1990s Decorative Objects

With its unique features and meticulous attention to detail, this piece is a testament to the innovative vision and artistic sensibility of the Murano masters. A highly sought-after...

Karim Rashid for Leonardo Germany Limited Edition New Move Silver Glass Vase, ca 1999. Measures 8” high, base 3-1/2” wide, and mouth 2-1/4” wide. There is a small scratch of silver finish/coating on glass (we've posted an image of the interior and exterior at the area of the scratch). There is also a faint area of small blemishes at the base See images for more detail. If there’s one thing karim rashid hates, it’s trophies. The 40-year-old designer has more than 40 of them, from big international ones like the 1999 George Nelson Award (given for breakthrough furniture design), to quaint little Canadian ones like Designer of the Year 2001. “It came with a little pin,” says Rashid, “and a … a … very nice …” He tries to describe the shape of the award with his hands but gives up. “It’s time that whole trophy thing changes. It’s kitsch. They’re functionless things.” Rashid was asked to design one for the DaimlerChrysler Design Awards (he’s a past recipient). “I was going to make it electro-luminescent. When the lights go out, it has a sensor so it turns on,” he says. But the trophy-as-night-light, a reminder of one’s worth in the darkest hours, didn’t impress Chrysler’s people. He never heard back. They may well be gnawing their knuckles over that decision right now because Rashid’s conquest of the realm of product design is all but complete. A lush and suitably worshipful retrospective of his work, Karim Rashid: I Want to Change the World (Thames & Hudson; 249 pages), hits Australasian bookstores this month. There was a crowd around anything with his stamp on it-including stools, chess sets and storage units-at the recent International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City. More than 2 million North Americans are throwing their rubbish into a receptacle he designed, while 750,000 or so park their rears on one of his cheapo plastic chairs. It’s not just in North America. He has been dubbed Der Poet des Plastiks by a retailer in Germany and the prolifico progettista Americano by Interni magazine in Italy. Trophies he may despise, but accolades Rashid can handle. The problem with being the Most Famous Industrial Designer in All the Americas is that you’re still less famous than someone who got kicked off Survivor the first week. Most people cannot name the designer of one nonclothing item in their homes. Rashid, who was born in Egypt, raised in Canada and is living in New York City, is more than happy to bring an end to this anonymity. Not just because he wants to be famous, although there seems to be that, but because he believes design should be a bigger part of the social discourse. “I have been almost alone in this country, trying to make design become a public subject,” he says. His chief method of persuasion is to make the banal better so that people notice design more. He likes creating expensive furniture and perfume bottles just fine, but what really gets his juices going is the everyday: manhole covers, a cremation urn, disposable cigarette lighters, garbage bins, salt and pepper shakers, plastic pens. “I want American Standard to come to me to do the toilets for Home Depot,” he says. In many ways Rashid is more like an itinerant industrial evangelist than a designer. He traveled 200 days last year. He claims to have been to every major mall in America, where he signs his products in high-end design stores and trolls about observing humans interacting with the objects around them. He has taught at design schools for more than a decade, and his work has been in 11 art shows in the past eight months. But mostly he has proselytized the corporate barbarians. And like any good missionary, he has learned to speak the language of his converts. One of the first things he does when he gets new clients is tour their factories to understand their manufacturing capacity. He also visits the retail outlets to see how the product might be displayed. And he really knows how to sell, especially himself. “I work with a guy in L.A.,” says Rashid, declining to name him. “He made a lot of really bad furniture. His business was hand-to-mouth. I proposed seven or eight projects. The pieces I’ve done for him have already become iconic.” The subtitle of his monograph, I Want to Change the World, is not ironic, just characteristically immodest. “Most industrial-design studios try to interpret a client’s needs and come up with a style,” says Paul Rowan, co-founder of housewares manufacturer Umbra. “Karim has his own personal vision.” It helps that Rashid’s vision incorporates things that Rowan needs, like a design that will stack and ship easily and that creates little waste in the making. Rashid’s father was a set designer for Canadian TV who rearranged the family furniture every Sunday. So perhaps it was ordained that Karim would grow up to become one of the pioneers in non-cheesy plastic, making objects that have energy and personality but aren’t wacky. He, like many of his generation, has championed the could-only-be-designed-with-computers blob. But his is not just a blob for its own sake. His Oh Chair...

Artwork With Old Book and Mysterious Sculpture Hand. Made by unknown manufacturer in Spain, circa 1990. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, pres...

Dimensions: 7.5cm H, 4.3cm W, 2.5cm D Condition: Mint Producer: Kosta Boda Origin: Sweden Designer: Bertil Vallien.

Importing Art into the United States is exempt from all U.S. tariffs but please, do check “Fratelli” (Brothers) — Ebonized wood totemic sculpture by Alberto Cabiddu, 1998 Two figur...

Object: Vase Manufacturer: Marutomi Designer: Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007) Model: Senape Date: 1997 Period: Postmodern Material: Plastic Origin: Japan Height: 14 cm Diameter: 16.5 cm ...

