In its sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, antique Art Nouveau furniture reflects a desire for freedom from the stuffy social and artistic strictures of the Victorian era. The Art Nouveau movement developed in the decorative arts in France and Britain in the early 1880s and quickly became a dominant aesthetic style in Western Europe and the United States.
ORIGINS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ANTIQUE ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Art Nouveau — which spanned furniture, architecture, jewelry and graphic design — can be easily identified by its lush, flowing forms suggested by flowers and plants, as well as the lissome tendrils of sea life. Although Art Deco and Art Nouveau were both in the forefront of turn-of-the-20th-century design, they are very different styles — Art Deco is marked by bold, geometric shapes while Art Nouveau incorporates dreamlike, floral motifs. The latter’s signature motif is the "whiplash" curve — a deep, narrow, dynamic parabola that appears as an element in everything from chair arms to cabinetry and mirror frames.
The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau was particularly influenced by the soft colors and abstract images of nature seen in Japanese art prints, which arrived in large numbers in the West after open trade was forced upon Japan in the 1860s. Impressionist artists were moved by the artistic tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking, and Japonisme — a term used to describe the appetite for Japanese art and culture in Europe at the time — greatly informed Art Nouveau.
The Art Nouveau style quickly reached a wide audience in Europe via advertising posters, book covers, illustrations and other work by such artists as Aubrey Beardsley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha. While all Art Nouveau designs share common formal elements, different countries and regions produced their own variants.
In Scotland, the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh developed a singular, restrained look based on scale rather than ornament; a style best known from his narrow chairs with exceedingly tall backs, designed for Glasgow tea rooms. Meanwhile in France, Hector Guimard — whose iconic 1896 entry arches for the Paris Metro are still in use — and Louis Majorelle produced chairs, desks, bed frames and cabinets with sweeping lines and rich veneers.
The Art Nouveau movement was known as Jugendstil ("Youth Style") in Germany, and in Austria the designers of the Vienna Secession group — notably Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich — produced a relatively austere iteration of the Art Nouveau style, which mixed curving and geometric elements.
Art Nouveau revitalized all of the applied arts. Ceramists such as Ernest Chaplet and Edmond Lachenal created new forms covered in novel and rediscovered glazes that produced thick, foam-like finishes. Bold vases, bowls and lighting designs in acid-etched and marquetry cameo glass by Émile Gallé and the Daum Freres appeared in France, while in New York the glass workshop-cum-laboratory of Louis Comfort Tiffany — the core of what eventually became a multimedia decorative-arts manufactory called Tiffany Studios — brought out buoyant pieces in opalescent favrile glass.
Jewelry design was revolutionized, as settings, for the first time, were emphasized as much as, or more than, gemstones. A favorite Art Nouveau jewelry motif was insects (think of Tiffany, in his famed Dragonflies glass lampshade).
Like a mayfly, Art Nouveau was short-lived. The sensuous, languorous style fell out of favor early in the 20th century, deemed perhaps too light and insubstantial for European tastes in the aftermath of World War I. But as the designs on 1stDibs demonstrate, Art Nouveau retains its power to fascinate and seduce.
There are ways to tastefully integrate a touch of Art Nouveau into even the most modern interior — browse an extraordinary collection of original antique Art Nouveau furniture on 1stDibs, which includes decorative objects, seating, tables, garden elements and more.
Émile Gallé Cameo Glass Cabinet Vase, "Clematis" Motif, Nancy, France, c. 1908
By Émile Gallé, Gallé
Located in Bochum, NRW
A fine multi-layered cameo glass cabinet vase, an authentic Art Nouveau piece. The naturalistic decor depicts the Clematis flower, achieved through meticulous acid-etching. The deta...
Art Glass
Fine crystal Wine jug Gustave Serrurier-Bovy. c.1900 Arts & Crafts Décor
Located in London, GB
A Fine crystal jug designed by Gustave Serrurier-Bovy. A Stylish wine pitcher made from Belgian crystal with banded Brass fittings, Serrurier-Bovy influential in developing A...
Brass
Victor SAGLIER French Art Nouveau Silverplate Planter Centerpiece, 1890
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
French Art Nouveau Centerpiece Planter by Victor Saglier, 12 rue d’Enghien, Paris, France, ca. 1890 Silverplate metal with a finely applied black patina in the recessed areas, enhan...
Metal
Diskometal Vase by Ellen Schlanbusch for Just Andersen, 1940s, Denmark
Located in Værløse, DK
Elegant Diskometal Vase designed by Ellen Schlanbusch for Just Andersen in the late 1940s. * Flower-shaped Diskometal vase * Designer: Ellen Schlanbusch * Manufacturer: Just Ander...
Metal
Art Nouveau Green Double Handled Ceramic Vase, Japan, 1900s
Located in Glasgow, GB
An Art Nouveau Awaji vase, crafted on Japan’s Awaji Island in the early 1900s, reflecting the region’s celebrated ceramic tradition, known for bold decorative forms and experimental ...
Ceramic
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Majolica Violet Cache Pot Delphin Massier circa 1890
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica Purple flower Violet Cache Pot signed Delphin Massier Circa 1890.
Ceramic
Art Nouveau Ipsen - Danish Stoneware Vase with Bird & Oak Branch Relief 1920's
Located in Stockholm, SE
An exceptional Art Nouveau stoneware vase by the esteemed Danish ceramics manufacturer P. Ipsens Enke, model number 13/50, dating to circa 1925. This sculptural work exemplifies the...
Ceramic
Pewter Flower Vase by Ellen Schlanbusch for Just Andersen, 1940s, Denmark
Located in Værløse, DK
Elegant Pewter Flower Vase designed by Ellen Schlanbusch for Just Andersen in the late 1940s. * Flower-shaped pewter vase * Designer: Ellen Schlanbusch * Manufacturer: Just Anders...
Pewter
Gallé Signed, Large Acid Etched Overlay Vase with Foot, France, 1890
By Gallé
Located in Rijssen, NL
This exquisite Art Nouveau vase by Émile Gallé in Nancy is statement pieces in the room. Signed E. Gallé. Vase with red currant decoration in frosted glass internally suffused with ...
Glass
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
Rare Majolica Butterfly Wall Pocket Clement Massier, circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Rare Majolica butterfly wall pocket signed Clement Massier, Golfe Juan Circa 1900. H / 7 inches. W / 9 inches.
Ceramic, Faience
Vintage Marble Trinket Box Hand-cut with Flowers in Relief
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A fine and skillfully crafted stone trinket fashioned from slaps of natural solid marble. The lid is cut in relief with a delicate flower in green, brown and earthy natural color ton...
Marble
Antique Vintage Ladys Ormolu Bronze Dore German Jewelery Box Casket Art Nouveau
Located in Dublin, Ireland
A beautiful quality Art Nouveau Gilt Metal Jewelry Casket, made in Germany in c. 1900, firmly attributed to renowned maker Erhard & Sohne. The highly elaborate gilt metal case is...
Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
Set of 2 Antique Art Nouveau Picture Frames, Stained Oak, around 1910, Vienna
Located in Andernach, DE
Set of 2 antique stained oak picture frames in a wonderfully hand crafted shape. Vienna in the 1910s, these were the typical items to display on the wall to show portraits of your l...
Oak
Venetian Murano Antique Red Gold Flecks Swan Bird Stem Italian Art Glass Bowl
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful, antique, early Venetian / Murano hand blown ruby red with gold flecks Italian art glass with ornate fish stem vase / table object. Created in the manner of the Salviati an...
Gold Leaf
Art Nouveau Pewter Box by Just Andersen, 1910s, Denmark
Located in Værløse, DK
Art Nouveau Pewter Box designed by Just Andersen in the late 1910s. * Round hammered pewter box with lid with flower knop and floral chasings * Designer: Just Andersen * Manufactur...
Pewter
1 of the 4 Large Daum Soliflore Vases, Orange Pâte de Verre, France
By Daum
Located in Rijssen, NL
Luxury at its finest, high-end glass vases with orange and amber colors by Daum, France. The vases - pâte de verre - have different warm amber and orange tones. Beautiful glass. Pl...
Art Glass
Paul GASQ - Large French Art Nouveau Diane/Artemis Bronze Bust, 1900
By Paul Gasq
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Large French Art Nouveau Bronze Bust Sculpture of Diane / Artemis by Paul Gasq (1860–1944), France, circa 1900. An exceptional and large French Art Nouveau bronze bust sculpture dep...
Marble, Bronze
Unique Art Nouveau Vase by Meta Lieberkind, Royal Copenhagen, Denmark, 1911
Located in Valby, 84
Unique Art Nouveau vase of ovoid form in porcelain, hand painted with a large blue iris in full bloom above elongated green leaves, the upper body with a continuous landscape of wate...
Porcelain
20th Century Art Nouveau Clear Glass Vase, Ruffled Edge, Austria circa 1910
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Charming Art Nouveau glass vase with ruffled edge coming from the famous period in Austria around 1910. The extraordinary mouthblown clear glass body impresses with a beautiful bulb...
