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.
Large Brutalist German Studio Pottery Bowl by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Large Brutalist German Studio Pottery Bowl by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1980s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional information: ...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Large Brutalist Wrought Iron Tripod Floor Candleholder, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Large Brutalist Wrought Iron Tripod Floor Candleholder, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Material: Metal Color: Black Style...
Metal
Set of 2 Brutalist Wrought Iron Candleholders, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist Wrought Iron Candleholders, 1960s, Set of 2, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Material: Metal Color: Black Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Ce...
Metal
Mid-Century Brutalist Danish Ceramic Candleholder from Lehmann Pottery, 1960s
By Lehmann
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Danish Ceramic Candleholder from Lehmann Pottery, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informat...
Ceramic
Vintage German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase, 1979
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase, 1979, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. Additional information: Materials: Ceramic Style: Brutalist Period: 1970s Country...
Ceramic
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
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Brutalist Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1974
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Brutalist Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1974, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informat...
Ceramic
Brutalist German Ceramic Bowl and Candle Holder from Jasba
By Jasba
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist German Ceramic Bowl and Candle Holder from Jasba, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Addit...
Ceramic
$2,400Sale Price|65% Off
Giant Concrete Bowl, Charcoal & Ash
Located in Camp Meeker, CA
This bowl was made using charcoal and ash from the artist's property in northern California. Every year, fuel reduction in the forest provides fuel for heating his old cabin. The ash...
Concrete
Brutalist Mid Century wrought iron candelabra candle holder
Located in BELFORT, FR
Mid century and brutalist style wrought iron candelabra. Perfect condition.
Wrought Iron
$105Sale Price|40% Off
1970 Brutalist Postmodern Tallboy Glass Block Table Vase, West Germany
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Original 1970s Brutalist glass block table vase popular in West Germany during the 1960s and 70s it features a 3" opening along the top for receiving a floral arrangement of choice. ...
Glass
Tall Bronze Masai Sculptures 1960s Vintage Kenya Mother Baby Giacometti Style
Located in London, GB
Two 1960s bronze sculptures from the Maasai tribe in Kenya and Tanzania in everyday motherhood figures. The elongated and brutalist-like effect figures evoke a Giacometti-like aest...
Bronze
Svelte Elefante Console 18, NONO Design, Tactile Wood Finish
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Svelte Elefante Console 18, NONO Design, Tactile Oak Finish ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist To...
Hardwood
Dark, Elegant Black Solid Wood Design Materializes, Still Stand No91
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Dark, Elegant Black Solid Wood Design Materializes, Still Stand No91 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testame...
Hardwood
Danish Artist Peder Evald Madsen - Brutalist Bronze Sculptures, 1980s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
The Danish artist and Sculptor Peder Evald Madsen was born in 1951 and died last year in his home. These pieces came from his own collection and were sold at auction in 2024. A set o...
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
Bernard Rooke. Large sculptural floor vase in stoneware. 1960s/70s
Located in København, Copenhagen
Bernard Rooke Brutalist unique ceramic vase, 1960s/70s. Large, sculptural floor vase in hand-built stoneware with a raw, heavily textured surface and relief ornamentation in beige an...
Stoneware
$1,218Sale Price / set|20% Off
Brutalist David Marshall's style vases by Alfonso Márquez, Spain, 1970s
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Pair of big vases in the brutalist style by the Spanish designer Alfonso Márquez, 1970s. Both pieces are entirely made of metal, combining polished aluminum and brass. The labels are...
Aluminum, Brass
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
Midcentury Picture Frame Travertine Marble by Fratelli Mannelli, Italy 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This beautiful picture frame in Travertine Marble is a wonderful example of Italian decorative objects production during the 1970s. Made by Fratelli Mannelli, the color and the textu...
Travertine
Brutalist Sculpture Abstracted Plant Forms on Terracotta Base
Located in New York, NY
Brutalist stylized plant form growing out of the terracotta earth base. Well done metal work reminiscent of Paul Evans, or Jere.
Metal
Fluted Concrete Vases / Vessels, 'Set of 3'
Located in Camp Meeker, CA
A little Art Deco, a little Gothic, very Brutal. Cast concrete, tinted with dark gray pigment. Natural finish. These vessels are great empty, but even better with flowers or a succ...
Concrete
Large Brutalist Wood Bowl Large Vide Poche in a Brown Patina, France, circa 1960
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
This vide poche has been made in France circa 1960. It is a Brutalist Style bowl, with a free form. In a Brown color.
Wood
$1,292Sale Price / set|20% Off
Brutalist style. Sculptural candle holders by Ferro Art, Spain, 1950s
By Ferro Art
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Sculptural candle holders by Ferro Art (also Ferroart), Spain, 1950s, set of 2. Made of wrought iron worked, welded and hammered entirely by hand, with a subtle gold patinated finish...
Iron
Vintage Jack Boyd Brutalist Kinetic Sterling Silver Bangle Bracelet
By Jack Boyd
Located in Southampton, NJ
This striking hand-forged sterling silver bracelet by renowned artist Jack Boyd is a testament to his mastery of sculptural jewelry design. Featuring Boyd’s signature organic forms, ...
Sterling Silver
Italian Glazed Terracotta Head Sculpture
Located in Houston, TX
Italian Glazed Terracotta Head Sculpture. Offered is a beautiful well executed Italian glazed terra cotta face or head sculpture signed Consorso, circa. 1950. A fine example of Itali...
Terracotta
Large Brutalist Mid Century wrought iron floor candelabra candle holder
Located in BELFORT, FR
Large mid century and brutalist style wrought iron floor candelabra.
Wrought Iron
Joel Escalona's Unseen Force #59: Coffee Table Sculpture, Solid Oak
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's Unseen Force #59: Coffee Table Sculpture, Solid Oak Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or carbonized...
Hardwood
Large 19th Century Stoneware Ceramic from La Borne Pottery French Handmade
Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR
La Borne - 19th century Large stoneware pottery from center of France Realised circa 1880 Original good condition its peculiarity is to have a piece of another pot fixed...
Ceramic
$14,320Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joel Escalona's Creation, Dark Black Solid Wood Totem, Still Stand No84
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's Creation, Dark Black Solid Wood Totem, Still Stand No84 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testa...
Hardwood
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
Brutalist Erotic 3D Wall Picture in Metal from the Artist F. Michel, 1973
Located in Nürnberg, Bayern
One of a kind. Handmade.
Metal, Lead
$322Sale Price|30% Off
Mid-Century Brutalist Handcrafted Ceramic Vase, 1980
Located in Miami, FL
Mid-Century handcrafted brutalist ceramic vase. Signed and dated 1980.
Ceramic
Wooden Zodiac Crab Cancer Wall Plaque Relief Brutalist Midcentury, German, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful wooden wall plaque relief, 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 decoration it...
Plywood
Agate Ashtray or Vide Poche, Grey and Brown Color, Italy 1970
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
This Vide-poche, or ashtray, was carved from a block of stone,Agathe stone, then polished. We can see as a decoration scheme this extraordinary sinuous Veinage, in brown and beige gr...
Agate
$1,488Sale Price / set|20% Off
Brutalist style. Huge handmade candle holders by Ferro Art, Spain, 1960s
By Ferrocolor, Ferro Art
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Huge and sculptural Brutalist set of 2 candelabras by Ferro Art, Spain, 1960s. Pair of candlesticks made entirely of sheet metal or tin. Worked, hammered and welded entirely by hand,...
Iron, Sheet Metal, Tin
$696Sale Price|39% Off
Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Metal Sculpture, Torch Cut Sun Statue
By Paul Evans, C. Jeré Artisan House
Located in Decatur, GA
Large scale mid century brutalist sun sculpture. Torch cut patinated metal mounted on wood. Signed "CD". Excellent condition - no flaws of note. Measures: W 20" x D 20" x H 36"....
Metal, Iron
Brutalist Mid Century zoomorphic wrought iron candelabra candle holder
Located in BELFORT, FR
Large mid century and brutalist style wrought iron candelabra.
Wrought Iron
A Metal CACTUS Contemporary SCULPTURE BRUTALIST Unique PIECE by ESOJ France 2020
Located in PARIS, FR
A strong and spectacular metal cactus, contemporary brutalist sculpture, unique piece by artist ESOJ, France 2020. 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
"Tashlich" by Samuel M Segal Judaism Vintage Brutalist Green Plaster Sculpture
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Tashlich" by Samuel M Segal Judaism Vintage Brutalist Green Plaster Sculpture. Item features painted plaster, brutalist form, brass plaque to base, impressive vintage sculpture."Tas...
Plaster
$1,080Sale Price|28% Off
Brutalist Sculptural Lamp
Located in Redding, CT
Brutalist sculptural lamp with gilt surface. Angelic in shape and elegant in movement this sculpture is united with illumination. Heavy gilded sculptur...
Plaster
Two Beautiful Fish Sculpture in Travertine Marble Fratelli Mannelli Italy, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Set of two Fratelli Mannelli brutalist fish sculptures made of travertine, vintage 1970s. The figurines of the Italian modern design were sign...
Travertine
Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Metal Sculpture, Hand-Crafted in Italy
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An abstract, vintage Mid-Century modern sculpture made of hand crafted cut steel, in good condition. The detailed Brutalist décor piece is enhanced by many different metal pieces, su...
Metal, Cut Steel
$864Sale Price|20% Off
Huge Brutalist rugoso and somerso Murano glass by Salviati, Italy, 1960s
By Salviati
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Large brutalist hand-blown murano glass vase from the 60s. Stylized and organic body, manufactured by the process in which the piece is bathed in small fragments of glass that end up...
Murano Glass
A Decorative French Shabby Brutalist Decoy Duck This is a good sound piece
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Decorative French Shabby Brutalist Decoy Duck This is a good sound piece of French Country living, our decoy has metal wings, tail and beak, a flat underside and he floats very c...
Wood
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
$2,624Sale Price|20% Off
Monumental Brutalist Copper, Brass & Burl-wood Sculpture of a Sunflower
Located in Atlanta, GA
This stunning Brutalist sculpture of a sunflower is crafted from copper, brass, and burl wood, displaying a dynamic interplay of textures and materials. The copper and brass petals r...
Brass, Copper
Mathias For Fondica France Gilt Bronze Candlestick Candle Holder
Located in Toledo, OH
Brutalist style gilt bronze candlestick by Mathias for Fondica France. Very good condition. Dimensions: 7" diameter x 18" H.
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
$9,364Sale Price / item|20% Off
NONO Elefante Sideboard 07, Robust Oak, Modernist Detail
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
NONO Elefante Sideboard 07, Robust Oak, Modernist Detail ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist Touc...
Hardwood
Two Massive Brutalist Candlesticks by David Marshall
Located in Stockholm, SE
Two massive, brutalist candlesticks designed and manufactured by the Scottish artist David Marshall made with an ancient sand pressing technique. They come with patina. A great gift ...
Brass, Steel
$14,320Sale Price / item|20% Off
Joel Escalona's Masterpiece in Elegant Dark Black Solid Wood, Still Stand No100
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's Masterpiece in Elegant Dark Black Solid Wood, Still Stand No100 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one i...
Hardwood
$69,757Sale Price|20% Off
Ermanno Nason Christ of the Glassblowers Murano Glass and Iron Pipes Early 1970s
Located in Tavarnelle val di Pesa, Florence
Intense and passionate glass sculpture from Ermanno Nason, using his favorite glass, the acciaio gray. This warm transparent gray color is often used by glass massiccio Sculptors, w...
Iron
$9,364Sale Price / item|20% Off
Elefante by NONO Desk 04, Oak Precision, Functional Art
By NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Elefante by NONO Desk 04, Oak Precision, Functional Art ————————————————————— Elefante Collection: A Harmony of Design and Heritage by NONO Crafting Elegance with a Modernist Touch ...
Hardwood
Ceramic Brutalist Vase from Michael Andersen, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Unique ceramic vase displaying exceptional techniques in glazes, Brutalist styling and shape. We have not been able to find any references of this design number/series. Besides the c...
Ceramic
$270Sale Price|40% Off
1970 Brutalist Postmodern Glass Block Table Vase w/ Acid Etched Hibiscus
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Original 1970s Brutalist glass block table vase with an acid-etched hibiscus along the front. The vase features a 6" opening along the top for receiving a floral arrangement of choic...
Glass
Sculptural Table Lamp Carved in an Olive Wood Block France 1950
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
This table lamp, is carved in the Olive wood. The wood has this light brown color of this wood, with the old patina. This lamp was made in France, circa 1950. US PLUG ADAPTATOR WIL...
Wood
$260Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Signed Raw Metal Torch Cut Flower Sculpture
Located in San Diego, CA
Brutalist raw metal torch cut flower sculpture, circa 1983. The sculpture is in very good vintage condition and measures 10"W x 5"D x 14.5"H; it is signed and mumbered on the side. G...
Metal
Vintage Sculptural Wine / Magazine Rack in Cast Iron, French Art Deco, 1930s
Located in Odense, DK
Such a fine decorative wine / magazine holder in cast iron. Made in France, ca 1930s. Beautiful lines perfectly suited for any interior style. A Modern, Scandinavian, Classic or an Art deco home decor. "There is no style...
Iron
$6,500
Mnm-Vess-48-01
Located in Ridgewood, NY
Hand-cast vessel with a conical opening. It can be used for plants, ikebana style floral arrangement or as a sculptural object. It's suitable for indoor and outdoor use. At the in...
Concrete, Cement