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Modern Decorative Objects

MODERN STYLE

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”

Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.

Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chaircrafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

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Style: Modern
Creator: Venini
Creator: Ghidini 1961
Venini Adrenalina Happy Pills Vase in Red and Green by Fabio Novembre
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Adrenalina happy pills by Fabio Novembre. Numbered Edition Handmade-blown glass with the “Incalmo” technique. Dimensions: Ø 11.5 cm, H 33 cm Year of manufacture: 2012 ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Serpente Plate in Black with Coral Red Detail by Carlo Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Serpente plate in black/coral red by Carlo Scarpa. Numbered Edition. Blown handmade and cut glass plate with the “Murrine” technique. Color: ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Riflessi Medium Vase in Multicolor Glass by Michela Catta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“Endless shades of lagoon water enliven, like strokes of paint, the glass surface in all its forms. These unique creations, blown and crafted free-hand with the skilful Canne techniq...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Italian modern Decorative bowl in green light blue Murano glass by Venini 1990s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Decorative bowl in green light blue Murano glass by Venini, 1990s Decorative bowl with a round base in light blue aqua-green Murano glass. Perfect as a centerpiece or ...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Fasce Orizzontale Bottle with Stopper by Fulvio Bianconi for Venini
Located in New York, NY
Hand blown incalmo glass decanter in red and green with stopper. Unsigned. Bottle top appears to have been neatly ground down at some point. Provenance: ...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Clessidra Hourglass in Orange Indigo Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Clessidra hourglass in amber murano glass by Paolo Venini and Fulvio Bianconi. Little grains of sand, impalpable and unnoticeable as a whole yet so...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Monofiore Balloton Small Vase in Red Apple-Green Thread Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Monofiore Balloton vase in Amber Murano glass by Venini. It looks soft, but it’s not; it’s glass. The optical illusion of Monofiori by Venini from 1970 lies in its name: Balloton, a ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Veronese Glass Vase in Grey and Crystal by Vittorio Zecchin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with cylindrical body and crystal decorative base. Featured in grey colored class with crystal designed in 1921. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or stron...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Glass Vase by Tomaso Buzzi for Venini
Located in New York, NY
"Incamiciato" Italian art glass vase by Tomaso Buzzi for Venini. Cased glass, clear, white and grey, deep purple foot. Marked: Venini itali...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Labuan Small Glass Vase in Red by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A classical form inspired by faraway places, magically projected in the contemporary world by the new colours. It draws inspiration from faraway places, halfway between fantasy an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini 'Where Are My Glasses?' Single Lens Glass Vase in Red by Ron Arad
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with slim shaped neck and black glass glasses sculpture. Featured in red colored glass. Perfect for indoor home decor as containe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Venini Circo Di Lune Red Sculpture by Monica Guggisberg & Philip Baldwin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Circo Di Lune sculpture by Monica Guggisberg & Philip Baldwin. Limited edition in 99 art-pieces for each color. Sculptures made up of spherical el...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Venini Clessidra Hourglass in Sapphire Cipria Pink Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Clessidra hourglass in amber murano glass by Paolo Venini and Fulvio Bianconi. Little grains of sand, impalpable and unnoticeable as a whole yet so real, like time ticking away. In 1...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Fazzoletto Glass Vase in Red by Fulvio Bianconi & Paolo Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with pinched rim in red designed by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini in 1948. Perfect for indoor home decor as container, vide-poche or statement piece for any room...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Opalino Glass Vase in Horizon Milk White inside by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with slim, oval shaped body and funnel shaped neck. Featured in aquamarine colored glass. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong statement piece for a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Labuan Sabbiato Vase in Grey with Blown Opal Glass by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"A classical form inspired by faraway places, magically projected in the contemporary world by the new colours. Drawing inspiration from exotic destinations in the Far East, Paolo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Fazzoletto Opalino Large Glass Vase in Grey/Horizon by Fulvio Bianconi & Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created from the collaboration between Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, characterized by a soft shape with a graceful wavy lip, always unique, obtained using the free-hand technique...
Category

20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Deco Medium Vase in Apple Green by Napoleone Martinuzzi
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Historic vase designed by Napoleone Martinuzzi in opalino glass characterized by round horizontal ribs. The model is proposed in three shades of colour and in three sizes. Rhythm"...
Category

