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Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

AESTHETIC MOVEMENT

In 1880, polymath designer William Morris declared: “If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” His words encapsulated the Aesthetic Movement, which prized beauty above all and blurred the lines between fine art and the decorative arts, particularly through lavishly crafted furniture pieces.

The Aesthetic Movement, whose major proponents included author Oscar Wilde, flourished from the 1860s to the 1880s and was mostly popular in England and the United States. Design expositions like the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia, as well as the publishing of how-to books for interior design, helped disseminate Aesthetic Movement bedroom furniture, serveware, coffee tables and other items, especially to the middle class.

The establishment of new art museums, art clubs and a rising passion for collecting at the time contributed to a growing appreciation for art. Morris’s founding of Morris & Co. in 1862 and the commercializing of this “cult of beauty” by the Liberty store in London, starting in the late 19th century, further disseminated the idea of a domestic space that was thoughtfully and floridly designed.

Leading Aesthetic Movement furniture designers included E.W. Godwin, who drew on Japanese influences and whose work reflected a wider enthusiasm for imported East Asian art. British designer Christopher Dresser created textiles, ceramics and more that were also inspired by Japanese decorative art but were representative of additional diverse design sources that ranged from Egypt to Mexico.

The Aesthetic Movement’s eclecticism resulted in dazzling interiors. Japanese fans were positioned on Renaissance-inspired cabinets with brass hardware, while mantels made of rich walnut or finely carved ebonized wood and adorned with painted Minton tiles mingled with cast-iron chairs against a backdrop of floral wallpaper. In 1881, in New York City, stenciled checkerboard motifs and painted floral murals could be found under an opalescent glass chandelier in a luxurious dressing room designed by German émigré cabinetmaker-decorator George Alfred Schastey. Amid the rise of the industrial age, the style’s promotion of art in everyday life would inform the Arts and Crafts Movement and Art Nouveau.

Find a collection of antique Aesthetic Movement seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture and antiques on 1stDibs.

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Style: Aesthetic Movement
Théodore deck (1823-1891), A Gourd Shape Enameled Faïence Vase, circa 1885
Théodore deck (1823-1891), A Gourd Shape Enameled Faïence Vase, circa 1885

Théodore deck (1823-1891), A Gourd Shape Enameled Faïence Vase, circa 1885

By Theodore Deck

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Théodore Deck (1823-1891) Gourd shape vase with a spherical body and straight neck Polychrome glazed earthenware designed on both sides with a bird, butterflies, a bee, and flowers o...

Category

1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Faience

Austrian Majolica Oyster Plate, circa 1880
Austrian Majolica Oyster Plate, circa 1880

Austrian Majolica Oyster Plate, circa 1880

Located in Austin, TX

Large unusual Austrian Majolica oyster plate, circa 1880.

Category

1880s Austrian Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic, Faience

Austrian Majolica Oyster Plate, circa 1880
Austrian Majolica Oyster Plate, circa 1880

Austrian Majolica Oyster Plate, circa 1880

Located in Austin, TX

Large unusual Austrian Majolica oyster plate, circa 1880.

Category

1880s Austrian Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic, Faience

Théodore deck (1823-1891), An Impressive Enameled Faïence Vase, circa 1875
Théodore deck (1823-1891), An Impressive Enameled Faïence Vase, circa 1875

Théodore deck (1823-1891), An Impressive Enameled Faïence Vase, circa 1875

By Theodore Deck

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Théodore deck (1823-1891) Impressive Enameled Faïence Vase, circa 1875 Large baluster shape vase with eggplant enameled background Rich hand-painted polychrome decor of two birds re...

Category

1870s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Faience

Majolica Plate Flowers & Dragonfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880
Majolica Plate Flowers & Dragonfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880

Majolica Plate Flowers & Dragonfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880

By Choisy-le-Roi

Located in Austin, TX

Majolica Plate Flowers & Dragonfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880. Baby blue background with lily of the valley. 8 inches diameter.

Category

1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Théodore deck (1823-1891) Pair of Chinese Archaistic Style Faïence Vases c.1875
Théodore deck (1823-1891) Pair of Chinese Archaistic Style Faïence Vases c.1875

Théodore deck (1823-1891) Pair of Chinese Archaistic Style Faïence Vases c.1875

By Theodore Deck

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Théodore deck (1823-1891) Impressive Enameled Faïence Vase, circa 1875 Pair of Turquoise Glazed Ceramic Vases by Théodore Deck, 19th Century, Chinese Archaistic Style A striking p...

