The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave.
ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.
Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.
Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.
Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.
Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Sculpture by Klara Sever for Austin Productions, 1970's
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Sculpture by Klara Sever for Austin Productions, 1970's.
Plaster
Wooden Zodiac Sagittarius Wall Plaque Relief Brutalist Midcentury, German, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful wooden wall plaque relief sign, made in the Brutalist style in Germany in the 1970s. This is a wonderful Zodiac sign. This can be used as a Wall decoration or as a decorati...
Plywood
Vintage Boho Brutalist Chain Link Snake Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Inject a dose of raw, industrial edge into your decor with this striking vintage Brutalist snake sculpture. Hand-crafted from salvaged heavy-gauge chain links expertly welded into a ...
Steel, Iron
Oval Bowl Decorative Center Countertop Piece Silver and Gold Coloured Cast Metal
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Oval Bowl was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast aluminum and sand cast brass. Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain from...
Aluminum, Brass
Arenson Studio “Infinity” Brutalist Hammered Brass, Leather Box
Located in Jensen Beach, FL
Hand-hammered copper box by Arenson Studios, West Palm Beach, FL, circa 1970s.
Copper
Vintage Brutalist Metal Candleholder, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Brutalist Metal Candleholder, 1970s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. Additional information: Materials: Metal Style: Brutalist Color: Brown Item Type: Vintag...
Metal
60s Mid Century Modern Brutalist K L Hakuli Brass Abstract Art Menorah Israel
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Beautiful Artisan made, K. L. Hakuli for Weinberg, Israel Brutalist 9 candle Hanukkah Menorah Piece is off-centered and very abstract with incised v...
Brass
Mid-Century Brutalist German Bronze Candleholder from Harjes, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist German Bronze Candleholder from Harjes, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mar...
Metal
Pair of Dutch midcentury brutalist cast stone concrete abstract sculptures 1960s
Located in Zaandam, NL
Two abstract cast concrete sculptures in the brutalist idiom. Hand-carved or hand-finished geometric forms—one with interlocking rectangular planes and straps, the other with organic...
Cast Stone, Concrete
Modernist Stoneware Child Bust on Brutalist Wood Base by Kari Landegren
Located in Bochum, NRW
A striking and deeply expressive Scandinavian modernist studio ceramic bust of a child, created by Swedish artist Kari Landegren. Executed in fine stoneware with a tactile, matte bis...
Stoneware, Wood
Vintage David Marshall Brutalist Brass and Aluminum 17.75" Tabletop Wing Clock
Located in Cincinnati, OH
This vintage brutalist brass and aluminum tabletop clock was made in Spain by Scottish sculptor David Marshall. The sand-cast battery-operated clock has a thick, asymmetrical brass ...
Aluminum, Brass
Brutalist Aluminum & Brass Desenos Candlestick by David Marshall
Located in San Diego, CA
A very nice Brutalist aluminum and brass "Desenos" candlestick by David Marshall, circa 1970s. The piece is the creation of the internationally renowned artist David Marshall, based ...
Aluminum, Brass
Vintage Original Abstract Studio Pottery Sculpture on Coquina Block Plinth
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This compelling original studio pottery sculpture is a masterwork of Organic Modernism, featuring a biomorphic, pod-like ceramic form that evokes the primeval beauty of natural artif...
Iron
Curb Chain Brutalist "Martelé" Patinated Steel Decorative Box - France 1970's
Located in New York, NY
Decorative box in hammered steel with a curb chain motif. Brutalist design. France 1970's. In good vintage condition. This box will ship from France and can be returned to either Fra...
Steel
Vintage Original Studio Pottery Block Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This striking vintage studio pottery sculpture by Kaplan is a masterclass in Brutalist-inspired organic modernism. Hand-built from substantial stoneware, the piece features an asymme...
Pottery, Stoneware
Pair of Sculptural Vintage Brutalist Bronze Candlesticks, signed Wainberg 1960s
Located in Salzburg, AT
Pair of Sculptural Vintage Shabatt Bronze Candlesticks, signed Wainberg 1960s These striking metal objects from the Wainberg Metal Manufactory, known for its mid-century metal desig...