20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Anni Trenta Tall Glass Bowl in Red by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass bowl in marine red. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or statement piece for any room. Also available in other colors on 1stdibs. Dimensions: 18 cm diameter...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Venini Limited Edition Ando Time Hour Glass Set in Grape by Tadao Ando
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The collaboration between the master craftsmanship of the Venetian Glass and the layered geometric form has created this special piece of objet. Architecture is defined through “Spac...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Contrasto Vase in Crystal and Grape Blown Glass by Michela Cattai
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“Sleek and opaque blown glass – crafted using the "Mano Volante" technique – is juxtaposed with a shimmering multifaceted gem made from "cotisso" glass. An interplay that lends character and uniqueness to the work. Glass comes to life in a work that is almost organic. These two pieces by Michela Cattai...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Fazzoletto Opalino Large Glass Vase in Grey by Fulvio Bianconi and Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created from the collaboration between Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, characterized by a soft shape with a graceful wavy lip, always unique, obtained using the free-hand technique...
Category

20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Venini Ando Time Hourglass in Crystal and Aquamarine by Tadao Ando
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ando time hourglass, designed by Tadao Ando and manufactured by Venini, is a limited edition of 49 art pieces (per color) plus an additional 20 P.d.A. a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Venini Fazzoletto Opalino Medium Vase in Horizon Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino medium vase in Horizon Murano glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the 15th century makes its color uniqu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Ghidini 1961 There Push Pin Candleholder in Brass by Studio Job
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
Candlestick in brass. The push pin as a representation of the struggle for achievement day by day, months by months, till we conquer. The push pin sconce is e...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Riflessi Small Vase in Multicolor Glass by Michela Catta
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“Endless shades of lagoon water enliven, like strokes of paint, the glass surface in all its forms. These unique creations, blown and crafted free-hand with the skilful Canne techniq...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Fazzoletto Opalino Large Glass Vase in Grey/Indigo by Fulvio Bianconi and Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created from the collaboration between Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, characterized by a soft shape with a graceful wavy lip, always unique, obtained using the free-hand technique...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Venini Opalino Small Vase in Horizon Milk White Inside Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Opalino small vase in Amber Murano glass by Venini. The Opalino vase is all about sophisticated and unique colors, thanks to the use of the traditional Opalino technique. This method...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Fazzoletto Opalino Small Vase in Indigo Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino Small Vase in Amber Murano Glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the 15th century makes its color unique. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Opalino Sabbiato Glass Vase in Red by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with slim, oval shaped body and funnel shaped neck. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong statement piece for any room. It appears in refined colo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Fazzoletto Bicolore Large Vase in Ox Blood Red & Cipria Pink
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created from the collaboration between Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, characterized by a soft shape with a graceful wavy lip, always unique, obtained using the free-hand technique...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Opalino Glass Vase in Red Milk White Inside by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with slim, oval shaped body and funnel shaped neck. Featured in aquamarine colored glass. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong statement piece for a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Venini Ando Cosmos Vase in Yellow, Green and Pink by Tadao Ando
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ando Cosmos vase, designed by Tadao Ando and manufactured by Venini, is made of three vases that create a sphere when united. Crystal version is available ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Bolle Vase in Straw-Yellow and Grass Green by Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Perfection lies in the middle, striking the perfect balance. A vase turns into a bottle for Tapio Wirkkala. Straw Yellow and Apple Green. Two distinct spaces of colour that blend tog...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Venini Medium Black Belt Oval Glass Vase in Crystal and Green by Peter Marino
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase in crystal and grass green with black decoration designed by Peter Marino in 2017. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or statement piece for any room. Also ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Tobia Scarpa Battuti Vase in Grape Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Battuti vase in grape Murano glass by Tobia Scarpa and Ludovico Diaz De Santillana for Venini. It evokes a lily standing tall, in tones of Grape and Amber. Its translucent appearance...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Monofiore Balloton Small Vase in Amber Horizon Thread Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Monofiore Balloton vase in Amber Murano glass by Venini. It looks soft, but it’s not; it’s glass. The optical illusion of Monofiori by Venini from 1...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Fazzoletto Opaline Large Vase in Amber/ Milk white Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opaline large vase in amber Murano glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the 15th century makes its color unique. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Murana Face Glass Vase in Wistaria by Fabio
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with oval body and neck and engraved facial expression designed by Fabio in 2016. Featured in wistaria colored glass. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Opalino Sabbiato Glass Vase in Grey by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with slim, oval shaped body and funnel shaped neck. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong statement piece for any room. It appears in refined colo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Fazzoletto Opalino Large Glass Vase in Horizon by Fulvio Bianconi and Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created from the collaboration between Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, characterized by a soft shape with a graceful wavy lip, always unique, obtained using the free-hand technique...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Venini Ando Time Hourglass in Pink and Red by Tadao Ando
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ando Time Hourglass, designed by Tadao Ando and manufactured by Venini, is a limited edition of 49 art pieces (per color) plus an additional 20 P.d.A. a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Venini Monofiore Balloton Medium Vase in Horizon Red Thread Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Monofiore Balloton medium vase in amber Murano glass by Venini. It looks soft, but it’s not; it’s glass. The optical illusion of Monofiori by Venini...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Yemen Geometric Glass Vase in Multi-Color by Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with geometric, circular shaped body and triangular neck and base. Designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1994. Featured in coral red, milk-white, black and light green col...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Venini Idria Large Glass Vase in Red
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Idria glass vase series, designed and manufactured by Venini, features three different shaped vases. Indoor use only. Dimensions: Ø 26, H 36 cm.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Venini Fischione Glass Bird Sculpture by Toni Zuccheri
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fischione glass sculpture, designed by Toni Zuccheri and manufactured by Venini, was originally designed in 1980. Numbered edition per year. Indoor use only. Dimensions: W 38 cm,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

