Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Otto and Gertrud Natzler Signed Monumental Bowl with Original Paper Label, 1958
Located in Studio City, CA
A masterful work by famed potters Otto and Gertrud Natzler. This monumentally large round-shaped footed bowl was wheel thrown and formed by Ge...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Earthenware
Lane Gordon Thorlaksson Canadian Studio Pottery Bowl with Stand
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A stunning Canadian studio pottery miniature bowl decorated in yellow glazes with an associated pottery stand by Lane Gordon Thorlaksson (Canadian, 1937-2009) dated 1976.
Lane Gordon Thorlaksson was born in 1937 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and moved to Vancouver as a child. In his twenties, he represented Canada in the 1959 Chicago Pan-American Games, running alongside Henry 'Harry' Winston Jerome in both the 100 yard and 220-yard dash. Following this, he attended San Jose University of California and in 1966 received a BFA in Ceramics.
Working with clay was Thorlaksson’s passion. He was fascinated with Asian ceramics, in particular the Song dynasty Chinese pot forms and glazes. In 1985, the Mayor of Vancouver, Mike Harcourt, visited China on a goodwill mission for the twinning of Vancouver with Guangzhou China. As gifts, he took with him several of Thorlaksson’s ceramics and presented them to Cao Yun-ping, Secretary-General of the People's Municipal Government of Guangzhou. The pieces were well received and local Chinese potters were interested to learn about his glazing techniques.
In 1987, Thorlaksson was invited to visit China’s Guangzhou University to exhibit more of his work. He was aided in this exchange by Joanne Mah, the Director of Intercultural Training and Educational Consultants (ITEC), who had worked with the Harcourt exchange. In 1988, she and her husband sponsored a pre-gallery showing of Thorlaksson’s ceramics at the ITEC’s Hong Kong office, prior to an exhibition at Alvin Gallery in Hong Kong. Thorlaksson was celebrated and introduced to academics and the media, including the head of ceramics at the Guangzhou Institute of Fine Arts. Local Chinese potters were eager to learn about his firing techniques, which used multiple firings to create special glaze characteristics. They were also intrigued to understand how he designed his own stands as an integrated part of his presentation. Unlike Asian potters who used wooden stands, Thorlaksson produced his stands in clay, matching each stand in aesthetic and tone to its pot. This two-part process elevated his pieces to sculpture. He believed that ceramics should be viewed as fine art and not craft. He was inspired by the female form and was quoted as saying 'Most potters make pots; I make parts of people'.
The bowl is of wide squat rounded form with a fold over rim and is decorated in pale yellow glazes over a brown ground and stands on a narrow round unglazed foot. The design is probably based and inspired by a Chinese brush washer...
Category
1970s Canadian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Pottery
Otto & Gertrud Natzler Signed Soft Pearl Green Blue Glazed Midcentury Bowl
Located in Studio City, CA
Another sublime work by famed pottery masters Otto and Gertrud Natzler. This round-shaped, eggshell thin-walled bowl was hand thrown and formed by Gertrud and glazed by Otto with a beautiful pearl green/blue glaze. The bowl radiates in the light.
This work is sure to give aesthetic pleasure for years to come and would be an amazing addition to any Natzler or modern ceramic collection...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Earthenware
Peter Voulkos Signed Mid-Century Modern California Studio Pottery Plate Charger
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic, freeform, large, heavy plate/ charger by American master potter Peter Voulkos who is known for his abstract expressionist ceramic pottery pieces and sculptures. Very unique and scarce work with rare use of color. Very hard to come by. One of our personal favorites along with the Chawan tea bowl.
Signed on base and dated (1961) by Voulkos. This was made during one of his most magical and experimental phases.
From of Private Collection, New York.
