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.
$14,320Sale Price / item|20% Off
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
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 German Carafe Vase from Krösselbach Keramik, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist German Carafe Vase from Krösselbach Keramik, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution markIt is completely authentic Additional...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Brutalist Danish Pottery and Iron Wall Candleholder, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Danish Pottery and Iron Wall Candleholder, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Metal Color: Gray Styles: ...
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
Mid-Cenutry Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase Signed 55
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Cenutry Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase Signed 55, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Ceramic Color: Blue Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Ce...
Ceramic
Mid-Century French Handcrafted Brutalist Iron Chain Candleholder
Located in COLMAR, FR
An authentic Brutalist iron chain candleholder, sourced in France and dating to the 1950s or 1960s — a sculptural column of heavy welded chain links...
Iron
Brutalist Free Standing Abstract Steel Sculpture
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Elevate your space with this striking 1980’s freestanding metal sculpture, beautifully channeling the architectural geometry of Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Midway Gardens designs. Co...
Steel
$14,320Sale Price / item|20% Off
Black Solid Wood Sculpture by Escalona, Still Stand 102
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
The Dark Elegance of Abstract Black Solid Wood Captured by Escalona, Still Stand No102 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Eac...
Hardwood
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
Glazed Stoneware Honey Jar With Bee by Danish Getter Hundstrup
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Unsual hard-fired stoneware jar or urn featuring a playfull bee to its lid. Designed and made by the Danish Female Ceramist Getter Hundstrup in Denmark during the 1980s. It has this ...
Stoneware
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
Vintage Brutalist Bronze Candleholder, Three Arms, Gold Finish, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Heavy bronze candelabra with three arms. Additional information: Materials: Bronze Color: Gold Styles: Brutalist Period: 1970s Item Type: Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned Dimensions: 9...
Bronze
Mid-Century Wall Sculpture by Pia Manu, Belgium 1960s
By Pia Manu
Located in Meulebeke, BE
A powerful and architecturally expressive Brutalist wall sculpture designed by Pia Manu, the Belgian artistic workshop led by Jules Dewaele, during the 1960s. Known for their raw mat...
Concrete, Iron
$495Sale Price|23% Off
Brutalist Metal Sculpture of Female Ballet Dancer
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Brutalist metal sculpture of female ballet dancer.
Metal
Pair of West German “Fat Lava” Pottery Vessels by Ankara Keramik, circa 1970s
Located in San Diego, CA
Striking pair of vintage West German studio pottery vessels attributed to Ankara Keramik, featuring the iconic “Fat Lava” textured glaze movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. E...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Brutalist Bronze Candleholder, Metal, Gold Finish, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Bronze Candleholder, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Metal Color: Gold Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Century...
Metal
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 Brutalist Pottery Carafe Vase from Ruscha, West Germany, 1960s
By Ruscha
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Pottery Carafe Vase from Ruscha, West Germany, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 Official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalogs, de...
Ceramic
Eddie Hackman The Shearer Bronze Figure Limited Edition 1986 Australian Outback
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Eddie Hackman "The Shearer" Bronze Figure Limited Edition 1986 Australian Outback, Signed to Rear. Circa Late 20th Century. Measurements: 4" H x 3.75" W x 2.5" D.
Bronze
Beautiful cast iron Candlestick Holder Brutalist Era, Germany, 1960s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A large candlestick holder for four candles. Made of cast iron with a nice patina. Typically made in Germany in the 1960s, as a statement piece on a cupboard or credenza. Found at an...
Metal, Iron
Set of 4 Mid-Century Brutalist Wrought Iron Cascade Candleholder Pendant, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Wrought Iron Cascade Candleholder Pendant, 1960s, Set of 4, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Material: Metal Color: Blac...
Metal
Set of 2 Vintage Brutalist Metal Candleholders, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Brutalist Metal Candleholders, 1970s, Set of 2, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. Additional information: Material: Metal Color: Gold Styles: Brutalist Item Ty...