Venini Monofiore Balloton Large Vase in Apple Green Red Thread Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Monofiore Balloton large vase in Amber Murano glass by Venini. It looks soft, but it’s not; it’s glass. The optical illusion of Monofiori by Venini from 1970 lies in its name: Ballot...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Fazzoletto Sabbiato Medium Vase in Amber/ Milk White Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino medium vase in amber Murano glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. A light summer breeze leads us to discover the iconic Venini collection...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Opalino Sabbiato Glass Vase in Acquamarine by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with slim, oval shaped body and funnel shaped neck. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong statement piece for any room. It appears in refined color...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Venini Fazzoletto Opalino Large Vase in Horizon Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Fazzoletto Opalino Large Vase in Amber Murano Glass by Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini. An exclusive new take on the Opalini technique from the 15t...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Labuan Vase in Grey with Blown Opal Glass by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"A classical form inspired by faraway places, magically projected in the contemporary world by the new colours. Drawing inspiration from exotic destinations in the Far East, Paolo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Zanfirico pencil neck Murano Glass vase , signed " Venini Italia"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful Venini vase in this canes twisted work, zanfirico technic that makes lattice patterns . This vase has a neck shape and is signed in bottom diamond point "Venini Italia" .
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Venini Tessuti Battuti Vase in Red by Carlo Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Tessuti Battuti vases, designed by Carlo Scarpa and manufactured by Venini, feature a blown handmade glass body with bicolored “Filigrana” stripes then...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Opalino Small Vase in Acquamarine Milk White Inside Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Opalino small vase in Amber Murano glass by Venini. The Opalino vase is all about sophisticated and unique colors, thanks to the use of the traditional Op...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Ghidini 1961 Axonometry A4 Tray in Brass by Elisa Giovanni
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
The compositional scheme of this family of small trays is the axonometric isometric projection of two parallelepipeds which creates a three-dimensional optical effect implemented by ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Opalino Glass Vase in Acquamarine Milk White Inside by Venini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini glass vase with slim, oval shaped body and funnel shaped neck. Featured in aquamarine colored glass. Perfect for indoor home decor as container or strong statement piece for a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Art Glass

Venini Serpente Plate in Milk-White with Turquoise Detail by Carlo Scarpa
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Serpente plate in milk-white/turquoise by Carlo Scarpa. Numbered Edition. Blown handmade and cut glass plate with the “Murrine” technique. Co...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Blown Glass

Venini Idria Medium Vase in Horizon Milk White Inside Murano Glass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Idria medium vase in horizon Murano glass by Venini. The Ancient Greek water vessel sheds its skin, as terracotta gives way to glass, thanks to Venini. Its design speaks of bygone da...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects

Materials

Murano Glass

Modern decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique 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, asian art and furniture and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, ceramic and other materials. If you’re shopping for used 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 Venini, RAAQUU, VG-VGnewtrend, and Mosche Bianche. 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 $15 and tops out at $6,718,000 while the average work can sell for $1,174.

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