Blown Glass
Art Nouveau Terracotta Vase by Valdemar Koch (1852-1902), P. Ipsen, C.1890.
By Ipsen
Located in Valby, 84
Art Nouveau Terracotta Vase by Architect Valdemar Koch, P. Ipsen, Copenhagen, ca. 1890. Vase in a baluster form in unglazed terracotta, the upper body with matte black slip, the low...
Clay
Impressive Extra Large Vintage Émile Gallé Cameo Glass Vase
By Émile Gallé
Located in Stratford, CT
Extra large Galle Cameo vase overlaid with different layers of glass with amber and burgundy red colors, fused together by heat. The vase features high-cut acid-etched flowers. B...
Glass
Dutch Gouda Vase, Zuid Corona Pattern, Art Nouveau Stoneware, Holland, 1922
By Koninklijke Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland
Located in Glasgow, GB
This Dutch Gouda vase by Zuid, produced in Holland in 1922, features the Corona pattern with richly hand-painted floral decoration inspired by the flowing organic forms of the Art No...
Enamel
Early Diskometal Bowl designed by Just Andersen, 1920s, Denmark
Located in Værløse, DK
Early Diskometal Bowl designed by Just Andersen in the 1920s. * Boat-shaped diskometal bowl * Designer: Just Andersen * Model: D145 * Year: 1926-1929 * Condition: Good vintage con...
Bronze
Enamel Painted Biddy Chicken Bird Opal Glass Vase, Antique German Eastern, 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Petite Opal Black Glass Vase with Enamel Chicken Motif A charming small opal black glass vase featuring a delicate enamel painting of a biddy chicken. The hand-applied enamel des...
Enamel
20th Century Art Nouveau Glass Vase by W. Kralik - Iridescent, Bohemia ca. 1902
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Absolute rare, exceptional early 19th century Art Nouveau glass vase by W. Kralik & Son, artfully handcrafted in Bohemia around 1902. This unique, iridescent Bohemian piece of glass ...
Blown Glass
Legras. Large Art Nouveau gilt and enameled glass vase, France, 1890s
By Val Saint Lambert, François-Théodore Legras, Verrerie Legras, Baccarat
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Large Art Nouveau enameled glass vase by Legras, France, 1890s. Made of hand-blown blue glass in the shape of a cylinder with a swirling finish on its outer face. Carefully hand-pain...
Enamel
Antique Nippon Noritake Hand Painted Art Nouveau Porcelain Footed Round Vase
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique Nippon Noritake Floral Hand Painted Art Nouveau Twin Handle Porcelain Footed Round Vase. Circa Early 20th Century. Measurements: 11.5" H x 5.25" W x 5.5" D.
Porcelain, Pottery
Antique Art Nouveau Silver Photograph Frame. English. Dated 1905
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Beautiful silver photo frame In art nouveau style Good clear hallmark for Birmingham 1905 Original bevelled glass Good condition Original oak back Free UK shipping
Silver
$1,958Sale Price|25% Off
Authentic Émile Gallé Art Nouveau Vase with Wisteria Motif, circa 1910
By Émile Gallé
Located in Bochum, NRW
An exquisite authentic vase by Émile Gallé, master of French Art Nouveau glass. Circa 1910. Dimensions: Height 21 cm × Diameter 8 cm. This piece showcases a delicate interplay of pur...
Glass
Edgar Brandt Bronze Paper Knife/Letter Opener
By Edgar Brandt
Located in NANTES, FR
Art Nouveau letter opener, circa 1905, in bronze. Decorated with ginkgo biloba leaves, stamped E. Brandt. In perfect condition. Length: 20 cm Width: 3.3 cm Thickness: 1 cm Weight...
Bronze
René Lalique Oleron French Fish Vase
By René Lalique
Located in Franklin Park, IL
René Lalique Oleron French Fish Vase This vase measures: 3.75 wide x 3.75 deep x 3.5 inches high Excellent Vintage Condition. We take our photos in a controlled lighting studio to...
Glass
Rare Art Nouveau Pottery Bowl by Anders Teodor Andersson. Ystad, Sweden, 1920s.
By Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat, Charles Greber, Clement Massier, Auguste Delaherche
Located in Malmö, SE
A rare and beautiful art nouveau vase with amazing glaze. Made by Anders Teodor Andersson in his factory in Ystad, Sweden, 1923-1929. Good condition. I has a tiny chip to the top ri...
