Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
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
Rare Pair Of Mid-Century Rope Oval Mirror Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet
Located in Austin, TX
Rare Pair Of Mid-Century Rope Oval Mirror Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet.
21 inches H. , 13.5 inches W.
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Rope, Mirror
Spanish Petanque Balls - Early 20th Century Set
Located in Barcelona, ES
Spanish Petanque Balls - Early 20th Century Set
Discover the timeless charm of our set of four Spanish petanque balls, crafted in the early 20th century around 1940. This exquisite ...
Category
1940s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Iron
Vintage wooden toy Pinocchio, Italy, 1960s
Located in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SI
Amazing jointed wooden doll, hand painted Pinocchio, made in Italy in the 1960s.
Good vintage condition.
Dimensions:
Width: 9 cm / 3.54 inches
Height: 32 cm / 12.6 inches
Depth: 9 ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Vintage Decorative Tiled Panel from Vallauris
Located in Austin, TX
Important tiled panel from Vallauris, France signed by the artist. This piece, which has hardware for hanging as a piece of art, showcases a beautiful hand-crafted tile scene. With b...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Bjorn Wiinblad Signed Danish Denmark Pottery Candelabra Vase Sculpture Eva V-14
Located in Studio City, CA
A quite wonderful glazed ceramic candelabra/ vase/ sculpture by famed Danish-Scandinavian potter/artist Bjorn Wiinblad (1918-2006) who was universally known for his whimsical illust...
Category
1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery, Paint
Toshiko Takaezu Signed Japanese Shigaraki Ware Pottery Chawan Yunomi Tea Bowl
Located in Studio City, CA
An absolutely beautiful and extremely rare Shigarakai Yaki Ware Chawan tea bowl / Yunomi cup by famed Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu. The work features a gorgeous dripped glaze over a anagama kiln fired Shigaraki clay body. It is a unique and one-of-a-kind work with a very Wabi-Sabi feel to it.
The piece is signed on the base with her traditional "TT" mark / monogram.
Shigaraki Ware pottery comes from Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The kiln there is one of six ancient kilns in Japan (along with Echizen ware, Seto ware, Bizen ware, Tamba ware, and Tokoname ware).
In 1993, Toshiko was invited to Japan by Shiro Otani to work with the quartz rich clay and local artists/potters at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park. In 1995 she made the journey there to work in master Japanese ceramicist Shiho Kanzaki's studio in Shigaraki,. We believe this work was likely created at this time. It appears few pieces that she made during this particular visit exists today as we have only seen one other work - another Chawan - that she created during this trip (The works were fired in Kanzaki's anagama kiln in February 1996 and subsequently shipped back to Toshiko in New Jersey).
This particular work also encompasses the Japanese Wabi-Sabi aesthetic - the appreciation of beauty that is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete in nature and embraces the principles of asymmetry, roughness, simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy, and the appreciation of both natural objects and the forces of nature upon them.
Would be a great addition to any collectors of Toshiko's work or Japanese/Hawaiian pottery...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Pottery, Stoneware
17 Artist Mask Collection, Limited Edition of Traditional Carnival Black Forest
Located in Andernach, DE
Extraordinary and complete collection of 17 artist ceramic masks of traditional Black Forest Carnival costumes by Alfred Schladerer, Germany.
Ranging from the first 1954/55 unglazed/...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Cordell Cordaro Modernist Abstract Painting "Smoking at a desk"
By Juliano Cordano
Located in Buffalo, NY
Cordell Cordaro Large Modernist Abstract Painting titled "Smoking at a desk" Wonderful use of color and negative space.
Cordaro was born and raised in Rochester NY. He is a father ...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Paint
Hobart Kitchen Machines Mid Century Neon Sign
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A very nice vintage neon sign advertising the Hobart Food Machine company . Founded in 1897 making motors in Troy Ohio and turning the use of their motors into running food machines ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Steel
Mid-Century Stool Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet
Located in Austin, TX
Mid-Century Stool Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet.
