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.
1980s Brutalist Clear Glass Cylinder Vase by Jan Gabrhel
Located in Aci Castello, IT
The item is a clear glass cylinder vase, characterized by a heavily textured "brutalist" surface. This textured effect resembles ice or rough-hewn stone, giving the vase a robust and...
Glass
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
Sculptural Matte Black Ceramic Vase, Contemporary Organic Modern Design
Located in Istanbul, TR
This contemporary ceramic vase is handcrafted in stoneware and finished in a deep matte black surface that highlights its sculptural silhouette. The form features a fluid, organic pr...
Stoneware
Mid-Century Brutalist Carafe Vases from Hartwig Heyne Pottery, Germany, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Carafe Vases from Hartwig Heyne Pottery, Germany, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informat...
Ceramic
$2,900 / item
Rick Owens Cast Bronze Coupe Nitrate Patina Vase
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
Spanish Brutalist Aluminum + Brass Jug Handled Vase Attrib to Alfonso Marquez
Located in Troy, MI
Found in Spain, this brutalist style aluminum and brass jug style vase is attributed to Alfonso Marquez and dates from the 1970s. Vase is 10-1/2” tall and has a diameter just shy of ...
Aluminum, Brass
1970 Salvino Marsura style Brutalist Sculpture Irone Bowl
Located in Brescia, IT
Sculpture Iron Bowl Salvino Marsura attr. Italy, 1970 Striking hand-forged metal bowl in the Brutalist style, dating from the mid-20th century. This sculptural piece is composed of...
Iron
Brutalist Ceramic Vase by Bernard Rooke, England, 1970s, Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
Brutalist ceramic vase by Bernard Rooke, England, 1970s. In 1960 he set up his own workshop in Forest Hill, London. Progressive designs were readily accepted in London at that time, ...
Ceramic, Stoneware
Hand Blown Glass Solarized Ghost Vase by Gregory Nangle, Brutalist Design
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Solarized Cleaving Ghost Vase. Hand Blown Crystal Glass and also available in Ruby transparent color, faded silvering at base. The artist blows these into M...
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Silver
Brutalist Cast Stainless Steel Vase by Olav Joa, Norway 1970s
A sculptural Norwegian Brutalist vase designed by Olav Joa, circa 1970s. Executed in cast stainless steel (18-8 quality), this cylindrical vessel embodies Joa’s distinctive architec...
Stainless Steel
Mid-Century Scandianvian Heavy Bubble Glass Block Vase, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Scandianvian Heavy Bubble Glass Block Vase, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Material: Glass Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Century...
Glass
Mid-Century Minimalist Dutch Studio Pottery Vase from Mobach, 1960s
By Mobach
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Minimalist Dutch Studio Pottery Vase from Mobach, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalogs, designer ...
Ceramic
Asymmetrical Brutalist Bronze a single flower vase by Heinz Goll, Italy 1960s
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a very rare and absolutely extraordinary sculptural asymmetrical Brutalist vase done in bronze, for a single flower. It was designed by Austrian designer Heinz Goll...
Bronze
Mid-Century Swedish Brutalist Bubble Glass Block Vase by Josef Schott, 1960s
By Josef Schott
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Swedish Brutalist Bubble Glass Block Vase by Josef Schott for Smalandshyttan, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 I have official proof of authenticity ...
Glass
Kasper Mobach studio pottery Crown Sculptural Ceramic Vessel, Netherlands, 1990s
By Mobach
Located in Zevenaar, NL
Unique Kasper Mobach Crown Sculptural Ceramic Vessel, Netherlands, 1990s A striking studio ceramic by Kasper Mobach, eighth-generation heir to the celebrated Utrecht-based Mobach pot...
Ceramic
Vintage Glazed Ceramic Scored Vases - A Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This exceptional pair of vintage studio pottery vases captures the raw, expressive spirit of the Brutalist and Mid-Century Modern movements through their striking textural contrast. ...
Ceramic
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
Vintage German Brutalist Bronze Ornamental Carafe from Gilde, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Heavy bronze carafe with ornamental forms and reliefs. This piece has an attribution markIt is completely authentic Additional information: Materials: Bronze Styles: Brutalist Peri...
Bronze
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
Mid-Century German Brutalist Studio Pottery Floor Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Modern German Brutalist Studio Pottery Floor Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1969
Pottery
Vintage German Studio Pottery Brutalist Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1980
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage German Studio Pottery Brutalist Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1980, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional infor...
Ceramic
$197Sale Price|42% Off
Danish Brutalist Copper Vase in Copper, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A sculptural cylindrical vase in hand embossed patinated copper. It displays all the right elements of Scandinavian Brutalism. The floral relief pattern resembles some of Axel Salto'...