Metal
Bronze Candle Holder by Alexander Lamont
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Introducing the Bronze Candle Holder by Alexander Lamont, a luxurious and exquisite piece of furniture that will add a touch of elegance and sophistication to any space. Standing tal...
Bronze
$560Sale Price|20% Off
Small Bronze Figurative Abstract Sculpture
Located in Norwalk, CT
This small charming abstract bronze figure stands on its own with a curious look on its face. This piece would make a great desk accessory or a ...
Bronze
$800Sale Price / set|33% Off
Brutalist Bronze Swan Statues, Mid-20th Century Pair on Black Base
Located in Plainview, NY
A unique and highly decorative pair of Brutalist style swan statues in bronze both in a takeoff position. The wings are finely. Carved displaying amazing d...
Bronze
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 German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase by Lu and Gerd Grove, 1964
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase by Lu and Gerd Grove, 1964, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informatio...
Ceramic
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
Vintage 1970s Brutalist Metal Candleholder in Black Finish, Excellent
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Brutalist Metal Candleholder, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. Additional information: Materials: Metal Color: Black Styles: Brutalist Item Type: Vintage, Ant...
Metal
Design of Sleek Darkness, Modern Black Solid Wood Totem by NONO, Still Stand 101
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Design of Sleek Darkness, Modern Black Solid Wood Totem by NONO, Still Stand No101 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each o...
Hardwood
Set of 5 Mid-Century Studio Pottery Vase, Carafe, Bowls and Candle Holder, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Vase, Carafe, Bowls and Candle Holder from Till Sudeck, 1960s, Set of 5, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attributio...
Ceramic
Set of 3 Vintage Postmodern Brutalist Candle Holders in Stone, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Postmodern Brutalist Candle Holders in Stone, 1980s, Set of 3, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989. Additional information: Materials: Stone Color: Beige Styles: ...
Stone
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
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
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 Pottery WGP Brutalist Carafe Vase from Dümler & Breiden, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century West German Pottery WGP Brutalist Carafe Vase from Dümler & Breiden, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional...
Ceramic
Vintage German Brutalist Bronze Ornamental Carafe from Gilde, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Heavy bronze carafe with ornamental forms and reliefs. This piece has an attribution markIt is completely authentic Additional information: Materials: Bronze Styles: Brutalist Peri...
Bronze
Brutalist Ceramic Vase, Green, Germany, 1980s, Studio Pottery Design
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase, Germany, 1980s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989. Additional information: Materials: Ceramic Color: Green Styles: Brutalist Period: 1980...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Brutalist Metal Candleholder 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Elegant Slim Brutalist Candle Holder handmade from Metal. Marked with WN. Additional information: Materials: Metal Color: Silver Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Century Modern Period: 1960s ...
Metal
Brutalist Stainless Steel Vase by Olav Joff for Polaris/Figgjo, Norway 1970s
By Olaf Joff
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A square/rectangular stainless steel vase designed by Olav Joff (born 1942) and manufactured by Figgjo/Polaris in Sandness Norway from the early 1970s. From the "Steel Art" series. ...
Stainless Steel
Brutalist Candlestick Holder Done in Brass and Nickel, Italy, 1970s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a rare Brutalist three-arm candlestick holder done in bronze and chrome. It features sculptural form, with thick bronze sticks curved in symmetrical dir...
Brass, Nickel
Brutalist Cast Stainless Steel Vase by Olav Joa, Norway 1970s
A sculptural Norwegian Brutalist vase designed by Olav Joa, circa 1970s. Executed in cast stainless steel (18-8 quality), this cylindrical vessel embodies Joa’s distinctive architec...
Stainless Steel
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...
Plywood
Brutalist Mid Century Vase by Scherzer Germany
Located in Waddinxveen, ZH
In a perfect condition this stunning vase.
Ceramic
Sculptural Table Lamp Carved on in Olive Wood France 1950
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
This table lamp, is carved in the wood. The wood has this light brown color of this wood, with the old patina. This lamp was made in France, circa 1950, The wood is olive wood. U...
Wood
Brutalist Cast Stainless Steel Vase by Olav Joa, Norway 1970s
A sculptural Norwegian Brutalist vase designed by Olav Joa, circa 1970s. Executed in cast stainless steel (18-8 quality), this cylindrical vessel embodies Joa’s distinctive architec...
Stainless Steel
Table Lamp, wood, Brown color France 20th Century
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Table Lamp, wood, Brown color France 20th Century US PLUG ADAPTATOR WILL BE FURNISHED FOR FREE TO THE US BUYERS Shade is not Furnished
Wood
Abstract Modern Wood Sculpture, Still Stand No1 by Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
“Still Stand” sculptures by Joel Escalona Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testament to the power of the material...
Hardwood
A Zoomorphic BRUTALIST Ritual SCULPTURE Unique PIECE from LA BORNE France 1980
Located in PARIS, FR
An exceptional, spectacular and "mystical" phantasmagorical sculpture, inspired by nature and the wild, mineral or organic and animal or even... shamanic! in 3 nested parts, Zoomorph...
Ceramic
Brutalist Wood Bowl, Large, in a Brown Patina, India, 19th Century
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
This vide poche has been made in India circa 19th century. It is a Brutalist style bowl. In a brown color.
Wood
Brutalist travertine sculpture of cat, Enzo Mari F.lli Mannelli, Italy 1970s
Located in Firenze, IT
Mid-century travertine sculpture of stylised cat attributed to Enzo Mari, Fratelli Mannelli, Italy, 1970s H 23.5 cm 5 × 14 cm Conditions: very good consistent with age and use,...
Travertine
Vintage Brutalist Iron & Green Glass Wall Candleholders by Dantoft, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
1970s Brutalist Wall sculptures made by Danish design company Dantoft kunstartikler (trans.: art objects). Made from black lacquered and welded iron set in a graphic formation highli...
Iron
1960s Hand-Hammered Iron Sunburst Centerpiece Bowl with Gilt Finish
Located in Barcelona, ES
One of a kind hand-hammered iron Brutalist sunburst centerpiece bowl with gold leaf finish, Spain, 1960s. Rare find. Its design is sculptural and highly decorative. This centerpiece...
Gold Leaf, Iron, Wrought Iron
Large Presentation Jug / Vase in "Fat Lava", by Marius Giuge Vallauris, 1960s
By Marius Giuge
Located in MOUGINS, FR
A large presentation jug / vase with handle , constructed in a "water foam" design, by Marius Giuge. The piece is extremely decorative and the enamel has kept all of its shine. Th...
Ceramic
Sculptural Brutalist Iron & Green Glass Wall Candle Lamp by Dantoft, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
1970s Brutalist Wall candle sculpture made by Danish design company Dantoft kunstartikler (trans.: art objects). Made from black lacquered and welded iron set in a graphic formation ...
Iron
Still Stand No102, The Dark Elegance of Abstract Burned Oak by Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Still Stand No102, The Dark Elegance of Abstract Burned Oak by Escalona _ Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testame...
Hardwood
$222Sale Price|49% Off
Vintage Scandinavian Brutalist Box in Copper
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A wellmade and beautifully patinated box in hammered copper. Suitable for Jewelry or small personal items. Distinct brutalist styling with architectural...
Copper
Sculptural Danish Candle Sconce from Dantoft Kunstartikler, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
1970s Brutalist Wall sculpture made by Danish design company Dantoft kunstartikler (trans.: art objects). It is made from black lacquered and welded iron set in a graphic formation h...
Iron
Set of 3 Metal PLANTS Contemporary BRUTALIST SCULPTURES by ESOJ France 2020
Located in PARIS, FR
A set of 3 strong and spectacular plants in pots, contemporary brutalist sculptures, unique pieces by artist ESOJ, France 2020. 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 shaman...
Metal