Brass, Bronze
Brutalist Wall Candle Holder by Erkki Hovi for Finn Atelier Oy, Finland, 1970s
Located in Göteborg, SE
Bring sculptural drama and Nordic craftsmanship to your interior with this striking Brutalist wall-mounted candle holder, designed by Finnish artist Erkki Hovi and crafted by Finn At...
Pine
Brutalist Wrought Iron Three-Light Candelabra, Spanish Modern Style
Located in San Carlos, CA
Hand-forged wrought iron candelabra in the Brutalist/Spanish Modern idiom. Three asymmetric trumpet-form candle cups, hand-rolled and seam-welded, rise from gently curved strap-iron arms atop a scrolled tripod base. Hammered, pitted surface throughout consistent with hand forging. Finished in matte black. Unmarked — attribution not confirmed; offered as mid-century studio ironwork in the manner of Spanish/Mexican wrought iron...
Wrought Iron
Pieter Spruyt handmade Brass 3 Brutalist Torchères
Located in Den Haag, NL
Hand made Brass Torchères. Made and signed by Pieter Spruyt 1980s . fit for tea lights . or other Candles . set of Three .
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Torch Cut Brass Fern Sculpture W/ Wood Base
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a large mid-century modern brutalist brass fern sculpture on a wood base. It appears to be a very nice torch cut piece. This tabletop sculpture makes a bold statement! It dat...
Brass
Mid-Century Brutalist Candleholder from Harjes, Germany, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Candleholder from Harjes, Germany, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional information: Material: ...
Metal
A105 Leaf Bowl in solid cast brass
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative tray was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast brass. Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain from recycled materials. Certi...
Brass
Brutalist Expressionist Horse Sculpture, Signed JC with Copyright Mark, 1980s
Located in San Diego, CA
A dynamic Brutalist-style horse sculpture rendered with heavy, expressive surface modeling and a strong sense of motion. The figure’s elongated limbs and bowed head convey tension an...
Resin
$120Sale Price|48% Off
Ruscha Keramik Brutalist Advents Candle Holder - West Germany, 1960's
By Ruscha
Located in Bern, BE
West German ceramic Brutalist Advents candle holder produced by Ruscha Keramik (W.Germany) in the late 1960's to mid-1970s. With four candle holde...
Ceramic
Vintage Iron Giraffe Sculpture in Brutalist Style, 29\" Tall, 1950s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Vintage Brutalist style hand forged and welded steel giraffe sculpture with a rich dark patina. Heavily inspired by traditional West African ironworks this piece captures an elongate...
Iron
American Brutalist Cubist Wrought Iron Sculpture Flying Bird, Kohn 1974
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage Mid-Century Modern Brutalist torch cut metal abstract sculpture depicts a flying bird with outstretched wings, supported by spiral structure resting on demilune metal base. T...
Metal, Cut Steel
Mid-Century Brutalist Candleholder in Wrought Iron, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Candleholder in Wrought Iron, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Wrought Iron Color: Gray Styles: Brutal...
Wrought Iron
Ceramic sculpture in bronze glazing, Dutch, 1970s
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
A striking example of 1970s ceramic artistry, this sculptural piece embodies the raw elegance of the Brutalist movement, paired with the sensual, organic lines reminiscent of mid-cen...
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Pair of Brutalist Candleholders/Sculptures by David Palombo
Located in New York, NY
These two pieces by Israeli artist David Palombo are in his signature Brutalist style and use the two materials he is best known for iron and natural stone. Fully functional as candl...
Stone, Iron
Pair of Red & Green Enameled Copper Mugs by Kwangho Lee, c. 2012
By Kwangho Lee
Located in New York City, NY
Highly collectible pair of enameled copper mugs by South Korean artist Kwangho Lee. With their stunning and explosive design, these copper mugs are a ne...
Copper
Canoa A059 Dish Handmade Silver and Gold coloured Bowl
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Canoa Dish was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast aluminum and sand cast brass. Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain fro...
Aluminum, Brass
Vintage Brutalist German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Brutalist German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1970s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional info...
Ceramic
Collection of 5o 19th Century Carved Wood Molds for Castings, Sizes Vary
Located in Buchanan, MI
Collection of 50 19th century carved wood molds for castings. Would make a great residential or commercial art installation. Sizes vary, great color and patina. Please note there ar...
