Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by legendary manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
Style: Mid-Century Modern
Color: Gold
Murano Red Green Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Traditional Dress Woman Sculpture
By Salviati
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown green, red, white and gold flecks Italian art glass woman figure. The piece looks to be in traditional Dutch or German dress (please correct me if...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Mid Century Abstract Face Bronze Sculpture by Jean Robert Ipousteguy
By Jean-Robert Ipoustéguy
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Bronze abstract face sculpture by Jean-Robert Ipoustéguy (January 6, 1920 – February 8, 2006, a figurative French sculptor.. Signed on back underside Ipoustegy '66 2/9.
I'm many mu...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Murano White Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Seashell Candlesticks and Bowl Set
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Gorgeous set of vintage Murano hand blown white and gold flecks Italian art glass conch shell centerpiece bowl and matching seashell candlesticks...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Abstract Sculpture Frank Morbillo Steel and Bronze
By Frank Morbillo
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Frank Morbillo steel, polished steel, and bronze abstract sculpture from the Elaine Horwitch Gallery in Scottsdale Arizona.
Education & background
1984 MFA Sculpture – Universit...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze, Steel
French Bronze Brooch Line Vautrin
By Line Vautrin
Located in Atlanta, GA
A gilt bronze brooch in sculptural form called Le Char de la lune (The Chariot of the Moon) circa 1945-1955 by French Art Jeweler Line Vautrin (1913-1997). A long pin on the back and...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Murano Pink Yellow Blue White Aventurine Flecks Ribbons Italian Art Glass Bowl
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown twisted blue, pink, yellow, and aventurine ribbons Italian art glass bowl. The ribbons hover over a bed of fuchsia pink dots. Created in the manne...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Barbini Murano Opalescent Honey Yellow Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Bowl
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Priced Per Item (2 bowls available). Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown opalescent honey yellow and gold flecks Italian art glass flower shaped bowl. Attributed to designer Alfredo ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Archimede Seguso Murano Rust Red Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Decorative Bowl
Located in Kissimmee, FL
ONLY 1 Left! Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown rust red and gold flecks Italian art glass bowl. Documented to designer Archimede Seguso, circa 1950s. Created with powder pigments, ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Barovier Toso Murano Red Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Ribbed Pitcher Vase
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown deep red and gold flecks Italian art glass pitcher shaped flower vase. Documented to designer Ercole Barovier, for the Barovier e Toso company. Cr...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Group of Four Brutalist Candelabras
Located in London, GB
Group of four identical 1970's candle holders in cast various metals including bronze each with a different original patina holding two arms for 4 cm wide candles. All together will make a great impact on a large dinner table...
Category
1970s European Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Metal, Bronze
Cannonball Thrower, American Modernist Patinated Bronze Sculpture, ca. 1960
Located in New York, NY
Definitely created by a master sculptor, this small but very dynamic modernist sculpture depicts a cannonball thrower in the moment of forceful rotation before the actual throw of th...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Salviati Murano Pink Ombre Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Bird Duck Sculpture
By Salviati
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown deep pink over white, and gold flecks Italian art glass bird sculpture. Documented to the Salviati company. Profusely covered in gold leaf, with a...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Guitou Knoop Mid-Century Modern Abstract Brutalist Sculpture, France
By Guitou Knoop
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Mid-Century Modern abstract bronze metal tabletop sculpture by Guitou Knoop (French, 1909-1985). Signed and dated 1965 on base. This work is 1 of 5 available for purchase.
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Metal, Bronze
Abstract Bronze Sculpture by Larry Mohr
By Larry Mohr
Located in New York, NY
Abstract bronze sculpture by Larry Mohr.
Category
1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Black Gold Measurement Insulator Paperweight Vintage
Located in North Miami, FL
This vintage Piero Fornasetti porcelain insulator paperweight is gold with a black background. Italian through and through. It is titled cleverly on the top" THERE IS MEASURE IN ALL ...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold
French Gilt Bronze Brooch by Line Vautrin
By Line Vautrin
Located in Atlanta, GA
A brooch in gilded bronze by French art jeweler Line Vautrin circa 1950s-1960s. The unusual model depicts the mathematical sign of infinity, on which appears in relief inscription of...
