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 Schamotte Series Vase from Spara Keramik, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Brutalist Schamotte Series Vase from Spara Keramik, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informati...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Brutalist West German Pottery WGP Fat Lava Carafe Vase, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist West German Pottery WGP Fat Lava Carafe Vase from Jopeko, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 Official proof of authenticity such as vintage c...
Ceramic
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
Pair of West German “Fat Lava” Pottery Vessels by Ankara Keramik, circa 1970s
Located in San Diego, CA
Striking pair of vintage West German studio pottery vessels attributed to Ankara Keramik, featuring the iconic “Fat Lava” textured glaze movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. E...
Ceramic
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Brutalist Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1974
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Brutalist Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1974, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informat...
Ceramic
Mid-Century German Brutalist Porcelain Vase from Wunsiedel Bavaria, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Brutalist Porcelain Vase from Wunsiedel Bavaria Porzellan, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark, It is complete...
Porcelain
Stoneware Bottle by Alain Gaudebert, Puisaye - Era Joulia Debril Deblander Lerat
Located in Camblanes et Meynac, FR
Stoneware Bottle by Alain Gaudebert, Puisaye - Era Joulia Debril Deblander Lerat A superb ceramic bottle designed by Alain Gaudebert. The layers of glaze melt into each other, overl...
Enamel
Beautiful Set of four Copper Handmade Brutalist Flower Vase, German, 1970s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful set of four flower vases made in Germany, circa 1970s. These are single flower or rose vases. Made of copper, they have some nice patina, but this is old-age. The size give...
Copper
German Studio Pottery Jug Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1993
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Brutalist German Studio Pottery Jug Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1993, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1990 to 1999 This piece has an attribution mark, Additional informat...
Ceramic
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Vase by Melitta Teubner, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Vase by Melitta Teubner, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional information: Material...
Ceramic
$457Sale Price / set|40% Off
1970s Brutalist Art Glass Vases by Kurt Wokan, Handmade in Germany
Located in Valencia, VC
Pair of Brutalist 1970s Art Glass Vases by Kurt Wokan for Ingrid Glashütten A unique pair of moulded art glass vases designed by Kurt Wokan, then Creative Director at Ingrid Glashüt...
Glass, Art Glass
Set of five Swiss decorative brutalist copper vases
Located in Bern, BE
Set of five Brutalist decorative vases & jugs dating from the 1960's. Made in Switzerland. Varying sizes, with the largest piece measuring 34cm's. Two jugs with teak handles. All in ...
Metal, Copper
Vintage Caged Brutalist Vase or Urn in Brass
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Raw industrial looking and brutally styled urn or lidded vase for flower arrangement or incense. Both the wire lid and container are made from solid brass. Un-known origin circa 1960...
Brass
Pair of Artist‑Signed Pierced Studio‑Ceramic Vessels, Nordic Organic Brutalist
Located in Skien, NO
Nordic Organic Brutalist studio pottery – expressive hand‑worked texture, raw tactile clay surfaces, sculptural functional form with perforated detailing, typical Norwegian studio‑ce...
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
$1,687Sale Price / set|20% Off
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
Brutalist Stainless Steel Vase by Olav Joff for Polaris/Figgjo, Norway 1970s
By Olaf Joff
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A square/rectangular stainless steel vase designed by Olav Joff (born 1942) and manufactured by Figgjo/Polaris in Sandness Norway from the early 1970s. From the "Steel Art" series. ...
Stainless Steel
Italian Brutalist Ceramic Planter, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Italian studio planter. Decorated with a mustard colored main glazes and set with splashes of thick blue lava glaze to the circular perforations and dots. Marked: Italy 77 to its bas...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Brutalist Bronze Vase, Vintage Design, 1960s, Brown Patina
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist Bronze Vase, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Bronze Color: Brown Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Century Modern Item ...
Bronze
Vintage Brutalist German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Brutalist German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1970s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional info...
Ceramic
Vintage Boho Original Studio Pottery Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A magnificent example of Brutalist studio pottery, this vintage vase is a sculptural masterpiece of form and texture. The artist has expertly crafted a towering, organic silhouette c...
Pottery, Stoneware
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
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
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
Mid-Century German Space Age Bubble Glass Vase by from Gral, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Space Age Bubble Glass Vase by from Gral, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalogs, designer r...
Glass
Brutalist Glazed Stoneware Vase by Eric Astoul La Borne, Signed, circa 2000
By Eric Astoul
Located in Camblanes et Meynac, FR
Stoneware Vase by Eric Astoul - La Borne - Circa 2000 - Era Debril Joulia Astoul Sculptural stoneware vase by Eric Astoul, one of the leading ceramists working in La Borne, France. ...
Ceramic, Earthenware, Stoneware
Mid-Century Studio Pottery Brutalist Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1976s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Brutalist Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1976s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional ...
Ceramic
Pair of West German Fat Lava Pottery Vessels Attributed to Marei Keramik, 1970s
Located in San Diego, CA
A striking pair of vintage West German art pottery vessels attributed to Marei Keramik, executed during the height of the celebrated Fat Lava movement of the late 1960s and early 197...
Ceramic
Vintage German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase, 1979
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase, 1979, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. Additional information: Materials: Ceramic Style: Brutalist Period: 1970s Country...
