pewter
WMF Jugendstil Jewellery Box Germany, circa 1900
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
WMF Jugendstil secessionist silvered pewter Box Germany, circa 1900.
W.M.F. Bowl in Silver Plate, Secessionist Style
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Aci Castello, IT
Early 20th century WMF fully marked bowl in Secessionist style, nice conditions, item has been replated.
Silver Plate
Rare Set of Four WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Art Nouveau Candelabra, circa 1900
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Set of four of WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Art Nouveau brass three-light candelabra, Germany, circa 1900.
German WMF Secessionist Silver Plated Ice Bucket
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Astoria, NY
German Secessionist silver plated ice bucket made by the Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik or WMF.
Metal
WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil Secessionist Mirror
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil Secessionist large silver plate Mirror, Germany, C.1900.
WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Box, Germany, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF jugendstil Secessionist silver plate and brass box, Germany, circa 1906.
WMF Jugendstil Secessionist Jewelry Box, Germany, circa 1900
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
WMF jugendstil Secessionist silver plate jewelry box, Germany, circa 1900.
Metal
WMF Art Nouveau Jugendstil Secessionist Photograph Frame, Germany, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
Art Nouveau silver plate Photograph Frame, WMF Germany C.1906. The Frame, secessionist and art nouveau design with open stylised berries.
Sold
H 2.5 in W 8.75 in D 5.5 in
Jugendstil Nouveau Secessionist Jewelry or Cigar Box, WMF, Germany, circa 1906
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Jugendstil Nouveau secessionist silver plate jewelry box, WMF, Germany, circa 1906.
Silver Plate
Sold
H 0.4 in Dm 4.93 in
Set of 14 WMF Silver Plated Bottle & Glass Coasters, Art Nouveau Secessionist
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This elegant set of 14 silver-plated brass coasters was crafted by WMF (Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik) and showcases a refined Art Nouveau Secessionist design.
Silver Plate
Monumental Silver Plate Centerpiece by WMF
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Litchfield, CT
Circa 1900-1920s, silverplate, by WMF, Germany. Redolent of the Secessionist Vibe, this stunning silverplate masterwork from the workshops of WMF in Germany is perfect as a centerpie...
Silver Plate
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau Photograph Frame, Germany, circa 1905
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, ON
WMF Jugendstil Art Nouveau Secessionist Photograph Frame, Germany C.1905.
W.M.F. Jugendstil Secessionist Art Deco Samovar, circa 1910
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Inside nice and clean. WMF marks. Rare example in good condition.
Silver Plate
WMF Secessionist Art Nouveau Candle Holders
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Melbourne, AU
A pair of Art Nouveau or Secessionist WMF 'Britannia metal' (pewter) and silver plate candle holders.
Silver Plate, Pewter
Art Nouveau/Secessionist Copper and Brass Planter by WMF
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Kent, GB
A highly stylish WMF planter or jardinière by WMF in copper and brass. WMF ostrich mark to underside of foot, circa 1910.
Brass, Copper
Secessionist Silver Plated Basket
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Essex, MA
A GERMAN SILVER PLATED SECESSIONIST STYLE BASKET BY WMF (WURTTEMBERGISCHE METALLWARENFABRIK).
Antique WMF Secessionist Biscuit Barrel Cookie Jar
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The outer edge of the rim is stamped with one of WMF's ostrich marks which includes "WMF" and "G" for Geislingen an der Steige.
Metal
Early 20th Century WMF Vase, Silver Plated
Located in Pymble, NSW
A WMF [Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik] Secessionist period silver plated vase with its original liner, circa 1906.
Metal
$2,795
H 10.75 in W 5.25 in D 4.4 in
Striking Art Nouveau Ceramic and Bronze-Mounted Vase in Victor Horta Style
By Victor Horta
Located in Lisse, NL
Top condition and pure elegance Art Nouveau vase. For the collectors of museum quality and condition Art Nouveau ceramics. This stunning Art Nouveau vase is decorated with the mos...
Bronze
$60,100Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 37.41 in W 16.93 in D 19.69 in
Antique French Art Nouveau Dining Room Set by Eugène Vallin 1903 Table Chairs
By Eugène Vallin
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Exquisite & most rare! This French Art Nouveau dining set consisting of 8 chairs and matching table by Eugène Vallin in solid walnut. The chairs where designed for the famous art nou...
Leather, Walnut
$341,751
H 100.6 in W 66.93 in D 24.81 in
Rare Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim & Pauly Cie Et Venice Antique Carved Armoire
By Guggenheim Museum, Pauly et Cie
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this very rare one of a kind Pauly CIE Et stamped hand carved walnut armoire made by the genius that was Moses Michelangelo Guggenheim 1837-1910 W...
