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.
Gabriel Argy-Rousseau, Covered Box “Roses or Buttercups”, Designed in 1921
Located in Bochum, NRW
Gabriel Argy-Rousseau, a covered box “roses or buttercups”, designed in 1921. Pâte-de-verre made of clear glass and coloured glass (opaque yellow, red, green and violet) with stylise...
Art Glass
René Lalique (1860-1945) « Panier de Roses » Box 1919
By René Lalique
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
René Lalique (1860-1945) « Panier de Roses » Box 1919 Two parts oval glass with a frosted basket of roses motif lid covering the clear bottom of the R. Lalique Box. White and blue ...
Glass
Halcyon Days Fine Enamel British Pillbox National History Museum of Los Angeles
By Halcyon Days
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Stunning little porcelain box by Halcyon Days Enamels. The inside lid is inscribed "National History Museum of Los Angeles County 1913-1988." The bottom o...
Porcelain
Cigarette Case light blue cabochon sapphire and hand-engraved finishing Salimben
By Giorgio Salimbeni, Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Handbag cigarette case in 925/1000 sterling silver with black fire enamel. Opening with spring button. Size cm. 6.3 x 9.7 x 1.5. Weight gr. 215. Created in Art Deco style for Cartie...
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Just Andersen. Two pewter matchbox holders. Denmark, c. 1930.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Just Andersen. Two pewter matchbox holders, model 260 and 78. Denmark, c. 1930. Dimensions: H. 3.5 cm. L. 10 cm. D. 6 cm. Cast pewter, rectangular form with open sides and an oval re...
Pewter
Albert Chezal Art Nouveau Pewter Box with Lilac Decor, France circa 1910
By Etaind'art
Located in Atlanta, GA
Albert Chezal designed this stunning Art Nouveau, distinctly illustrated, dinanderie-pewter-covered box, handcrafted in France's Etains d'Art workshop around 1910. The large, hand-wr...
Metal, Pewter
Vintage bronze mounted porcelain box hand painted butterflies and floral decor
Located in Wommelgem, VAN
Porcelain bronze mounted box, Art Nouveau style Made of hand-painted crackled, glazed high quality bronze mounted porcelain. Signed on the bottom. An all over polychrome floral deco...
Porcelain
Art Nouveau Pewter Box by Just Andersen, 1910s, Denmark
Located in Værløse, DK
Art Nouveau Pewter Box designed by Just Andersen in the late 1910s. * Round hammered pewter box with lid with flower knop and floral chasings * Designer: Just Andersen * Manufactur...
Pewter
Art Nouveau Trinket Box - marked "JB Signifies the Best"
By Oneida
Located in TEYJAT, FR
Superb Art Nouveau Trinket Box - marked "JB Signifies the Best" 16 x 8 x. 10.5cms Made of bronzed regule (spelter), this trinket box is in exceptional condition with almost all of ...
Spelter
Round Favor Box with Lid in 925/1000 Sterling Silver Green Enamel Art Nouveau St
By Salimbeni, Franco Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Round favor box with lid in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel on guillochè and hand-painted miniature of a bouquet of flowers in Art Nouveau style. B...
Crystal, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Louis Wain Cat Themed Edwardian Pill Box / Snuff Box by LS Mayer, Germany, 1900s
By Louis Wain
Located in London, GB
A fantastic and highly collectible Edwardian Art Nouveau cat-themed pill box or snuff box featuring an enchanting brass plaque of a cat with original green glass eyes, made in German...
Brass, Nickel
$6,404Sale Price|30% Off
René Lalique (1860-1945) « Boite Ronde Grande Muguet » Mint Green 1921
By René Lalique
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
René Lalique (1860-1945), Mint Opalescent Glass « Boite Ronde Grande Muguet » 1921 Mint green tinted molded-pressed opalescent glass box decorated with Lily of the Valley Extremel...
Art Glass
French Art Nouveau Wood Box Openwork Panels, circa 1900
Located in Labrit, Landes
Little wood box with openwork panels, made circa 1900 in the Art Nouveau period. A little piece of wood is missing on the back side. A. M. initial are on the top. Good antique condit...
Wood
Antique Chip Carved Wooden Box with Geometric Floral Design, 19th Century
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This antique chip-carved wooden box, from the late 19th century, features intricate geometric and floral patterns on its surface. The hand-carved details showcase a symmetrical arran...