Ceramic
Jeweled Art Nouveau Repoussé Clock by Alfred Daguet, with Original Mechanisim
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Cabochons include semi-precious moonstones. Signed Alfred Daguet 02 & Les Courves Bing Alfred Louis Achille DAGUET (1875 - 1942) was a metalsmith active in Paris during the fir...
Brass, Copper
$2,658Sale Price|20% Off
Emile Gallé Cameo Glass Vase with Orchid Oncidium Motif Nancy France 1894-1904
By Émile Gallé
Located in Bochum, NRW
Rare Emile Gallé Art Nouveau Cameo Glass Vase with Orchid Oncidium Motif — Nancy, France, Circa 1894–1904 Baluster-shaped vase, multilayer cased glass, green, colorless, and violet h...
Art Glass
Adolf Loos Vienna Modernism Wall Clock by Junghans, Germany, 1920s
By Adolf Loos, Junghans Uhren GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful minimalist wall clock, dating back to around 1920, designed by Adolf Loos (1870–1933), manufactured by Junghans Germany. This clock stands out with its unmistakable octag...
Metal, Brass, Enamel, Sheet Metal
20th Cent Cat Musician Miniature Figure, Silver Plate Austria
Located in Nuernberg, DE
20th Century Silver plate Figurine, Austria A refined 20th century silver plate figurine, crafted with elegant detailing and timeless appeal. This piece is not marked, but is indica...
Silver Plate
$569Sale Price|58% Off
Pair of Loetz Glass and Wrought Iron Vases 1920s
By Loetz Glass
Located in Milano, MI
Pair of Loetz iridescent glass and wrought iron mesh vases, hand-blown in the 1920s Ø cm 10 h cm 23 Loetz is a name that immediately conjures up images of art glass of extraordinar...
Glass
Herman A. Kähler LARGE HAK Ball Shaped Floor Vase Denmark Early 20th Century
By Herman Kähler, Sophie Lundstein 1
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Large Art Nouveau ceramic floor vase made by Herman A. Kähler ceramic works in Denmark in the period 1915-1930. Most likely crafted by Sofie Lundstein or Tulle Emborg. The ball shape...
Ceramic
Baccarat, Grass Green Crystal Cut Coupe, France, 1920
By Baccarat
Located in Rijssen, NL
Glorifying the effects of refracted light for 170 years, the iconic Baccarat vases are well-known all over the world. A crystal grass green masterpiece of exceptional proportions, t...
Crystal
Martin Benito Crystal Centerpiece, Purple, Crystall And Bronze, Paris, France
Located in Rijssen, NL
Luxury at its finest, a rarely seen Martin Benito fine and heavy purple cut to clear centre piece bowl, mouth-blown, hand-cut crystal and gilt bronze doré mount of swans and Baroque ...
Crystal, Bronze
Art Nouveau Diskometal Vase Just Andersen, 1920s, Denmark
Located in Værløse, DK
Art Nouveau Diskometal Vase designed by Just Andersen in the late 1920s. * Diskometal vase in organic shapes * Designer: Just Andersen * Model: D118 * Year: 1926-1929 * Condition: ...
Metal
Gorgeous Cathedral Cologne Souvenir Trinket Jewelry Box Antique, German, 1950s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful souvenir trinket box made of metal. A beautiful nice addition to your vanity room or your collection of Grand Tour items.
Metal
Beautiful flower jardiniere, Jugendstil Art Nouveau Eichwald green, Bohemia 1900
By Eichwald
Located in Wien, AT
A beautiful, classic flower jardinière, made by the renowned ceramics manufacturer Eichwald in Bohemia, circa 1900. The jardinière features typical Art Nouveau design. It has an ova...
Ceramic
Art Nouveau Earthenware Vase, Upsala Ekeby, Sweden, 1940s
By Harald Östergren, Vicke Lindstrand, Upsala Ekeby, Anna-Lisa Thomson, Rörstrand
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Warm marbled yellow modern art nouveau vase by Upsala Ekeby in the 1940s. Soft shaped glazed ceramic vase with two small spouts and fluted wavey coral red handles. Stamped and number...
Ceramic, Earthenware, Pottery, Stoneware
Vintage Antique MaruMan T2 Heavy Crystal Table Lighter Electric And Gas
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Vintage antique crystal tabletop gas and electric lighter. In great condition. This exquisite Lighter is a testament to the opulence and craftsmanship of the mid 20th century. The b...
Crystal, Metal
Art Nouveau Vase Ceramics, Floral Turquoise & Blue Josef Ekberg Sgrafitto 1921
Located in Stockholm, SE
An art nouveau vase in ceramics designed by Josef Ekberg at Gustavsberg in 1921, this vase is from the classic Sgrafitto-serie. The vase is 8 cm (3.2") tall. It is in very good condi...