Walnut
Fabergé Silver Service
By Fabergé
Located in New Orleans, LA
This extraordinary 128-piece service by Fabergé is a rare treasure in more ways than one. Enclosed in its original oak chest, the exquisite service remains complete and in pristine c...
Silver
Antique Sterling Silver Canteen of Cutlery for Twelve Persons
By Viners 1
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
A magnificent, fine and impressive, comprehensive antique George V English sterling silver Sandringham pattern flatware service for twelve persons - boxed; an addition to our canteen...
Silver, Sterling Silver
$5,500
H 10.5 in W 8 in D 5 in
Loetz For Boudon And Klur Ruby Papillon Glass And Gilt Metal Mounted Vase
By Loetz Glass
Located in Dallas, TX
Loetz For Boudon And Klur Gilt Metal Monted Glass Vase. A highly sought after vase culminating the zenith of Loetz and the Art Nouveau design. Czech Republic Circa 1900 Rubin Ruby P...
Metal
Art Nouveau Wall Cabinet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Art nouveau carved wall cabinet in excellent original condition.
Wood
$3,900
H 6.5 in W 5 in D 5 in
Art Nouveau Gres Bijou Butterfly & Spiderweb Gourd-Shaped Vase by RStK Amphora
By Reissner Stellmacher & Kessel
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Note: We highly recommend shipping through 1stDibs for its cost effectiveness, full insurance coverage, and reliable handling. While standard parcel services are an option, the defau...
Earthenware, Glass
$4,800
H 8.5 in W 4.75 in D 4.75 in
Iridescent Art Nouveau Foliage Vase w/Silver Mount by Clement Massier
By Clement Massier
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Note: We highly recommend shipping through 1stDibs for its cost effectiveness, full insurance coverage, and reliable handling. While standard parcel services are an option, the defau...
Silver
$17,470
H 59.06 in W 37.41 in D 19.69 in
Rare Italian Liberty Style/Art Nouveau Commode with Painted Wood Inlays
Located in Milano, IT
Rare commode in the style of Louis Majorelle with front and sides inlaid in painted wood. Two doors on the front that hide a cabinet with open compartments and small drawers in light...
Wood
Art Nouveau Celtic Creature Repoussé Box by Alfred Daguet
By Alfred Daguet
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Note: We highly recommend shipping through 1stDibs for its cost effectiveness, full insurance coverage, and reliable handling. While standard parcel services are an option, the defau...
Brass, Steel
Russian Imperial Silver Punch Set From Czar Alexander III
Located in New Orleans, LA
A monumental piece of history, this exquisite silver punch set was made for Czar Alexander III as a gift to British Captain Joseph Wiggins. Heavily decorated with rich engravings and...
Silver
Art Nouveau Alphonse Mucha Original JOB Poster, 1898
By Alphonse Mucha
Located in North Bergen, NJ
Alphonse Mucha 1898 JOB poster. Excellent condition with beautiful frame under plexiglass ready to hang. Poster for 'Job' cigarette paper (1898) 'JOB' is a trademark for the Joseph B...
Paper
$15,718
H 92.13 in W 50.4 in D 25.6 in
Antique French Art Nouveau Cabinet by Henri Sauvage 1900 Oak Display Cabinet
By Henri Sauvage
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Exquisite French Art Nouveau Cabinet / Display cabinet by famous French architect / designer Henri Sauvage 1900. A very large impressive cabinet that makes such a statement! Amazi...
Brass
Liberty and Co. An Arts and Crafts wall cabinet
By Liberty & Co.
Located in London, GB
Liberty and Co. An Arts and Crafts wall cabinet with gold stencilled lion and a motto ''THE MAN WHO SMOKES THINKS LIKE A SAGE AND ACTS LIKE A SAMARITAN", BY Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st...
Oak
Art Nouveau Celtic Hound Casket Repoussé Box by Alfred Daguet
By Alfred Daguet
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Note: We highly recommend shipping through 1stDibs for its cost effectiveness, full insurance coverage, and reliable handling. While standard parcel services are an option, the defau...
Enamel, Steel, Brass
The fine brass, copper and silver metalware produced by distinguished manufacturer Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF) has adorned the tabletops of restaurants, hotels and homes around the world. WMF is especially prized by collectors for its Art Nouveau works of the late 19th century and Art Deco pieces manufactured throughout the early 20th century.
