Arts and Crafts Furniture
Emerging in reaction to industrialization and mass production, the Arts and Crafts movement celebrated handcrafted design as a part of daily life. The history of Arts and Crafts furniture has roots in 1860s England with an emphasis on natural motifs and simple flourishes like mosaics and carvings. This work is characterized by plain construction that showcases the hand of the artisan.
The earliest American Arts and Crafts furniture dates back to the start of the 20th century. Designers working in this style in the United States initially looked to ideas put forth by The Craftsman, a magazine published by Wisconsin native Gustav Stickley, a furniture maker and founder of the Craftsman style. Stickley’s furniture was practical and largely free of ornament. His Craftsman style drew on French Art Nouveau as well as the work he encountered on his travels in England. There, the leading designers of the Arts and Crafts movement included William Morris, who revived historical techniques such as embroidery and printed fabrics in his furnishings, and Charles Voysey, whose minimal approach was in contrast to the ornamentation favored in the Victorian era.
American Arts and Crafts work would come to involve a range of influences unified by an elevation of traditional craftsmanship. The furniture was often built from sturdy woods like oak and mahogany while featuring details such as inlaid metal, tooled leather and ceramic tiles. The style in the United States was led by Stickley, whose clean-lined chairs and benches showcased the grain of the wood, and furniture maker Charles Rohlfs, who was informed by international influences like East Asian and French Art Nouveau design.
Hubs in America included several utopian communities such as Rose Valley in Pennsylvania and the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony in New York, where craftspeople made furniture that prioritized function over any decoration. Their work would influence designers and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, who built some of the most elegant and iconic structures in the United States and likewise embraced a thoughtful use of materials in his furniture.
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1930s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1930s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
1930s Czech Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Straw, Wood
1930s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Finnish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Wrought Iron
1930s British Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Glass, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
1940s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Glass
1960s African Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Straw, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Leather, Blown Glass, Paper
1930s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
1960s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Fabric
1950s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1930s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Maple
Mid-20th Century Irish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
1950s German Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
1930s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
1930s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Walnut
1930s Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
1960s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1930s Belgian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
1960s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Lead
1930s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1950s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
1940s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bentwood
Mid-20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Iron
1960s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Limestone
1940s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery
1960s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
1930s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood, Birdseye Maple, Teak, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metallic Thread
1960s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Wire
1940s Swedish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Muslin, Wood
1960s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Lead
Mid-20th Century Portuguese Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Turkish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
1950s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1940s Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Danish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic, Wicker
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
1950s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Burl
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1930s Japanese Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
1940s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century German Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
1960s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Crystal
1960s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Lead
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
Mid-20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Brass, Bronze
1930s Belgian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Nylon, Oak
1950s Hungarian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Porcelain
1940s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century African Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood