The Bauhaus was a progressive German art and design school founded by the architect Walter Gropius that operated from 1919 to 1933. Authentic Bauhaus furniture — sofas, dining chairs, tables and more — and the school’s followers married industrial and natural materials in simple, geometric forms. The goal of the Bauhaus was to erase the distinction between art and craft while embracing the use of new technologies and materials.
ORIGINS OF BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGN
BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGNERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
AUTHENTIC BAUHAUS FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The name Bauhaus is derived from the German verb bauen, “to build.” Under the school’s innovative curriculum, students were taught the fine arts, such as painting and sculpture, as well as practical skills like carpentry and metalworking.
The school moved from Weimar in 1925 to the city of Dessau, where it enjoyed its heyday under Gropius, then Hannes Meyer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The period from 1932 to 1933 when it operated in Berlin under Mies was its final chapter. Despite its brief existence, the Bauhaus has had an enduring impact on art and design in the United States and elsewhere, and is regarded by many as the 20th century’s chief crucible of modernism.
The faculty roster at the Bauhaus reads like a who’s who of modernist creative genius — it included such artists as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and László Moholy-Nagy along with architects and designers like Mies and Marcel Breuer, who became known for his muscular brutalist-style concrete buildings in the postwar years. In 1925, while he was head of the Bauhaus carpentry workshop, Breuer gave form to his signature innovation: the use of lightweight tubular-steel frames for chairs, side tables and sofas — a technique soon adopted by Mies and others. Breuer’s Cesca chair was the first-ever tubular steel frame chair with a caned seat to be mass produced, while the inspiration for his legendary Wassily chair, a timeless design and part of the collection crafted to furnish the Dessau school, was the bike he rode around campus.
Bauhaus design style reflects the tenets by which these creators worked: simplicity, clarity and function. They disdained superfluous ornament in favor of precise construction. Seating pieces such as side chairs, armchairs or club chairs for example, were made with tubular metal or molded plywood frames, and upholstery was made from leather or cane. Above all, designs in the Bauhaus style offer aesthetic flexibility. They can be the elements of a wholly spare, minimalist space, the quiet foundation of an environment in which color and pattern come from one’s own collection of art and artifacts.
Today, from textiles to typefaces, architecture, furniture and decorative objects for the home, Bauhaus creations continue to have an outsize influence on modern design.
Find a collection of authentic Bauhaus furniture on 1stDibs.
$1,820Sale Price|35% Off
Abstract Female Tribal Copper & Fiber Figural Dancer Sculpture Hagenauer 1950s
Located in Peoria, AZ
Stunning! Natural Fiber & Copper Tribal Figural Sculpture Attributed to Franz Hagenauer 21" Tall Here is a wonderful figural sculpture of a tribal female dancer with copper neck ...
Copper
PH Grand Piano PH170 Curated, Mineral Leather, White Oak and Burned Brass
Located in Copenhagen, DK
This offer comes from ToneArt / PH Pianos, which is the official holder of the license from the Poul Henningsen family to produce and sell authentic PH Pianos exclusively and worldwide. All prices are ex works but we have extensive experience in worldwide delivery and installment, including “white glove delivery”. All our authentic PH Pianos are crafted inhouse and according to original design and true craftsmanship traditions. We are a Danish company, based in Copenhagen, and we have a big showroom in the very heart of Copenhagen with the full collection of all PH Pianos as well as the Poul Henningsen furniture collection that we also hold the exclusive license for. We value and apply Danish, Scandinavian and Nordic values in everything we do, including reliability, full transparency and trustworthy communication! - 5-Year guarantee. - We regularly crate, ship, and install PH Pianos worldwide with full insurance. This spectacular PH Grand Piano Curated Edition is the first of its kind. It has been created in collaboration with Stevns Klint Experience, a UNESCO heritage site located an hour away from Copenhagen, Denmark. The materials and finishes of this piano have been completely customized to represent key elements of the Stevns Klint Experience geography. From the leather banding, to the type and finish of the wood, to the metal trimming on the case, this piano is very special. More than Just a Piano- Finishes with Symbolism The mineral-colored leather banding of this piano represents the Fish Clay found in the chalk cliffs of Stevns Klint. Fish Clay is the layer of gray clay which contains meteorite particulate, and is scientific proof of the collision 55 million years ago of a meteor with Earth, that ended almost all life including the dinosaurs. Hand-carved beautiful ash-wood frames the delicate and elegant transparent lid, and all metal trim has been done in a semi-matte oxidized brass finish called Burned Brass. All materials and finishes combine to create an extremely elegant, aesthetically stunning-yet approachable- piano. Stevns Klint Experience has provided four fossils from the site which have been set into the frame of the piano, making this instrument a true collector’s piece. Original Design, Unique Customization Designed by Poul Henningsen in 1930, the PH Grand Piano is an iconic design from Denmark that has captured the attention of art collectors everywhere. As a Curated Edition, this instrument is the first of its kind to use a piano action...
