Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
CLASSICAL GREEK STYLE
There is rare surviving furniture from ancient Greece, yet this classical style has informed design for centuries. Interiors of houses in antiquity were minimal, with much of a room’s color coming from frescoes on the walls and mosaics on the floors. Classical Greek furniture was sparing but finely crafted and influenced by Egyptian furniture design through Mediterranean trade.
Furnishings of the period were usually made from local wood like cypress, cedar, oak and willow from ancient Greece’s plentiful forests, although some pieces were carved from marble, such as a 300–200 B.C. throne with lion legs and a curved back now at the Getty Villa. Comfort and clean lines characterized designs during the Classical era, the symmetry and thoughtful proportions reflecting the architecture of Greek temples.
Some pieces of ancient Greek furniture were simple, rectangular platforms like the klinē, a multipurpose ancestor of today’s couches or daybeds that held cushions stuffed with wool, dry grass or down. These structures were used for both sleeping and dining, which wealthy Greeks did while reclining. At night, oil lamps illuminated rooms that frequently surrounded a garden courtyard.
Most of what scholars have learned about Greek furniture design owes to its representations in art like vases and stelae. The portable diphros stool, with its backless design and four turned legs, was one of the more common types of seating in daily Greek life — it appears as such for the gods on the Parthenon frieze. Stools without backs have been found in early Roman tombs, while benches were also common Greek seating furniture created for use in theaters. In houses of the Hellenistic period, benches seemingly functioned as tables, too.
Some designs evolved through adaptations by the Romans, including the klismos chair. After prominent archaeological excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum, the klismos chair — with its four saber legs and the elegant curves that define its back — was a source of inspiration for aesthetics in eras ranging from 18th-century neoclassicism to 20th-century Art Deco.
Find a collection of Classical Greek decorative objects, wall decorations and building and garden elements on 1stDibs.
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Style: Classical Greek
Large 19th Century classical bronze torches
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A large and impressive 19th Century classical patinated bronze maiden torche, raised on a pedestal plinth.
In the manner of Barbedienne.
Batch 75 SNTKZ
Category
19th Century French Antique Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
19th Century Bronze statue ' Le Serment' by Oscar Ruffony.
By Ruffony
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality late 19th century patinated bronze statue of a classical young semi clad swordsman, titled ' The Oath'.
Signed to the base O. Ruffony
Oscar Ruffoni, whose artist name ...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Classical Bronze maiden resting on a rock, 19th century
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality late 19th century French patinated bronze statue of a classical young maiden leaning on a rock.
Signed to the base.
Batch 75 62422. YNYZ
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
French Caen Stone Architectural Fragment
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A mid 19th century French Caen stone architectural fragment reputedly from a church destroyed in WWII. With its beautiful cream tone and cr...
Category
Mid-19th Century Antique Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Stone, Limestone
Mario Villa Carved Wood Fruit
By Mario Villa
Located in Austin, TX
These fanciful and imagined spiky fruit are truly a work of art, by artist and collector, Mario Villa. These whimsical shapes have an air of Central American objets d'art.
Mario Vill...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Hardwood, Paint
Hephaestus, a clear & grey glass figurative sculpture by Cathryn Shilling
Located in London, GB
'Hephaestus' is a unique glass sculpture by the British artist Cathryn Shilling. The interior figure is free-blown glass which is wrapped in kiln-formed glass cane 'fabric' which is ...
Category
2010s British Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass
Hera, a clear, grey & black figurative glass sculpture by Cathryn Shilling
Located in London, GB
'Hera' is a unique glass sculpture by the British artist Cathryn Shilling. The interior figure is free-blown glass which is wrapped in kiln-formed glass cane 'fabric' which is applied hot. With her Cloaked Collection, Shilling takes mythical tragic figures as her inspiration. Blown forms are wrapped in glass cane 'cloaks' which mimic cloth, following the contours of the form below.
