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 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
$5,600Sale Price|22% Off
Paul Evans Brutalist Cocktail Table in Patinated Steel and Bronze, c. 1970
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This exceptional Brutalist coffee table by Paul Evans, created as part of his celebrated Sculptured Metal Collection for Directional, exemplifies the raw artistry and architectural p...
Bronze, Steel
Wonderful Brutalist Hand Sculpted Metal Owl Sergio Bustamante
Located in Roslyn, NY
A Wonderful Brutalist Hand Sculpted Metal Owl In The Manner Of Sergio Bustamante
Metal
Mixed Metal Curtis Jere Elongated 'Urchin' Wall Sculpture
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This uncommon Jere sculpture is comprised of chromed steel 'spores' that together form an urchin or pom-pom figure at the top. A combination of brass and chromed steel rods with stee...
Brass, Chrome, Metal, Steel
Brutalist Wabi Sabi Modernist Large Ceramic Vase 1970s
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Large Brutalist Ceramic Vessel with Volcanic / Crater Glaze. Large 15 inch Vessel with incredible texture and Scale, purchased in Sardegna Italy, artist unknown but Mid Century wit...
Ceramic
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1964
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1964, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional i...
Ceramic
Stoneware vase, Brutalist style, 1960
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
This is a vase-shaped stoneware lamp in the Brutalist style. It's heavy and can be used as a decorative piece or as a regular lamp, provided it's rewired. Created in France in the 19...
Sandstone
Brutalist Metal Candelabra, Black Finish, Vintage Design, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist candelabra with 5 arms. The arms finely executed are finished in black. A tripod serves as a foot. Additional information: Materials: Metal Color: Black Styles: Brutalist ...
Metal
French Minimalist Solid Aluminum Catchall, Sculptural Design, 1970s
By Max Sauze, Willy Rizzo
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
Minimalist catchall or sculptural desk object crafted from solid aluminum in France during the 1970s. Precisely machined from a thick aluminum block, the piece features a deeply rece...
Aluminum
Mid-Century Brutalist German Studio Pottery Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist German Studio Pottery Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informa...
Ceramic
Brutalist Vide Poche in Cast Bronze 1960s
Located in Meer, VAN
Brutalist Vide Poche in Cast Bronze, mid 20th century. Beautiful and very distinct vide poche in heavy cast bronze. Quintessentially brutalist with rough and hand made shapes and he...
Bronze
1 of the 2 Kurt Jesch Amadeo Solid Bronze Three Arm Candlelabra Brass, 1960
Located in Rijssen, NL
A true showstopper for collectors of high-end European mid-century modernism. The three-arm candelabra is a fascinating piece of 20th-century design history. It features an organi...
Brass
Large Kurt Jesch Amadeo Fratelli Tonini Seven Arm Candlelabra Brass, 1960
Located in Rijssen, NL
A true showstopper for collectors of high-end European mid-century modernism, this magnificent, substantial seven-arm candelabra is a fascinating piece of 20th-century design histor...
Bronze
Midcentury Travertine Marble Italian Box Catchall by Fratelli Mannelli, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This beautiful square-shaped box in Travertine Marble is a wonderful example of Italian decorative objects production 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 Metal Candleholder with Gold Finish, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Metal Candleholder, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Metal Style: Brutalist Color: Gold Item Type: Vin...
Metal
Five-Arm Bronze Handcrafted Table Candlesticks Tharjes, 1950
Located in Rijssen, NL
A true showstopper for collectors of high-end European mid-century modernism. The five-arm candelabra is a fascinating piece of 20th-century design history. It features an organic...
Bronze
1 of the 2 Arm Bronze Handcrafted Table Candlesticks Tharjes, 1950
Located in Rijssen, NL
A true showstopper for collectors of high-end European mid-century modernism. The 2 arm candelabra is a fascinating piece of 20th-century design history. It features an organic si...
Bronze
$2,560Sale Price|20% Off
Daniel Gluck Brutalist Bronze 'Lotus' Sculptural Coffee Table Base, 1970s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An extraordinary Daniel Gluck sculptural bronze "Lotus" coffee table base, handcrafted in California during the 1970s and representative of the artist's distinctive fusion of functio...
Metal
Handmade Abstract Iron Rod Table Sculpture on Walnut Base, Circa 1960
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Handmade patinated Iron Rod, Abstract Tree Form, Table Sculpture on Block Walnut base, Circa 1960. Featuring handcrafted vertical form composed of welded patinated 3/4"D cut, varied ...
Iron
Taurus, Chainsaw Carved, Burnt Oak, Abstract Sculpture, Bull, Handmade, Black
By Logniture
Located in Stara Gradiška, HR
This unique sculptural animal is a one of a kind art piece, carved from a single piece of wood to ensure a monolithic and stable form. It takes the shape of a bull, rendered with a r...
Oak
Important Peter Voulkos 'Plate', 1981 – Wheel-Thrown Stoneware, Surface Drawing
Located in Chicago, IL
Important Peter Voulkos 'Untitled Plate', 1981 – Wheel-Thrown Stoneware with Surface Drawing Dimensions: 5¼ D × 21 W× 20 H in Signed: Voulkos 81, to reverse Catalog: Registered under...
Clay
Wooden Zodiac Libra 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
$1,264Sale 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
Abstract Brutalist Sculpture in Bronze & Black Horn, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Unusual paper weight or desk sculpture fashioned from a heavy bronze disc from which a decorative piece of old black/dark brown horn from a Yak is towering (removable). Anonymously m...
Bronze
Window Clock D002 Brass and Aluminium Handmade
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Desk Clock 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
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
Vintage Iron Fruit Basket with Grape Leaves Decor, Italy 1950s-1960s
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage wrought iron fruit basket features grapes and grape leaves decorations; the basket is formed by spreading grape wide branches with le...
Wrought Iron, Metal
Vintage Handcarved Dark Wooden Candleholder with Brutalist Italian Design, 1960s
Located in Montecalvoli, IT
This vintage wooden candleholder from 1960s Italy is a striking example of handcarved Brutalist design. Crafted from dark wood with strong sculptural lines, it combines raw texture w...
Wood
Brutalist Ethnic Sweet Bowl Handmade in Spain Aluminium Brass
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Sweet 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 recycled materials. Certified authentic by the Artist David Marshall with his signature. The Artist is inspired by nature and land scape...
Aluminum, Brass
$274Sale Price|20% Off
20th Century German Walther Glas "Solifleur" Single Stem Round Vase in Crystal
Located in Milano, IT
Vintage 1960s "Solifleur" single stem vase by german manufacturing company "Walther Glas". It's a quite big version of one of Walther's most famous design...
Glass, Art Glass
$2,200 / set
James Bearden Module Trio
Located in New York, NY
Group of three small abstract sculptures, titled Module Trio, of blackened steel, fused and dyed bronze, and glass enamel. Made in 2019 by Am...
Bronze, Enamel, Steel
Abstract Brutalist Bird Sculpture, Welded Bronze on Concrete Base, C 1960s-70s
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A compelling example of mid-century Brutalist metalwork, this hand-worked bronze sculpture depicts an abstracted bird form with remarkable economy of means. The composition balances ...
Concrete, Bronze
$166Sale 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
Brutalist Vase from BKW Böttger Keramik Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist Vase from BKW Böttger Keramik Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional information:...
Ceramic
Forged Wrought Iron Brutalist Candle Holder Wall Sconce, Spain 1940s
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Spanish hand forged iron wall sconce features a brutalist, graphic form, combining Medieval and Spanish Hacienda Revival influences with Arts and Crafts attitude. The prominent silho...
Wrought Iron
1 of the 2 Heinz Goll 3 Armed Brass Candleholders, Austria 1970
Located in Rijssen, NL
One of the two Heinz Goll three armed candleholders, Austria 1970 These vintage Heinz Goll candle holders are an example of Brutalist design. Manufactured in Austria during the earl...
Brass
Brutalist Vintage Steel Fish Sculpture 1960's in the Manner of Fantoni
Located in Wilton, CT
Large vintage Brutalist steel sculpture of fishes fashioned from old pliers and a sheet metal snip. In the manner of Marcello Fantoni. The steel has been drizzled with solder to give...
Steel
$536Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Italian Steel Vase in the Style of Luciano Frigerio, Italy 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Sculptural vase from the 70s in a brutalist style. The structure of the vase develops on two levels. The first level is a parallelepiped with a quadrangular section; It has a smoo...
Steel
Candelabra Piramide III G016 handmade in cast brass & aluminium
Located in Benahavis, AN
The Candelabra Piramide III was created by David Marshall, from sand cast brass & aluminium. We use recycled materials all our pieces are handmade, mounted and finished in our found...
Aluminum, Brass
$163Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Terracotta Vase, Tenmoku Glaze, 1970s UK
Located in Glasgow, GB
A Brutalist studio pottery vase, hand-built in terracotta, dating to circa 1970s, United Kingdom. Rectangular in form, the vase is decorated with applied circular rings layered alon...
Terracotta
Mid-Century Brutalist German Carafe Vases from Hartwig Heyne Pottery, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist German Carafe Vases from Hartwig Heyne Pottery, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informatio...
Ceramic
Pair of brutalist organic black ceramic vases, 1950's, France
Located in BELFORT, FR
One of a kind pair of organic and brutalist ceramic vases, black, perfect condition. They are both signed, but wasn't able to identify the artist.
Ceramic
Ceramic Catchall, France, 1960s
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Beautiful French ceramic catchall from the 1960s, featuring a sculptural bowl-shaped design with a raised pedestal base and intricate geometric relief decorations. Its textured surf...
Ceramic
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
Vintage German Brutalist Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1980
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage German Brutalist Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1980, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989 This piece has an attribution markIt is completely au...
Ceramic
Rick Owens Bronze Coupe Vase, Nitrate Patina, Brutalist Design, France
By Rick Owens
Located in Chicago, IL
The now iconic bronze coupe vase from the Rick Owens bronze relic collection. This is shown in the nitrate patina. Each piece is handmade and hand patinated so there is always a slig...
Bronze
Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Steel Sculpture, USA, 20th Century
Located in Queens, NY
American Mid-Century Modern Brutalist sculpture of tortured and burnt welded steel.
Steel
$1,045Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Dutch ceramic Rob den Tonkelaar vase, 1960s
Located in Zevenaar, NL
Fascinating, unique and ultra rare vase by ceramist Rob den Tonkelaar, student of Jaap Ravelli, famous dutch potter. One of a kind expressive object object in very good condition wi...
Clay
Rare Pair of Candelabras in "Fat Lava", by Marius Giuge Vallauris - 1960s
By Marius Giuge
Located in MOUGINS, FR
This pair of 37 cm high three-light candelabras features scrolls at the top and base of the shaft, constructed directly as a base in a "water foam" design. The white color of these models is dotted with black alveoli that contrast with the clear enamel. The technique used to achieve this effect was to add chemical compounds to the enamel. Depending on the chosen dosage, this created variations in the size and depth of the craters. This decoration, invented by Marius Giuge, inspired the "Fat Lava" ceramics, very popular in Germany in the late 1960s and 1970s. An iconic example of Marius Giuge's production in the 1960s and 1970s, the pair is signed 3 times under each piece: MARIUS GIUGE – VALLAURIS...
Enamel
$1,455Sale Price / set|20% Off
Brutalist style. Huge handmade candle holders by Ferro Art, Spain, 1960s
By Ferro Art, Ferrocolor
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
Brutalist Wall Sculpture, Danish Art, 1970s
By Henrik Horst
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Brutalist wall sculpture designed and manufactured by the Danish artist Henrik Horst, circa 1970s. Patinated metal construction mounted on a frame of wood.
Metal
Mid Century Copper And Brass Brutalist Vide Poche Centre Piece C.1960
Located in London, GB
Mid Century Copper And Brass Brutalist Vide Poche C.1960 In very good condition commensurate with age. Please refer to photos.
Brass, Copper
Belva Ball Brutalist Tree Sculpture Bronze Geode Mid-Century Modern 20th Century
By Belva Ball
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A Brutalist sculpture depicting two elongated trees in bronze, their delicate, branching forms rising from a rough-cut geode base by Belva Ball. Circa mid 20th century. The contrast ...
Metal
Mid Century Brutalist Modern Abstract Wall Sculpture by Finesse Originals
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fun to look at piece of 3D wall created by Finesse Originals in the 1960's. It consists of a wood frame and the sculpture part is molded resin.
Resin, Wood
$7,844
Bronze walrus skull
Located in BEEKBERGEN, NL
There is something primordial about this piece. Cast directly from an actual walrus skull, every anatomical detail is preserved in bronze with forensic pr...
Bronze
$1,013Sale Price|35% Off
Antique Brutalist Chain Sculpture, Abstract Design, 10x8x38 Inches
Located in Malibu, CA
Antique chain sculpture that defies gravity. The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined to describe this style trend that emerged in the...
Iron
MARYLYN HYDE Post-War British Ceramic Sculptural Stoneware Pottery Vessel
Located in Torquay, GB
Striking British studio stoneware pottery sculptural vessel by Marylyn Hyde, dating from the late 1970s to early 1980s. This monumental stoneware jardiniere is formed as a fragmented...
Ceramic, Stoneware
$9,882Sale Price / item|20% Off
Sculptural Unseen Force #62: Joel Escalona's Solid Wood Table, Modern Art Piece
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Sculptural Unseen Force #62: Joel Escalona's Solid Wood Table, Modern Art Piece Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or carbonized finish. Due to the nature of the production process, each piece may vary in grain, texture, shape or even size. The dimensions provided refer to the table only. The dimensions and shape of the sculpture may vary. — About the Concept. Unseen Force Coffee Tables and Side Tables, design by Joel Escalona for NONO When Tables Talk Art...
Hardwood
Brutalist Owl Sculpture in Raw Metal with Glass Eyes in the Style of Curtis Jere
By Curtis Jeré
Located in San Diego, CA
A really cool brutalist owl sculpture in raw metal with glass eyes in the style of Curtis Jere, circa 1960s. The sculpture is in very good vintage condition and measures 7"W x 3.5"D...
Metal
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