Height / 16 inches.
17.5 by 12.5 inches.
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Wood, Rope
Set of 3 Antique Wood Golf Clubs, circa 1930
Located in Barcelona, ES
Set of three antique traditional Jack White's sports wooden golf clubs. Made in London, circa 1930. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserv...
Category
1930s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Vintage Metal "B Avenue" Street Sign - City of Coronado, California
Located in San Diego, CA
Super cool vintage metal "B Avenue" street sign from the city of Coronado, California, circa 1970s. The piece is in good vintage condition with a distressed patina and measures: 24"W...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Metal
Early 20th Century Enamel Advertising Sign “Joker”
Located in London, GB
Early 20th Century Enamel Advertising Sign “Joker”
A unique and rare example of an early 20th Century enamel advertising sign “Joker”. A very cool sign in our humble opinion for a n...
Category
1930s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Enamel
Vintage Salvador Dali Divine Comedy The Triumph of Christ and the Virgin Framed
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage (1960-70s) Salvador Dali Divine Comedy "The Triumph of Christ and the Virgin" Framed Woodcut Lithograph Print with Embossment. Frame is a more recent addition with wood frame...
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Glass, Wood, Paper
Very Tall Bronze Ndebele Sculpture, Original Mid-Century Modern, 1950s
By Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
This beautiful sculpture by an unknown artist, depicting a Ndebele. Despite of occasionally mistakenly attributed to Carl Hagenauer is it undoubtedly a masterpiece. In earlier times,...
Category
1950s African Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Bronze
Bing & Grondahl Modernist Blue Tile Wall Art Piece, 1960s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Exceptional Danish Mid-Century Modern piece of ceramic artistry. Handmade wall plaque made of six glazed tiles (each 15x15 cm) in dark blue, light blue, eggplant gray, gold and black...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery, Wood, Oak
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Mid-Century Modern Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Bowl
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful, relatively large sumptuously glazed bowl by famed Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu. The high-fired porcelain bowl features a shifting earth tone...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Porcelain, Pottery
Antique Century Traditional Toy Singer Sewing Machine Reproduction, circa 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Vintage metal toy Singer sewing machine reproduction. In original condition, wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina. Materials: Metal.
Category
1950s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Metal
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful and quite engaging wonderfully 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 Folk Art
Materials
Porcelain, Pottery
Vintage French Blue Tones Paper Garland Sculpture circa 1930 Antique Decor
Located in Barcelona, ES
Embrace the allure of vintage charm with this exquisite antique paper garland sculpture in mesmerizing blue tones. Crafted in France circa 1930, this piece is a testament to timeless...
Category
1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Paper
Lucie Rie 'Austrian/British, 1902-1995' Squeezed Oatmeal Glazed Pottery Bowl
By Lucie Rie
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
Stoneware oatmeal glazed bowl with small crater and speckled inclusions with a wavy rim with a fine manganese glazed edge by Lucie Rie (Austrian/British, 1902-1995) dating from aroun...
Category
1960s English Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Stoneware
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful and quite engaging colorfully glazed closed-form sculpture with rattle by renowned Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu, famed for her use of color, texture, scale, multiple glazes, and various free-form shapes, including her orb-like moon pots. This high-fired porcelain piece features a vast array of shifting, whirling, vibrant, colorful glazes (with traces of reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, etc... ). It is a unique and one-of-a-kind work.
The closed-form vessel sculpture is signed on the base with her traditional "TT" mark/ monogram.
A rare and special piece. Would be a great addition to any collectors of Toshiko's work or other Mid-Century Modern...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Porcelain, Pottery
Modern Abstract Constructivist Wood Sculpture Signed Czeslaw Budny
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This contemporary abstract wooden sculpture is by Czeslaw Budny in constructivist style circa 2024. This unique sculpture is made of recycled wood. Budny utilizes the simplicity of s...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Wood, Reclaimed Wood
Large Erzgebirge Christmas Nutcracker Decoration Piece Germany Vintage 1970s
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
A vintage nutcracker from the Erzgebirge region, in shape of a king made of turned wood and painted in vibrant colors, dating back to the 1970s.
