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.
Bauhaus Era Pear Potpourri Jar in Lacquered Steel, 1920s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
As a protector//reducer of foul odors in the toilet or bedroom these small curious objects often disguised as a fruit or something humorous were popular during the 1920s in Scandinav...
Steel
AEG Factory, Station Wall Clock by Peter Behrens
By Peter Behrens, AEG
Located in Vienna, AT
Steel painted with glass front made in Germany in the 1930s by AEG. Now fitted with a 220Volts movement but can be changed to a modern quartz movement w...
Steel
Art Deco Modernist Metal Brass Jewelry Cigar Box Humidor Etched Lacquered
By Ruppelwerk, Bauhaus, Bauhaus Deutschland, Erhard & Söhne
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
Elegant vintage jewelry or cigar box, attributed to Erhard & Söhne, Germany, early to mid-20th century. This finely crafted box is made of gilt brass and richly decorated with intric...
Metal
$1,050 / set
Bauhaus Style Candlesticks
By Bauhaus
Located in New York, NY
Pair of brass candlesticks in the style of the Bauhaus. Stamped "Made in Germany." This pair of industrial candlesticks follow the Bauhaus school of design's philosophy of "form fo...
Brass
Mid-Century German Brass and Glass Candleholder by Harald Buchrucker, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Brass and Glass Candleholder by Harald Buchrucker, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informatio...
Metal
Carl Auböck Chrome Box with Leather Lid, 1930s
Located in Vienna, AT
A refined early piece from the Carl Auböck workshop, dating to the 1930s. This chrome-plated box features clean, modernist lines contrasted by a hand-stitched leather lid — a hallmar...
Chrome
Carafe/Vase by Carl Auböck 1950
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful mid-century minimalist vase or carafe, "tuberculin flask", designed and executed by Carl Auböck II in the 1950s. This piece is made of clear blown glass and features a ha...
Leather, Glass
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
West German “Fat Lava” Studio Pottery Vase, Bauhaus-Inspired, circa 1960s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
West German “Fat Lava” Studio Pottery Vase, Bauhaus-Inspired, circa 1960s A striking mid-century West German ceramic vase featuring a bold “Fat Lava” glaze, celebrated for its richly...
Ceramic
$496Sale Price|20% Off
Vase, Ceramic, Enamel Hand Painted, Attributable to Late Bauhaus, 1930, Germany
Located in Wien, AT
Very special vase, made of ceramic with extraordinarily decorative painting, made by hand in enamel. This style in Art Deco, the workmanship and the objects of comparison, for exam...
Ceramic, Majolica
Carl Aubock Wooden Bowl Goldplated from 1950
Located in Vienna, AT
Aubock bowl, circa 1950, crafted from warm walnut with an elegant gold-plated interior. A refined example of Werkstätte Carl Aubock’s mid-century craftsmanship, combining natural mat...
Gold Plate
$1,223Sale Price|20% Off
Rare Bauhaus Era Art Deco Box by WMF Ikora Design Breuhaus de Groot
By WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik, Fritz August Breuhaus de Groot 1
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This stunning and ultra rare hand-hammered Art Deco lidded box designed by Fritz August Breuhaus de Groot for WMF Ikora in the 1920s is a true masterpiece of the era. Its design is a...
Silver Plate, Brass
Modernist Rietveld style standing clock by Interclock, Belgium 1980s
By Gerrit Rietveld, Frank Lloyd Wright
Located in ECHT, NL
This 1980s standing clock, produced in the style of Gerrit Rietveld, is a striking example of late-20th-century modernist and constructivist design. Built around a strong vertical c...
Brass, Stainless Steel
WMF Ikora sculptural Bauhaus bowl, silver-plated brass, by Paul Haustein, 1920
Located in Ludwigslust, DE
The silver-plated, sculptural brass bowl, with its conical shape and dark rays emanating from the center, exudes absolute elegance in the clear language of the Bauhaus. The bowl disp...