Ceramic
Vintage Brutalist German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1974
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Brutalist German Studio Pottery Carafe Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1974, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional infor...
Ceramic
Mid-Century French Brutalist Studio Pottery Floor Vase, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century French Brutalist Studio Pottery Floor Vase from La Poterie De La Colombe, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark, I am s...
Earthenware
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
Mid-Century Space Age Brutalist Block Bubble Glass Vase by Horst Tüselmann 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Space Age Brutalist Block Bubble Glass Vase by Horst Tüselmann for Ichendorf Glashütte, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 official proof of authentici...
Glass
Brutalist Fat Lava Pottery Vase, West Germany, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist Fat Lava Pottery Vase from Ruscha, West Germany, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 official proof of authenticity such a...
Ceramic
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Brutalist Floor Vase, 1977
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Brutalist Floor Vase by Gerhard Liebenthron, 1977, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark, I am sure that...
Ceramic
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
Brutalist German Carafe Vase from Krösselbach Keramik, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist German Carafe Vase from Krösselbach Keramik, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution markIt is completely authentic Additional...
Ceramic
Mid-Cenutry Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase Signed 55
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Cenutry Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase Signed 55, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969. Additional information: Materials: Ceramic Color: Blue Styles: Brutalist, Mid-Ce...
Ceramic
Set of 5 planters, decorative vases by Dutch Mobach in clay. Midcentury modern.
By Mobach
Located in Forest, BE
Set of large planters / decorative vases by dutch company Mobach. Strong and heavy in light various tones of beige and brown. __________________...
Clay
Mid-Century Brutalist WGP Pottery Model 25 Vase from Pan Keramik, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist WGP Pottery Model 25 Vase from Pan Keramik (P-Keramik), West Germany, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 official proof of authenticity such ...
Ceramic
Large Brutalist Glass Vase, 1970s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Large Brutalist Glass Vase, 1970s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1970 to 1979. Additional information: Materials: Glass Styles: Brutalist Item Type: Vintage, Antique or Pre-owne...
Glass
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 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
Brutalist Ceramic Vase, Green, Germany, 1980s, Studio Pottery Design
Located in Hamburg, DE
Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase, Germany, 1980s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989. Additional information: Materials: Ceramic Color: Green Styles: Brutalist Period: 1980...
Ceramic
Mid-Century German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase by Lu and Gerd Grove, 1968
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase by Lu and Gerd Grove, 1968, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark, I am sure that it is c...
Ceramic
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
Mid-Century Modern German Studio Pottery Brutalist Floor Vase Elly Wilhelm Kuch
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Modern Large German Studio Pottery Brutalist Floor Vase by Elly & Wilhelm Kuch, 1960s
Pottery
Mid-Century German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase by Lu and Gerd Grove, 1964
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase by Lu and Gerd Grove, 1964, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional informatio...
Ceramic
Brutalist Mid Century Vase by Scherzer Germany
Located in Waddinxveen, ZH
In a perfect condition this stunning vase.
Ceramic
Set of 5 Mid-Century Studio Pottery Vase, Carafe, Bowls and Candle Holder, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Studio Pottery Vase, Carafe, Bowls and Candle Holder from Till Sudeck, 1960s, Set of 5, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attributio...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Brutalist Carafe Vase by Cläre Zange and Karl Heinz Löffler, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century Brutalist German Carafe Vase by Cläre Zange and Karl Heinz Löffler for Krösselbach Keramik, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attrib...
Ceramic
Mid-Century German Brutalist Carafe Vase in the style of Gerhard Liebenthron
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century German Brutalist Carafe Vase in the style of Gerhard Liebenthron, 1960s, in None conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 Additional information: Materials: Ceramic Color: Brow...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Pottery WGP Brutalist Carafe Vase from Dümler & Breiden, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-Century West German Pottery WGP Brutalist Carafe Vase from Dümler & Breiden, 1960s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1960 to 1969 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional...
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
$192Sale 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
$140Sale Price|48% Off
Brutalist Onion Trinket Jar in Glazed Stoneware by Søren Visby, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Onion shaped stoneware jar executed in earthy over-flow glazes. Made by Søren and Pirella Visby in Denmark during the 1970s. Signed Visby - Denmark to its base. Measurements: H: 10...
Stoneware
Vintage Original Studio Pottery Ribbed Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This exceptional vintage studio pottery vase is a masterwork of Brutalist design and organic texture. Hand-crafted with a bold, tapering silhouette, the vessel features a heavily inc...
Pottery
Large Ceramic and Chamotte Earthenware Vase, 1970, Karen Boel
Located in Paris, FR
Large sculptural ceramic and terracotta vase made by Karen Boel - Denmark. Brutalist spirit. Dimensions: Height 37cm Width 27cm Depth 10cm Wall th...
Ceramic
Large Tan Vintage Modernist Biomorphic Studio Pottery Vase
Located in Lutz, FL
Large vintage modernist sculpture or vase by Joanna Price c.1980’s. Triple stem sculpture with Freeform biomorphic shape, open center and three holes around the body, done in brown a...
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery
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
Brutalist Scandinavian Stoneware Vase with Brown Fat Lava Glaze, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Interesting square - block shaped vase with Sgrafitto inspired incised ribbings with fat brown lava glaze. Its an unique piece by an unidentified Scandinavian Ceramist. It is hand si...
Stoneware