This large nutcracker...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Wood, Paint
Bing & Grondahl Modernist Green Tile Wall Art Piece, 1960s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Exceptional Danish Mid-Century Modern piece of ceramic artistry. Handmade wall plaque made of six glazed tiles (each 15x15 cm) in white, dark pine and forest green colors, all handpa...
Category
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery, Wood, Oak
Evelyn Ackerman Large Scale Wood Carved Panel for Era Industries
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large scale wood carved panel by California artist, Evelyn Ackerman for Era Industries c.1960s. This carving features various nature themes like the sun, trees, fish, birds and leav...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Vintage Modern Brass Cat and Mouse Tic Tac Toe Game Sculpture - 9 Pieces 1970s
Located in Toronto, CA
This charming vintage brass tic tac toe game set from the 1970s brings playful elegance and functionality to your home decor. Featuring 9 individual ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Brass
Witco Tiki Mid Century Wood Carved Fireplace Tool Set with Brutalist Accent
Located in Chattanooga, TN
No Luau is complete without a proper set of fire tools. This ultra rare Witco fireplace tool set comes complete with a poker, brush, and shovel. The three wrought-iron tools are original to the set. Both the poker and shovel feature period scroll work on top. Most distinctive are the Brutalist accents flanking the left and right sides. These torch-cut Brutalist panels have been restored to their original look. This piece came to us rusted. Our restoration team refinished the metal, and re-created the the verdigris patina originally present. Witco’s signature chainsaw tiki carving was used to embellish the rack’s top and base.
Vintage 1960s-1970s, carved from solid swamp cedar wood. If you’re into Tiki, then you probably know Witco. Collector’s adore Witco for it’s wild design. The company went full-force in capturing the zeitgeist of exotica in the 1960s. Polynesian, Asian, and tropical culture and aesthetics began to make their way into American homes. Elvis movies and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific” introduced America to tiki, Mai Tais and Luas. It’s still tiki time in the hearts of Witco collectors. These larger than life cats are the perfect mascot for your island lounge.
We have several more pieces from Witco including a pair of Meathead cats, toad stool, a dining set, conquistador chairs, wall mounted...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Metal
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 Folk Art
Materials
Stoneware
Display of Vintage Carpentry Tools
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Display of vintage carpentry tools. Most of the pieces show a beautiful dark patina. The brass plaque on the lower part of the board reads "Presented t...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Metal
Bold Master Work Handmade and Hand Glazed, Eva Fritz-Lindner, Unique
Located in South Burlington, VT
This is a fine and unusual handmade, hand painted and hand glazed Mid-Century Modern ceramic anthropomorphic effigy of a round form by the now deceased master designer Eva Fritz-Lind...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic, Pottery
Mid-Century Rattan & Ceramic Tiles Coffee Table Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet
Located in Austin, TX
Rare Mid-Century Rattan & Ceramic Tiles Coffee Table Audoux Minet, Circa 1960.
Painting of wild flowers signed.
Height / 19 inches.
Size / 37 inches by 20.5 inches.
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic, Rattan
Rectangular Black Rope Mirror Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet, circa 1960
Located in Austin, TX
Black Rectangular Rope Mirror Adrien Audoux and Frida Minet, circa 1960.
Height / 24 inches on 15 inches.
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Rope, Mirror
billard pokerballs aramith belgium 1970s
Located in Wien, AT
billard pokerballs aramith belgium 1970s
Original condition
Category
1970s Belgian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Polyester
Joseph Talbot La Borne circa 1930 20th Century Blue and Brown Ceramic Vase
Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR
Joseph Talbot
Signed under the base
Original XXth century design large stoneware ceramic vase
Perfect condition
Blue and brown stoneware ceramic glazes colors
Circa 19...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Susan Parkinson Studio Pottery Architectural Tankard
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A very stylish studio pottery porcelain mug decorated with columns design by Susan Parkinson for the Richard Parkinson Pottery and made between 1953 an...