Category

1870s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Faience

Pair of Majolica Kingfisher and Lilies Vases Fives Lille, circa 1880
Pair of Majolica Kingfisher and Lilies Vases Fives Lille, circa 1880

Pair of Majolica Kingfisher and Lilies Vases Fives Lille, circa 1880

By Fives-Lille

Located in Austin, TX

Elegant 19th century French Majolica pair of vases attributed to Fives Lille. The vases are shaped like walls decorated on the front with kingfishers on branches, on the base mushro...

Category

1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Faience, Ceramic, Majolica

c. 1860s Japanese Scalloped Imari Chop Plate
c. 1860s Japanese Scalloped Imari Chop Plate

c. 1860s Japanese Scalloped Imari Chop Plate

Located in Chapel Hill, NC

Circa 1860s Scalloped Imari Chop Plate, Japanese. The boldly scalloped design creating two cartouches with flowering gardens decoration flanking the central floral urn reserve with f...

Category

Mid-19th Century Japanese Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Majolica Plate Flower & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880
Majolica Plate Flower & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880

Majolica Plate Flower & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880

By Choisy-le-Roi

Located in Austin, TX

Majolica Plate Purple Flower & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880. Baby blue background with lily of the valley. 8 inches diameter.

Category

1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Portuguese Majolica Lizard-Monk Jug by Manuel Marfa
Portuguese Majolica Lizard-Monk Jug by Manuel Marfa

Portuguese Majolica Lizard-Monk Jug by Manuel Marfa

By Pallissy

Located in Pasadena, CA

These are a near pair of rare Portuguese Majolica of Caldas da Reina jugs or pitchers created by the important majolica designer Manuel Marfa c. 1860-1870. The jugs are in the form ...

Category

Mid-19th Century Portuguese Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Terracotta

Doulton Lambeth Silver Plate Mounted Sugar Pot By Clara Barker 1878
Doulton Lambeth Silver Plate Mounted Sugar Pot By Clara Barker 1878

Doulton Lambeth Silver Plate Mounted Sugar Pot By Clara Barker 1878

By Doulton Lambeth

Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire

A stylish early Doulton Lambeth stoneware sugar pot with silver plated mounts by renowned artist Clara S Barker and made in 1878. There is a further interesting artist mark to the base of this piece which is either that of Jane S Hurst...

Category

1870s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Stoneware

Porcelain Figure, KPM Berlin 19th century
Porcelain Figure, KPM Berlin 19th century

Porcelain Figure, KPM Berlin 19th century

By KPM Porcelain

Located in Belmont, MA

Woman with a parrot, KPM Berlin, 19th century.. Beautiful figurine of a standing woman in oriental dress holding a parrot in her right hand. Naturalistically painted with fired KPM mark...

Category

19th Century German Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Porcelain

Majolica Plate Flower & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880
Majolica Plate Flower & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880

Majolica Plate Flower & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880

By Choisy-le-Roi

Located in Austin, TX

Majolica Plate Flower & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880. Baby blue background with lily of the valley. 8 inches diameter.

Category

1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Majolica Plate Lily & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880
Majolica Plate Lily & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880

Majolica Plate Lily & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880

By Choisy-le-Roi

Located in Austin, TX

Majolica Plate Purple Lily & Butterfly Choisy le Roi, circa 1880. Baby blue background with lily of the valley. 8 inches.

Category

1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Théodore deck (1823-1891), Important Japonisme Poppy Vase with Elephant Mounts
Théodore deck (1823-1891), Important Japonisme Poppy Vase with Elephant Mounts

Théodore deck (1823-1891), Important Japonisme Poppy Vase with Elephant Mounts

By Theodore Deck

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Théodore Deck (1823-1891) An important Japonisme vase by Théodore Deck, combining richly developed glazes with sculptural elephant-head bronze mounts. This large enameled ceramic va...

Category

1870s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Bronze

Fish Dish Painted by Painted by Froment-Richard Creil & Montereau "Le Parisien"
Fish Dish Painted by Painted by Froment-Richard Creil & Montereau "Le Parisien"

Fish Dish Painted by Painted by Froment-Richard Creil & Montereau "Le Parisien"

By Creil et Montereau

Located in Paris, FR

This wonderful incredibly colorful fish dish was realized by Creil & Montereau earthenware circa 1880. It is representing "La pêche aux bébés" ("Fishing for Babys") Slightly chantourné shape, representing a couple fishing for babies in a lake at sunrise, the baby caught waiting for a square aquarium. Signed bottom left, "fr.richard" and Creil stamp on the back. Le Parisien set is telling the story of a young Parisian boy discovering the countryside, with many scenes so charming. Decorated with a brown rim enhanced with groups of three petals, the whole set depicts a fantastic and humorous universe with part of imaginary characters who cook and play with vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish. This design set is the most famous of the factory Creil & Montereau, designed by the French artist and painter Antoine-Albert Richard (1845-1921) said "Froment-Richard". Book pictures...