WMF traces its beginnings to 1880 when the merger of Straub & Sohn and Ritter & Co. formed the public limited company Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik. The company initially focused on tableware and decorative pieces, such as vases and planters. In 1892, WMF introduced its patented “perfect hard silver plating,” a technology that distributes twice as much silver to the sections of cutlery that experience the most wear, allowing the whole piece to hold its luster longer than other silver-plated products.
In 1905, WMF acquired a majority holding of Orivit AG, a company in Cologne that manufactured products from a tin alloy, further expanding its range of materials. By 1910, its main facility in Geislingen, Germany, employed 4,000 workers. It had branches in Vienna, Warsaw and London, and printed a catalog in 12 languages.
As a German business, WMF experienced extensive asset loss in the aftermath of the world wars. However, by 1950, its main facility once again had a workforce of more than 3,000 employees, and its high-quality products returned to popularity. There was an increase in demand for its Cromargan cutlery as well as work by WMF’s preeminent lighting designer, Wilhelm Wagenfeld.
By the 1960s, WMF’s main facility had 5,800 employees. More factories were opened to keep up with demand. WMF is now one of the largest manufacturers of metalware in the world and continues to produce pieces of superb quality. The company has over 200 branches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and owns branches in 40 other countries.
On 1stDibs, explore serveware, decorative objects, lighting and more from Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF).
In its sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, antique Art Nouveau furniture reflects a desire for freedom from the stuffy social and artistic strictures of the Victorian era. The Art Nouveau movement developed in the decorative arts in France and Britain in the early 1880s and quickly became a dominant aesthetic style in Western Europe and the United States.
ORIGINS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ANTIQUE ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Art Nouveau — which spanned furniture, architecture, jewelry and graphic design — can be easily identified by its lush, flowing forms suggested by flowers and plants, as well as the lissome tendrils of sea life. Although Art Deco and Art Nouveau were both in the forefront of turn-of-the-20th-century design, they are very different styles — Art Deco is marked by bold, geometric shapes while Art Nouveau incorporates dreamlike, floral motifs. The latter’s signature motif is the "whiplash" curve — a deep, narrow, dynamic parabola that appears as an element in everything from chair arms to cabinetry and mirror frames.
The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau was particularly influenced by the soft colors and abstract images of nature seen in Japanese art prints, which arrived in large numbers in the West after open trade was forced upon Japan in the 1860s. Impressionist artists were moved by the artistic tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking, and Japonisme — a term used to describe the appetite for Japanese art and culture in Europe at the time — greatly informed Art Nouveau.
The Art Nouveau style quickly reached a wide audience in Europe via advertising posters, book covers, illustrations and other work by such artists as Aubrey Beardsley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha. While all Art Nouveau designs share common formal elements, different countries and regions produced their own variants.
In Scotland, the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh developed a singular, restrained look based on scale rather than ornament; a style best known from his narrow chairs with exceedingly tall backs, designed for Glasgow tea rooms. Meanwhile in France, Hector Guimard — whose iconic 1896 entry arches for the Paris Metro are still in use — and Louis Majorelle produced chairs, desks, bed frames and cabinets with sweeping lines and rich veneers.
The Art Nouveau movement was known as Jugendstil ("Youth Style") in Germany, and in Austria the designers of the Vienna Secession group — notably Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich — produced a relatively austere iteration of the Art Nouveau style, which mixed curving and geometric elements.
Art Nouveau revitalized all of the applied arts. Ceramists such as Ernest Chaplet and Edmond Lachenal created new forms covered in novel and rediscovered glazes that produced thick, foam-like finishes. Bold vases, bowls and lighting designs in acid-etched and marquetry cameo glass by Émile Gallé and the Daum Freres appeared in France, while in New York the glass workshop-cum-laboratory of Louis Comfort Tiffany — the core of what eventually became a multimedia decorative-arts manufactory called Tiffany Studios — brought out buoyant pieces in opalescent favrile glass.
Jewelry design was revolutionized, as settings, for the first time, were emphasized as much as, or more than, gemstones. A favorite Art Nouveau jewelry motif was insects (think of Tiffany, in his famed Dragonflies glass lampshade).
Like a mayfly, Art Nouveau was short-lived. The sensuous, languorous style fell out of favor early in the 20th century, deemed perhaps too light and insubstantial for European tastes in the aftermath of World War I. But as the designs on 1stDibs demonstrate, Art Nouveau retains its power to fascinate and seduce.
There are ways to tastefully integrate a touch of Art Nouveau into even the most modern interior — browse an extraordinary collection of original antique Art Nouveau furniture on 1stDibs, which includes decorative objects, seating, tables, garden elements and more.