Brass
1920's Roaring Polar Bear No. 502 by C. F. Liisberg from Royal Copenhagen
Located in Morristown, NJ
Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Polar Bear Figurine, Model 502. Large roaring polar bear figurine in porcelain designed by Carl Frederik Liisberg for Royal Copenhagen. Originally design...
Porcelain
Vintage Kinetic Sculpture Brass 'Oloid' by Paul Schatz, 1930s, Switzerland
By Paul Schatz
Located in Munich, DE
Vintage kinetic sculpture 'Oloid' in brass. Designed by Paul Schatz, 1929, Switzerland. This one is an old example, probably from 1930s. Ex...
Brass
Vintage Wooden Dachshund Pull Toy on Wheels, Bauhaus Style, 1940s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Wooden Dachshund Pull Toy on Wheels, Circa 1940 Charming vintage wooden dachshund pull toy on wheels, made circa 1940. This delightful piece captures the spirit of early 20th-centur...
Wood
$356Sale Price|25% Off
German Bauhaus Color Wheel
Located in New York, NY
An oak wood and paper color wheel, German Bauhaus design, circa late-20th century, Made in Switzerland. Piece was originally designed by German, Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, early-20th ce...
Oak, Paper
PH Upright Piano, Cognac Color Leather with Chrome, Modern, Sculptural
Located in Copenhagen, DK
- All prices are listed ex works. - 5 year guarantee. - We regularly crate, ship and install PH Pianos worldwide with full insurance. For those who want a traditional acoustic upright piano with one of the most iconic design silhouettes, the PH Upright Piano...
Chrome
Ph Grand Piano PH159 Legacy, Black Woven Leather, Oxidized Brass, Walnut Wood
Located in Copenhagen, DK
This offer comes from ToneArt / PH Pianos, which is the official holder of the license from the Poul Henningsen family to produce and sell authentic PH Pianos exclusively and worldwi...
Chrome
Original Vintage 60‘S Umbrella Stand by Carl Aubock Vienna
Located in Vienna, AT
Carl Auböck vintage umbrella stand from brass and cast black lacquered iron Model # 4293 by Carl Auböck for Workshop Carl Auböck with beautiful patina. Stamped Auböck. Authentic piec...
Brass, Iron
$166,621 / item
PH Grand Piano PH159 Legacy, Black Woven Leather, Chrome
Located in Copenhagen, DK
This offer comes from ToneArt / PH Pianos, which is the official holder of the license from the Poul Henningsen family to produce and sell authentic PH Pianos exclusively and worldwide. All prices are ex works but we have extensive experience in worldwide delivery and installment, including “white glove delivery”. All our authentic PH Pianos are crafted inhouse and according to original design and true craftsmanship traditions. We are a Danish company, based in Copenhagen, and we have a big showroom in the very heart of Copenhagen with the full collection of all PH Pianos as well as the Poul Henningsen furniture collection that we also hold the exclusive license for. We value and apply Danish, Scandinavian and Nordic values in everything we do, including reliability, full transparency and trustworthy communication! - 5-Year guarantee. - We regularly crate, ship, and install PH Pianos worldwide with full insurance. This very special PH Grand Piano...
Chrome
PH Upright Piano, Cognac Leather with Brass Metal Parts, Modern, Sculptural
Located in Copenhagen, DK
This offer comes from ToneArt / PH Pianos, which is the official holder of the license from the Poul Henningsen family to produce and sell authentic PH Pianos exclusively and worldwide. All prices are ex works but we have extensive experience in worldwide delivery and installment, including “white glove delivery”. All our authentic PH Pianos are crafted inhouse and according to original design and true craftsmanship traditions. We are a Danish company, based in Copenhagen, and we have a big showroom in the very heart of Copenhagen with the full collection of all PH Pianos as well as the Poul Henningsen furniture collection that we also hold the exclusive license for. We value and apply Danish, Scandinavian and Nordic values in everything we do, including reliability, full transparency and trustworthy communication! - 5-Year guarantee. - We regularly crate, ship, and install PH Pianos worldwide with full insurance. An incredible design piece for all spaces. This new edition of the PH Upright Piano...
Brass
PH Grand Piano PH150 Excellence, cognac leather with chrome, Modern, Sculptural
Located in Copenhagen, DK
- All prices are listed ex works. - 5 year guarantee. - We regularly crate, ship and install PH Pianos worldwide with full insurance. Please contact us for individual shipping quote and for any questions. The PH Grand Piano...