Copper
Glazed Stoneware Honey Jar With Bee by Danish Getter Hundstrup
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Unsual hard-fired stoneware jar or urn featuring a playfull bee to its lid. Designed and made by the Danish Female Ceramist Getter Hundstrup in Denmark during the 1980s. It has this ...
Stoneware
Mid-Century Brutalist West German Pottery WGP Fat Lava Vase, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist West German Pottery WGP Fat Lava Vase from Jopeko, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalogs...
Ceramic
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
Brutalist Pottery Vase by California Artist Barry Parr Signed & Dated
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful ceramic pottery Vase by Californian ceramist Barry Parr, circa 2005 signed and dated 2K5 , San Diego artist , California Design.
Pottery
Vintage Boho Original Studio Pottery Small Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Discover the rugged beauty of organic design with this captivating vintage studio pottery vase. A striking example of the Brutalist aesthetic, this small vessel features a heavily te...
Pottery
Thick crystal vase Argos model by César Baldaccini signed Daum France circa 1970
By Daum
Located in LE CANNET, FR
Brutalist crystal vase, designed by Cesar Baldaccini in the 1970s. Engraved signature "Daum France" on the base. Present with the Cristal Daum label. Luminous turquoise-blue color. N...
Crystal
Modernist Ceramic Twin Vase with Sgraffito Decor in Style of Gambone
By Fratelli Fanciullacci, Guido Gambone, Aldo Londi
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Unusual twin vase features abstract modernist decor on the front side in beige-brown color that was applied in sgraffito technique and then tinted. The reverse side of the vase is a...
Ceramic, Majolica, Pottery
$197Sale Price / set|49% Off
Danish Brutalist Glazed Ceramic Planters, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Curated set of 2 ceramic pieces. A pot shaped bowl/planter from Dot keramik in Denmark circa 1970 and an unknown square fat-lava vase or small planter from the the early 1970s. The s...
Ceramic
$166Sale 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
1970s Mdina Glass by Michael Harris Tall Vase, Signed Brutalist
By Michael Harris, Mdina
Located in Torquay, GB
1970s Mdina glass tall vase. Design by Michael Harris for Mdina glass, circa 1970s. Fire orange color with greenish appliqué stripes around the stem. Substantially sized at over 30cm...
Glass
Brutalist Metal Cylinder Vase
By Bmf Nagel
Located in New York, NY
Produced by BMF (Bayerische Metallwarenfabrik) in Germany in the 1970s. Great contrasting finishes and patina.
Metal
Rare Brutalist Studio Pottery Stoneware Vase by Sally Hare Leibold
By Sally Hare Leibold 1
Located in San Diego, CA
Rare Brutalist studio pottery stoneware vase by Sally Hare Leibold, circa 1970s. An interesting, cool and different piece that is made of stoneware pottery, characterized by its eart...
Stoneware, Ceramic
Pair of Swedish Brutalist stoneware vases with glazed collar Curt Magnus Addin
Located in JOINVILLE-LE-PONT, FR
Pair of Scandinavian Vases with Brown Decor. Curt Magnus Addin (1931–2007) was a Swedish ceramicist known for his modernist stoneware works, created in his studio in Glumslöv between...
Stoneware
$212Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-Century Modern Umanoff Grenada Style Brutalist Black Iron Bowl
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful vintage iron bowl in the style of Umanoff. The piece is designed in the Salterini Grenada pattern, making it unique. The bowl projects a st...
Iron
Sculptural Soft Green Glazed “Pallini” Vase by Matteo Giampaglia, Italy 2023
Located in New York, NY
Hand-sculpted in Florence by renowned Italian artist Matteo Giampaglia, this extraordinary piece blurs the line between functional vessel and fine art sculpture. Every detail is form...
Ceramic
$2,620Sale Price|20% Off
1970 Brutalist Studio Pottery Floor Vase by Inge
Located in New Windsor, NY
Handmade slab built monumental Brutalist pottery vase. Meticulously decorated and glazed with organic and geometric patterns and shapes. Applied neck. Signed and dated, Inge, 70 a th...
Stoneware
Danish Brutalist Stoneware Vase by Conny Walther, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A unique chanterelle shaped pottery vase/bowl in earthy polychrome glazes by the danish female ceramist Conny Walther. Organic brutalism' in style. Nice intact vintage condition. Sig...
Stoneware
Contemporary Sculptural Stoneware Vase with Volcanic Surface Texture
Located in Istanbul, TR
This contemporary ceramic vase is handcrafted in stoneware and finished in a deep matte black surface that highlights its sculptural silhouette. The form features a fluid, organic pr...
Stoneware
Pair of Brutalist Nickel Candle Holders by Thomas Roy Markusen
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A pair of sculpted pounded nickel plated Candle holder/ vases by Thomas Roy Markusen Brutalist. Large-15" high 6" diameter Small-10" high 6" diameter
Metal, Nickel
Vintage Original Studio Pottery Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This striking original studio pottery vase is a masterclass in Brutalist ceramic art, celebrating the raw materiality of hand-built clay. Constructed using a labor-intensive coil met...