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Decorative Malachite and Brass Hinged Box by Los Castillo of Mexico
By Los Castillo
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful inlaid detail of three swans in brass and bronze on a malachite and sodalite background adorn the top of this hinged box which was made by Los Castillo of Mexico, circa 196...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Malachite, Brass, Bronze
Seguso Murano Blue Pulveri Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Shell Trinket Bowl Dish
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown cobalt blue pigments and gold flecks Italian art glass seashell dish, bowl or sculpture. Documented to designer Archimede Seguso. Created in the "...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Ken Shores Gold Luster Feather Funk Pottery Ceremonial Bowl #6 In Mirrored Case
By Ken Shores
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Gold luster funk pottery fetish bowl embellished with applied feathers at its rim created by Ken Shores of Oregon, circa 1960s. Bowl is mounted in an acry...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Ceramic, Feathers
Fratelli Toso Murano Pink White Ribbon Gold Leaf Italian Art Glass Pitcher Vase
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful and large, vintage Murano hand blown pink and white ribbons Italian art glass pitcher / vase. Documented to the Fratelli Toso company, with original "Murano Glass - Made In...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Pino Conte Life-Size Sculpture Called "Maternity", 1/1
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Italian artist Pino Conte (1915-1997) life size "Maternity" sculpture from the 1960s. Cast Bronze and signed Pino Conte 1/1. Statue measures 27" wide, 15"...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze, Cut Steel
Precious Va by Arrigo Finzi in Pure Gold and Porcelain, Original Label, 1950s
By Arrigo Finzi
Located in Milano, IT
Precious Italian vase from the 1950s made by the great silversmith Arrigio Finzi. The vase has an elliptical shape made in porcelain. Its great particularity are the various elements painted in pure gold. Glie elements depicted are carnival masks tied to himself by a rope painted in gold. In the bottom of the vase is the original label of the manufacture Finzi.
To conclude the important vase are its golden edges. In the back of the vase to close we find a single small representation in gold always in the form of a mask with long golden hair. The smallest high mouth measures 6 cm.
Finzi is the only Italian silversmith to be selected to participate in the exhibition Italy at work. Her Renaissance in design today, promoted by the CNA (Compagnia Nazionale Artigiana) and hosted by 12 important American museums from 1950-1952 to present the best of the decorative arts produced in Italy since the end of the war.
For years now, his production has also extended to porcelain decorated in pure gold (Figures 7 and 7bis). In 1952 he opens a store on two floors in Via Manzoni 17 in Milan and in 1954 he creates Finzi Arte, with the collaboration of his daughter Olga in the field of jewelry.
Arrigo Finzi died in Milan on January 6...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold
Bronze Bust Sculpture Att. Will Rogers on Green Stone Base by Leonard McMurry
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A large striking bronze bust sculpture of a man with the likeness of Will Rogers. This piece was created by Leonard McMurry, also known as Oklahoma’s “Michelangelo”. It stands on a green marbled stone square base.
The sculpture depicts a man, with an extreme likeness to Will Rogers. The man has combed hair, which is parted to one side. The sculpted bronze bust has a fabulous patina, and the square green stone it is affixed to is marbled with fantastic greens, blacks, and creams.
About the Artist:
Leonard McMurry, (1913–2008) - McMurry is best known for his bronzes, which are primarily figurative, in many venues, from Oklahoma City to St. Louis to New York City. In 1941 his work received Honorable Mention in the Prix de Rome competition. In 1952 his work was included in the National Sculpture Society show in New York. Among his works in Oklahoma are The 89er, at the Oklahoma City Civic Center, The Legend of the Great Westerner (informally called "Buffalo Bill") at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, and Healing Hands, at the City of Faith Hospital/Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. (which at the time was the largest casting in the world.) For the 1982 Diamond Jubilee of Oklahoma statehood, McMurry completed a series of twenty-one busts of Oklahoma's governors. He also created fourteen busts for the National Hall of Fame for American Indians in Anadarko. Leonard McMurry died in 2008.
