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Modern Sterling Silver

MODERN STYLE

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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 chaircrafted 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.

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Style: Modern
Antique George V Sterling Silver Photograph Frame (1911)
By E.F. Braham Ltd
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique George V English sterling silver photograph frame; an addition to our ornamental silverware collection. This exceptional antique George V sterling silver photograph frame has a rounded rectangular form with an incurved, domed upper portion and a plain rectangular internal window. The surface of this George V silver photo frame is plain and embellished with a paralleling embossed decorated border to the rim. This antique silver photograph frame...
Category

1910s English Vintage Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver, Sterling Silver

Modern Enamel & Sterling Silver Child's Set from 1995
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in London in 1995, this fabulous, modern, Elizabeth II, sterling silver child's set comprises of an egg cup, an egg spoon and a napkin ring, decorated with yellow and red ...
Category

1990s English Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

A Silver Havdalah Compendium Attributed to Peter Ehrenthal Circa 1970's
Located in New York, NY
This extraordinary silver Havdalah compendium, attributed to the renowned 20th-century silversmith Peter Ehrenthal, is a masterwork of Jewish ceremonial art and craftsmanship. Richly...
Category

1970s North American Vintage Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver

OCEAN Set of 2 pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Set of 2 pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze Set of 2 pieces (table forks/fish, table knife or meat/fish knife) in silver bronze 35/42 microns It is possible to order all products separately or set of 4 piece Table spoon Table fork Table knife/meat knife...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Bronze

C G Italian Leather Belt with Sterling Silver Buckle
Located in Toledo, OH
C G Italian leather belt with sterling silver buckle, end tip and belt loop. Size: 28. Very good condition. Dimensions: .25" depth x 35" W x 1.5" tall.
Category

20th Century European Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

English Modern Sterling Silver Sugar Caster
By J. Collyer Ltd
Located in New York, NY
Elizabeth II sterling silver sugar caster. Made by J Collyer Ltd in Birmingham 1958. Upward tapering neck and curved bowl on short foot. C...
Category

1950s English Vintage Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

Vintage English Silver Table Bell Christopher Lawrence Warbler Bird On Bullrush
Located in Norwich, GB
A vintage sterling solid silver and silver-gilt table bell made in London in 1982 by Christopher Nigel Lawrence. Hallmarked. The handle formed with a warbler perched on a bull rush,...
Category

1980s British Vintage Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver, Sterling Silver

Tranquility by International Sterling Silver Flatware Service for 6 Set 41 Pcs
Located in Big Bend, WI
TRANQUILITY BY INTERNATIONAL sterling silver flatware set - 41 pieces set. This set has a modern look with simple lines. This set includes: 6 KNIVES, 9 1/8" 6 FORKS, 7 3/8" 6 SA...
Category

1940s Vintage Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

An Israeli Mezuzah Case by Noam, Circa 2000. Judaica
Located in New York, NY
A Modern Israeli Mezuzah Case by Noam, Circa 2000. Mezuzah Case is modernly made in a post-modern style evident by its geometrically shaped designs. The case is shaped from a trian...
Category

Early 2000s Israeli Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver

Large and Stunning Sculptural Silver Vessel Graziella Laffi
Located in Atlanta, GA
A large sterling silver vessel in an asymmetrical hour-glass vase form with a larger upper conical body balanced on a much smaller base. Crafted by Graziella Laffi (1923-2009), Lima, Peru, Circa 1965. Marked on the rim: G. Laffi, PERU. The vessel was designed as a modern rendition of ancient pre-Columbina drinking vessel used in ceremony. The piece projects a regal and substantial aura due to its thick double wall construction with seamless craftmanship. The exterior surface was decorated with high relief roundels with concentric rings, arranged in geometrical pattern in two difference sizes. It is an impressive presence with its unique form and ornamentation that is modern and ancient at the same time. The vessel weights about 2012 grams. Graziella Laffi was born in 1923 in Florence, Italy to Gino Laffi, a silversmith and artist. Following her family tradition, Graziella enrolled in master classes after elementary school, focusing on design and painting. She next attended Escuela de Bellas Artes de Puerta Romana for three years, where Gino taught, and then to the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, where she concentrated in architecture until the start of World War II. In 1947, Graziella, then twenty-four, immigrated with her parents to Peru. Gino later created a silversmith studio and showroom called Fabrica Laffi on Avenue Mexico, where Graziella initially learned her Craft. The Pre-Columbian culture in her adopted country inspired Graziella to travel and collect, which ultimately influence her design in the silver pieces. Graziella learned the metalworking techniques of the ancient Peruvian civilizations and rejected the current technology. She mostly used hammering, rolling and creating joints as the ancients do. As an ambassador of Peruvian culture, her work promoted the indigenous Peruvian art and rekindled the interest in its ancient heritage throughout South America, the United States and Europe. She exhibited her growing collection of Peruvian artifacts...
Category