Ceramic
WMF Art Nouveau Aperitif Serving Tray
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in NANTES, FR
Art Nouveau aperitif server or pin tray, circa 1900. Silver-plated metal with ginkgo biloba leaf decoration, handle decorated with a woman. Stamped WMF. In very good condition. Note ...
Silver Plate
Art Nouveau Stoneware Vase by Jeppe Clemmensen, Møller & Bøgely, Denmark, C.1919
Located in Valby, 84
Art Nouveau vase of bulbous form in stoneware, covered in a deep Aegean blue glaze and decorated with incised white five-petalled flowers, green clover leaves and scrolling foliage a...
Ceramic
$2,000Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of Majolica Flowers & Leaves Cache Pots Luneville Circa 1890
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of Majolica Flowers & Leaves signed Luneville Cache Pots Circa 1890, H / 7 inches , D / 9 inches by 7 inches.
Ceramic, Majolica
$105Sale Price|30% Off
Antique Simpson Hall Miller Sterling Silver Lidded Cut Crystal Vanity Jar Pot 4"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Art Nouveau Simpson, Hall, Miller Co Repousse sterling silver 925/1000 lidded cut crystal / glass vanity / powder / dresser jar or pot. Simpson Hall Miller & Co, Walling...
Sterling Silver
$7,002Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair Of Art Nouveau Vases, Karl Ens Volkstedt, Circa 1896
By Karl Ens
Located in Lisbon, PT
A pair of Art Nouveau Jugendstil Style amphora from Rudolstadt, Thuringia hailing from the Triebner Ens Manufacture and the artist Karl Ens Volkstedt. Vase decorated with a iris f...
Faience
Mid-Century Ruscha Art Vase
By Ruscha
Located in Waddinxveen, ZH
Beautiful art pottery and unusual piece by Ruscha with a strong art nouveau influence in its shape and decoration. It is glazed in a dark brown with variegated purple and light grey ...
Ceramic
$625Sale Price|50% Off
Art Nouveau Style Art Glass Vase Signed Contemporary, circa 1980s
Located in New York, NY
A very beautiful contemporary art glass vase in the Art Nouveau style, by artist Robert Eickholt, circa 1980s. Vase is signed "Eickholt" and dated "1988" on bottom as shown in last t...
Art Glass, Blown Glass
Majolica Parrot Tulip Vase Delphin Massier, circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica Parrot Tulip Vase Delphin Massier, circa 1900. Height / 9.5 inches. The Massier family are known for the quality of their unique enamels and paintings. They produced an incr...
Majolica, Ceramic
French Art Nouveau Brass Vide - Poche or Pin Tray with Dragonfly and Flowers
Located in Barntrup, DE
French Art Nouveau brass card or pin tray, vide-poche, 1920s. This delightful card tray or pin tray, vide-poche, is made of brass and showcases a relief design of a dragonfly, adorn...
Brass
$1,280Sale Price|20% Off
Large Majolica Orchid Cache Pot Fives Lille, circa 1890
By Fives-Lille
Located in Austin, TX
Large Majolica cache pot in two parts decorated with orchids Fives Lille, circa 1890. H / 9.5 inches , D / 10.5 inches. Rare size.
Ceramic
$683Sale Price|20% Off
Art Nouveau Sculptural Swan Bowl in Crackle Glazed Porcelain and Gilt Metal
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
Elegant Art Nouveau inspired swan bowl in crackle-glazed white porcelain with sculptural gilt metal, evoking Hollywood Regency glamour; decorative centerpiece with substantial weight...
Bronze
Large rectangular table box in sterling silver with fine enamelled miniature
By Renato Salimbeni, Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Large rectangular table box in gold-plated 925/1000 sterling silver with translucent enamels fired on guilloché and a fine miniature of a bouquet of flowers hand-painted by the paint...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
$440Sale Price|20% Off
Small Majolica Cache Pot Jerome Massier Fils, circa 1890
Located in Austin, TX
French purple Majolica Cache Pot Jerome Massier Fils, circa 1890. Height / 3.8 inches. Diameter / 5.8 inches.
Ceramic
$1,258Sale Price|20% Off
Scavo Cenedese Blue Glass Vase from the 1950s
Located in Milano, MI
Blue vase in Scavo di Cenedese glass made in the 1950s. Measures: Ø 13 cm, H 19 cm Scavo glass is a type of ornamental glass with a rough surface with a matte finish in imitati...
Murano Glass