In the artist's own words;
"Cloaked are large figurative pieces that are the culmination of the development of ideas and processes made over a long period of time. The process of slow, considered exploration of the material cold and rigid in the studio. The technical exploration of hot glass processes requiring quick judgements in order to create a form, drawn from observation. And the process of resolution, so by bringing these elements together, produces something that is greater than the sum of the parts. These pieces stand tall like a character in a play, conveying the essence of inevitable tragedy to be found in life, love, war and death".
Cathryn Shilling began her arts career as a graphic designer but went on to study glass after moving to Connecticut with her family. On returning to the UK she studied kiln formed glass at Kensington and Chelsea College and blown glass with Peter Layton at the London Glassblowing Workshop. She set up studio in London in 2007 from where she has gone on to create a huge body and variety of work.
Shilling experiments with colour and technique to produce beautiful one off sculptures. Her innovative pieces push the glass beyond our usual comfort zones. With some sculptures, glass rods are woven together like fabric, mimicking the flexibility and movement of cloth. The apparent frailty of the glass is balanced by the strong dynamic forms, differing levels of light picking out layers of colour. With other works, bubbles are trapped in swathes of watery hues. Her colour palette and choice of forms are very much informed by the various natural states in which water is found: icebergs, waterfalls and whirlpools for example.
Shilling’s work has been collected and widely exhibited internationally including: Ireland Glass Biennale 2019 at Dublin Castle...
Category
2010s British Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Glass
Ares, a black, white & grey figurative glass sculpture by Cathryn Shilling
Located in London, GB
'Ares' is a unique glass sculpture by the British artist Cathryn Shilling. The interior figure is free-blown glass which is wrapped in kiln-formed glass cane 'fabric' which is applie...
Category
2010s British Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass
Porcelain & Ceramic Sculptural Vase Italy Contemporary, 21st Century
Located in London, GB
"TuttiTappi (Venus doppelgänger)", 2016, glazed earthenware and porcelain, measures: H 27 x 15 x 15cm
Andrea Salvatori (Italy, 1975) is an internationally renowned visual artist w...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Porcelain
20th Century Academic Study Plaster Hand Sculpture
Located in Houston, TX
20th century Academic study plaster hand sculpture.
Monumental 20th century academic study plaster hand sculpture. A stunning coffee table acce...
Category
20th Century Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Plaster
Ceramic Sculptural Ring by Andrea Salvatori Contemporary 21st Century, Art Jewel
Located in London, GB
"Ring Grace", unique piece, 2017 glazed earthenware
A Ring Thing collection
A small chair, a miniature moon, a Philipp Stark's squeezer or the anatomical details of Michelangelo’...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Earthenware
Electra, a Clear & Grey Classical Greek Inspired Sculpture by Cathryn Shilling
Located in London, GB
'Electra' is a unique glass sculpture by the British artist Cathryn Shilling. The interior figure is free-blown glass which is wrapped in kiln-formed glass cane 'fabric' which is app...
Category
2010s British Classical Greek Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Blown Glass, Glass, Art Glass
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René Lalique (1860-1945) began his career as a jewellery apprentice at the age of 16, and by 1881 he was a freelance designer for many of the best-known Parisian jewellers. In 1885, he opened his own workshop on Place Gaillon in Paris, the former workshop of Jules Destape. In 1887, Lalique opened a business on Rue du Quatre-Septembre, and registered the "RL" mark the following year. In 1890, he opened a shop in the Opera District of Paris. Within a decade, Lalique was amongst the best-known Parisian jewellers.
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H 24.81 in W 7.88 in D 5.52 in
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Jose Pinal Hand-Carved Tragedy and Comedy Drama Mask Set
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Classical Greek abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Classical Greek abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage abstract sculptures created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with art glass, blown glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Classical Greek abstract sculptures made in a specific country, there are Europe, United Kingdom, and France pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original abstract sculptures, popular names associated with this style include Cathryn Shilling, Andrea Salvatori, and Ruffony. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for abstract sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,650 and tops out at $6,144 while the average work can sell for $4,118.
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