Voulkos is widely considered to be the most important and impactful ceramist of the modern era. He won the Rodin Museum Prize at the first Paris Biennale in 1959 and was the winner of a Guggenheim fellowship in 1984. Voulkos received the College Art Association’s Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1997. He was made an honorary member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 2001. He also received six honorary
doctorate degrees as well as three National Endowment for the Arts awards.
His work can be found in many prominent collections and museums including:
Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, Nagoya, Japan
Albany Mall, Albany, New York
American Museum of Ceramic Art...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
Laura Andreson Signed Glazed Mid-Century Modern California Studio Pottery Bowl
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderfully crafted and beautifully glazed bowl by renowned American California master potter Laura Andreson. An uncommon form for Andreson with a high gloss glaze featuring a dark ocean deep blue / aqua color with delicate splashes of greens. Gorgeous in its Mid-Century Modern design.
Signed on the base by Andreson (and stamped).
A special and scarce work. Would be a great addition to any midcentury ceramics/ pottery collection or a very eye-catching stand-alone accent work in about any setting. This piece has a fantastic feel and heft to it.
Andreson, who studied under Glen Lukens, founded and headed the ceramics department at UCLA from 1933 to 1970. Her work can be found in many collections and museums worldwide including:
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Smithsonian Museum of American Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Walker Art Center
The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art.
Her exhibitions include:
1937 Rene Rosenthal Gallery, New York City, New York
1938 First California Ceramic Exhibition, San Diego, California
1940 Honolulu Academy of Art
1947 Eleventh National Ceramics Exhibition, Metropolitan Museum of Art
1970 Fredric Art Gallery, UCLA, Los Angeles, California
1970 Laguna Beach Art Gallery
1971 Mills College Art Gallery, Oakland, California
1971 Hoover Art Gallery, San Francisco, California
1971 San Diego Fine Arts Gallery, San Diego, California
1971 Utah State University, Logan, Utah
1972 Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena, California
1972 Ceramics West, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
1972 Ogden Art Center, Ogden, Utah
1972 Bower Museum, Santa Ana, California
1973 Utah Museum of Fine Art, Salt Lake City, Utah
1973 Clay and Fiber Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
1973 California Crafts VIII, Crocker Art Gallery, Sacramento, California
1974 California Ceramics...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Earthenware
Paolo Soleri Ceramic Bell
By Paolo Soleri
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ceramic bell by Paolo Soleri c.1960's, USA. This bell features varying nautical creatures around the ceramic bell with a triangular metal clapper representing a fish tail. The bell h...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Metal
California Design Stoneware Weed Pot / Vase by Wayne Chapman
By Wayne Chapman
Located in San Diego, CA
An absolutely stunning California design stoneware weed pot / vase by noted San Diego, CA potter Wayne Chapman, circa 1970. The pot is in very good vinta...
Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Pottery, Stoneware
White and Brown 20th Century Ceramic Vase circa 1970
Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR
French handmade ceramic
Original stoneware ceramic vase with white and brown colors
Original perfect condition
Circa 1970
Measures:...
Category
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Paul Ami Bonifas Signed Large Early Mid-Century Swiss Studio Pottery Art Bowl
By Paul Bonifas
Located in Studio City, CA
A truly gorgeous and wonderfully crafted large art bowl by Swiss American sculptor/artist/ceramicist Paul Ami Bonifas (1893-1967). The glaze on this par...
Category
1930s Swiss Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
Vallauris Tiles Guitare Poulbot by R. Leduc Midcentury Studio Pottery, France
Located in Labrit, Landes
Vallauris R. Leduc Poulbot with Guitare on tiles, circa 1970, France
The theme of the "poulbot" was frequently declined by Raymonde Leduc with many variants.
The name "poulbot" des...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Faience
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful and quite engaging sumptuously glazed closed-form sculpture with rattle by renowned Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu, famed for her use of color,...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Porcelain, Pottery
Vintage Belgian Tile Faced Entry Door Pull Handle by Juliette Belarti
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Architectural door pull by Belgian ceramic tile artist Juliette Belarti.
