Modern Decorative Objects
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 chair — crafted 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.
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
2010s French Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Scandinavian Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
1990s French Modern Decorative Objects
Metal, Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Decorative Objects
Porcelain
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Objects
Stone, Onyx
1990s American Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Aluminum
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Enamel
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Metal
2010s Mexican Modern Decorative Objects
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Decorative Objects
Fiberglass, Walnut
2010s Turkish Modern Decorative Objects
Travertine
Mid-20th Century Mexican Modern Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Portuguese Modern Decorative Objects
Metal
1990s Mexican Modern Decorative Objects
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
20th Century French Modern Decorative Objects
Plexiglass
2010s French Modern Decorative Objects
Bronze
1980s Mexican Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Copper
Mid-20th Century Modern Decorative Objects
Leather
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass
1980s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
2010s Scandinavian Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
1980s Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Pottery
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Modern Decorative Objects
Stainless Steel
20th Century Mexican Modern Decorative Objects
Pottery
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
1970s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Composition
1990s Spanish Modern Decorative Objects
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
20th Century Modern Decorative Objects
Bone, Wood
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Modern Decorative Objects
Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Decorative Objects
Resin, Plaster
1950s Swedish Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Polyester, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Silver
Mid-20th Century American Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Malachite, Vermeil, Silver
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Decorative Objects
Resin, Plaster
Early 20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
Mid-20th Century American Modern Decorative Objects
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Decorative Objects
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Decorative Objects
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Decorative Objects
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Objects
Wood
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Copper, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Birdseye Maple
Late 20th Century American Modern Decorative Objects
Crystal
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
2010s Vietnamese Modern Decorative Objects
Fiberglass
2010s Dutch Modern Decorative Objects
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Walnut
Modern decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.
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