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.
Mid-Century French Brutalist Studio Pottery Floor Vase, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century French Brutalist Studio Pottery Floor Vase from La Poterie De La Colombe, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark, I am s...
Earthenware
Prato Green Artistic Murano Glass Sculpture Vase, Italy 1970s
Located in Naples, IT
Sculptural vase made of vibrant meadow green glass, featuring incredible transparency that creates beautiful plays of light and shades depending on the surrounding lighting. The Surf...
Murano Glass
Brutalist Elm Totem Sculpture by Sebastien Touret, France
Located in London, GB
Large Brutalist Elm Totem Sculpture by Sebastien Touret, France Dimensions : H 203 x 32 x 43 cm The term brutalism — which derives from the French w...
Elm
Small Brutalist Studio Pottery Signed Figural Vase
Located in San Diego, CA
An interesting figural brutalist studio pottery stoneware vase, circa 1970s. It is has an abstract Picasso influenced look to it. Very cool and different piece that is signed on the...
Stoneware
Brutalist Metal Sculpture by Silas Seandel
Located in New York, NY
Brutalist mixed metal sculpture by Silas Seandel. This piece depicts a stylized Lilly, it is constructed of torch cut metal, it is signed "Silas" on its back. The sculpture is design...
Brass, Copper
Large Mid-Century Brutalist Floor Candleholder in Wrought Iron, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Large Mid-Century Brutalist Floor Candleholder in Wrought Iron, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Material: Metal Color: Black Period: 1...
Metal
$323Sale Price|40% Off
Aluminium and Bass Brutalist Style Vide-Poche by Alfonso Marquez, circa 1970s
Located in London, GB
Aluminium and brass Brutalist style vide-poche by Alfonso Marquez (in the style of David Marshall). Weighty and wonderfully tactile, this bowl is decor...
Aluminum, Brass
Bronze Figural Group Of African Royal Family On Carrier And Attendants, C. 1920s
Located in Germantown, MD
An Early 20th century Bamoun Bronze sculpture. The art of bronze in african art at the service of the King. The king, a bearded figure, a symbol of wisdom, sits in his carrier chair,...
Bronze
Brutalist Tripod Floor Sculpture, c.1955 – Blackened Steel & Orange Crystal
Located in Chicago, IL
Brutalist Tripod Floor Sculpture, c.1955 – Blackened Steel & Orange Crystal A striking mid-century floor sculpture styled after the Brutalist works of Falkenstein and Chadwick, this...
Metal
Mid-Century German Brutalist Schamotte Series Vase from Spara Keramik, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Brutalist Schamotte Series Vase from Spara Keramik, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informati...
Ceramic
1970s Vintage Metal Brutalist Candleholder in Excellent Condition
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Metal Brutalist Candleholder, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. Additional information: Materials: Metal Style: Brutalist Color:...
Metal
Small Brutalist Studio Pottery Vessel with Turquoise Drip Glaze
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Hand-thrown studio ceramic vessel featuring a richly textured surface with layered turquoise and lavender-toned drip glazes over earthy brown clay. Its sculptural form and tactile fi...
Ceramic
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Brutalist Floor Vase, 1977
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Brutalist Floor Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1977, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark, I am sure that...
Ceramic
Stoneware pot, France, 1960
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
A French stoneware pot from the 1960s, exemplifying the post-war revival of handcrafted ceramics. Its architectural and balanced form is characterized by a cylindrical body topped wi...
Stoneware
Brutalist Hand-Forged Metal Candleholder, Venetian Style, Europe 1960s
By Maison Jansen, Luciano Frigerio di Desio, Tommaso Barbi
Located in Herentals, BE
A powerful and sculptural brutalist candleholder, crafted in Europe circa 1960s–1970s, distinguished by its commanding presence and subtle Venetian stylistic influence. The piece fea...
Metal
Zoltán Pap Anthropomorphic Brutalist Candle Holder in Bronze and Enamel 1970s
Located in Tilburg, NL
Zoltán Pap Anthropomorphic Brutalist Candle Holder in Bronze and Enamel, Hungary, 1970s. A whimsical and very well made candlestick in solid cast bronze and enamel made by Hungarian...
Brass, Enamel
Brutalist Candle Holder, 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Vintage brutalist torch cut metal candle holder with 6 arms. Beautiful and timeless piece which is very decorative. The Brut design is very attractive. Very good condition ...
Metal
$14,995Sale Price|40% Off
1970s, Henri Fernandez Brass Fountain Style Fish Sculpture, France
Located in St- Leonard, Quebec
Fish sculpture, made of torch cutted, hand hammered and welded brass structure sitting on a oriental style brass base filled with ciment. All his fountains sculpture are unique but ...
Agate, Brass
Mid-Century German Space Age Bubble Glass Vase by from Gral, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Space Age Bubble Glass Vase by from Gral, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalogs, designer r...