Clay, Pottery
Brutalist Hand-Built Glazed Coil Teracotta Studio Pottery Vase
Located in Miami, FL
Brutalist Hand-Built Glazed Coil Terracotta Studio Pottery Vase Offered for sale is a handsome brutalist vase made of ceramic coils adhered to an underlying terracotta form. At 13”...
Ceramic, Pottery, Terracotta
$538Sale Price|20% Off
1970s German Heinrich Ceramics Op Art Porcelain Matt-White Bisque Vase No 2014
Located in London, England
A large op art "Tetris" bisque matt-white porcelain vase which was manufactured by Heinrich Ceramics in Germany during the 1970s. A stunning brutalist 3...
Porcelain
Rick Owens Cast Bronze Coupe Vase Black Patina
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 black patina. Designed in 2012. Each bronze is signed. Can be used as vase or sculp...
Bronze
$565Sale 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
1990s Brutalist Orange and Gray Fat Lava Ceramic German Vase
Located in Aci Castello, IT
This striking 1990s Modernist German ceramic vase serves as a bold example of the enduring "Fat Lava" tradition, reimagined with a sleek, contemporary silhouette. The piece features ...
Ceramic
Set of Linear Brushed Metal Brutalist Objects, Germany, 1970’s
Located in New York, NY
Interesting set of objects.
Metal
'Argos' Model Sculptural Blue Glass Vase by César Baldaccini, Daum, France
By Daum, César Baldaccini
Located in London, GB
This fabulous deep blue coloured glass vase was made by Daum in Nancy, France in the 1970s. It looks very much like a piece of sculpture - no surprise given it's designer was César ...
Glass
Vintage Original Studio Pottery Fold Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This vintage studio art pottery vase is a compelling example of 1970s biomorphic design, perfect for the collector seeking organic, sculptural form. Hand-crafted from heavy stoneware...
Pottery, Stoneware
Vintage Boho Metallic Studio Pottery Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Presenting a truly unique Vintage Boho Metallic Studio Pottery Vase, an arresting piece that embodies the raw beauty and expressive freedom of mid-century artisan ceramics. This vase...
Pottery
Bengt Berggren Brutalist Scandinavian Modern Pewter Vase w. Female Faces, 1990s
Located in Frederiksberg C, DK
Bengt Berggren Brutalist Scandinavian Modern Pewter Vase w. Female Faces, 1990s Handcrafted pewter vase by Swedish artist Bengt Berggren, created in the 1990s. The sculptural form f...
Pewter
Monumental Textured Studio Pottery Amphora Vase with Sculptural Ring Handles
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Make a bold and timeless statement with this monumental handcrafted studio pottery amphora vase, a piece that beautifully bridges ancient ceramic traditions with modern artistic expr...
Clay, Stoneware
Brutalist Style Vintage Bowl in Brass Aluminium by David Marshall, Circa 1970s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Brutalist Style Vintage Bowl in Brass Aluminium by David Marshall, Circa 1970s. Double brass handles by the Scottish artist David Marshall. The bottom has the trademark leather base...
Aluminum, Brass
$1,733
Vase by David Marshall
Located in London, GB
A large Brutalist brass and aluminium vase with twin handles by David Marshall Spain, 1970s
Aluminum, Brass
Brutalist Earthenware Vase in Yellow, and Orange by Hans Hedberg, Biot France
By Hans Hedberg
Located in Stockholm, SE
Brutalist Vase in Yellow, and Orange by Hans Hedberg, Biot France. Asymmetric form in high-fired earthenware with mottled glaze in red, orange, and brown-black tones. Monogram signe...
Earthenware
Brutalist Murano Art Glass Vases by Costantini, Italy, 1970s
By Constantini
Located in Valencia, VC
A Pair of Brutalist Murano Art Glass Vases Attributed to Costantini A striking pair of Brutalist Murano art glass vases distinguished by their sculptural organicist form and sophist...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
$744Sale Price|51% Off
Karen Karnes Salt Glazed Jar, Signed
By Karen Karnes
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Karen Karnes salt glazed jar w/ lid. A standard format for the artist, this particular piece is a great example, solid and well executed some great details in the glazing, fading an...
Ceramic
Signed Mid-Century Brutalist Studio Stoneware Vase, c. 1960s
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This striking signed mid-century studio stoneware vase exemplifies the bold, expressive aesthetic of Brutalist ceramic design popular in the mid-20th century. Hand-thrown and artist-...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Swedish Brutalist Glass Vase by Göte Augustsson for Ruda, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Swedish Brutalist Glass Vase by Göte Augustsson for Ruda, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 have official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalo...
Glass