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Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE

Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.

ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS

VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.

Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively. 

Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer

Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.

The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by legendary manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.

As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.

Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.

As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.

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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Color:  Red
CINETICO Murano Glass Brass Mobile Chandelier Red and Yellow Glass Elements
Located in Tavarnelle val di Pesa, Florence
This exquisite Murano glass chandelier boasts delicate glass elements that shimmer and radiate a cozy, welcoming ambiance, making it the perfect centerpiece for any living space. Man...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal, Brass

Large Pottery Super Color Fat Lava Multi-Color 484-30 Vase Scheurich WGP, 1970s
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Fat lava art vase Model: 484-30 Producer: Scheurich, Germany Decade: 1970s This original vintage vase was produced in the 1970s in Germany. It is made of ceram...
Category

Late 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Fat Lava Ceramic Pottery Vase Heinz Siery Carstens Tönnieshof, Germany, 1970s
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Ceramic pottery vase Origin: Germany Designer: Heinz Siery Producer: Carstens Tönnieshof, Germany Decade: 1970s This original vintage pottery object was desig...
Category

Late 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware

Rare Super Color Crusty Fat Lava Multi-Color Vase Scheurich, Germany WGP, 1970s
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Fat lava art vase, heavy Brutalist glaze Producer: Scheurich, Germany Decade: 1970s This original vintage vase was produced in the 1970s in Germany. It is made o...
Category

Late 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Napoleone Martinuzzi for Venini Red Cactus Succulent Sculpture, Signed, 1929
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Napoleone Martinuzzi for Venini red Cactus Succulent sculpture, Signed, 1929. Exceedingly rare example of a signed Venini succulent by Matinuzzi. Museum-worthy masterwork by Martinuzzi during his groundbreaking tenure as artistic director of Venini. Large-scale. Original brass frame. This stunning pulegoso glass and gold leaf “pianta grassa” is in very good antique condition with no apparent signs of repair. Acid etched Venini signature is at bottom. Lovely contrasting white glass rim on pot. Playful use of co lot with the green pot...
Category

1920s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass

Set of 3 Red Black Ceramic Studio Pottery Vase Objects Otto Keramik Germany 1970
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Ceramic objects set of 3 Designer and producer: Otto Keramik, Germany Decade: 1970s This original vintage Studio Pottery objects were designed and ...
Category

Late 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic, Pottery

Early Warren Platner Large Wire Lounge Chair for Knoll , C.1970 Cado Wool Woven
Located in Buffalo, NY
Warren Platner model 1705 easy wire lounge chair for Knoll Designer: Warren Platner Knoll International USA - Circa 1970s Condition: Very...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Nickel

Enameled Ceramic Sculpture by Antonino Spoto, Belgium
By Antonino Spoto
Located in Brussels, BE
Sculpture of conical shape in enameled ceramic, the conical surface enameled in matt white color, the "base" enameled in bright orange color. Produced in 2013. Considered one of the beautiful surprises of Belgian ceramics...
Category

2010s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Carole Shultz Abstract Sculpture
Located in Highland, IN
A large, imposing abstract figure in painted plaster by Carole Shultz. This sculpture is from an edition of 250 created in 1975.
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Large Pottery Super Fat Lava Multi-Color 517-45 Vase Scheurich WGP, 1970s
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Fat lava art vase extra large version Model: 517-45 Producer: Scheurich, Germany Decade: 1970s This original vintage vase was produced in ...
Category

Late 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Pair of Camer Murano Glass Bookends
Located in Cathedral City, CA
1950s pair of hand blown red and clear sculptural Murano glass bookends with original label "Camer Glass New York Venice".
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Murano Glass

Sculpture "Dream" by Caesar by Louis Durot, 1998
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Abstract freeform sculpture in reddish polyurethane entitled "Dream of Caesar" in tribute to César Baldaccini. Louis Durot collaborated with César in 1966 as a chemist to improve his "expansions". It was not long after Caesar's death that he finally found this material for his creations. This work and signed on the back of the artist and provided with are “Certificate of Authenticity”. 1998 French work signed Louis Durot. Perfect condition. 1964: Louis Durot creates with several friends an artistic movement "Freelane studio", which tries to bring together artists of various disciplines to achieve a common artistic synthesis. The movement featured jazz journalist Giles Brinnon and a young painter, Jean Ihallero, a friend of painter Maxime Defert. Brinnon and Ihallero present Louis Durot to François Arnal as a research engineer. Louis Durot will try to work with François Arnal on his sculptures of the time, and will maintain relations with him until the marriage of the latter (with a girl of sixteen in 1976). He spent two summers with Arnal, Micheline Presle and Daniel Gelin. During the second stay, in 1968, François Arnal and Micheline Presle created the Châteauvallon theater festival, during which Louis Durot became friends with the director Ulysse Renaud. At the end of 1966, François Arnal introduced Louis Durot to César as a chemical engineer. For a year he will be the assistant of Caesar, to improve his knowledge of polyurethane foam and try to perpetuate his foam creations (fragile and ephemeral) and make them final. At this time, Caesar introduced him to Pierre Restany, Dr. Knapp and his friends Arman and Malaval. For a year, Caesar and his relations will make the artistic education of Louis Durot and convince him that what he must do, he can do it better and with more technology. Caesar made flat and ephemeral reliefs in a free and uncontrolled material. In 1968, Louis Durot conceived the project of three-dimensional sculptures with controlled material according to a drawing and a simple and precise project. It was during this period that he made drawings of his first pieces ('mushrooms' and 'carnivorous plants'). In 1968, he opened his first mechanical workshop. 1971: first exhibition at Batimat (Paris) - Exhibition at the leather fair. Between 1971 and 1974, Louis created about sixty sculptures around an extraterrestrial world populated by mushrooms and carnivorous plants. In 1974, Louis Durot participated with the architects Sloan and Lecouter in the project of inflatable structure for the French Pavilion in Osaka. The project is priced at one million francs but is ultimately not realized. It is with this price that Louis Durot is recognized for his expertise on polyurethane. At the beginning of the 80's, he realized pure works and designs such as "Le Pied", "La Bouche", "Saint siege" and some erotic works, in a style definitely "pop". At the same time, he continues to work as a research director in listed companies. It continues to explode in 1991 (La Villette new technologies fair), in 1993 at Art Chicago, 1994 at the Sofa lounge in Miami and 1995 in New York. From 1998, he exhibited permanently in China. He becomes a star accumulating dozens of articles in the Chinese press...
Category