Wood
Vintage Brutalist Metal Candleholder, 20th Century
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Metal Brutalist Candleholder, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. Additional information: Material: Metal Color: Black Styles: Brutalist Item Type: Vintage, Anti...
Metal
Wooden Zodiac Capricorn Wall Plaque Relief Brutalist Midcentury, German, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful wooden wall plaque relief sign, made in the Brutalist style in Germany in the 1970s. This is a wonderful Zodiac sign. This can be used as a Wall decoration or as a decorati...
Wood
Set of Three Stoneware Double Candlesticks by Bernard Rooke, England, 1970s
Located in Camblanes et Meynac, FR
A set of three stoneware double candlesticks by Bernard Rooke, made in his English studio in the 1970s. Each candlestick is hand-built as a pair of flared candle cups rising from a t...
Ceramic, Stoneware
Mid-Century German Brutalist Studio Pottery Floor Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Modern German Brutalist Studio Pottery Floor Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1969
Pottery
Mid-Century Scandianvian Heavy Bubble Glass Block Vase, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Scandianvian Heavy Bubble Glass Block Vase, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Material: Glass Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Century...
Glass
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Copper Wading Bird Sculpture
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
An exceptional French mid-century modern sculpture depicting a stylized wading bird, handcrafted in hammered and welded copper. This rare and expressive piece showcases a beautifully...
Copper
Brutalist abstract coated bronze seated woman and man bookends
Located in Asheville, NC
Vintage abstract bronze bookend sculptures of a faceless man and woman. About 7”H Price is for the set. Sold as a set only
Bronze
Set of 3 Metal CACTUS Contemporary BRUTALIST SCULPTURES by ESOJ France 2020
Located in PARIS, FR
A set of 3 strong and spectacular metal cactus, contemporary brutalist sculptures, unique pieces by artist ESOJ, France 2020. Dimensions : The higher : H 101.5 x D 23 cm / H 40 x D 9 inch The medium : H 50 x D 17 cm / H 20 x 6.7 inch The smaller : H 21 x D 16,5 cm / H 8.2 x 6.5 inch These pieces allow to be presented independently, as well as together (recommended) allowing various esthetic compositions. They are made to be set up indoor as radical sculptures, as well as outdoor on a terrasse or in any garden or even wild nature to create a trouble illusion between wildness and modernity. We represent ESOJ and organized his exhibition "Metal Spirit", November 2022, in our gallery in Paris, and this unique piece was presented during this event. Esoj's work is rooted in a direct link to daily life, to the visual value of consumer objects. Whether they are elements of nature or products of pop culture, he fixes them in the metal to give them a definitive appearance, a form of immortality: a box of opened chocolates will be there forever, nothing will not erase Mickey's sluggish smile, nor his middle finger; a succulent plant frozen in iron will no longer need water... A parallel world under construction, a world of avatars springing from a metallic quintessence which confronts man with himself, with matter, with progress, to the flow of time. Beyond their symbolic force, Esoj's sculptures express as much the visceral gesture of the artist in a world losing meaning, as they catalog his universe in a subjective archive. For his first collaboration with us, Esoj looks away from his Barbie dolls, Playmobils and bags of M&Ms, to sketch a sort of return to Nature and vibrate an ancestral wisdom evident in his new series of cacti, succulents, vases and masks murals with shamanic connotations. A wisdom that he draws from his Portuguese origins, this saudade: “tension between opposites, on the one hand the feeling of a lack, on the other hand the hope and the desire to find what we lack”, embodied here by a particularly inhabited desert; where cacti are next to agaves, aloes, prickly pears, plants which are certainly ornamental but also hallucinogenic and healing, sometimes fatal; where the series of containers suggests an almost medicinal link between these inert objects, even more obvious in the wall piece inspired by Korean...
Metal
Vintage Boho Original Studio Pottery Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Embrace the elemental beauty of the studio pottery movement with this evocative vintage stoneware vase. Sculpted in a distinctive low-profile "volcano" form, the vessel features a ri...
Pottery
Mid-Century Brutalist Metal Candleholder, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Metal Candleholder, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Material: Metal Color: Brown Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Century Modern ...
Metal
Mid-Century Space Age Brutalist Block Bubble Glass Vase by Horst Tüselmann 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Space Age Brutalist Block Bubble Glass Vase by Horst Tüselmann for Ichendorf Glashütte, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 official proof of authentici...
