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.
Gorgeous Cathedral Cologne Souvenir Trinket Jewelry Box Antique, German, 1950s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful souvenir trinket box made of metal. A beautiful nice addition to your vanity room or your collection of Grand Tour items.
Metal
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
Antique Cardboard Noble Lady Present Box for Jewelry, Germany 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
An attractive antique cardboard presentation box made in Germany for a jewelry shop in Fürth. The lid features a colorful illustration of a noble lady, richly detailed and evocative ...
Fabric, Paper
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
Antique American Art Nouveau Repousse Sterling Silver Matchsafe or Vesta
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique signed silver Art Nouveau matchsafe. In sterling silver. With repousse decoration of rocaille swags around the edges of both sides. With a striker to the base. Mar...
Sterling Silver
Art Nouveau Rectangular Silver Plate Jewelry Box, France
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
This French rectangular silver box is heavily decorated in the typical styles of this Art Nouveau period. The box has vintage red velvet interior and the original hardware with a wor...
Silver Plate
Cigarette Case light blue cabochon sapphire and hand-engraved finishing Salimben
By Salimbeni, Giorgio 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
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
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 Jewelry Box Jewels Bronze Colored Metal France
Located in Poperinge, BE
A beautiful, antique French jewelry box, very heavy, made of patinated copper-plated metal, shaped like a table, with a hinged lid and a central medallion depicting a Greek-style fem...
Metal
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
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
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 "Ibis" Cigarette Box by Gabriel Argy-Rousseau
Located in New York, NY
This exquisite cigarette box portrays an Egyptian ibis delicately lifting a bouquet of forget-me-nots. The box’s top and sides are covers in friezes of swags of the flowers. The moti...
Glass, Fiberglass
Table Box 925 Silver translucent Enamel on guilloche and miniature Salimbeni
By Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Rectangular table box in 925/1000 sterling silver with translucent fired enamels on the guilloche and, on the corners, miniature of floral shoots hand-painted by the painter Romano B...
Sterling Silver, Enamel
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
$209Sale Price|20% Off
Hoffmann and Schlevogt Art Nouveau Malachite Glass Trinket Box
Located in Lucenec, SK
Fantastic example of a I. Heinrich Hoffmann Czech Art Deco malachite glass high relief reclining nude trinket box. It's done in beautiful green Czechoslovakian malachite glass with n...
Malachite
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
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
Round Favor Box with Lid in 925/1000 Sterling Silver Green Enamel Art Nouveau St
By Franco Salimbeni, 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
Jugendstil Brass Jewelry Casket with Velvet Lining by Erhard & Söhne, Germany
Located in North Miami, FL
1900s Jugendstil golden and silver brass jewelry casket with blue velvet-lined interior by Erhard & Söhne, Germany By: Erhard & Söhne Material: brass, copper, metal, velvet, zinc Te...
Metal, Brass, Copper, Zinc
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
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
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
Mid-Century Rectangular Brass and Shell Jewelry Trinket Box
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Sturdy rectangular hinged trinket box featuring brass and inlaid iridescent mother of pearl shells throughout. This box is super charming and functional for displaying or containing ...
Metal, Brass
$6,483Sale 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 Jewelry Box Ashtray Bronze Pear 1920s
Located in Poperinge, BE
Beautiful French jewelry box, trinket box, or ashtray in the shape of a pear with branches and leaves, typical floral and organic Art Nouveau style, circa 1920. This item is made of...
Bronze
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
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
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
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
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 Blackinton & Co Nouveau Fish & Water Repousse Sterling Silver Matchsafe
By Tiffany & Co., R. Blackinton & Co., Whiting Manufacturing Company, Gorham Manufacturing Company
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique signed silver Art Nouveau fish-themed matchsafe. By R. Blackinton & Co. In sterling silver. With repousse decoration of fish splashing on the water's surface to...
Sterling Silver
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
Antique Blackinton & Co. Palm Leaf Tropical Sterling Silver Matchsafe or Vesta
By R. Blackinton & Co., Whiting Manufacturing Company, Gorham Manufacturing Company, Tiffany & Co.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine signed antique Art Nouveau silver matchsafe or vesta. By R. Blackington & Co. In sterling silver. With repousse tropical flora throughout the body and lid and a blank carto...
Sterling Silver
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
Antique Blackinton & Co. Art Nouveau Iris Flower Sterling Silver Matchsafe
By R. Blackinton & Co., Tiffany & Co., Gorham Manufacturing Company, Whiting Manufacturing Company
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine signed antique Art Nouveau silver matchsafe or vesta. By R. Blackington & Co. In sterling silver. With repousse tropical flora throughout the body and lid and a blank carto...
Sterling Silver
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
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
Table Box Enamel Sterling Silver w/ floral miniature and Blue stripes Salimbeni
By Salimbeni, Franco Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Oval table box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold-plated with fired enamels, with a fine floral miniature fired enamelled on a white background on a guilloché pattern, edge enamelled w...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
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
Tiffany & Co. Style Antique French Repousse Bronze Doré Jewelry Box
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique French Repousse gilt bronze three-compartment dresser box, jewelry box, or decorative box In the manner of Tiffany & Co. France, Circa Late 19th Century Measure...
Bronze
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
Rene Lalique Figurines et Voiles jewelry / decorative glass box with Lid.
By René Lalique
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful glass lidded box introduced in 1929 by the well known artist Rene Lalique . Title Figurines et Voiles .Molded signature in bottom and molded mark MADE IN FRANCE .
Glass
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
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
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
Art nouveau jewelry box
Located in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Art nouveau jewelry box Art nouveau jewelry box Materials: bronze, double-celled glass, enamel and procelain palaca Origin France Circa 1920 Uphols...
Crystal, Bronze, Enamel
Antique Blackinton & Co. Art Nouveau Smokers Repousse Sterling Silver Matchsafe
By Tiffany & Co., Gorham Manufacturing Company, R. Blackinton & Co., Whiting Manufacturing Company
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
$904Sale Price|20% Off
Lidded Box by Josef Hoffmann for Wiener Werkstätte, 1920s
Located in Purkersdorf, AT
Lidded cigarette tin – handmade. Designed by Josef Hoffmann for the Wiener Werkstätte – no markings (see photo for a comparable object with a signature) – also documented in the MAK ...
Fruitwood
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 Owl Repoussé Box with Moonstones by Alfred Daguet
Located in Palm Beach, FL
This piece features dozens semi-precious moonstones. Alfred Louis Achille DAGUET (1875 - 1942) was a metalsmith active in Paris during the first part of the 20th century. His metalw...
Zinc
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
Antique Jewelry Box "The Hunt", 1910s, Silvered, Art Nouveau, Iron Craftmanship
Located in Greven, DE
Exceptional antique jewelry box with fine depictions of hunting themes and forest animals. Heavy iron work, silvered in a very good condition. Lined with turquoise fabric in a good c...
Iron
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
Antique Japanese Meiji Art Nouveau Silver Box with Iris Flowers
Located in New York, NY
English Victorian Classical sterling silver cann, 1864. Baluster bowl with leaf-capped double-scroll handle and raised and beaded foot. Four scroll frames with leaf and bead surround...
Silver
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
French late 19th century Art Nouveau Period Ormolu box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A stunning and high quality French late 19th century Art Nouveau Period Ormolu box. This exceptional box is raised on four foliate feet below large scale scrolled acanthus leaf corne...
Ormolu
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
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