Vintage midcentury Belgian tile faced entry door pull handle.
Mid-Centu...
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Dora De Larios Signed Mexican American California Studio Pottery Sculpture Bowl
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautifully designed and gorgeously executed sculpture/footed bowl by famed Mexican-American California studio art potter Dora De Larios featuring and Pacific West Coast oceanic de...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
Mid-Century Modern Drip Glaze Studio Ceramic Pottery Table Lamp
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic piece, beautifully colored and designed. Caught our eye right away.
Would stand out in about any setting, modern or otherwise.
Comes as shown. Needs lamp shade.
...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery
Harrison Mcintosh Signed Mid-Century Modern Set of 6 Pottery Sake Liqueur Cups
Located in Studio City, CA
An exquisitely formed and deeply blue glazed set of six ceramic sake/ liqueur cups by renowned American West Coast Californian master ceramist Harrison McIntosh who was famed for his Mid-Century Modern designed ceramics.
Mcintosh's works have been exhibited in such acclaimed venues as the Smithsonian in the United States the Louvre in France. Over his more than 60-year career, McIntosh had some 43 solo exhibitions from Los Angeles, New York, Belgium, Cannes, France to Japan. His work can be found in numerous collections and museums throughout the world including:
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
The National Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts
Mingei International Museum, San Diego, California
The Huntington Library, San Marino, California
American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, California
Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, Alfred University, Alfred, New York
American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, California
Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona
Belgian...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Winchcombe Studio Pottery Slip Ware Baking Dish
By Michael Cardew
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A fine vintage Winchcombe press-molded baking dish decorated with trailed slip designs attributable to Michael Cardew (British, 1901-1983) and probably ...
Category
1930s English Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Terracotta
Glen Lukens Signed Early Midcentury Glazed California Pottery Weed Pot Vase
By Glen Lukens
Located in Studio City, CA
A very rare early work featuring a dark chocolate brown glaze by master Mid-Century Modern ceramist/potter Glen Lukens whose work has become quite collectible and relatively scarce and difficult to find.
The work is signed and dated (1924) by Lukens on the underside (we have only seen one other piece dated this early and that piece is in the Forrest Merrill Collection).
Lukens was the founder of the University of Southern California (USC) Architectural School’s Ceramics Department where he helped establish and promote clay pottery as a universally acceptable art form. The current popularity of Studio Pottery and ceramics is widely accepted to have started with Lukens who is oft credited with being one of the first artists to raise the stature of Mid-Century Modern Studio Pottery within the art world.
Lukens is famed for his experiments with various glazes and glazing techniques. His influence and glazes can be clearly seen in the works of Otto and Gertrud Natzler, Beatrice Wood, James Lovera, etc. He was also known for combining bright, colorful textile glazes (using natural, organic materials and elements he found in the Mojave Desert, Palm Springs, and Death Valley to make what he referred to as "California Colors") with the rough and raw clay surfaces of his often rudimentary forms and vessels.
Lukens currently has an award in his name (Glen Lukens Award) at the University of Southern California's School of fine Arts.
A very rare, unique, and truly special work This piece would be a tremendous stand-out addition to any collectors of Lukens' work or Mid-Century Modern ceramics collection or eye-catching accent piece in about any setting, modern or otherwise. A must-have.
Lukens work can be found in various museum collections including:
Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona
Huntington Library...
Category
1920s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Earthenware, Pottery
Dutch Hand Made Mid-Century Brutalist Vase in the Style of Jaap Ravelli
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
An unusual and striking mid-century Dutch Brutalist orange glazed art pottery vase possibly by Jaap Ravelli (1916-2011) and dating from around 1960. T...
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Terracotta
Large Delft Blue Tile Panel "the smiling boy" Frans Hals
By Delft
Located in Den Haag, NL
Love this painting. The original "The smiling boy" by Frans Hals, 17th century. This Delfs blue tile panel image is hand painted by Nico Koelewijn in the 19...