Wood
1901 Germany, Erhard & Söhne, Brass Inlaid Rosewood Twine Caddy with Scissors
Located in Morristown, NJ
Circa 1901, Erhard & Söhne, Germany, a Jugendstil/Art Nouveau brass and rosewood string box, decorated in the round with children playing tug-of-war. The lid is beautifully decorated...
Metal, Brass
Antique WMF Jugend Style Stamp or Pill Box in Pewter
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A 4 compartment container for stamps or pills. Distinct jugend - art nouveau styling. Made by WMF in Germany circa 1910-20. Raw undisturbed patina - un-polished. Measurements: 10x4...
Pewter
French Art Nouveau Porcelain Egg Box w. Gilt Bronze Ormolu Mounting
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This exquisite French Art Nouveau porcelain egg box, dating to around 1900, showcases the opulent elegance of the era. The piece features a delicatel...
Porcelain
Antique French Art Nouveau Carved Wooden Box with Cherry Decor ca. 1900
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This exquisite Art Nouveau wooden box features a beautifully carved cherry motif on its lid, capturing the organic elegance typical of the early 20th century. The intricate relief wo...
Wood
Art Nouveau Pewter Box by Just Andersen, 1910s, Denmark
Located in Værløse, DK
Art Nouveau Pewter Box designed by Just Andersen in the late 1910s. * Round hammered pewter box with lid with flower knop and floral chasings * Designer: Just Andersen * Manufactur...
Pewter
Erhard & Sohne Art Nouveau Jugendstil Arts and Crafts Jewelry Box Casket c. 1905
Located in London, GB
A beautiful art nouveau casket made by Erhard and Sohne in Germany in c. 1905. The casket is exquisitely executed with foliate detailing, made in th...
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Antique Arts & Crafts Bowl, Circa 1920
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Box - Decoration - Art nouveau Measures : Ø10cm / 14 cm H:15cm Materials : copper - Brass Original pre-war Art Nouveau pot Made of copper and brass – two metals that contrast beauti...
Brass, Copper
Lalique Crystal ‘Duncan’ Square Trinket Box
By René Lalique
Located in Philadelphia, PA
From Lalique Crystal, a square shaped covered box in the ‘Duncan’ pattern, France, circa 1980s. The Duncan Line by René Lalique was designed in 1931. The pattern was inspired by th...
Crystal
Art Nouveau Sea Battle Repoussé Box with Moonstones by Alfred Daguet
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Daguet’s beautifully patinated box is a rich textural and colorful tour de force. The top of Daguet’s box is striking for its bird’s-eye-view of a crab clutching a viper eel. Using r...
Copper, Steel
A R.Lalique 2 Figurines Glass Box.
By René Lalique
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
An early R.Lalique boxe which is strongly influenced by the 1900 style . The boxe is made in white glass with a green patina and is signed in molded block letters on the lid of th...
Glass
19th Century Bohemian Moser Enameled Amber Art Glass Jewel Casket
Located in Forney, TX
A stunning antique Bohemian enameled art glass hinged lid jewelry casket - table box by renowned luxury glass maker Moser. Exquisitely hand-made in Bohemia (present day Czech Republic) in the late 19th century, artistic Art Nouveau period opulence, featuring very fine quality hand-blown polished...
Brass
Fine Carved Wood Box with Morning Glories
By Maison de l'Art Nouveau
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This box is a real treasure! Completely had carved from walnut the detail in the flowers and leaves is quite remarkable. This box required a real master craftsman to achieve the outs...
Walnut
Antique Blackinton & Co. Art Nouveau Smokers Repousse Sterling Silver Matchsafe
By Whiting Manufacturing Company, R. Blackinton & Co., Gorham Manufacturing Company, Tiffany & Co.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique signed silver Art Nouveau cigarette & cigar themed matchsafe. By R. Blackinton & Co. In sterling silver. With repousse depictions to both sides of the faces and he...
Sterling Silver
Art Nouveau Round Trinket Box, Metal & Paint, France, 1930s
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Charming round jewelry or trinket metal vanity box reflecting the glamour and style of the Art Deco movement and the Roaring Twenties. Originally designed to hold loose face powder o...