Glass
Brutalist Glazed Stoneware Vase by Eric Astoul La Borne, Signed, circa 2000
By Eric Astoul
Located in Camblanes et Meynac, FR
Stoneware Vase by Eric Astoul - La Borne - Circa 2000 - Era Debril Joulia Astoul Sculptural stoneware vase by Eric Astoul, one of the leading ceramists working in La Borne, France. ...
Ceramic, Stoneware, Earthenware
Mid-Century Danish Brutalist Cast Iron Candleholder by Jens H. Quistgaard, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Danish Brutalist Cast Iron Candleholder by Jens H. Quistgaard for Paro, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additio...
Metal
Carved Modern Totem in Dark Black Solid Wood Elegance, Still Stand No95
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Carved Modern Totem in Dark Black Solid Wood Elegance, Still Stand No95 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a tes...
Hardwood
$6,000Sale Price|33% Off
Abstract Modern Art Sculpture! "Phoenix Rising" Direct Metal & Marble 1950s
By Seymour Lipton
Located in Peoria, AZ
MAGNIFICENT! DIRECT METAL SCULPTURE "PHOENIX RISING" MID CENTURY ABSTRACT ART! ATTRIBUTED TO SEYMOUR LIPTON Signed & Titled "Phoenix Rising" Lipton 1958 DIMENSIONS: 23" HIGH x 7...
Marble, Bronze
A Golden SHABBY-CHIC Wrought Iron CANDELABRA CANDLESTICK, France 1990-2000
Located in PARIS, FR
A spectacular candlestick or candelabra sculpture, Post-Modernist, Brutalist, Shabby-Chic, "organic" tree composition of golden wrought iron rods and leaves, mounted on a quadripod b...
Wrought Iron
1960s mid century brutalist brass CANDLEHOLDER for one big candle
Located in Mannheim, DE
Fantastic 1960s candleholder for one big candle with a max. diameter of 4.33" (11 cm). Made of brass. A perfect addition to any mid century interior. Dimensions in cm: Height 23.3 ...
Brass
$170Sale Price|41% Off
Brutalist Icelandic Lava Vase by Glit HF, 1970s
By Glit
Located in Esbjerg, DK
HF Gilt is a renowned Icelandic ceramic pottery studio. The clay used in this piece is made from pumice stone collected from Icelandic volcanos. The ...
Lava
Black Brutalist Stoneware Bowl with Shark Teeth Pattern
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A brutalist stylized stoneware bowl decorated with black glaze and shark teeth/fin decor around its perimeter. It's a unique piece by an unidentified Scandinavian ceramist. Its dated...
Stoneware
Marcel Ramond (1935-) Metal geometric sculpture, circa 1970
Located in Paris, FR
Marcel Ramond (1935-) Metal geometric sculpture, circa 1970 Welded iron Signed under the base A certificate will be provided to the buyer Length 44 x Height 38 x Depth 18 cm
Metal
Abstract Charred Wood Sculpture, Totemic Form, By Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
This expressive abstract sculpture is a one of a kind piece, hand carved from a single block of solid hardwood. Its dynamic silhouette, defined by reaching limbs and an open stance, ...
Wood
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
Midcentury Brutalist Travertine Marble Italian Bookends Fratelli Mannelli, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This beautiful set of bookends in Travertine Marble is a wonderful example of Italian decorative objects produced during the 1970s. Made by Fratelli Mannelli, the color and the texture of the marble, together with the pure and geometrical design, make it a wonderful example of midcentury elegance. This item is perfect for a desk in an office room or for being the focal center of a living room or a hallway entry...
Travertine
Mid-Century Brutalist WGP Pottery Model 25 Vase from Pan Keramik, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist WGP Pottery Model 25 Vase from Pan Keramik (P-Keramik), West Germany, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 official proof of authenticity such ...
Ceramic
Egg Fruit Bowl A054 Abstract Brass Aluminium Silver and Gold Coloured
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Fruit 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 fro...
Brass
Brutalist Welded Steel Nude Female on Chair Sculpture by Gene Logan for Elrod
By Logan
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Spectacular 1975 Brutalist nude female on chair by listed sculptor Gene Adams Logan 1922-1999 for Arthur Elrod. The Sculpture is published in the Arthur Elrod Book. Constructed of ...
Steel
Solid Bronze Abstract Sculpture, USA 1960's
Located in New York, NY
This work was made by bending a very long 3/4 inch solid bronze rod into a rectangular brick, it weighs a surprising 75 lbs for its size
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
1950s French Wooden Female Sculpture – Expressive Carved Figure with Draped Skir
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
1950s French Wooden Female Sculpture – Expressive Carved Figure with Draped Skirt Description: This beautiful sculpture of a woman is carved fro...
Wood
Brutalist Medium Mesh Fruit Bowl Solid Cast Aluminium Reference A050 Handmade
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Medium Mesh Fruit Bowl was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast aluminum . Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain from recy...
