Modern Asian Art and Furniture
MODERN STYLE
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
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Style: Modern
Period: Early 20th Century
Lynd Ward "Gods' Man" Woodblock Prints, 4
Located in New York, NY
Lynd Ward (American, 1905-1985), "Gods' Man, Four Woodblock Prints on Paper, circa 1929. Provenance: From a New York City collection.
Category
Early 20th Century American Modern Asian Art and Furniture
Materials
Paper
Japanese Impressionist Painting of Trees in Snow By S Kitayama Dated 1912
Located in San Francisco, CA
An impressionist painting of a trees in snow on a wooden board in period carved gilded frame.
It is signed on the bottom right hand corner S Kitayama and dated 1912.
Further inscription in Kanji on the back of the frame.
Frame measures 17 x 20 1/2 inches
Painting measures 9 1/4 x 12 3/4 inches
Frame is original to the painting and of the period.
The painter is most likely Seitaro Kitayama (Japanese, 1888-1945), an important figure in late Meiji period credited with being the father of Japanese animation before Walt Disney started his company.
The painting style is impressionism which was keenly followed by a new generation of Japanese artists who either traveled to Europe for training or received Western publications on artists and gallery shows at home.
Kitayama, Seitaro was born on March 3, 1888 in Wakayama, and died on February 13, 1945.
In 1911, Kitayama became an apprentice to Tojiro Oshita and, while studying painting, also helped out with editing the art magazine Mizue. He soon moved to Tokyo and established the Western Art Guild of Japan and published Contemporary Western Art. He later joined the Fusain Art Group as a manager where he would support young western-style artists such as Ryusei Kishida and Sohachi Kimura by providing art supplies, in addition to holding exhibitions and publishing catalogues. On the other hand, he entered the Nikkatsu Mukojima Studio in 1916, proposed the inclusion of illustrations in intertitles, and made this his work. It was there that one of the first Japanese animations...
Category
1910s Japanese Vintage Modern Asian Art and Furniture
Materials
Paint, Acrylic
Burmese Embossed Silver Presentation Chalice
Located in London, GB
A Burmese embossed silver presentation chalice
Burmese, early 20th century
Measures: Height 31cm, diameter 16.5cm, weight 937 grams
This remarkable and beautiful silver chalice,...
Category
Early 20th Century Burmese Modern Asian Art and Furniture
Materials
Silver
George Charles Haité Modern Orientalist Picture
Located in Roma, IT
Important watercolor painting of Orientalist subject representing market scene in Tangier by the great English artist George Charles Haité Signed lower left and inscribed on the back...
Category
Early 20th Century British Modern Asian Art and Furniture
Materials
Paper
Japanese Modern White Pottery Vase, Japan, Early 20th c
Located in New York, NY
A very beautiful white to off-white round Japanese pottery vase, late Modern period, circa early-20th century Japan, 1921-1941. Vase has a fluted ci...
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Modern Asian Art and Furniture
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery
Andrianna Shamaris Rare Rosewood Screen
Located in New York, NY
Exquisite rare antique rosewood carved into this beautiful screen or room divider.
Andrianna Shamaris. The Leader In Modern Organic Design™
Category
Early 20th Century Modern Asian Art and Furniture
Materials
Wood, Rosewood, Reclaimed Wood
Japanese Ceramic Blue Vases, Pair
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful pair of Modern periwinkle blue Japanese vases with octagonal base, pinched waist, and clover like design at neck/top. Marked underneath/bot...
Category
Early 20th Century Japanese Modern Asian Art and Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
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Located in Studio City, CA
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Modern asian art and furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Modern asian art and furniture for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage asian art and furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include asian art and furniture, decorative objects, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern asian art and furniture made in a specific country, there are Asia, Southeast Asia, and Malaysia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original asian art and furniture, popular names associated with this style include RAAQUU, André Fu, LAAB Milano, and VG-VGnewtrend. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for asian art and furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $36 and tops out at $450,000 while the average work can sell for $705.
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