Category
1950s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Aldo Londi Koala Bear Savings Box for Bitossi, Italy 1960s
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Aldo Londi Koala Bear Savings Box for Bitossi, Italy 1960s
A beautiful Aldo Londi designed Koala bear in the shape of a savings box.
The Koala is made of heavy ceramics - pottery,...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery
Midcentury Decorative Ceramic Dish by Phillip H. Paradise, California, 1950s
By Phillip Herschel Paradise
Located in La Teste De Buch, FR
Rare decorative earthenware dish by renowned Californian artist Phillip Herschel Paradise.
Hand-painted decor,
circa 1955.
Signed.
Phil Paradise wa...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Large Mashiko Cup Japanese Mid-Century Studio Pottery
Located in Norton, MA
A Japanese Mashiko Cup studio pottery with stylized designs in the brown glazed body in the manner of cloud-water flowing pattern and dating from arou...
Category
1950s Japanese Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
White Freeform Bird Ceramic Pitcher Mid-20th Century Design
Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR
Elegant white ceramic pitcher.
Freeform bird pottery pitcher realized, circa 1950
Original perfect condition
Measures: Height 20cm, large 20cm.
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Mid-Century Modern Green Yellow Lava Glazed Studio Ceramic Pottery Table Lamps
Located in Studio City, CA
A pair of fabulous Mid-Century Modern green and yellow lava-glazed ribbed ceramic table lamps. Quite fantastic, beautifully colored, and designed. Caught o...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Metal
Rupert Deese Signed Mid-Century Modern California Studio Pottery Pedestal Bowl
Located in Studio City, CA
A gorgeously crafted, beautifully yellow glazed, Mid-Century Modern pedestal bowl by California master ceramist Rupert Deese who worked closely with pottery legend Harrison Mcintosh.
Signed with Deese's cipher/ stamp on the base as well as the original label.
Would be a great addition to any collectors of Deese's work or Mid-Century Modern ceramics/pottery collection or a very eye-catching stand-alone accent piece in about any setting.
Deese's work can be found in numerous collections and museums including:
Museum of fine Arts, Boston, Boston
Everson Museum, Syracuse, New York
Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle
Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
Maloof Foundation, Alta Loma, California
Millard Sheets Collection, Gualala, California
Mingei International Museum, San Diego
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Logan, Utah
Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Richard & Alice Petterson Museum, Claremont, California
Roger Corsaw...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery
Polia Pillin Signed Mid-Century Modern California Studio Pottery Yunomi Tea Cup
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderful, whimsical diminutive Yunomi tea cup by famed Polish-American master potter/artist Polia Pillin featuring a deep, rich cobalt blue glaze with streaks of green swirling ar...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery
Eric Leaper Newlyn Studio Pottery Orange Glazed Tray or Shallow Dish
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A stylish studio pottery tray or shallow dish decorated in bright orange glazes by Eric Leaper, Newlyn and dating from around 1960. The pottery tray is of ...
Category
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Pottery
Old, Set of 5 Japanese Tajimi Tea Cups
Located in Norton, MA
Old - Set of 5 Japanese Tajimi Teacups with light blue glazing.
Original box included with the seal
In good original new condition and just found in the warehouse, never used bef...
Category
20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware, Pottery
5 Large Japanese Blue and White Tea Cups of Mid-Century Studio Pottery
Located in Norton, MA
5 large Japanese blue and white tea cups of mid-century studio pottery,
depicting large fishes and shrimps.
In good original new con...
Category
1950s Japanese Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
Rupert Deese Signed Mid-Century Modern California Studio Pottery Floral Bowl
Located in Studio City, CA
A gorgeous floral or leaf pattern decorated bowl by California master ceramist Rupert Deese who worked closely with pottery legend Harrison Mcintosh.
