Modern Animal Sculptures
MODERN STYLE
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
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Style: Modern
Recognized Seller Listings
Ghidini 1961 Small Rabbit Figurine in Polished Brass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Small rabbit figurine in brass.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Brass
A stoneware fawn by Gunnar Nylund
Located in San Francisco, CA
A stoneware figurine of a deer by Gunnar Nylund at Rörstrand. Incised on the base with makers mark, GN, SWEDEN.
Category
1960s Swedish Vintage Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Stoneware
Opinion Ciatti Ombres de Chats #2 Bookend
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ombres de Chats by Angelo Barcella are poetic objects, delicate table sculptures. Shadows of curious, busy, sore, angry or bored cats, instants which are made eternal when transforme...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Steel
American Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington “Lioness and Cubs” Bronze Sculpture
By Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington, Gorham
Located in Shippensburg, PA
ANNA VAUGHN HYATT HUNTINGTON
United States, 1876-1973
"Lioness and Cubs"
Sand-cast patinated bronze signed on the back "Anna V. Hyatt Sc", "4", "Q9", "G [lion] C" (Gorham foundry ...
Category
Early 20th Century American Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Large Silver, Vermeil and Diamond Model of a Lion by Asprey
Located in London, GB
Large silver, vermeil and diamond model of a lion by Asprey
English, c. 1980
Lion: Height 12cm, width 38cm, depth 13cm
Case: Height 19cm, width 49c...
Category
20th Century English Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Vermeil, Silver
Large 18K Gold, Silver Gilt, Diamond and Hardstone Bird Model by Asprey
Located in London, GB
Large 18K gold, silver gilt, diamond and hardstone bird model by Asprey
English, c. 1980
Height 22cm, width 17cm, depth 15cm
Made in around 1980, by th...
Category
Late 20th Century English Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Stone, Gold, Vermeil
Opinion Ciatti Ombres de Chats #4 Bookend
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ombres de Chats by Angelo Barcella are poetic objects, delicate table sculptures. Shadows of curious, busy, sore, angry or bored cats, instants which are made eternal when transforme...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Steel
Opinion Ciatti Ombres de Chats #3 Bookend
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ombres de Chats by Angelo Barcella are poetic objects, delicate table sculptures. Shadows of curious, busy, sore, angry or bored cats, instants which are made eternal when transforme...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Steel
Roberto Estevez Incredible Large Unicorn Sculpture 1979 'Signed and Numbered'
Located in New York, NY
Exquisite large unicorn bust sculpture in cast resin with inlaid bronze mane, solid engraved brass alicorn, and gold leaf ears on a sculptural solid brass base by Roberto Estevez, Am...
Category
1970s American Vintage Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Brass, Bronze, Gold Leaf
Araba Fenice Sculpture by Toni Zuccheri for Venini
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in New York, NY
Glass and bronze sculpture. Work made with applied feathers in opaque and transparent polychrome glass produced directly by Toni Zuccheri in 2007. The base and skeleton are in lost-w...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
De Sede Leather Elephant Toy Accessory by Alfredo Häberli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Miniature toy elephant accessory designed by Alfredo Ha¨berli for De Sede.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Leather
Alessandro Albrizzi "Nest of Snakes" Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Baron Alessandro Albrizzi grew up in, and later inherited, the family palazzo in Venice, where the French doors that opened onto the garden had hardware embellished with bronze snakes. The memory of them prompted him to create the“nest of snakes” sculptures...
Category
1970s American Vintage Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Metal
Very Large Volkstedt Porcelain Sculpture of a Parrot
Located in London, GB
A very large Volkstedt porcelain sculpture of a parrot
German, early 20th century
Measures: Height 50cm, width 18cm, depth 23cm.
Full of vitality and character, this fine and very large porcelain parrot...
Category
Early 20th Century German Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Porcelain
Opinion Ciatti Ombres de Chats #6 Bookend
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ombres de Chats by Angelo Barcella are poetic objects, delicate table sculptures. Shadows of curious, busy, sore, angry or bored cats, instants which are made eternal when transforme...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Steel
“Roaring Jaguar” Art Deco French Bronze Sculpture by Adolphe Geoffroy & Susse
By Susse Fondeur, Adolphe-Louis-Victor Geoffroy
Located in Shippensburg, PA
ADOLPHE LOUIS VICTOR GEOFFROY
French, 1844-1915
"Panthére Rugissant" (Roaring Jaguar)
Patinated bronze, signed "J. Geoffroy" and "Susse Fre. Paris / Cir...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Roberto Estevez Magnificent Kudu Sculpture with Malachite Eyes 1980s
Located in New York, NY
Kudu sculpture in polished brass with malachite eyes on dark wood base by Robert Estevez, American 1980's. The radiant malachite eyes set against the sh...