Born to a family of prominent cotton farmers in the Texas panhandle, McMurry moved to Oklahoma in 1955 and studied under the sculptor's Carl Mose and Ivan Mestrovic...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Stone, Bronze
Esther Fuhrman "Seated Figure" Modern Bronze
Located in New York, NY
Esther Fuhrman (American, b. 1939), "Seated Figure," modern contemporary bronze sculpture, initialed, on resin base.
Measurements: 8" H x 5" W.
Ma...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Floor Candelabra, Anonymous, Denmark, 1920s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Floor candelabra, anonymous,
Denmark. 1920s.
Patinated bronze.
Dimensions:
H: 178 cm / 5' 10"
W: 88 cm / 2' 10 1/2"
D: 36 cm / 14"
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Sculpture / Door Knock ‘Devil’ Designed by Frank Olsson, Sweden, 1970s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Sculpture / Door knock ‘Devil’ designed by Frank Olsson,
Sweden. 1970s.
Bronze.
Unsigned prototype.
Measures: H: 14 cm / 5 1/2"
W: 11 cm / 4 1/4"
...
Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Maison Jansen Huge 5 Light Bamboo Bronze & Brass Palm Tree Floor Lamp Paris 1965
Located in Miami, FL
One of a Kind Maison Jansen designed 7ft H bronze, brass and bamboo palm tree floor lamp made in 1965.
Provenance: Palace Hotel in La Baule, France.
Wired f...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Las Vegas Showgirl Mid-Century Bronze Sculpture, 1950´s
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Las vegas showgirl mid-century bronze sculpture. 1950´s
Show girl / can can dancer mid-century dancer sculpture.
Las Vegas / Mouline Rouge style.
Made of silvered bronze mounted over a black base.
The first casino on the Las Vegas Strip to employ dancing girls as a diversion between acts was the El...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Murano Vintage Red Swirl Paint Stroke Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Bowl Dish
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown red, with gold flecks Italian art glass bowl. The bowl has a painterly swirl, ribbed pattern along the outside, and is profusely covered in gold l...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Murano Amethyst Pink Gold Flecks Quilted Italian Art Glass Pitcher Flower Vase
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful large vintage Murano hand blown amethyst pink and gold flecks Italian art glass pitcher / flower vase. It has a diamond quilted design throughout the body, with applied han...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Salviati Murano 1950s Orange Gold Fleck Star Design Italian Art Glass Ring Bowls
By Salviati
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful set of vintage Murano hand blown orange and gold flecks Italian art glass star design ring or trinket dish set. Documented to the Salviati company, circa 1950s. Although small, they are packed with gold leaf layer surrounding the starfish designs. Would make great display pieces on any desk or table. Use them as catchalls, candy or jewelry dishes on a vanity. Midcentury era. Heart shaped...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Pair of French Mid-Century Bronze Mounted Hand-Carved Rock Crystal Candlesticks
Located in New York, NY
An Impressive Pair of French Louis XVI style mid-century hand-carved and hand-polished rock crystal candlesticks on patinated bronze mounts. Each candlestick is beautiful with multip...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Rock Crystal, Bronze
Cast Bronze Lifesize Gorilla
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This bronze gorilla sits astutely with it's left hand out and it's right arm relaxed to the ground. The glass eyes are black and reflect surrounding lig...
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Group of Five Bird Sculptures in Gold Leaf Glass Barovier & Toso
Located in London, GB
Group of five bird sculptures in gold leaf glass by Barovier & Toso (1939) a famous Italian company that specialised in Venetian glass, the birds produced circa 1950. This was part o...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Murano White Rainbow Spots Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Scroll Shell Bowls
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Priced per item (2 available). Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown red, blue and green spots Italian art glass scroll shell bowls, with gold flecks. Profusely covered in heavy gold l...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
French Art Bronze Bracelet by Line Vautrin
By Line Vautrin
Located in Atlanta, GA
A rare cuff bracelet in gilded and silvered bronze by Parisian art jewller Line Vautrin (1913-1997). The playful piece is called "Le gendarme et le voleur"...