Signed with Deese's cipher/ stamp and sticker on the base.
Would be a great addition to any Mid-Century Modern ceramics and pottery collection or a very eye-catching stand-alone accent piece in about any setting.
Deese's work can be found in numerous collections and museums including:
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston
Everson Museum, Syracuse, New York
Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle
Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles
Maloof Foundation, Alta Loma, California
Millard Sheets Collection, Gualala, California
Mingei International Museum, San Diego
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Logan, Utah
Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Richard & Alice Petterson Museum, Claremont, California
Roger Corsaw...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Large Brown and Black 20th Century Stoneware Ceramic Vase by Steen Kepp La Borne
By Steen Kepp
Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR
Steen Kepp
Large stoneware ceramic vase
Circa 1980
Brown and black ceramic firing colors
Original perfect condition
Height 37 cm
Large 25...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Winchcombe Studio Pottery Pair Oatmeal Glazed Chamber Sticks
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A pair Winchcombe Pottery wood fired studio pottery chamber sticks decorated in oatmeal glazes dating from the 20th century. The chambersticks have ...
Category
20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
Vintage Japanese 3 Tea Cups from Mid-Century Studio Pottery
Located in Norton, MA
Vintage Japanese 3 tea cups from mid-century studio pottery.
In good original new condition and just found in the warehouse, never used before.
Category
1950s Japanese Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
Old, Set of 5 Japanese Tea Cups, Signed
Located in Norton, MA
Old - set of 5 Japanese Teacups with hand-painted paintings, signed at the bottoms.
Original box included
In good original new condition and just foun...
Category
20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Pottery, Stoneware
Italian Large Majolica Terracotta Sculpture with Lustre by Adolfo Merlone, 1950s
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Italian Large Majolica Terracotta Sculpture with Lustre by Adolfo Merlone, 1950s
Majolica terracotta sculpture decorated with lustre glazes in shades of red, blue and yellow depicti...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Maiolica, Terracotta
Large Danish Ceramic Giraffe, 1960s
Located in Den Haag, NL
Large Danish ceramic giraffe, 1960s. In beautiful blue and brown tones.
Category
1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Otto and Vivika Heino Signed Monumental Studio Pottery Six Bird Head Bowl Pot
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderfully designed and exceptionally rare earthenware six bird's head bowl or pot (bird head works are very coveted among collector's of the Heino's work) by ceramics masters husband and wife artists Vivika and Otto Heino. Quite heavy and substantial in Size. The couple were best known for their inspired designs and distinctive glazes.
This massive bowl or pot is signed on the underside and is in very good vintage condition with no discernible flaws. Again, quite rare. We have never seen another like it with this many birds.
Would be the crown jewel in any collection and sure to stand out in any setting.
Dimensions: 10.5" high, 11" diameter
The couple are winners of the following awards:
Gold Medal from the sixth Biennale internationale de céramique d'art, in Vallauris, France, (1978).