Category

1870s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Wilton Parker Rix Doulton Lambeth Marqueterie Ware Brown Marbled Saucer
Wilton Parker Rix Doulton Lambeth Marqueterie Ware Brown Marbled Saucer

Wilton Parker Rix Doulton Lambeth Marqueterie Ware Brown Marbled Saucer

By Doulton Lambeth

Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire

A very rare and stylish Doulton Lambeth Marqueterie Ware blue and brown marbled art pottery saucer with gilded designs by Lambeth’s first Art Director Wilton Parker Rix (Doulton Lamb...

Category

1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

BURGESS & LEIGH - Aesthetic Movement Transfer Decorated Plate - UK - Circa 1880
BURGESS & LEIGH - Aesthetic Movement Transfer Decorated Plate - UK - Circa 1880

BURGESS & LEIGH - Aesthetic Movement Transfer Decorated Plate - UK - Circa 1880

By Burgess & Leigh

Located in Chatham, ON

BURGESS & LEIGH - HILL POTTERY (Manufacturer) - Rustic (Pattern Name) - Aesthetic Movement transfer decorated ceramic cabinet plate in brown - featuring fruits, florals and a swallow...

Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Ott & Brewer Aesthetic Blanc de Chine Pitcher
Ott & Brewer Aesthetic Blanc de Chine Pitcher

Ott & Brewer Aesthetic Blanc de Chine Pitcher

By Ott and Brewer

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Ott & Brewer Aesthetic Blanc de Chine Pitcher Trenton, New Jersey, circa 1880s An exquisite Ott & Brewer Aesthetic Blanc de Chine Pitcher, a remarkable example of 19th-century artis...

Category

1880s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Porcelain

Set of ceramic plates, unique pieces, 20th century
Set of ceramic plates, unique pieces, 20th century

Set of ceramic plates, unique pieces, 20th century

Located in Nice, FR

Set of six handmade ceramic plates, all round but with a wide variety of designs. -Bright red plate with turquoise splashes and lines -Dark black and green plate with blue-green spec...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

John Tuska Lidded Stoneware Vessel
John Tuska Lidded Stoneware Vessel

John Tuska Lidded Stoneware Vessel

$1,760Sale Price|20% Off

John Tuska Lidded Stoneware Vessel

By John Tuska

Located in Palm Springs, CA

John Tuska lidded stoneware vessel in a striking green glaze. John Tuska, full name John Regis Tuska, (1931–1998) was an American artist and educator. H...

Category

20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Terracotta

19th Century French Creil & Montereau Hand Painted Aesthetic Movement Charger
19th Century French Creil & Montereau Hand Painted Aesthetic Movement Charger

19th Century French Creil & Montereau Hand Painted Aesthetic Movement Charger

By Creil et Montereau

Located in Cincinnati, OH

This outstanding hand painted 19th century French ceramic charger was made by Hautin Boulenger & Cie at Creil & Montereau. The highly detailed Aesthetic Movement charger features polychrome decoration depicting a Japanese quail perched in a flowering cherry tree bearing vivid green foliage. The bird's gaze is fixed on a colorful butterfly with intricately patterned wings which is located off to one side. The image is set on a gilt ground which bears a series of repeating raised gilt motifs. The charger's shoulder is finished in cobalt blue with stylized gilt hearts separated by light blue floral and foliate elements. The 4lb 11oz charger bears an impressed mark used by Creil et Montereau between 1876-1884. The foot rim is not pierced. This beautifully executed hand painted French charger...

Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Minton Collector Plate by Gustave Léonce sleeping duck, Aesthetic Movement, 1878
Minton Collector Plate by Gustave Léonce sleeping duck, Aesthetic Movement, 1878

Minton Collector Plate by Gustave Léonce sleeping duck, Aesthetic Movement, 1878

By Minton

Located in Paris, FR

Celadon-colored collector's plate featuring an illustration by Gustave Léonce, depicting a sleeping duck. The edges of the plate are scalloped with a woven effect border. Discover th...

Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Arts & Crafts Minton Pottery Tile Designed by Christopher Dresser
Arts & Crafts Minton Pottery Tile Designed by Christopher Dresser

Arts & Crafts Minton Pottery Tile Designed by Christopher Dresser

By Minton, Christopher Dresser

Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL

A Minton pottery tile designed by Christopher Dresser in 1873. This tile, designed by Christopher Dresser and made in 1873, exemplifies the Aesthetic Movement ethos of the home as...