Category
1940s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Bronze Bust of a Man's Head
Located in New York, NY
Mid-century bronze bust of a man's head mounted on a black marble cube base. (Signed "H. Haas '71).
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Pair of 2 Italian Bronze Vases 1930
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful pair of 2 bronze Italian vase made in 1930s.
Category
1930s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Art Deco Patinated Bronze Vases
Located in Antwerp, BE
A handsome pair of Italian Art Deco cast and patinated bronze vases.
Measure: Height 30 cm.
Diameter 20 cm.
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Lucio Fontana Sculptures Bronze Female Figures Table Lamps, 1950-2021
Located in Rome, IT
The table lamps designed by Lorenzo Ciompi for series Masterpieces of Lights" in 2021 , n. 5
supports a pair of rare bronze sculptures designed by Lucio Fontana in 1950 during the ...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Murano Red White and Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Seashell Dish Ring Bowl
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown red, white and gold flecks Italian art glass seashell bowl / sculpture. Created in the manner of the Barovier e Toso company. It is profusely cove...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold
Fratelli Toso Murano Gold Flecks Swirl Pink Blue Art Glass Bowl / Ashtray, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Amazing murano handblown glass bowl or ashtray with gold flecks and optic swirls in pink and blue. Attributed to Fratelli Toso, Italy, 1950s
The iridescent effect of the gold aventu...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
1960s Tapio Wirkkala for Venini Art Glass Egg Sculpture Italy
By Tapio Wirkkala, Venini
Located in Chula Vista, CA
glass art egg designed by Tapio Wirkkala for Venini.
Includes original mounting stand.
Signed on the bottom from Italy
2.75 tall x 2diameter, Base .25H x 1.5in diameter.
Original v...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold
Mid Century Head Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid century bronze sculpture of the head
Marble base is. Vintage condition.
Category
1960s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Bronze Abstract Nude Sculpture
Located in Costa Mesa, CA
Bronze Abstract nude sculpture, circa 1960s.
Category
1960s North American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Mid-Century French Japonisme Bronze Crane Figures Iron Pedestal Sculpture
Located in Forney, TX
A whimsical and most unusual hand-crafted iron and bronze crane figure statue table. circa 1940s
Dating to the mid-20th century, almost certainly French in origin, finished in orien...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze, Iron
Ercole Barovier Toso Murano Red Pink Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Pitcher Vase
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful, and rare shape, vintage Murano hand blown red trim and pink pigments Italian art glass pitcher or vase with gold flecks. Documented to designer Ercole Barovier, for the Ba...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Alfredo Barbini Murano Gold Flecks White Italian Art Glass Martini Compote Bowl
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Priced per item (2 available as shown). Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown white, controlled bubbles and gold flecks Italian art glass pedestal compote bowl. Documented to designer ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Claude Victor Boeltz Golden Crystal French 1970s Table Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
A French 1970s Gold and bronze clam shell center peice sculpture with three large quartz and amethyst crystal clusters. Signed
Biography:
Claude Boeltz was born in Paris in 1937. The fourth generation in a line of artists, from his early childhood Boeltz was interested in disciplines as far ranging as sculpture, painting, ceramics, architecture, and blacksmithing. From the very start he was fascinated by what would become life long inspirations—anatomy and geology.
His first apprenticeship was with the sculptor Henri Molins, which was followed by apprenticeships at the prominent Susse and Houdot foundries. His last was with Soudoun, under whose tutelage he was honored with the national “Best Worker in France” award.
During these apprenticeships Boeltz took night classes at the Boule School, the Gambetta School, and at the Academy of Art in Paris. He would eventually take degrees from all three. On Sundays he went to museums, particularly the Louvre, where he sought out work in the Louis XIII - Louis XVI styles. He also spent long hours in study of the many artists he admired, such as Bersus, Meunier, Giacometti, Ponpon, Chipparus, Dali, Dajou, and Ruhlman.
