Modern Decorative Boxes
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Decorative Boxes
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Decorative Boxes
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Decorative Boxes
Marble
20th Century Unknown Modern Decorative Boxes
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Italian Modern Decorative Boxes
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
2010s South American Modern Decorative Boxes
Stone, Onyx, Metal
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Boxes
Stone, Onyx
Early 2000s Irish Modern Decorative Boxes
Mahogany, Walnut
1990s American Modern Decorative Boxes
Mahogany, Maple, Rosewood, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Modern Decorative Boxes
Burl, Maple, Birdseye Maple
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Boxes
Plexiglass
Late 20th Century French Modern Decorative Boxes
Silver Plate
Early 2000s Irish Modern Decorative Boxes
Walnut
2010s Unknown Modern Decorative Boxes
Horn
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Boxes
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Mid-20th Century Danish Modern Decorative Boxes
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Decorative Boxes
Marble
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Boxes
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Irish Modern Decorative Boxes
Walnut
Early 2000s Irish Modern Decorative Boxes
Mahogany, Walnut
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Boxes
Sterling Silver
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Boxes
Stone, Onyx
Early 20th Century German Modern Decorative Boxes
Metal, Aluminum
2010s Australian Modern Decorative Boxes
Nickel
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Boxes
Leather
Early 2000s Irish Modern Decorative Boxes
Mahogany, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Modern Decorative Boxes
Crystal
Mid-20th Century American Modern Decorative Boxes
Sterling Silver
1940s British Vintage Modern Decorative Boxes
Sterling Silver
1990s Italian Modern Decorative Boxes
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Boxes
Shell, Wood
Late 20th Century Chinese Modern Decorative Boxes
Copper, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Decorative Boxes
Porcelain
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Boxes
Wood
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Boxes
Metal, Sheet Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Decorative Boxes
Brass
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Boxes
Stone, Onyx
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Decorative Boxes
Horn, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Boxes
Lucite
2010s Spanish Modern Decorative Boxes
Leather
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Boxes
Stone, Onyx
2010s Turkish Modern Decorative Boxes
Chestnut
2010s Australian Modern Decorative Boxes
Brass
2010s Australian Modern Decorative Boxes
Nickel
2010s American Modern Decorative Boxes
Ceramic, Stoneware, Sapele Wood
20th Century Unknown Modern Decorative Boxes
Crystal, Rock Crystal
20th Century American Modern Decorative Boxes
Burl
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Modern Decorative Boxes
Shagreen Stingray
2010s South American Modern Decorative Boxes
Onyx, Stone, Metal
20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Boxes
Stone, Marble
Late 20th Century French Modern Decorative Boxes
Shagreen, Wood, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Boxes
Lapis Lazuli, Marble
2010s Mexican Modern Decorative Boxes
Marble
1970s French Vintage Modern Decorative Boxes
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Boxes
Brass
1990s Italian Modern Decorative Boxes
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Modern Decorative Boxes
Shell
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Boxes
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel