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International Style Platters and Serveware

INTERNATIONAL STYLE

The International Style, a modernist movement within architecture and furniture design that was given its name by American architect Philip Johnson and historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock, was born during the 1920s and ’30s. It gained steam initially in Europe and then in the United States as a response to the first World War. Building projects associated with the movement, as well as vintage International Style chairs, tables and other furnishings, are minimal and pared back. 

Pioneers of the International Style — architect Walter Gropius and his Bauhaus colleagues Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer, De Stijl advocate and Dutch architect J.J.P. Oud and visionary designer Le Corbusier — stripped away decorative elements and placed considerable value on functionality and clean lines, integrating the use of industrial materials like steel, concrete and large sheets of glass in their work. Quite aptly, this mode of design and architectural style coincided with an era now known as the Machine Age and became a global symbol of modernism. The primary motive of its practitioners was to address the changing needs of a rapidly industrializing society, especially the demand for office complexes and apartments in large cities, through economical, technologically advanced, yet aesthetically pleasing designs for furniture and buildings. 

“Space and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep,” said Le Corbusier of the philosophy behind his practical modernist architecture

The International Style’s designers and architects were inspired by the advantages afforded them by the era’s new technology and industrial machinery as well as state-of-the-art materials. Le Corbusier was fond of framing his buildings in steel but reinforced concrete made far more economic sense. He is probably most admired for the iconic private homes and commercial buildings that he designed or codesigned with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret, which are spread across the world, from New York City to Paris to Chandigarh, India. Today, Breuer’s Wassily Lounge chair; the elegant LC series created by Le Corbusier, Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand; and Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair, crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich, are emblems of progressive modernist design and all make prominent use of tubular steel. Vintage originals are the prized cornerstone of collections.

“The International Style is probably the first fundamentally original and widely distributed style since the Gothic,” posited Johnson in the book that accompanied “Modern Architecture: International Exhibition,” an architectural show he cocurated with Hitchcock that featured the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Richard Neutra and others. While the term “International Style” had previously been circulating in Europe, when the show opened at the Museum of Modern Art in 1932, it yielded a much broader application of this important style of design. 

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Style: International Style
Aldo Tura Cruet Stand Made from Crystal Glass and Varnished Leather
Located in Vienna, AT
For sale is a beautiful and unique cruet stand by Italian creator Aldo Tura. It has a varnished brown leather foot with glowing brass hardware and cut glas...
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Mid-20th Century Italian International Style Platters and Serveware

Materials

Brass

European Judaica Silver Seder Plate
Located in New York, NY
European Judaica silver seder plate with scalloped edges and with rim cast and chased in high relief, the cavetto with the traditional recesses with H...
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20th Century International Style Platters and Serveware

Materials

Silver

Wooden charger plate serving tray of walnut wood from the SoShiro Pok collection
Located in London, GB
This SoShiro Pok collection piece is a perfectly round wooden charger plate or table centrepiece carved from one solid piece of walnut wood and embedded...
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2010s Kenyan International Style Platters and Serveware

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Hardwood, Walnut, Beads

Bento inspired ceramic serving platter from the SoShiro Ainu collection
Located in London, GB
The Bento serving platter with two chopstick stands from SoShiro’s Ainu collection, a collaboration between award-winning artist Toru Kaizawa and Shiro Muchiri, is a sophisticated an...
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2010s Italian International Style Platters and Serveware

Materials

Ceramic

Wooden serving tray of decorative walnut wood from the SoShiro Pok collection
Located in London, GB
This organically shaped serving tray is carved from one solid piece of walnut wood and embedded with hand-placed glass pearl bead ornamentation. It can also be used as a platter or table centrepiece. The Pok collection celebrates the artistry of hand-crafted beadwork made by the Pokot women in Northwest Kenya. Influenced by the hand-carved African gourd...
Category

2010s Kenyan International Style Platters and Serveware

Materials

Hardwood, Walnut, Beads

Appetizer and bread wooden serving tray from the SoShiro Pok collection
Located in London, GB
The bread board is an organically shaped wooden tray carved from one solid piece of walnut wood. It is beautifully sized with a crumb catcher and a small...
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2010s Kenyan International Style Platters and Serveware

Materials

Hardwood, Walnut, Beads

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1950s Stunning Aldo Tura Pitcher in Brass and Wood, Made in Italy
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Handmade Ceramic Matte Platter in White, in Stock
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Contemporary Modern, Kubbe Large Round Cake Stand, Varnished SilverNickel Plated
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Aldo Turo Cocktail Tray
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International Style platters and serveware for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique International Style platters and serveware 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 platters and serveware created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with beads, hardwood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used International Style platters and serveware made in a specific country, there are Africa, Europe, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original platters and serveware, popular names associated with this style include SoShiro, and Aldo Tura. 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 platters and serveware differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $365 and tops out at $1,395 while the average work can sell for $638.

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