Aluminum
Large Brutalist Glass Vase, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Large Brutalist Glass Vase, 1970s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. Additional information: Materials: Glass Styles: Brutalist Item Type: Vintage, Antique or Pre-owne...
Glass
Large Brutalist Candle Holder, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Large Brutalist Candle Holder, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 Additional information: Style: Brutalist Color: Black Item Type: Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned Dimensio...
Glass
Mid-Century Brutalist West German Pottery WGP Fat Lava Vase from Jopeko, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist West German Pottery WGP Fat Lava Vase from Jopeko, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalogs...
Ceramic
Mid-Century German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase from Fritz Van Daalen, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase from Fritz Van Daalen, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 I have official proof of authenticity such as vintage ca...
Ceramic
Still Stand Abstract Wood Sculpture, Chainsaw Carved, Walnut, Logniture
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
This organic sculptural abstract piece, hand carved from a single block of solid hardwood. Its rounded, pebble like form feels grounded and natural, inviting the hand to hold and exp...
Wood, Walnut
Mid-Century Brutalist Wooden Candleholder, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Wooden Candleholder, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Wood Color: Brown Styles: Brutalist Period: 1960s Item ...
Wood
Mid-Century Brutalist Carafe Vase by Cläre Zange and Karl Heinz Löffler, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist German Carafe Vase by Cläre Zange and Karl Heinz Löffler for Krösselbach Keramik, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attrib...
Ceramic
Square Brutalist Stoneware Trinket by Sejer Keramik, Denmark, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Raw looking yet delicately glazed quardratic trinket/box in glazed stoneware. Abstract circular lid motif in earthy/dusty glazes. Brilliant decorative piece for personal smalls, jewe...
Stoneware
Brutalist Art Studio Pottery Lidded Jar Pot by Jaan Mobach, Netherlands 1960's
By Mobach
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Rare Brutalist Dutch Art Studio Pottery Lidded Jar Pot by Jaan Mobach. Made in the Netherlands, 1960's period. Marked on the bottom. Brown bronze glazes on this pot with lid....
Ceramic
Modern Brutalist African Wooden Sculpture – Female Bust
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Modern Brutalist African Wooden Sculpture – Female Bust – 50 cm This is a striking sculpture of a female bust, carved in solid wood, in a style that combines modern minimalism, bruta...
Wood
Mid-Century Brutalist Wrought Iron Candleholder, 1960s Black Metal
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Wrought Iron Candleholder, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Metal Color: Black Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Century...
Metal
Pair of Two Beautiful Travertine Candle Holder by Fratelli Mannelli, italy 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This beautiful pair of Candlesticks in Travertine Marble is a wonderful example of Italian decorative objects production during the 1970s. Made by Fratelli Mannelli, the color and th...
Travertine
Mid-Century German Brutalist Porcelain Vase from Wunsiedel Bavaria, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Brutalist Porcelain Vase from Wunsiedel Bavaria Porzellan, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark, It is complete...
Porcelain
Vintage Brutalist Danish Wooden Candleholder, 1970s Design, Brown Wood
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Brutalist Danish Wooden Candleholder, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. Additional information: Materials: Wood Color: Brown Styles: Brutalist Item Type: Vinta...
Wood
Mid-Century Swedish Brutalist Metal Candleholder by Harry N Boström, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Large Brutalist Candle Holder by Harry N Boström. This rare object is a limited edition. This one is 11/1000. Labeled Boström on bottom. This piece has an attribution mark, I am sure...
Metal
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
Mid-Century Brutalist Fat Lava Ceramic Bowl, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Fat Lava Ceramic Bowl, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Ceramic Color: Black Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Ce...
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Vintage Brutalist Table Sculpture in Iron and Bronze
Located in Charleston, SC
Vintage Brutalist abstraction Iron and Bronze Table Sculpture. C. 1960’s
Bronze, Iron
Vintage Boho Original Studio Pottery Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A magnificent example of Brutalist studio pottery, this vintage vase is a sculptural masterpiece of form and texture. The artist has expertly crafted a towering, organic silhouette c...
Pottery, Stoneware
Travertine Marble Italian Box & Catchall Desk Accessory Fratelli Mannelli, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This beautiful square-shaped catchall and the rectangular Box in Travertine Marble is a wonderful example of Italian decorative objects production during the 1970s. Made by Fratelli...
Travertine
Mid-Century Modern Brutalist German Studio Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1974
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Modern Brutalist German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1974, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. This piece has an attribution mark. Addi...
Ceramic
XL Mid-Century Brutalist Chamotte Vase by Spara Keramik, 1960s
Located in Montecalvoli, IT
XL Mid-Century Brutalist chamotte vase - by Spara Keramik - incised decoration red brown - Germany 1960s Mid-Century German Brutalist chamotte vase by Spara Keramik. This very large...
Ceramic