Category

Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Earthenware

Minton Collector Plate by Gustave Léonce with a duck, Aesthetic Movement, 1878
Minton Collector Plate by Gustave Léonce with a duck, Aesthetic Movement, 1878

Minton Collector Plate by Gustave Léonce with a duck, Aesthetic Movement, 1878

By Minton

Located in Paris, FR

Celadon-colored collector's plate featuring an illustration by Gustave Léonce, depicting a little duck. The edges of the plate are scalloped with a woven effect border. Discover this...

Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Minton Collector Plate by Gustave Léonce with eggs, Aesthetic Movement, 1878
Minton Collector Plate by Gustave Léonce with eggs, Aesthetic Movement, 1878

Minton Collector Plate by Gustave Léonce with eggs, Aesthetic Movement, 1878

By Minton

Located in Paris, FR

Celadon-colored collector's plate featuring an illustration by Gustave Léonce, depicting eggs and chicks. The edges of the plate are scalloped with a woven effect border. Discover th...

Category

Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Earthenware John Bennett Plaque with Pink and Blue Phlox
Earthenware John Bennett Plaque with Pink and Blue Phlox

Earthenware John Bennett Plaque with Pink and Blue Phlox

By John Bennett

Located in New York, NY

FAPG 20247D John Bennett (1840-1907), New York Plaque with pink and blue phlox, circa 1881-1882 Earthenware, painted and glazed Measures: 14 7/8 in. diameter, 1 13/16 in. high Signed and inscribed (on the back): J B[monogram] ENNETT / E 24 NY. / MC [or] CM If the Herter Brothers was the most distinguished and successful cabinet making and decorating firm in New York in the 1870s-1880s, the transplanted Englishman John Bennett was probably the most gifted ceramicist working in New York in the Aesthetic period. (Bennett was included in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s landmark exhibition, In pursuit of beauty: Americans and the Aesthetic Movement, in 1986–87, and Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen’s chapter, “Aesthetic Forms in Ceramics and Glass,” pp. 216–19, significantly informs this essay). Born in England, the son of a potter who worked in the Staffordshire district, Bennett came under the influence of John Sparkes, head of London’s Lambeth School of Art. Soon thereafter, he was hired by Henry Doulton of the eponymous firm to teach artisans there the new art of underglaze faience decoration, which was part of a revival of the sixteenth-century interest in hand-painted ceramics. A number of Bennett’s works for Doulton were shown in the Doulton display at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, and the considerable success enjoyed by Bennett and Doulton from an American audience undoubtedly played an important role in Bennett’s decision to leave Doulton and England and set up shop in New York in 1877. By the next year, he had already established a studio in New York, where he produced his own pottery in the tradition of the Arts & Crafts innovators, William Morris and William De Morgan, and also taught classes at the new Society of Decorative Art to the growing band of women who had taken up china painting, both professionally and avocationally. Bennett’s pottery developed a very serious following among students and collectors, and was offered for sale at such leading retail establishments as Tiffany & Company in New York. Typically, his work was brilliantly colored, with carefully drawn naturalistic flowers against a monochromatic background. Bennett’s fully developed American work, particularly pieces of larger scale, is exceedingly rare, as he worked in New York only from 1877 to 1883, in which year he withdrew to a farm in rural West Orange, New Jersey, where his production continued on a limited basis. He remained listed as a ceramicist there until 1889. While in New York City, Bennett maintained a studio at 412 East 24th Street. The present charger, boldly featuring pink and blue phlox, is signed by Bennett, and is inscribed “E 24 NY,” indicating its manufacture during Bennett’s time in New York. Although it is not dated, this piece is closely related stylistically to various dated pieces from 1881–82, which would place its production toward the end of Bennett’s New York years. Although we do not know whether Bennett worked out of this 24th Street studio from the outset, he was indeed working there by 1879 when he made (and signed, inscribed, and dated) a charger with white and red flowers now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, which specifically points to “412 East 24 / NY” (acc. no. 1998.317). Additionally, the U.S. Census of 1880 lists Bennett as a ceramicist located at that same address, married to Mary Bennett with whom he had had six children. There are several other examples from Bennett’s time in New York City, which also give his studio address on East 24th Street, including a covered jar in cadmium yellow with indigo and green flowers made in 1881; an undated footed vase with lilac...

Category

1880s American Antique Aesthetic Movement Ceramics

Materials

Earthenware

Aesthetic Movement ceramics for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Aesthetic Movement ceramics for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Early 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage ceramics created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, decorative objects, folk art and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, earthenware and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Aesthetic Movement ceramics made in a specific country, there are Europe, United Kingdom, and England pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original ceramics, popular names associated with this style include Doulton Lambeth, Christopher Dresser, Choisy-le-Roi, and Creil et Montereau. 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 ceramics differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $237 and tops out at $43,958 while the average work can sell for $695.