Aluminum, Chrome
$6,867Sale Price / set|20% Off
Life-Size Bronze Busts on Granite Steles, Student of Georg Kolbe, 1925
Located in Ludwigslust, DE
These two life-size bronze heads feature a fantastic patina and are mounted on two granite steles measuring 114 cm and 109 cm in height. Both the sculptures and the steles are in und...
Granite, Bronze
Surrealist Bauhaus Wooden Head Sculpture, 1920's
Located in Antwerp, Antwerp
A unique surrealist/abstract bauhaus wooden head sculpture, hand painted circa 1920's. The artist is not known but there is a illegible/unknown stamp on...
Wood
PH Grand Piano PH157 Legacy, Walnut Cognac Leather Brass, Modern, Sculptural
Located in Copenhagen, DK
This offer comes from ToneArt / PH Pianos, which is the official holder of the license from the Poul Henningsen family to produce and sell authentic PH Pianos exclusively and worldwide. All prices are ex works but we have extensive experience in worldwide delivery and instalment, including “white glove delivery”. All our authentic PH Pianos are crafted inhouse and according to original design and true craftsmanship traditions. We are a Danish company, based in Copenhagen, and we have a big showroom in the very heart of Copenhagen with the full collection of all PH Pianos as well as the Poul Henningsen furniture collection that we also hold the exclusive license for. We value and apply Danish, Scandinavian and Nordic values in everything we do, including reliability, full transparency and trustworthy communication! - 5 year guarantee - We regularly crate, ship and install PH Pianos worldwide with full insurance In 1930, Poul Henningsen completely reimagined the world’s most popular musical instrument with his PH Grand Piano...
Brass
Unusual Bauhaus Style Cubist Articulated Mannequin after Oskar Schlemmer
Located in Buffalo, NY
Unusual Bauhaus style cubist articulated mannequin / store display after Oskar Schlemmer,, Amazing design, painted fiberglass.
Fiberglass
PH Grand Piano PH186 Excellence, Red Leather and Chrome Lid, Modern, Sculptural
Located in Copenhagen, DK
- All prices are listed ex works. - 5 year guarantee. - We regularly crate, ship and install PH Pianos worldwide with full insurance. This PH Grand Piano...
Chrome
$13,957Sale Price|15% Off
Monumental Wooden Sculpture Inspired in Constantin Brancusi Style
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
This monolithic sculpture, designed by the talented Artist Joel Escalona, is a towering example of beauty in craftsmanship. Hand and digital machine made; the standing sculpture stan...
Hardwood
Gerhard Marcks 'Europa And The Bull' cast iron plaque
By Gerhard Marcks
Located in Sharon, CT
Cast iron low relief sculpture of 'Europa and the Bull' by The Bauhaus Sculptor Gerhard Marcks (German 1889-1981). Especially annotated on the verso and dated 1959. Signed with the ...
Iron
Biomorphic Carved Wood Sculpture in the Style of Isamu Noguchi
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
This monolithic sculpture, designed by the talented Artist Joel Escalona, is a towering example of beauty in craftsmanship. Hand and digital machine made; the standing sculpture stan...
Hardwood
Contemporary Tubular Metal Sculpture, Bauhaus style
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Contemporary sculpture inspired by the tubular art aesthetic that flourished in Europe under the Bauhaus movement. Its interlaced metal lines create a dynamic play between strength a...
Metal
Biomorphic Carved Wood Sculpture in the Style of Isamu Noguchi
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
This monolithic sculpture, designed by the talented Artist Joel Escalona, is a towering example of beauty in craftsmanship. Hand and digital machine made; the standing sculpture stan...
Hardwood
Mid 20th C. Grouping of Three Polar Bears from Royal Copenhagen
Located in Morristown, NJ
A striking collection of three Royal Copenhagen porcelain polar bear figurines, each showcasing exquisite craftsmanship and elegant Scandinavian design. These hand-painted sculptures...
Porcelain
Abstract Contemporary Tubular Metal Sculpture
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
This contemporary tubular metal sculpture draws direct inspiration from the industrial aesthetic of the twentieth-century Bauhaus movement. The artwork features a complex structure f...
Marble, Metal
$1,800 / set
Secessionist Figures by Hungarian Maria Rahmer
By Maria Rahmer
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A wonderful pair of ceramic or glazed terracotta figures by the noted Hungarian born artist Maria Rahmer. They feature an accordion player and a saxophonist. One is signed and the ot...
