Skip to main content

Arthur Umanoff Furniture

American, 1923-1985

Though much of Arthur Umanoff's furniture is marked by a no-frills simplicity common in American mid-century modern design, his work is anything but one-note. Over the course of a prolific career, Umanoff designed everything from case pieces to candleholders to magazine racks to dining chairs in iron, leather, walnut, wicker and more. With furnishings for a broad range of manufacturers throughout the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s, Umanoff continued a thread of sculptural elegance and textural sensitivity through his designs.

After graduating from Pratt Institute in the early 1950s, Umanoff experimented mostly with wood furniture before landing a job at Post Modern Ltd, a New York manufacturer of wrought-iron furniture. There he produced furnishings that married wrought iron with wood and plastic, creating functional pieces free of utilitarian bulkiness.

Umanoff continued his experimentation with mixed materials through a partnership with Shaver Howard, for whom he designed wine racks in combinations of iron, leather and wicker.

When Shaver Howard bought Boyeur Scott, Umanoff conceived several furniture designs for the brand, including the 1964 Granada collection, whose curlicue iron bases, visible through glass tops, stand out as some of his most ornate and decorative work. Indeed, much of Umanoff’s oeuvre is far more simplistic, like iron-and-pine armchairs for The Elton Co. or low-backed, slatted-seat barstools with slender iron legs for Raymor.

Umanoff was fluent, too, in the more sumptuous modernism of the era: In the mid-1960s, he designed the 2405 and 4449 armchairs for Madison Furniture Industries. Popular in offices, the walnut-framed, leather-upholstered seats, which could have been mistaken for the seductive Scandinavian modern seating of the era, were reportedly the jumping-off point for Captain Kirk’s iconic seat on Star Trek.

Even as he is among the mid-century modern designers you may not know, with work across such a range of styles and manufacturers (most no longer in business), Umanoff, who died in 1985, leaves a legacy that is fascinatingly diverse and at times enticingly elusive, making his work intriguing objects for collectors.

Find vintage Arthur Umanoff bar stools, tables, benches and other furniture today on 1stDibs.

to
1
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
164
14
11
4
4
Creator: Arthur Umanoff
Dealer: Lewis Trimble
Rare Arthur Umanoff Candelabra
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
Super rare Arthur Umanoff iron and woven cane six candelabra. The caning has been replaced but special effort was taken to match the original weaving and knot pattern.
Category

1950s American Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Iron

Arthur Umanoff Candelabrum in Teal
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
Large sculptural candelabrum in original enamel teal and cane by Arthur Umanoff. Teal is original to piece and is rarer than the black. Also have the same candelabra available wit...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Iron, Enamel

Related Items
Vintage Arthur Umanoff “Meridian” Clock for Howard Miller
By Howard Miller, Arthur Umanoff
Located in San Diego, CA
Vintage pendulum wall clock designed by Arthur Umanoff for Howard Miller. The “Meridian” clock features aspects of Danish Modern design with a walnut w...
Category

1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Rare! Mid Century Spanish Colonial Revival Candelabra Dark Wood
Located in Peoria, AZ
Romantic! Spanish Candelabra Gothic Revival Dark Wood Approximate Dimensions: 15" tall by 11" wide by 5.5" deep This beautiful pair make the perf...
Category

Mid-20th Century Spanish Spanish Colonial Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Wood

Arthur Umanoff Bowl
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Miami, FL
1 Arthur Umanoff Bowl, more Umanoff pieces available.
Category

1960s Haitian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Wood

Arthur Umanoff Bowl
Arthur Umanoff Bowl
H 3 in W 8 in D 5 in
1970s Arthur Umanoff for Howard Miller wall clock
By Herman Miller, Arthur Umanoff
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Arthur Umanoff for Howard Miller 1970s wall clock, model #588. Made of a walnut case, original red back, brushed aluminum clock face, brass Roman nu...
Category

1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Arthur Umanoff Tray
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Miami, FL
Category

1960s Haitian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Wood

Arthur Umanoff Tray
Arthur Umanoff Tray
H 0.75 in W 12.75 in D 4 in
Arthur Umanoff Bowl
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Miami, FL
1 Arthur Umanoff Bowl, more Umanoff pieces available.
Category

1960s Haitian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Wood

Arthur Umanoff Bowl
Arthur Umanoff Bowl
H 5 in W 12.38 in D 7.63 in
Rare Pair of Five-Light Candelabras
By Porter George Blanchard
Located in New York, NY
Ultra-modernist design in polished pewter with five-light. Porter George Blanchard was an American silversmith living and working in Pacoima, California. He is considered to be par...
Category

Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Pewter

Rare Pair of Five-Light Candelabras
Rare Pair of Five-Light Candelabras
H 7.5 in W 10.75 in D 6 in
Mid Century Modern Sculptural Iron with Cane Candelabra by Arthur Umanoff C1965
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic three arm iron Candelabra with cane wrapped base along with the candle arms at the top. Paint is original and in fabulous condition.
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Iron

Carved Taverneau Bowl in Style of Arthur Umanoff, Mid Century Modern
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage asymmetrical carved wooden bowl was hand made in Haiti from Taverneau, also known as Caribbean Walnut or False Tamarind, a durable tropical hardwood with a golden hue. It is...
Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Teak

Miniature Chest by Arthur Umanoff in Walnut
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A beautiful miniature chest by Arthur Umanoff in figured walnut.
Category

1950s American Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Brass

Giant Magazine Rack by Arthur Umanoff in Walnut
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Chattanooga, TN
This handsome magazine rack by Arthur Umanoff is the "Big Boy" at just under 31". The oily, deep-redish-brown cinnamon color patina of the walnut is exactly why we love mid-century m...
Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Walnut

Five-Light Candelabrum
By Just Andersen
Located in New York, NY
Patinated diskometal five-light candelabrum, stamped with Andersen’s mark on the underside of both square bases, model 158.
Category

1930s Danish Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Metal

Five-Light Candelabrum
Five-Light Candelabrum
H 8.25 in W 18 in D 3 in

Arthur Umanoff furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Arthur Umanoff furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Arthur Umanoff furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Arthur Umanoff were created in the mid-century modern style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Russell Woodard, Charles Eames, and Century Furniture. Prices for Arthur Umanoff furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $150 and can go as high as $12,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,800.

Recently Viewed

View All