Silver Plate, Brass
Art Deco Ceramic Floor Vase Bo Fajans Ewald Dahlskog, Sweden, 1940s
Located in Hillringsberg, SE
Wonderful large off-white ceramic vase manufactured in Sweden at Bo Fajans and designed by Ewald Dahlskog in the 1940s. The shape and lines of the vase goes perfect with the wonderf...
Ceramic
Very Large Blue Siemens Clock
By Siemens
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
This beautiful, unique wall clock originates from an old cable factory in former East Germany (DDR). The clock once hung in the hall where workers could keep track of the time. It ha...
Metal
Modernist Desk World Clock Kundo by Kieninger & Obergfell West Germany 1960s
By Kundo, Kieninger & Obergfell
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Kundo World Time Desk Clock by Kieninger & Obergfell, Brass Modernist Design, West Germany, Circa 1960s A striking and highly collectible Mid-Century Modern world time desk clock by ...
Brass
Vintage Kahla Porcelain Square Ashtray Green and Gold Germany c. 1950
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Kahla Porcelain Cigar Ashtray – Green & Gold, Germany c.1950 Elegant and collectible, this vintage square porcelain ashtray by Kahla was made in Germany circa 1950. Featuring...
Ceramic, Porcelain
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
Swedish Modern Hand-Glazed Ceramic vase in Yellow & Black
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Small early functionalist ceramic vase signed BO - 44. Possibly a studio piece from Bo Fajans in Sweden. Pastel wheat main-glaze hand-decorated with yellow and black stripes. Measure...
Ceramic
Eva Zeisel Schramberg Vase German Modernist
By Eva Zeisel
Located in Sharon, CT
Rare example of the important work the young Eva Zeisel accomplished for Schramberg in 1929-1930. See period photo from 'EVA ZEISEL:D...
Ceramic
Bauhaus Era Cigarette Container in White Metal, 1930s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A 1930s container for cigarettes or personal smalls. Distinct simple Bauhaus - functionalist styling. It is made from an un-hallmarked solid white metal. A perfect piece for honest i...
Metal
lovely real leather PATCHWORK paper bin basket Auböck Style, Germany 1960s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Mathieu Matégot, Bauhaus
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: waste bin paper bin basket Origin: Germany Age: 1960s This original vintage Auböck style waste bin paper bin basket was produced in the 1960s in Germany. It is made of na...
Leather
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
$464Sale Price|20% Off
Sculptural Brass & Copper Candleholder by Harald Buchrucker Bauhaus 1940s
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
Minimalistic designed candle holder for four candles made of solid brass with copper drip trays attributed to Harald Buchrucker dating to the 1940s.
Brass, Copper
Scandinavian Functionalist Candlesticks in Brass
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A pair of brass candlesticks for regular sized candles. Distinct functionalist styling with architectural features. Manufactured anonymously in Scandinavia during the 1930s or 40s. ...
Brass
Sculptural Bronze Candle Holder by Benno Meyer, Early Modernism, 1930
By Benno Meyer
Located in Ludwigslust, DE
This exceptional candle holder combines functionality with artistic expressiveness and exemplifies the formal understanding of early modernism. Designed in 1930 by Benno Meyer, the o...
Bronze
Set of 2 Glass Vase by Richard Lauke for VLG Weisswasser, Germany, 1960s
By VLG Weißwasser, Wilhelm Wagenfeld
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Set of 2 glass vases Producer: VLG Weisswasser, GDR Design: Richard Lauke designed in 1939 Decade: 1960s Description: Original vintage set of 2 glass vases "Fe...
Glass
KPM Berlin White Porcelain Tea Box Designed by Trude Petri
Located in Vienna, AT
Porcelain tea box white porcelain with glossy glaze, designed by Trude Petri in 1967.