Terracotta
Modernist Abstract Wood and Wire Sculpture Manner of Louise Nevelson
Located in Buffalo, NY
Wonderful Modernist abstract wood and wire sculpture manner of Louise Nevelson.
Wire
$40,879
Sculpture Atila Biro 1985
By Atila Biro
Located in Perpignan, FR
Sculpture pièce unique restaurée plâtre et enduit fibré Pour intérieur et / ou extérieur
Metal
$2,999
H 13.78 in W 8.27 in D 6.3 in
Art Deco Josephine Baker Dancer Brass Sculpture / Figure Hagenauer 1930´s
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Art Deco Hagenauer Bronze Figure of Josephine Baker, 20th century Impressed mark to foot: WHW Hagenauer workshops were opened in Vienna in 1898 by Carl, the father of both Karl and...
Brass
$291 / set
H 2.17 in W 3.55 in D 2.37 in
Danish Bear Cubs Figurines by Knud Kyhn for Royal Copenhagen, 1950s, Set of 4
By Royal Copenhagen, Knud Kyhn
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish bear cubs figurines by Knud Kyhn for Royal Copenhagen 1950s Set of 4. Ceramic figurines designed by Danish ceramist Knud Kyhn, Models no: 21432, 21433, 21434 and 21435. ...
Ceramic
$572
H 10.24 in Dm 3.75 in
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...
Ceramic
Super Color Crusty Fat Lava Blue Floor 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 Ger...
Ceramic
Liberace Autographed Vintage Schoenhut Toy Grand Piano
By Schoenhut
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Made by the renowned American toy manufacturer in approximately 1920, this wooden toy baby grand piano has been autographed in two places by the legendary Liberace. The piano shows o...
Brass
$3,750
H 17.5 in W 8 in D 10.5 in
1940s American Carved Wooden Horse Head Fragment with Weathered Patina
Located in Atlanta, GA
An American carved wooden horse head fragment from the mid-20th century, with nicely weathered patina. Made in America during the second quart...
Wood
Pleyel Grand Piano, Paris 1870
By Pleyel
Located in Littleton, CO
This Pleyel concert grand piano crafted in Paris in 1870 is a timeless masterpiece that embodies the elegance and craftsmanship of 19th-century French piano manufacturing. Pleyel instruments are renowned for their exceptional quality and rich musicality, representing the pinnacle of piano design in the Romantic era, and this piano – an early example of the technological innovation of cross-stringing that was burgeoning during the period – is one in a series of only six ever produced. This piano is in extraordinarily immaculate condition with nearly every original part, including the soundboard, pristine ivory keys, and the brass inlay in its beautifully figured walnut cabinet. Candle stands slide forward on either side of the collapsable music desk. This piano was first purchased by the French Count Charles Étienne Gustave Le Clerc, count of Juigné (1825-1900), one of the wealthiest landowners in Brittany and a member of the French National Assembly, later a member of the House of Representatives, and in late life, the Senate. The piano was restored in 1997 at Maison Erard by master restorationist Frits Janmaat in Amsterdam, and later conditioned by Edwin Beunk. In recent years, some of Europe's finest historically-informed musical artists played this Pleyel in PBS concert performances in collaboration with the late Sergiu Luca. Standing on substantial carved legs and brass wheels, the piano exudes a majestic presence through the graceful lines of its Second Empire style cabinet that embodies the period's aesthetics. The keyboard, meticulously crafted from ivory and ebony, is a testament to the attention to detail in every aspect. Its 85 keys...
Walnut
$1,039Sale Price|28% Off
H 31.5 in W 9.85 in D 7.88 in
Vintage Human Body Educational Model / Anatomical Model, circa 1940s
Located in Lucenec, SK
Fantastic looking vintage anatomical model of a full human body on a black granite base. The height of the model with base (4 cm) is 82 cm. Unfortunately, removable parts are missing.
Granite
$3,040
H 10.24 in W 20.48 in D 5.12 in
Art Deco Diana with Pheasants Sculpture by Uriano, France, 1930s
By Angela Diliberto Uriano
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
Striking French Art Deco sculpture depicting Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt, shown kneeling in a dynamic pose as she draws her bow, accompanied by a pair of stylized pheasants....
Marble, Onyx, Stone
Italian Grand Tour Alabaster Model the Roman Forum Temple of Vespasian
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian Grand Tour model of the ancient Temple of Vespasian located in the Roman Forum, Rome. Carved from alabaster, this is a handsome example of a souvenir carving which would have been collected by a European or American sophisticate making a Grand Tour of the ancient sites of Italy. This wonderful architectural miniature is evocative of another time and place. Roma Templo Di Vespasiano' etched into the black marble base. It has been drilled to be wired, not the first time I have owned one of these that had been mounted as a lamp. The Temple of Vespasian and Titus is located in Rome at the western end of the Roman Forum between the Temple of Concordia and the Temple of Saturn...