Glass
Octopus Clock D005 handmade in cast brass & aluminium
Located in Benahavis, AN
The Octopus Clock was created by David Marshall, from sand cast brass & aluminium. We use recycled materials all our pieces are handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and...
Aluminum, Brass
FLUXsculpture > organic stainless-steel sculpture
By Jan Paul
Located in Maastricht, NL
FLUX rare beauty in everyday objects Numerous experiments with materials and shapes resulted in a new form and material language “Flux” Flexible steel tubes are shaped by hand ...
Stainless Steel
Brutalist Small Metal Bowl A018 Solid Cast Aluminium & Brass
Located in Benahavis, AN
The small Basket bowl was created by David Marshall, from sand cast aluminium and brass. All our pieces are handmade, mounted and finished in out foundry and workshop in Spain. It ...
Aluminum, Brass
Sculptural Brutalist Bronze Candle Holder designed by Heinz Goll, Austria 1960s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an extremely rare and absolutely extraordinary sculptural Brutalist candle holder done in gilt bronze, shaped as a coral. It was designed by Austrian designer Heinz Goll...
Bronze
Vintage Boho Studio Pottery Weed Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Capture the essence of handcrafted artistry with this striking vintage studio pottery weed vase. Its elegant, teardrop silhouette and richly textured, almost primal surface, bearing ...
Pottery, Stoneware
Paul Evans Style Brutalist Hand Wrought Copper Candlesticks, Circa 1970s
By Paul Evans
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful pair of mid-century modern Brutalist hand wrought copper large candlestick holders In the manner of Paul Evans USA, Circa 1970s Measures: 4.5"W x 4.5"D x 13"H. Very g...
Copper
Rolf Palm Höganäs Stoneware Vase, Sweden 1970s Brutalist
Located in Stockholm, SE
A striking rectangular stoneware vase designed by Swedish ceramicist Rolf Palm for Höganäs Keramik, circa 1970. This sculptural piece exemplifies Scandinavian studio pottery at its f...
Stoneware
Mid-Century Swedish Brutalist Bubble Glass Block Vase by Josef Schott, 1960s
By Josef Schott
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Swedish Brutalist Bubble Glass Block Vase by Josef Schott for Smalandshyttan, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 I have official proof of authenticity ...
Glass
Brutalist Torch-Cut Steel Sculpture "The Buffalo" on Marble Base by Tom Hardy
By Thomas Bush Hardy
Located in San Diego, CA
Stunning brutalist torch-cut steel sculpture "The Buffalo" on black marble base by listed artist, Tom Hardy, circa 1950s. This striking buffalo sculpture is crafted from torch-cut st...
Marble, Cut Steel
Mid-Century Brutalist West German Pottery WGP Fat Lava Carafe Vase, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist West German Pottery WGP Fat Lava Carafe Vase from Jopeko, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 Official proof of authenticity such as vintage c...
Ceramic
Brutalist Mid Century Reed candelabra in wrought iron with golden patina
Located in BELFORT, FR
Large Mid Century and Brutalist style wrought iron candelabra, with golden patina. Very nice condition.
Wrought Iron
Curtis Jere Horse Sculpture
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Metal Curtus Jere horse sculpture with bronzy patina.
Metal
Solid Oak Planter Stand Attributed to Henning Kjærnulf, Denmark, 1960s
Located in Nørre Aaby, DK
Solid oak planter stand attributed to Danish designer Henning Kjærnulf, produced in Denmark during the 1960s. The piece features finely carved decorative details and a strong sculptu...
Oak
Wrought Iron Candle Stand with Beads, Brutalist Style, Denmark, 1970s
Located in Den Haag, NL
Hand forged Wrought Iron Candle Stand With Beads . Good condition .
Wrought Iron
Sun Clock D003 handmade in cast brass & aluminium
Located in Benahavis, AN
The Sun Clock was created by David Marshall, from sand cast aluminium and brass. We use recycled materials all our pieces are handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and works...
Aluminum, Brass
Brutalist Style Vintage Bowl in Brass Aluminium by David Marshall, Circa 1970s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Brutalist Style Vintage Bowl in Brass Aluminium by David Marshall, Circa 1970s. Double brass handles by the Scottish artist David Marshall. The bottom has the trademark leather base...
Aluminum, Brass