Porcelain
Large looped 60cm Midcentury Rattan Bauhaus Umbrella Stand, France, 1970s
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: Umbrella stand Origin: France Age: 1970s This original vintage Bauhaus style umbrella stand was produced in the 1970s in France. It is made of natural rattan with...
Rattan
$1,328Sale Price|20% Off
Art Deco Modernist Spritzdekor Metal Tin Box Container Marianne Brandt Bauhaus
By Marianne Brandt, Ruppelwerk
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
Extraordinary Modernist piece of early 20th Century design! This box or container with a hinged lid is lacquered with a fabulous typically constructivist "Spritzdekor" airbrush patt...
Metal
Scandinavian Glass Vase with Arrows, 1930s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A cast glass vase decorated with arrow motifs. Made in Denmark during the 1930s, probably by Lyngby Glas. The style of this piece mimics the industrial tendencies of Art Deco and the...
Glass
$559Sale Price|20% Off
Important Bauhaus Era Art Deco Bowl Dish by WMF Design Paul Haustein Ikora
By Paul Haustein, WMF Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
Stunning silverplated reticulated Art Deco Bauhaus Era bowl or centerpiece by WMF probably designed by Paul Haustein dating to the early 1920.
Silver Plate, Brass
Large Station Clock on a beautiful piece of wood with 3 lights.
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
Large station clock with three integrated lights. The clock has been fully restored with respect for its original appearance. Efforts were made to ...
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
Rare giant Bauhaus nutcracker by Carl Aubock Austria
Located in Vienna, AT
Excellent authentic nutcracker by Carl Aubock. Made about 1950. Signed and in excellent condition.
Brass
$14,320Sale Price|20% Off
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
$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
Wilhelm Wagenfeld, Vase, Glass, Germany, 1950s
By WMF Ikora, Wilhelm Wagenfeld
Located in High Point, NC
A grey-coloured glass vase designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld and produced by WMF, Germany, c. 1950s
Glass
Rare Vintage Aubock bowl, Signed , Vienna 1950
Located in Vienna, AT
Ashtray, bowl, signed Auböck. Rare biomorph shape. Good condition. Ninor brassing to surface due to age. Pictured in the large Aubock Cataolg Book. Created in the 1950`s. Executed ab...
Brass
large Aubock Style Midcentury Rattan Bauhaus Magazine Holder, France, 1970s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Mathieu Matégot, Bauhaus
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: magazine holder stand element Origin: France Age: 1970s This original vintage Bauhaus style magazine holder stand was produced in the 1970s in France. It is made of natur...
Rattan
unique Bauhaus DeStijl Style cubic metal Magazine Holder, Netherlands 1970s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Mathieu Matégot, Bauhaus
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: cubic magazine holder stand element Origin: Netherlands Age: 970s This original vintage Bauhaus DeStijl style magazine holder stand was produced in the 1970s in Netherlan...
Metal
Complete Aubock Egg Holder Set, Designed in the Early 1950s
Located in Vienna, AT
A set of 2 egg cups, on a bechwood holder, a very characteristic design by the Auböck workshop, Vienna, Austria. Original production from the 1950‘s. Excellent condition. The 2 massive brass rings with beautiful patina but can be polished. Measure: Height of one egg...
Brass
Elegant Hammered Brass Bauhaus Candle Sconce 1930s Germany
Located in Munich, DE
Rare and highly decorative Bauhaus candle sconce. Designed and manufactured probably in Germany, 1930s. Artists monogram on the backside. Executed in hammered brass. Measurements...
Brass
$600 / item
Bauhaus Period Tall Yellow Vase
By Bauhaus
Located in Sharon, CT
An unusually tall (15.5) and bright ceramic vase from one of the commercial potteries where Bauhaus or other related schools graduates to design a...
Ceramic
unique Mategot Aubock Style brass and bamboo Magazine Holder, Austria 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Mathieu Matégot, Bauhaus
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: magazine holder stand element Origin: Austria Age: 1950s This original vintage Auböck style magazine holder stand was produced in the 1950s ...