Constantin Andréou 1917 (Sao Paolo, Brésil) – 2007 (Athènes, Grèce) Momie Darling 1997 Œuvre en laiton doré Pièce unique Signée Hauteur...

Twenty-seven woods for a Chinese artificial flower vase S by Ettore Sottsass, edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 signed and numbered pieces, number 10 / 1...

This stunning gilt metal picture frame, designed by French designer Edouard Rambaud, is the perfect accessory to showcase your treasured memories. This sophisticated photo frame, cre...

Elegant red Italian glass vase with plant decorations that simulate the branches of a cherry blossom tree, creating an oriental aesthetic. This unique piece features an interior laye...

Desk bell in sterling silver. The bell is smooth with beaded decorations both on the body and on the knob. The body is perforated to make the bell sound (br...

Wonderful whimsical metal sculpture from the noted California artist Peter Shire. It is signed and dated 1991 lower edge on one side. The sculpture is in good condition with some min...

First edition Amazonia Vase, designed by Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design. Exuberant form with an anthropomorphic quality. Molded in the designer's signatur...

Pair of hands bowls designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa. This is a fabulous matching pair of bowls designed in Milano Italy by the architects Afra & Tobia Scarpa, back in the 1990. The ...

A Torch cut iron sculpture signed and dated Stolpe 1991. We believe it to be the work of Daniel Owen Stolpe. I have included a picture from his obituary of him standing next to a ver...

Leather book box from England. Classic style leather front with creative snap lock to hide your special belongings. Looks perfect on your shelf. Add some classic old English leather ...

Unique Kasper Mobach Crown Sculptural Ceramic Vessel, Netherlands, 1990s A striking studio ceramic by Kasper Mobach, eighth-generation heir to the celebrated Utrecht-based Mobach pot...

Memphis Style Industrial table / sculpture, by Jay Stanger,,aluminum, wood, fiber optics.Wonderful example.Hand delivery avail to New York City or anywhere en route from Buffalo NY Stanger is an American Postwar & Contemporary artist who was born in 1956. Numerous key galleries...

Blown glass vase design Paolo CREPAX. Large pink version. ORIGIN Murano PERIOD 1990s DESIGNER Paul CREPAX MATERIALS Murano blown glass, incalmo technique DIMENSIONS Ø 22.5 cm H ...

Italian design, this cactus is a fashion icon of the Italian style, olive green with a beautiful green glass vase underneath. The Murano furnaces create an indisputable timeless desi...

Handmade 800 silver jug. Embossed and chiseled with straw design. The handle and the median frame is a braided cord made from 2 solid silver wires. The base of the jug is chiseled wi...

Originating from France and created around 1990 by an unknown artist, this captivating kinetic sculpture embodies the essence of motion and creativity. Constructed from a combination...

Beautiful sculpture by renowned artist Linda Prokop. This piece “Just Making Sure” by the acclaimed artist is infused with a dynamic sense of expression and style. Whimsically styled...

Twenty-seven woods for a Chinese artificial flower vase alpha by Ettore Sottsass, edited by Design Gallery Milano, 1995. Limited edition of 12 signed and numbered pieces, number 7 /...

Huge, one of a kind acrylic resin skull. Mounted to a light box and base with handles for moving. There is a cavity inside the skull in which a light can ...

Blown glass vase design Paolo CREPAX. Pink version. ORIGIN Murano PERIOD 1990s DESIGNER Paul CREPAX MATERIALS Murano blown glass, incalmo technique DIMENSIONS Ø 22.5 cm H 24.5 c...

Large vintage industrial 1994 cowboy rough cut 1363 rubber negative Doc Holliday mould to make a negative plaster mould with. With the plaster mould you ...

Large standing sculpture by Spanish artist Josep Canals, 1990's. Carved Carrara marble with black granite base. Work of this Spanish sculptor with references to Moebius and carved in...

Made in Italy, 1990s. It is made in hand-blown Murano glass, which is signed on the bottom. In order to get this result, two different processes are needed: the first, to model the ...

This elegant Italian hand-painted green ceramic vase with two handles exemplifies the refined craftsmanship and decorative heritage associated with Italian art pottery. Carefully cra...

Individually crafted in California, this exquisite Midcentury modern jewelry box showcases the artisan's mastery. Fashioned from Isogo wo...

Brass abstract sculpture by German born artist, Klaus Ihlenfeld, c.1990s, USA.  Klaus was born in Germany in 1934 and moved to Pennsylvania working as a studio assistant to Harry Ber...

Hallmarked in London in 1992, this sterling silver bowl is the work of British artist-silversmith Bryan Laurence Illsley, known for his sculptural approach to functional forms. The p...

Set of 3 Brutalist chrome foil cylinder planters with a chrome foil finish and black plastic caps by H.U.D.D.L.E. OF Los Angeles. Measures: Large: 40" W / 11" D Medium: 29" H / 10" ...

Sculptured model of a smoked Papua Mummie, papier mâché, 20th C Burial practices vary in New Guinea, just as they do everywhere else in the world. Some cultures believe the soul is d...