Category
1980s American Vintage Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Malachite, Brass
Very Large Bronze Model of a Bengal Tiger, Viennese, Stamped for Franz Bergman
Located in London, GB
This striking monumental bronze tiger was produced in Vienna around the turn of the twentieth century in the popular cold-painted bronze technique. Whereas most examples of this them...
Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Hand-Stitched A&F Leather Pig, 1960s
By Omersa
Located in New York, NY
Hand-stitched leather pig designed by Omersa and Company for display at the Abercrombie and Fitch stores, England, 1960s.
Category
1960s English Vintage Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Leather
Hand Carved Rosewood Hammerhead Shark
Located in Greenwich, CT
Very fine carved hammerhead shark executed in vividly grained exotic hardwood on naturalistic stand.
Category
1990s Canadian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Zebra Wood
Opinion Ciatti Ombres de Chats #5 Bookend
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ombres de Chats by Angelo Barcella are poetic objects, delicate table sculptures. Shadows of curious, busy, sore, angry or bored cats, instants which are made eternal when transforme...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Steel
Buccellati Italian Silver Chimpanzee Figure
By Buccellati
Located in New York, NY
Sensitive and endearing 800 silver animal figure. Made by Buccellati in Italy. A chimp with raised arm, big funny ears, and expressive face sits on amethyst crystal base with joined ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Silver
Eleph Joyful Platinum Colored Ceramic Sculpture Designed by Aldo Cibic
By Aldo Cibic
Located in Como, IT
Eleph is a platinum colored glazed ceramic sculpture shaped like an elephant head, from the famous Bassano del Grappa ceramic district. Designed by Aldo Cibic. It can be hung on the ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic
Red Fox in Wire Mesh by Benedetta Mori Ubaldini
Located in Milan, IT
Benedetta works in many materials but is most well known for her innovative and extraordinarily wire work. Each piece starts life as flat rolled chicken wire which is gradually shape...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Wire
Venini Fischione Glass Bird Sculpture by Toni Zuccheri
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fischione glass sculpture, designed by Toni Zuccheri and manufactured by Venini, was originally designed in 1980. Numbered edition per year. Indoor use only.
Dimensions: W 38 cm,...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Glass
Venini Multicolor Glass Upupa Bird Sculpture by Toni Zuccheri
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Upupa in multi-color by Toni Zuccher. Numbered edition. Bronze structure with plumes applied when still hot.
Color: Multi-color
Dimensions: D 40 cm, H 38 cm
Year of manuf...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Venini Anatre Glass Duck Sculpture in Black & Crystal by Toni Zuccheri
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Anatre sculpture by Toni Zuccheri. Numbered edition for year. Sculpture hand-blown glass.
Technique: Beaten, Canes and Filigree, Engraved
Dimensions: Ø 30 cm, H 19 cm
Y...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Blown Glass
Venini Anatre Glass Duck Sculpture in Black and Gold by Toni Zuccheri
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Anatre sculpture by Toni Zuccheri. Numbered edition for year. Sculpture handblown glass.
Technique: Beaten, canes and filigree, engraved
Dimensions: Ø 30 cm, H 19 cm
Ye...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Blown Glass
Venini Pavoncella Bird Sculpture by Toni Zuccheri
By Toni Zuccheri, Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Pavoncella sculpture by Toni Zuccheri. Numbered edition for year. Sculpture hand-blown glass.
Technique: Canes and Filigree
Dimensions: Ø 31 cm, H 23 cm
Year of Manufactu...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Blown Glass
Cast Sterling Silver Pair of Duck Models - London 1992 Richard Comyns
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in London in 1992 by Richard Comyns, this charming pair of Sterling Silver Duck Models, are realistically cast and hand finished.
The male measures 4.5"(11.5cm) tall, by ...
Category
1990s English Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Sterling Silver
Roberto Estevez Exquisite Bull Sculpture with Sea Shells 1980s 'Signed'
Located in New York, NY
Exquisite unique sculpture of a stylized bull composed of sea shells with etched brass elements and an ebonized base by Roberto Estevez, American 1980's (signed “ESTEVEZ” on plaque o...
Category
1980s American Vintage Modern Animal Sculptures
Materials
Brass
Modern animal sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Modern animal 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 animal 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 Modern animal sculptures made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original animal sculptures, popular names associated with this style include Mosche Bianche, VG design and laboratory department, Stefano Giovannoni, and Superego Editions. 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 animal sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $53 and tops out at $6,718,000 while the average work can sell for $1,745.