Mid Century Modern Etruscan Brass Horse Figurine in Style of Frederick Weinberg

Avid collectors of 1950s sculpture, table lamps and decorative objects have no doubt encountered the quirky mid-century modern creations of Frederic Weinberg, even if they didn’t know his name. Weinberg is best known for his extensive range of wall-mounted sculptures, clocks, lighting and semi-abstract paintings that bring playful figurative art into the home.

Weinberg, a Philadelphia-based artist and industrial designer, trained at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. Throughout the 1950s, he designed, produced and sold a wide variety of functional and decorative items under his company, Frederic Weinberg Co.

Working with wire, iron and gilded bronze, Weinberg crafted furniture and furnishings for use in homes, businesses and institutions. His most notable pieces included swivel stools with a wrought-iron base and seats made with leather, sheepskin or woven wicker; Atomic Age–style clocks; and sculptural table lamps constructed with paper shades and metal frames shaped like lutes and guitars.

Weinberg also made figurative wall sculptures depicting everything from ancient Roman gladiators and Etruscan-style horses to musicians and dancers to fencers and football players. Figuration also features heavily in his bent iron, brass and fiberglass sculptures, many of which he based on his semi-abstract paintings.

Although little is known about Weinberg’s design career, his pieces are highly sought by modern art collectors and interior designers. Philadelphia designer Ron Rowe and his partner Glenn Nadeau even mounted an extensive showcase of Weinberg’s rarest works in their Cherry Hill, New Jersey, home.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Frederic Weinberg wall decorations, decorative objects and seating.

Roman Erlikh is a professional woodworker with over 20 years’ experience. Roman Erlikh Studio creates bespoke and limited edition contemporary furniture and art objects. His first furniture collections were inspired by traditional Art Deco and Biedermeier styles interpreted through a modern lifestyle demands. Stepping away from merely utilitarian view of everyday objects, his recent collections are filled with meaningful textual context while incorporating traditional and modern woodworking techniques. Roman is using practical function as a common denominator to create emotionally charged art objects, blurring the boundary between art and function. While appreciating possibilities of ordinary materials, Roman is developing new mixed media multilayered composite varnishes and utilizes decorative gilding and mica veneer to actively engage ambient light, giving an additional aspect to relation of his objects to their environment. The decision to work in custom format was based on environmental concerns and opposition to culture of mass production and pure consumerism. The choice of materials was heavily influenced by sustainability and environmental concerns. All objects are made locally in the Brooklyn Navy Yard workshop. Elimination of storage and transportation needs for mass-produced furniture in lieu of creating a custom made objects on demand allows us to reduce waste of materials and energy.