1960s Peruvian Vintage Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Centerpiece Bowl w/Base 38.4 ozt. '#6073' Modern
Located in Big Bend, WI
Tiffany & Co. Incredible Tiffany & Co. Serling silver modernistic centerpiece bowl with base marked #25537. The base could be used as a candle holder. The base measures 1" tall x ...
Category

20th Century American Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

A Silver & Enamel Mezuzah Case by Dudik Swed Israel, 1996
Located in New York, NY
A Stunning Silver and Enamel Mezuzah case by Dudik Swed, crafted in Israel in 1996, is a notable example of contemporary Judaica. Dudik Swed is recognized for his unique and artist...
Category

1990s Israeli Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver, Enamel

Set of 3 pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
GWEN Set of 3 pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze by Richard Lauret Set of 3 pieces (Table spoon, table/fish forks, table knife or meat/fish knife) ...
Category

2010s French Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Bronze

Sterling Silver Double Walled Hand-Hammered Bowl by Graziella Laffi
Located in Stamford, CT
A sterling silver double walled bowl with hand-hammered texture, raised on a circular foot. By Graziella Laffi, Lima Peru, circa 1970.       
Category

1970s Peruvian Vintage Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

Olivier Set of 2 Pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Olivier set of 2 pieces in silver bronze or gold bronze Set of 2 pieces (table forks/fish, table knife or meat/fish knife) in silver bronze 35/42 microns It is possible to order all products separately or set of 4 piece Table spoon Table fork Table knife/meat knife...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Bronze

Jardins De Giverny Set of 2 Pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
JARDINS DE GIVERNY Set of 2 pieces in silver bronze or gold bronze Set of 2 pieces (table forks/fish, table knife or meat/fish knife) in silver bronze 35/42 microns It is possible to order all products separately or set of 4 piece Table spoon Table fork Table knife/meat knife...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Bronze

Lovely Sterling Silver Keepsake Box with Engraved Flowers
Located in New York, NY
Lovely sterling silver keepsake box. Rectangular with straight sides. Cover hinged and tabbed. Cover top has engraved border with dense and overlap...
Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

English Victorian Modern Sterling Silver Decanter in Christopher Dresser Style
Located in New York, NY
Victorian modern sterling silver and glass decanter. Made by Edgar Finley & Hugh Taylor in Birmingham in 1884. Clear glass cylinder on round...
Category

1880s English Antique Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

Unique Necklet in Silver, 1930s, France
Located in Stockholm, SE
Unique necklet in silver, made in France, 1930s. Apart of the exhibition “Essenzialmente la Mano”/ “Just the Hand”, seen in the catalogue edited by Alfonso Pluchinotta.
Category

1930s French Vintage Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver

Modernist Sterling Silver & Rosewood Tea & Coffee Service, Mexico, ca. 1940s
Located in New York, NY
ABOUT This elegant Modernist large six-piece sterling silver service for coffee and tea is of a superb workmanship and consists of a tray, a coffee pot, a tea pot, a hot milk or cho...
Category

1940s Mexican Vintage Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver, Sterling Silver

Modernist Hand Hammered Arts & Crafts Silver Ladle Millennium Hallmark Date 2000
Located in London, GB
Modernist hand hammered Arts & Crafts silver ladle, Millennium Hallmark, date 2000 The bowl of the spoon is beautifully formed with hand hammering and nice fluting. The bowl also h...
Category

1990s English Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

A Silver Mezuzah Case by Rafi Landau, Israel late 20th Century
By Rafi Landau
Located in New York, NY
An Artistic Silver Mezuzah Case by Rafi Landau made in Israel in the late 20th Century. Rafi Landau, artist, jeweler, and silversmith, specializes in Jewish ceremonial art, bringing...
Category

Late 20th Century Israeli Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver

Modernist, Sterling Silver Rocker Blotter, Amethyst Crystal, Peter Casswell
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in Birmingham in 1972 by Peter Casswell, this handsome, Modernist design Sterling Silver Rocker Blotter, is plain in style, and features an u...
Category

1970s English Vintage Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Amethyst, Sterling Silver

20th Century Italian Sterling Silver Modern Candlesticks
Located in VALENZA, IT
Pair of sterling silver candlisticks with one light. The structure has been realized by a smooth sheet of silver. The wave movement is realized with manufacturing by handmade. On the...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

.925 Modern Silver Espresso / Demitasse Spoon
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An espresso spoon for the modern coffee connoisseur - crafted with passion and precision by Heath Wagoner of HW. Studio in Brooklyn. Made with high-...
Category

2010s Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

Silver Plate Sea Lion Wine or Champagne Cooler
Located in London, GB
This stylish modern wine cooler is a charming piece of luxury barware, carefully sculpted in the form of a sea lion and finished in silver. The sea lion is modelled in a sitting pose...
Category

20th Century English Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver Plate

Dish Designed by Verner Panton for Georg Jensen, Denmark, 1990s
Located in Stockholm, SE
Silver dish designed by Verner Panton for Georg Jensen, Denmark. 1990’s. Sterling silver. Dimensions: H: 9,5 cm/ 3 3/4'' L: 56 cm/ 22'' W: 46 cm/ 18'' Among the giants of Danish...
Category

1990s Danish Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver

Gabriel De Vecchi - Solid Silver Vase Italian Design Xxth
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Solid silver vase contemporary Italian design dated and signed. Dimensions: height 24 cm - width 10 cm the base 14.5 cm X 9 cm Material: 1st grade silver...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

SONIA Set of 2 pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Set of 2 pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze Set of 2 pieces (table forks/fish, table knife or meat/fish knife) in silver bronze 35/42 microns It is possible to order all produc...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Bronze

Villa D’este Set of 2 Pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
VILLA D’ESTE Set of 2 pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze Set of 2 pieces (table forks/fish, table knife or meat/fish knife) in silver bronze 35/42 microns It is possible to order all products separately or set of 4 piece Table spoon Table fork Table knife/meat knife...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Bronze

UTOPIA Set of 2 pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
UTOPIA set of 2 pieces in silver bronze or gold bronze Set of 2 pieces (table forks/fish, table knife or meat/fish knife) in silver bronze 35/42 microns It is possible to order all products separately or set of 4 piece Table spoon Table fork Table knife/meat knife...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Bronze

Oryx Set of 2 Pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
ORYX set of 2 pieces in silver bronze or gold bronze. Set of 2 pieces (table forks/fish, table knife or meat/fish knife) in silver bronze 35/42 microns. It is possible to order...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Bronze

METROPOLIS Set of 2 pieces in Silver Bronze or Gold Bronze
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
METROPOLIS set of 2 pieces in silver bronze or gold bronze Set of 2 pieces (table forks/fish, table knife or meat/fish knife) in silver bronze 35/42 microns It is possible to order all products separately or set of 4 piece Table spoon Table fork Table knife/meat knife...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Bronze

Highly Unusual Silver Toast or Letter Rack Designed and Made by Grant McDonald
Located in London, GB
A beautifully designed sterling silver letter or toast rack, made by the renowned silversmith George Grant McDonald, and hallmarked for London 2007. This lovely piece is particularl...
Category

Early 2000s English Modern Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver

Modern sterling silver for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Modern sterling silver 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 sterling silver created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, decorative objects, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, silver and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern sterling silver made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United Kingdom pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original sterling silver, popular names associated with this style include Tiffany & Co., Arval Argenti Valenza, Graziella Laffi, and Missiaglia 1846. 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 sterling silver differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $95 and tops out at $57,336 while the average work can sell for $1,947.

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