After these apprenticeships he tried to establish himself in the Riviera, where he befriended, and briefly collaborated with Picasso. Boeltz’s time in this vibrant community was, however, cut short—in the early 1960s he was called into the French military. While on tour in the Sahara he carved miniatures, and would carry them in his baggage from base to base. One that survived—a replica of the Arc d’triumph—was later offered to President Eisenhower on behalf of the French Army.
Upon leaving the service Boeltz established a foundry in the Loire, and by the late 1960s his work, now enormously popular, was shown all over Europe. In the early 1970s he met the sculptor Cesar. The famous sculptor’s “compression” pieces inspired Boeltz to create the work for which he would soon become best known. Boeltz’s “exploded” bronze works were pieces plated with 24 karat gold made to look like liquid gold crystalized an instant after explosion.
Boeltz augmented this unique medium with vibrant details, often with African emeralds, but with other stones or unusual materials as well. In his famous Cleopatra, dedicated to Elizabeth Taylor and installed in Georve V hotel in Paris, the artist employed metacrylite as a base and for its veil.
The immediate success of these “exploded” works allowed Boeltz to build two foundries devoted largely to their creation, one in the Faubourg St. Honore’ in Paris, and the other in Fontenay Sous Bois. “Exploded” works from the foundries were presented and sold at Fred’s Jewelers...
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Rock Crystal, Gold, Bronze
Modernist Patinated Bronze Mantle Flower Vase Unknown Craftsman Signed
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Unsure of the age of the vase, stamp looks Mid-Century Modern.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Murano Polka Dot Dress Italian Art Glass Parisian Woman Accordion Player Figure
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Gorgeous, and very unusual, vintage Murano hand blown orange polka dot, purple and gold flecks Italian art glass Parisian woman playing an accordion. He...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
Pair of Patinated Figurative Bronze Sculptures by Frederic Weinberg
Located in San Diego, CA
Pair of simple and elegant figurative patinated bronze sculptures by Frederic Weinberg, circa 1950s. The Minimalist and modern complementing figures have a wonderful vintage patina a...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Barovier Toso Murano Orange Red Swirl Art Glass Bowl with Gold Flecks
Located in Barcelona, ES
Eye-atching Murano glass bowl in vibrant red and shades of orange. Attributed to Barovier e Toso, Italy, 1950s.
It has a beautiful stripped decoration, controlled bubbles, aventurin...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Bronze Lion Abstract Sculpture Figurine, Belgium, 1960s
Located in Den Haag, NL
Bronze lion abstract sculpture figurine, Belgium, 1960s.
Category
1960s Belgian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Murano Green Spatter Swirl Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Flower Shape Bowls
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Price per item (Only 2 left). Beautiful vintage Murano hand blown green spatter swirl and gold flecks Italian art glass flower shaped bowls. The bo...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Murano Glass Torciglione Candle Holder with Submerged Gold Attributed to Seguso
By Seguso
Located in Villaverla, IT
Murano glass Torciglione candle holder with submerged gold attributed to Seguso.
This is a very special artistic candle holder, a masterpiece attributed made by the renowned Murano ...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold
Bronze Modernist Sculpture After Alexander Liberman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
c. 1960s, American, high quality cast and welded bronze, mounted on round black wood base, unsigned.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Murano Orange Gold Flecks Controlled Bubbles Italian Art Glass Flower Vase
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful tall vintage Murano hand blown persimmon orange, controlled bubbles and gold flecks Italian art glass flower vase. Made in the "Bullicante" technique, with bubble all over ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Objects
Materials
Gold Leaf
Mid-century Modern decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage decorative objects created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern decorative objects made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative objects, popular names associated with this style include Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Scheurich Keramik, Bitossi, and Rörstrand. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for decorative objects differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $22 and tops out at $295,000 while the average work can sell for $847.
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