Silver medal from the International Ceramics Exhibitions in Ostend, Belgium, (1959)
Their work can be found in the following museums and collections:
American Craft Museum, New York City, NY
American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, California
Ariana Museum, Geneva, Switzerland
Arizona State University Art Museum, Tempe, Arizona
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, Maryland
Brunnier Art Museum, Iowa State University, Ames Iowa
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, New York, New York
County Art Museum and Craft Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Craft and Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, California
Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, Iowa
De Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York
Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Fred Jones, Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
Hartford Jewish Community Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska
Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach, California
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles, California
Memphis College of Art, Memphis, Tennessee
Mills College Art Museum, Oakland, California
Mingei Museum, San Diego
Museum of Art and Design, New York, New York
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey
Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
Picasso Museum in Vallauris, France
St. Paul Gallery, St. Paul, Minnesota
Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College, Claremont, California
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
Southern Highland Craft Guild, Asheville, North Carolina
Tweed Museum of Art, University of Minnesota, Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
Ventura County...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Earthenware
Polia Pillin Signed Mid-Century Modern California Studio Pottery Yunomi Tea Cup
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderful, whimsical diminutive Yunomi tea cup by famed Polish-American master potter/artist Polia Pillin featuring a deep, rich cobalt blue glaze with streaks of green swirling ar...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery
Beatrice Wood Signed Iridescent Luster Glaze California Studio Pottery Face Vase
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderful gem of a piece by famed American/California ceramicist Beatrice Wood featuring her highly coveted iridescent luster glaze and highly desi...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Earthenware
Elegant 1960 Black and Brown Stoneware Ceramic Tureen or Box by Pierre Digan
By Pierre Digan
Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR
Pierre Digan,
circa 1960
Elegant black and brown stoneware ceramic tureen or decorative box
Original perfect condition
Signed at the base
Measures: Height 22cm, large ...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Ceramic Figure Model Spring By Bjørn Wiinblad From The "Seasons" Serie
Located in Lejre, DK
Intact Bjørn Wiinblad figure made in ceramic model spring of blue and white colors. Produced in connection with the "Seasons" series. Stands without any damage or defects.
Dimensio...
Category
1970s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Accolay Vase, circa 1960 the Color is Pink / Brown
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Accolay vase, circa 1960
the color is pink / brown.
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Large Hand-Thrown Stoneware Drip Glaze Vase
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Textured studio pottery vase with variegated olive-green and tan glaze. The vessel has a tapered body with a tulip mouth. The base of the vase is a speckled tan while the olive green...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Pottery, Stoneware
Raul Coronel Signed Mid-Century Modern Large Heavy Ceramic Pottery Bowl, 1960s
By Raul Coronel
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderfully made and colored heavy bowl by Mexican born ceramic master Raul Coronel who played an important role in the American (he became a naturalized ...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Earthenware
Swedish Floral Organic Modern Ceramic Wall Plate / Centerpiece, 1950s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Vintage handmade fully glazed Swedish midcentury modern wall platter / centrepiece with organic, floral decor depicting a gazelle with a direct gaze surrounded by vegetation in brown, ochre, green, white and bright pink colors on a striped dark blue background created with the experimental sgraffito technique that Tilgmans became famous for. Designed and handpainted in the late 1950s by Eivor Lang and manufactured by German/Finnish Paul Harald Tilgman in his workshop in the small town of Kortedala close to Gothenburg, Sweden. Milky white glaze on the base and sides with curved, muted green decor framing the image along the edge. Three holes for hanging - two in use with metal wire. Signed under base. An handpainted piece in beautiful condition.
Paul Harald “Harry” Tilgmann was born in Dresden, Germany in 1904 and emigrated to Sweden during WWII where he started Tilgmans Keramik (= Ceramics) in 1948 in the small town of Utbynäs close to Gothenburg. Tilgman had 16 employees working for him and when he hired the Polish refugee Marian Zawadzki (1912-1978) as artistic director in 1953, Tilgman Keramik started experimenting with the distinct sgraffito technique. The sgraffito technique consists of carving fine lines into the background of a design through a light colored glaze down to a dark grey clay slip. This created a unique textured ground which has become a style associated with Tilgmans Keramik in particular. The decorative elements also appear to be outlined with a carved line and then hand painted with overglazes where birds, fish, flowers, butterflies and other animals were a common theme. This type of work was the most popular in midcentury Sweden alongside Tilgmans small animal figurines...
Category
1950s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic, Stoneware, Pottery
Mid Century Large Studio Pottery Vase, USA 1960s
Located in La Teste De Buch, FR
Large studio glazed earthenware vase.
Quality american mid century modern work.
Outstanding glaze.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Scandinavian ceramics from the 1960s by the Søholm workshop in Denmark
Located in SAINT-YRIEIX-SUR-CHARENTE, FR
Glazed stoneware dish with floral decoration produced by the Søholm workshop in Denmark in the 1960s/70s. Located on the famous island of Bornholm off the coast of Denmark, which has...