20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Other

Jean-Marie Simonnet and Martha, Sculpture Polymorphic Red, circa 1968, France
Located in Nice, Cote d' Azur
Jean-Marie Simonnet and Martha, Les Simonnet Sculpteurs, Sculpture polymorphic red lacquered fiber glass, Circa 1968, France. Height: 2m50, width: 130 cm, depth: 90 cm. After ...
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Fiberglass

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Unique Red Mannequin
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Pookali Goblet Vase by Kaj Franck for Nuutajärvi Notsjö, Finland 1960's
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Pookali goblet by influential Designer Kaj Franck, this goblet is in a rare combination of deep red and silver and bears its original tag.
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'Clessidre' Hourglass by Paolo Venini
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Welded Steel Abstract Guitar Sculpture by Brother Mel Meyer
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Stunning Modernist Stabile/Table Sculpture by Graham Mitchell Sears
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Large Pottery Super Fat Lava Multi-Color 517-45 Vase Made by Scheurich, 1970s
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Kevin O’Toole Metal Sculpture, 1986
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Kevin O'Toole metal sculpture 1986. Early work for the artist who showed in a Gallery in Old City Philadelphia during that time. Signed bottom. Original paint does show some losses.
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"Abstract in Color" Sculpture by David Hayes
By David Hayes
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Painted, welded steel. Signed. Over the course of six decades, American modern master David Hayes produced a body of sculptural work that concerned itself with geometrically abstracting organic forms. His monumental outdoor sculptures contemplate the relationship between a work of art and the environment it occupies, and demonstrate the influence of teacher David Smith and friend Alexander Calder. Born in 1931, Haye’s talent for aesthetics convinced his fifth grade teacher to push him towards a life of art. At 18, Hayes opted to attend college in order to expand his understanding of the creative process. He enrolled at Notre Dame, and upon graduation immediately pursued his masters in Fine art from Indiana University. Indiana University had recently elected one of modernism's sculptural leaders, David Smith, as a visiting artist. A powerful figure in the sculpture movement of the 1950s and 1960s, Smith was well known for his unique utilization of Industrial materials to construct large scale objects in place of the more historically oriented sculptural processes of casting and carving. This serendipitous appointment proved to be a defining event for Hayes in his artistic development. Welding Hayes studied attentively under Smith, whose iconic colored steel geometries held an evident influence over Hayes' later body of work. Like Smith, he mastered an appreciation for the permanence of steel. Following his formal studies, Hayes would continue to work with Smith, now his friend, in Bolton Landing, New York. While living in Indiana, both Smith and Hayes learned about forging from a local blacksmith. Smith began his Forging Series in 1955, while continuing to weld his larger forms and revered Tanktotems. Hayes also adopted the forge, leading to the production of his animal forms series, small- to mid-scale sculptures that harbored allusions to animal figures. A number of these works were exhibited in contemporaneous shows at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum’s inaugural exhibition in 1959. Hayes received his MFA in June 1955, and spent the next two years in the Navy. Following his term in the military, Hayes returned to Coventry, Connecticut to return to his forge and welding torch. Over the next few years, Hayes received numerous awards for his work, including the 1961 Logan Prize for Sculpture from the Art Institute of Chicago and an award from the National Institute of Arts and Letters. In 1961 Hayes was awarded both a Fulbright Scholarship for study in Paris and a Guggenheim Fellowship, which conferred an experience that greatly impacted the direction of his future body of work. Hayes packed his bags and left for Paris in 1961 with his wife, Julia, and their two children. While in Paris, Hayes regularly visited Alexander Calder, one of the most famous figures generated by the American sculptural scene of the mid-20th century, who was also living in central France during this time. Calder, similar to Hayes and Smith, also had begun to produce monumental sculptures out of Industrial material in the mid-1950s. It would be remiss to say that Calder's playful shapes and colors affected no passing influence on Hayes' work. In fact, Hayes' combination of flattened shapes feel more in line with Calder's appreciation of the steel form than Smith's more dimensionally oriented geometric towers. More correctly, Hayes' work represents a merger between his two mentors' different interpretations of the physicality of Industrial sculpture while still maintaining its own stylistic flair. In addition to Calder, Hayes also met with Henry Moore in England and Alberto Giacometti in Paris, all the while continuing to forge his own steel body of work, which lead to an aggressive show schedule in Paris and the US. On returning to the US a decade later, Hayes moved from forged steel to cut steel plate as it permitted him to construct larger objects, a move which resulted in his large outdoor painted sculpture...
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Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Mid-century Modern abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern 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, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, lighting and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, ceramic and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern abstract sculptures made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original abstract sculptures, popular names associated with this style include Joel Escalona, Curtis Jeré, Carstens Tönnieshof, and Gerhard Liebenthron. 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 $76 and tops out at $260,000 while the average work can sell for $1,960.

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