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 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 furniture today on 1stDibs.

2
to
1
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
135
16
8
3
3
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
Five-Light Candelabrum
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
  • Five-Light Candelabrum
  • Five-Light Candelabrum
H 8.25 in. W 18 in. D 3 in.
Rare Pair of Just Andersen Three Armed Candelabras, Pewter, Denmark 1930s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Just Andersen - Scandinavian Modern A pair of pewter candelabras with three arms, Dessin 1169, manufactured in Denmark 1930s. Each candelabra stamped Just 1169 Denmark. Excellen...
Category

Mid-20th Century European Scandinavian Modern Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Pewter

Rare set of 4 Cast Sterling Silver Candelabra, Birmingham, 1975
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in Birmingham in 1975 by T. Hill, this handsome set of 4, sterling silver candelabra, are cast, and reproductions of a George I design of candlestick. Each candelabrum mea...
Category

1970s English Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Sculpted Candelabrum, Signed William Guillon
By William Guillon
Located in Geneve, CH
Play with fire limited candelabrum Signed William Guillon Limited Edition of 20 Signed and numbered Solid aluminium. Nickel smoke on copper. Brushed. Dimensions: H 13 cm x W 26.5 cm x D 6.5 cm Handsculpted in France At the crossroads between his hybrid influences William Guillon took, for this series, his inspiration in the 18th century romantic imagery, Caravaggio and still life. This is how he created a set of timeless objects which address his favourite themes?: balance, tension and interplay of massive materials. Bronze, marble and copper cross...
Category

2010s French Post-Modern Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Bronze

  • Sculpted Candelabrum, Signed William Guillon
  • Sculpted Candelabrum, Signed William Guillon
  • Sculpted Candelabrum, Signed William Guillon
  • Sculpted Candelabrum, Signed William Guillon
H 5.12 in. W 10.44 in. D 2.56 in.
A rare pair of candelabras by Svend Aage Holm Sorensen, 1960s, Denmark
By Svend Aage Holm Sørensen
Located in Værløse, DK
A rare pair of 5-candle candelabras black metal and brass by Svend Aage Holm Sørensen. Very good vintage condition. One ‘Holm Sorensen’ trademark stamped - both stamped ‘Denmark’. Th...
Category

1960s Danish Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass

Matthew Boulton Sheffield Plate Candelabrum
By Matthew Boulton
Located in New Orleans, LA
This remarkable Sheffield silver plate candelabrum by celebrated English silversmith Matthew Boulton displays all of the timeless elegance and style of the period. Masterfully crafte...
Category

Early 19th Century English Other Antique Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Silver Plate, Sterling Silver

A WMF Candelabrum 1930-35
Located in Forest Row, East Sussex
Heading : A WMF Candelabrum Date : Marked WMF set within a dashed arch Period : Weimar Republic Origin : Geislingen, Germany Decoration : Three ...
Category

Mid-20th Century German Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Metal

  • A WMF Candelabrum 1930-35
  • A WMF Candelabrum 1930-35
  • A WMF Candelabrum 1930-35
  • A WMF Candelabrum 1930-35
H 7.17 in. Dm 6.3 in.
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

  • Giant Magazine Rack by Arthur Umanoff in Walnut
  • Giant Magazine Rack by Arthur Umanoff in Walnut
  • Giant Magazine Rack by Arthur Umanoff in Walnut
  • Giant Magazine Rack by Arthur Umanoff in Walnut
H 14.63 in. W 9.13 in. D 30.88 in.
Early and Rare Pair of Candelabras, Just Andersen, Denmark 1930
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Just Andersen - Scandinavian modern. A early and rare pair of pewter candelabras with three arms, Dessin 307, manufactured in Denmark, 1930. The candelabras have very fine decoratio...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Pewter

  • Early and Rare Pair of Candelabras, Just Andersen, Denmark 1930
  • Early and Rare Pair of Candelabras, Just Andersen, Denmark 1930
  • Early and Rare Pair of Candelabras, Just Andersen, Denmark 1930
  • Early and Rare Pair of Candelabras, Just Andersen, Denmark 1930
Free Shipping
H 8.27 in. W 7.09 in. D 4.34 in.
Piet Hein "Ursa Major" Seven Arm Candelabrum in Solid Brass
By Piet Hein
Located in Copenhagen, DK
PIET HEIN - SCANDINAVIAN MODERN An exceptionally beautiful candelabrum by the Danish modernist and designer, poet, mathematician and architect Piet Hein. The candelabrum has seven...
Category

Mid-20th Century European Scandinavian Modern Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Brass

Iconic 1950s Arthur Umanoff Mid-Century Modern Five Arm Candleabra
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a very cool rattan and wrought iron five- arm candlabra. Some of the rattan has wear and has broken off but we don't think the broken rattan dulls its elegance or functionali...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Wrought Iron

Menorah Jewish Candelabrum in Blown Murano Glass, Vintage Murano Gallery 1970s
By Vintage Murano Gallery
Located in Villaverla, IT
High-End Menorah Jewish Candelabrum in Blown Murano Glass, Vintage Murano Gallery 1970s. This unique Murano glass masterpiece is one of the most traditional objects in the Jewish tra...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Arthur Umanoff Furniture

Materials

Brass

Arthur Umanoff furniture for sale on 1stDibs

Arthur Umanoff furniture is available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive objects are frequently made of metal and designed with extraordinary care. In our collection of Arthur Umanoff furniture there are many options to choose from, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We stock 181 vintage versions of these items, while there is 0 modern edition to choose from as well. Many original furniture by Arthur Umanoff were created in North America during the 20th century in the Mid-Century Modern style. If you are looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by George Nakashima, Craft Associates and Charles Eames. Prices for Arthur Umanoff furniture can vary depending on size, time period and other attributes. The price for these items starts at $150 and tops out at $24,500, while pieces like these can sell for $1,800 on average.

Recently Viewed

View More