Category
1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Sandstone
Beatrice Wood Signed Midcentury Monumental Large Figurative Luster Glaze Vase
Located in Studio City, CA
We try not to use the term "museum quality" often but in the case of his particular work, it is more than apt.
A simply breathtaking piece by famed American ceramicist Beatrice Wo...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Earthenware
Edward Wormley Dunbar End Side Table with Gertrud and Otto Natzler Ceramic Tiles
Located in Studio City, CA
This very rare and absolutely stunning Edward Wormley designed end/ occasional table for Dunbar Furniture for their "Janus" collection, circa 1956-1957 comes with inlaid, glazed tile...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic, Wood
Vintage German Plate Hand-Painted Triangular Dish Catchall 1950s
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Original German vintage hand-painted "Handgemalt" small triangular shape ceramic plate.
Ivory grey with a hand-painted scene of a couple with a dog, trees, birds, in Yellow, blue, gr...
Category
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Hans Coper Small Pot
By Hans Coper
Located in Atlanta, GA
Hans Coper, small pot.
-Stoneware, black glaze
-Circa 1958
-Impressed with artist's seal
Literature:
Tony Birks, Hans Coper, Yeovil, 2013, p. 99 for a...
Category
1950s English Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
Extra Large Grey Stoneware Ceramic Pitcher by Pierre Digan La Borne circa 1970
By Pierre Digan
Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR
Pierre Digan
Extra large ceramic pitcher signed at the base
Height : 40 cm Large : 30 cm
Original perfect condition
Light grey ceramic glaze decoration
Original 20th m...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic
Abstract Tortured Clay Studio Art Pottery Vase
Located in Las Vegas, NV
Incredible mid 20th century tortured clay art pottery vase in the style of Peter Voulkos / Otis School era. Creamy white and black glaze over twisted square tubing.
Stands 22in tall...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Terracotta
Mid-Century Modern Round Glazed Black Chip and Dip Serving Bowl, Signed
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A Mid-Century Modern chip and dip serving platter in black, green, pink, and purple. This handmade ceramic piece is round in form and glazed in a glossy b...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Ceramic, Paint
Scandinavian ceramics from the 1960s by the Bangholm workshop in Denmark
Located in SAINT-YRIEIX-SUR-CHARENTE, FR
Stoneware dish glazed by the Bangholm workshop in the 1960s. One side is glazed, the other is left unglazed, with beautiful material effects. Note a very small chip, see detail photo...
Category
1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Sandstone
Carl-Harry Stålhane Signed Rörstrand Studio Swedish Scandinavian Midcentury Bowl
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautifully designed, richly, and deeply blue-colored/ glazed ceramic bowl by famed Swedish designer Carl-Harry Stålhane for Rörstrand, Sweeden. The craftsmanship and color are stu...
Category
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
Guido Gambone Bud Vase
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rustic bud vase by master ceramicist Guido Gambone. Hand-thrown in an alluring organic shape with an elongated neck. The vase depicts a pastoral scene of a shepherd with his herd pai...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
Pair of Mashiko Yaki Japanese Mid-Century Studio Pottery Yunomi
Located in Norton, MA
A very stylish Japanese Mashiko Yaki studio pottery Yunomi with stylized designs in panels set within a brown glazed body in the manner of Shoji Hamada an...
Category
1950s Japanese Vintage Mid-Century Modern Ceramics
Materials
Stoneware
Mid-century Modern ceramics for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern ceramics 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 ceramics created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include folk art, decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, pottery and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern ceramics made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original ceramics, popular names associated with this style include La Borne Potters, Beatrice Wood, Gertrud and Otto Natzler, and Laura Andreson. 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 $41 and tops out at $25,000 while the average work can sell for $1,053.