Alabaster, Marble
$350Sale Price|40% Off
H 13 in W 7.88 in D 3.86 in
Vintage Black Metal and Brass Candle Holder, Bauhaus Style, 1940s
Simplistic black metal and brass wall candle holder for two standard size candles. Slender black mount with brass cone shaped holders. Likely manufactured in the 1940s in the style o...
Metal, Brass
Kinetic Sculptures by Jacques Jarrige, 2015
Located in New York, NY
Sculptures in hand-hammered aluminum by Jacques Jarrige. Jacques Jarrige has always explored the relationship between line and space, material and void to its very limit in his sc...
Aluminum
Sold
H 3.94 in W 8.67 in D 5.12 in
Set of Wooden Geometric Models, Bauhaus Style – Germany, Circa 1940
Located in Barcelona, ES
Set of Wooden Geometric Models, Bauhaus Style – Germany, Circa 1940 A rare and authentic set of wooden geometric models, designed in the iconic Bauhaus style and manufactured in Ger...
Wood
Sold
H 5.91 in W 5.91 in D 2.76 in
Set of Wooden Geometric Models, Bauhaus Style – Germany, Circa 1940
Located in Barcelona, ES
Set of Wooden Geometric Models, Bauhaus Style – Germany, Circa 1940 A rare and authentic set of wooden geometric models, designed in the iconic Bauhaus style and manufactured in Ger...
Wood
G.C. Marini Woman Bronze Style Head Sculpture # 318/ 500
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A sculpture of a strong woman's head in a dark bronze styled finish with satin black oval base . This cast composite bust has great details with a wind swept feel of freedom and conf...
Composition
Sold
H 14 in W 10.25 in D 4.5 in
Global Views Bauhaus Grande Plié Bronze Ballerina Dancer Statue Sculpture
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Global Views Bauhaus Grande Plié Bronze / Brass Ballerina Dancer Marble Base Statue Sculpture. Circa 21st Century, Pre-owned Measurements: 14" H x 1...
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Sold
H 12.01 in W 10.83 in D 2.37 in
Abstract Expressionist Sculpture, Attrb Johanness Itten (Zürich, 1888 – 1967)
By Johannes Itten
Located in Surbiton, GB
Painted wood and composite sculpture attributed to Johanness Itten, Swiss expressionist artist and theorist of the early Bauhaus under the direction of W...
Composition
Sold
H 10.5 in W 12 in D 10 in
Cubist Bauhaus Style Architectural Cardboard Table Sculpture by Virgil Greca
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Number 3 in a series of similar sculptures this unique creation by Virgil Greca features elements of the early modernist movement as it was demonstrated b...
Paper
Sold
H 9.75 in W 12 in D 10 in
Cubist Bauhaus Style Architectural Cardboard Table Sculpture by Virgil Greca
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Number 3 in a series of similar sculptures this unique creation by Virgil Greca (American, 20th century) features elements of the early modernist movement...
Paper
privat deal for joke
By Deutsches Hygiene Museum Dresden
Located in Almelo, NL
PRIVAT DEAL : the heart, the ren, the liver and the hepar .
Metal
Sold
H 9.5 in W 9 in D 7 in
Cubist Bauhaus Style Architectural Cardboard Table Sculpture by Virgil Greca
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Number 2 in a series of similar sculptures this unique creation by Virgil Greca features elements of the early modernist movement as it was demonstrated b...
Paper
Sold
H 12.5 in W 7.5 in D 5 in
Figural Contemporary Blue Cubic Ceramic Figural Bust Sculpture and Vessel 2019
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Contemporary blue ceramic sculpture and vessel. This beautiful piece features a figural face or bust in blue. Geometric cubist features of nose, eyes, and ear give this sculptural bu...
Clay
Large Anatomical Teaching Model "Heart" Germany, 1940s
By Deutsches Hygiene Museum Dresden
Located in Almelo, NL
Anatomical teaching "Heart" model Germany 1940s (Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden). Small damages and repairs. But overall great shape. Size: W 6” x H 13" x D 7.5" inch.
Metal
Constructivist Bauhaus Wood Sculpture by Yuri Suhl
By Yuri Suhl
Located in Buffalo, NY
Wonderful handmade wood sculpture executed by Yuri Suhl depicting man carrying original patina, beautiful surface and color, signed Yuri Suhl Yuri Suhl Primarily a writer and es...
Wood, Driftwood