Metal
Art Nouveau Guénardeau box in patinated spelter
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Art Nouveau box from the 1920s by the French artist Guénardeau. Entirely made of spelter with decoration typical of the period: flowers, a woman's bust on the lid, and arabesques. A ...
Spelter
Pill Box oval horse's head miniature Sterling Silver Salimbeni
By Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Oval pill box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with fired enamels, and a miniature horse's head hand-painted by the painter Romano Buccioni. With raised beaded decoration. Vie...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Vintage Italian Music Box Footed Wooden Inlaid Jewelry Box Made in Italy
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Italian large footed music box in pink color with top finely hand painted and wood inlaid with Italian lute and foliages floral decor, brass hardware, 2 compartiment inside a...
Wood
Art Nouveau Casket by Nils Dam Rasmussen, 1920s, Denmark
By N. Dam Ravn
Located in Værløse, DK
Sizeable Art Noveau Brass Casket made by Niels Dam Ravn in the later 1920s. * Lidded brass casket with a viking. Inner wood box. Signed NDR lower right on the lid. * Designer: Niels...
Brass
$1,680Sale Price|20% Off
Excellent Huge Wooden Box, Casket, circa 1900, Jugendstil, Austria
Located in Wien, AT
Huge wonderfully decorated wooden box, an original of the Jugendstil era, made in Austria. This casket is an impressive example of the craftsmanship of the period around 1900. Only ...
Brass
20th century sterling silver handbag-shaped box
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
20th century sterling silver handbag-shaped box Beautiful decorative silver box, with a central design of a rose and a frame of bows on both sides. Sealed Measures: Height: 7.5 centi...
Sterling Silver
Art Noveade German Silver Jewelry Box 800
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Art Noveade 800 German Silver Jewelry Box A Box with an intricate pattern engraved on its surface. The pattern consists of swirls and floral ...
Silver
Art Nouveau Silver Plated Repousse Tobacco or Jewelry Box
Located in Verviers, BE
Art Nouveau silver plated repousse tobacco or jewelry box The top, front, sides and back are beautifully cast and feature panels with images of birds...
Silver Plate
Antique Bohemian Crystal Box with Engraved and Gilt Floral Motifs by Moser
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This stunning antique Bohemian crystal box is attributed to Ludwig Moser, the renowned glassmaker from Karlsbad, celebrated for his exquisite designs and unmatched craftsmanship. The...
Crystal
$611Sale Price|20% Off
Art Nouveau Majolica Barbotine Box Jar Pheasant on Basket by Sarreguemines
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
A hand-painted majolica lidded jar / box or tureen in the shape of a pheasant hen sitting on a basket, made by Sarreguemines around 1900. This beau...
Ceramic, Majolica
Art Nouveau Sterling Silver Cigarette Case Enamel and Hand-Painted Miniature
By Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Ladies' handbag cigarette case with an oval section in 925/1000 gilded silver with translucent enamel on a guilloché and a monochrome, hand-painted miniature of a landscape, in the E...
Sterling Silver, Enamel, Gold Plate
Lalique Crystal Jewelry Box with Female Figure Art Nouveau Style French
By Lalique
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful and substantial French crystal and brass box with female figure by luxury design Maison, Lalique, in the Art Nouveau style, circa mid...
Crystal, Brass
Art Nouveau Cosmic Repoussé Box by Alfred Daguet
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Alfred Louis Achille DAGUET (1875 - 1942) was a metalsmith active in Paris during the first part of the 20th century. His metalwork created prior to the outbreak of World War I, note...
Copper
Eclectic French Jugend Vanity Trinket Jar in Green Glass & Pewter Pharaoh Lid
Located in Esbjerg, DK
French eclectic jugend - art nouveau period trinket executed in green glass with gold-paint/enamel. What makes it eclectic is that it rocks an unusual pewter lid with an Egyptian Pha...
Pewter
Egg style Faberge Enamel Sterling Silver Salimbeni
By Salimbeni, Franco Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Large egg on smooth tripod with 8-day mechanical skeletal Swiss movement with alarm, in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel on guilloché and hand-paint...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
French Post Office Mailbox - Cast Iron - Delachanal Model - Late 19th Century
Located in BARSAC, FR
Public mailbox of the French Post Office Model in molded cast iron manufactured by Delachanal in Paris - Late 19th Century Good general condition - presented in its original conditi...