Large 77" abstract lovers bronze sculpture on an enameled round steel base. The statue features a man lifting a woman to the outer heavens.

Set of 6 "Balloton" glasses and jug in blown Murano glass in light blue color with 24-karat gold leaf decoration This set is called "Goti De Fornasa"....

This blue stone statue is made by the Belgian artist Jan Keustermans. The sculpture is signed and dated. It is a unique piece. It is the first time that Jan Keustermans and his fami...

Maria Torstensson for Royal Copenhagen. Pair of ceramic candlesticks. For candles and tealights. Glaze in blue shades. Drop-shaped decoration. Dating: 1996-2000. Marked. Perfect cond...

A fine cast of a 20th century, plaster Roman head possibly Caesar. Standing on a contemporary metal stand.

A wonderful bronze abstract in the form of a female nude mounted on a terrazzo base. It is by the noted Mexican artist Jonas Gutierrez Castillo. It is signed Jonas 99 PA near the base. PA stands for Pruebas de Artista or Artist's Proof. The bronze has a beautiful warm brown gold patina. The base is a heavy terrazzo with lots of inclusions. The base has some losses to the edges which are pictured in detail. The bronze has some patina inclusions or spots, pictured as well. One of the artist's more notable works is a massive bronze title the The Stone Eater on Puerto Vallarta's Malecon. We've attached a biography of the artist courtesy of Galleria Dante of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico below: Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1966. The artist began to sculpt at an early age. In 1980, he helped create the monumental public sculpture "La Estampida", which is located at a busy intersection in his hometown, near the emblematic building of the Hotel Riu. Jonás Gutiérrez is known in Puerto Vallarta for his monumental 2.4-meter-high bronze and obsidian sculpture...

Ronald K. Parker (American, b. 1939) "Life", Patinated Bronze Sculpture, 1999, signed "Parker" and marked "c 99 24/99" to leg. 18" H x 5.25" W x 5.25" D. Provenance: From a New Yor...

A nice high quality Neo classical grand tour homage by Theodore and Alexander. It depicts an animal claw with a cavity on top for displaying something. It is cast of bronze and moun...

Wir bieten eine wunderschöne kleine, handgeschnitzte Holzbox zum Verkauf an. Sie lässt sich ideal als Schmuckkästchen oder zur Aufbewahrung anderer Kleinteile verwenden. Zustand: Gu...

Large French ceramic decorative vase by Jean Derval (1990). A significant work of ceramic sculpture, Derval's large vase is masterfully executed and beautifully painted demonstrating...

A Danish Modern Timepiece: A Unique Vintage Find. This distinctive Danish Modern wall clock from the 1990s is a true work of art. Its unique ...

A tall and striking woven bamboo sculpture by Japanese bamboo artist Honma Hideaki (b. 1959) made in 1996 and originally purchased from Tai Modern, Santa Fe in 2008. The vertical scu...

Round shape sterling silver jewelry box. The simplicity of the forms and the harmony of the proportions make it suitable for all settings. The lid of the jewelry box has a knob hand...

A charming pair of vintage Maitland-Smith monkey form candlesticks featuring seated monkeys supporting tall candle standards with classical urn-form bobeches. Beautifully detailed th...

A rare and highly collectible pair of whimsical “Oruga” (caterpillar) sculptures designed and handcrafted in Taxco, Mexico by renowned silversmith Emilia Castillo. Executed in deep ...

Gray smoked layered glass and polish chrome rotating sculpture by Kurt and Marsha Runstadler for Runstadler Studios. Signed @ 1990 Runstadler Studios 5/30 ...

Abstract burlwood sculpture by Richard Scott Hill, American 1942-2025, circa 1990s. It measures 43.5"H x 12.5" x 12.75". Georgia-based sculptor and digital ...

Hand-blown sculpture Attr. to Rollin Karg, USA.

This abstract art glass artisan paperweight is signed in cursive on the underside N Laso. It has bars of glass sticks in rows of red, black and white, orange copper rust and a gold small bat...

A striking pair of Industrial Metal Plant Stands crafted by renowned high end kitchen maker Poggen Pohl. Perfectly suited for a brutalist decor scheme, these stands embody the raw ae...

This unique and original work of art was sculpted by Michel Kiriliuk. Born in France and self-taught, this sculptor, interior designer, and painter describes himself as an ultra-baro...

An elegant Italian floor candelabra, handcrafted from solid wrought iron, dating from the 1990s–2000s. Featuring three gracefully curved arms and a refined, sculptural silhouette, t...

This elegant three-arm candelabrum is crafted from polished stainless steel and dates from the 1990s. Its balanced proportions, reflective finish, and timeless silhouette make it a s...

Surrealist paperweight sculptures have eyes screen printed on sharp cut acrylic shapes. The eyes reflect on the different angles and depending on your position they are visible or va...

The "Perles" candlesticks reveal all the poetry that André Dubreuil knew how to breathe into metal. Nicknamed the Poet of Iron, he transformed a raw, rigid material into forms that s...