Metal
lovely real brown leather paper bin basket Auböck Style, Germany 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Mathieu Matégot, Bauhaus
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: waste bin paper bin basket Origin: Germany Age: 1950s This original vintage Auböck style waste bin paper bin basket was produced in the 1950s in Germany. It is made of na...
Leather
Aubock Style Rattan and Brass Bauhaus Waste Bin, Umbrella Stand, France, 1960s
By Mathieu Matégot, Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Bauhaus
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: waste bin paper bin umbrella stand Origin: France Age: 1960s This original vintage Bauhaus style waste bin paper bin umbrella stand was produced in the 1960s in Fra...
Metal, Brass
Aubock Style Mid-Century Rattan and Brass Bauhaus Waste Paper Bin, France, 1960s
By Mathieu Matégot, Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Bauhaus
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: waste bin paper bin Origin: France Age: 1960s This original vintage Bauhaus style waste bin paper bin was produced in the 1960s in France. It is made of natural rat...
Metal, Brass
unique Mategot Aubock Style brass and bamboo Magazine Holder, Austria 1950s
By Bauhaus, Mathieu Matégot, Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: magazine holder stand element Origin: Austria Age: 1950s This original vintage Auböck style magazine holder stand was produced in the 1950s ...
Metal
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
$2,134Sale Price|20% Off
Mategot Aubock Style White Metal Hole Pattern Magazine Holder, France, 1950s
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Mathieu Matégot, Bauhaus
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article: magazine holder stand element Origin: France Age: 1950s This original vintage Bauhaus style magazine holder stand was produced in the 1950s in France. It is made of...
Metal
Hand Graved Metal Plate Regensburg Bauhaus Industrial Style
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Heavy handcrafted metal pewter plate with design of scenes from early 20th century depicting the city life of Regensburg in Germany. People, dog, horse, architectural buildings. Handcrafted in West Germany relief...
Art Glass
Exceptional Unique Vase by Marguerite Friedlaender for Burg Giebichenstein
By Marguerite Friedlander
Located in Kiel, SH
Unique vase in "halle shape" by Marguerite Friedlaender (1896-1985) at Burg Giebichenstein. incised Burg Giebichenstein mark and a cross. Friedlaender is best known for the design of the "halle shape" which ist still in production as a porcelain vase by the KPM Berlin. MargueriteFriedlaender was student at the Bauhaus under Gerhard Marcks...
Ceramic
Hayno Focken Footed Bowl Hammered Brass Bauhaus
By Hayno Focken
Located in Munich, DE
Very nice, rare and original footed bowl from Hayno Focken. German Bauhaus 30th Art Deco hammered brass bowl with model number 2019. Signed on the underside with "HF" and Modell numb...
Brass
Vintage Brass Candlestick and Ashtray by Hayno Focken - Germany 1930s
By Hayno Focken
Located in Roma, IT
Brass Candlestick and Ashtray is an original decorative pair of objects realized in the second third of the XX Century. Original brass. Made in Ge...
Brass
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
1960s Large Patterned Vase by Scheurich Keramik
Located in Pittsburgh, PA
A striking example of West German Pottery, this large mid-century vase was crafted by Scheurich Keramik, the most prolific producer of the WGP movement. Influenced by the design prin...
Ceramic
Querandi Hand Graved Art Glass Plate Bauhaus Industrial Style
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Querandi art glass plate, colored hand graved glass depicting a factory. Bauhaus industrial style. Cameo-cut and sandblasted plum-colored glass platter. Hand...
Art Glass
$2,466Sale Price / item|20% Off
Tortuga Trinket Bowl by Le Berre Vevaud, Modern Osso Travertine
Located in Paris, IDF
Tortuga Trinket bowl Travertine, Lava, Memphis, France, Le Berre Vevaud Empreinte Collection Osso natural travertine Available in black lava For their second collection, Raphaë...
Lava, Travertine