Iron
Snuffbox Art Nouveau style sterling silver white enamel with flowers Salimbeni
By Salimbeni, Franco Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
A Viennese Bouquet: Art Nouveau Snuff Box by Franco Salimbeni, 1973 This exceptional round snuffbox is a profound homage to the opulent artistry of late 19th-century Viennese Art No...
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Pill Box round handpainted horse's head miniature Sterling Silver Salimbeni
By Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Round pill box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with fired enamels, and a miniature horse's head hand-painted by the painter Romano Buccioni. With raised beaded decoration. V...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Tiffany Studios Pine Needle Pattern Hankerchief Box
Located in Bronx, NY
This vintage early 20th century Tiffany Studios, New York “handkerchief” box is designed in caramel color favrile art glass with a pine needle pattern...
Brass
Vintage Cast Metal Chalice with Cobalt Glass Art Nouveau
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful and unique chalice holder with lid. This piece is incredibly full of detail while maintaining a simple aesthetic. The holder builds up from the base into a frame with four ...
Metal
French Art Nouveau Bourgeois Aine-Paris Paint Box Set, Circa 1910's
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Bourgeois Aine-Paris Paint Box Set, France Early 20th Century Art Nouveau child's watercolor paint set from Bourgeois-Aine of Paris, France. A company, ...
Wood, Paint
Art Nouveau Cold Creatures Repoussé Box by Alfred Daguet
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Alfred Louis Achille DAGUET (1875 - 1942) was a metalsmith active in Paris during the first part of the 20th century. His metalwork created prior to the outbreak of World War I, note...
Brass, Steel
Antique Dresser or Jewelry Box with Enamel Portrait and Gilt Bronze Mounts
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This antique dresser or jewelry box is unsigned, but presumed to have been made in France in approximately 1890 in the period Art Nouveau style. The oval shaped box has a very well e...
Bronze, Enamel
Pill Box Art Nouveau handpainted by Renato Dainelli Sterling Silver Salimbeni
By Salimbeni, Giorgio Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
A Painterly Jewel: Art Nouveau Enameled Pill Box by Giorgio Salimbeni & Renato Dainelli This exquisite oval pill box represents a rare collaboration between masterful design and fin...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Pill Box Square rounded sides horse's head miniature Sterling Silver Salimbeni
By Salimbeni, Franco Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Square rounded pill box with rounded sides in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with white fire enamel, above and below, with miniature horse's head hand painted by the painter Ro...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Pill Box Octagonal translucent enamels on guilloché Sterling Silver Salimbeni
By Renato Salimbeni, Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Octagonal pill box in gold-plated 925/100 sterling silver with translucent enamels fired on guilloché also on all sides and with a two-tone circle on the lid. English Art Nouveau sty...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Pill Box curved round horse's head miniature Sterling Silver Salimbeni
By Salimbeni, Giorgio Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Round, curved pillbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with fired enamels above and below, and a hand-painted miniature of a horse's head, in Viennese Art Nouveau style, secon...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Artisan-Crafted Decorative Box Embellished With a Silver Dragon
Located in Miami, FL
Designed exclusively by Urban Art Home, this is a distinct and elegant decorative wood box made with lacquer and embellished with a sculpted sterling silver dragon. The square box ...
Sterling Silver
$930Sale Price|20% Off
Loetz Biscuit Barrel Cookie Jar Art Nouveau Iridescent Glass Antique Lötz & WMF
By Loetz Glass, WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
A lovely Art Nouveau biscuit barrel, made of iridescent art glass with a combed pattern made by Loetz Wwe. with a brass mount by WMF which w...
Silver Plate, Brass
Pillbox shaped fire enamel hand painted floral miniature Salimbeni
By Salimbeni, Giorgio Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Shaped pill box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamels on guilloché and hand-painted floral miniature, with fine hand engravings. Viennese Art Nouveau...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Jugendstil Sugar Bowl Brass and Glass Conbination, Around 1908
Located in Wien, AT
Jugendstil sugar bowl brass and glass conbination around 1908. Brass polished and stove enameled. Original glass.
Brass
Art Nouveau Alpaca Matchstick Case, Vintage Austria, Monogram J.P.
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful Art Nouveau matchstick holder case by an Austrian manufacturer. Silver plated alpaca. with makers mark, year around 1910s or older. With J.P. monogram. Some minor dings and...
Silver Plate