Category
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Porcelain
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Mid-Century Modern Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Bowl
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful and quite engaging relatively large sumptuously glazed bowl by famed Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu. The high-fired porcelain bowl features a v...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Porcelain, Pottery
Set of 14 Traditional Spanish Christmas Figures, circa 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Set of 14 traditional Spanish Christmas figures. Made out of metal. Manufactured in Spain, circa 1950. In original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preservin...
Category
1950s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Metal
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 Folk Art
Materials
Earthenware, Pottery
Vintage Christmas Big Nutcracker, Wood, Erzgebirge, Germany, 1970
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Wooden nutcracker figure from the Erzgebirge. The region Erzgebirge formerly Eastern Germany is famous for this special kind of nutcrackers, where intricate carving has been their ho...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Wood
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 Folk Art
Materials
Porcelain, Pottery
Mid-Century Rope Oval Mirror Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet
Located in Austin, TX
Mid-Century rope oval mirror Adrien Audoux and Frida Minet.
Measures: 16 inches by 10 inches.
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Rope, Mirror
Mid-Century Rope Nautical Anchor Chandelier Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet
Located in Austin, TX
Mid-Century Rope Nautical Anchor Chandelier Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet.
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Rope
Alexandre Noll 1930s Turned Wood Bowl
Located in New York, NY
An original 1930s turned wood sculptural wood bowl by famed French craftsman, Alexandre Noll. Signed
Category
1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Hardwood
Beatrice Wood Signed Mid-Century California Pottery Luster Crater Glaze Vase
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderfully designed work by famed American California Studio master ceramist Beatrice Wood featuring a gorgeous, sumptuous, iridescent luster (lustre) volcanic lava crater glaze (...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Earthenware, Pottery
Pablo Picasso Signed Madoura Ceramic Tile Plaque 'Tête Polychrome' Ramié 455
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderful, original hand painted ceramic tile plaque by famed artist Pablo Picasso titled "Tete Polychrome". The work features an abstract face w...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic, Earthenware, Pottery
Round American Hooked Rug Dated 1963
Located in New York, NY
Rare American Hooked rug with a happy colorful motif. Dated 1963 and initialized IEV. Not sure whose name is in the initials
Measure: 30'' round.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Wool
Set of Two Vintage Christmas Small Nutcrackers, Wood, Erzgebirge, Germany, 1970
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Wooden nutcrackers figure from the Erzgebirge. The region Erzgebirge formerly Eastern Germany is famous for this special kind of nutcrackers, where intricate carving has been their h...
Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Eames House of Cards Designed by Charles Eames
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
House of Cards designed by Charles and Ray Eames by The Museum of Modern Art, New York in 1986. This special picture deck of stacking cards celebrates familiar objects, animals, and ...
Category
1980s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Paper
California Design Studio Stoneware Weed Pot / Vase Signed
Located in San Diego, CA
California design studio stoneware weed pot / vase, circa 1970s. The pot is in very good vintage condition and measures 7.7"D x 6.5"H. The piece is signed on the underside. #3805
Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Pottery, Stoneware
Peter Voulkos Signed Mid-Century Modern Stoneware Pottery Vase, circa 1950s
Located in Studio City, CA
A fantastic early work (circa early 1950s) by Master Greek-American potter Peter Voulkos.
Signed on base with incised signature by Voulkos.
Voulkos is widely considered to be the most important and impactful ceramists 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
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Stoneware
Blown glass dove with filigree decoration by Tapio Wirkkala for Venini, 60s
By Venini, Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Milano, IT
Blown glass dove with filigree decoration by Tapio Wirkkala for Venini, 60s
Acid and engraved signatures Venini Murano Italia.
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Murano Glass
Blue glazed ceramic dove, Italy, 1970s
Located in Milano, IT
Blue glazed ceramic dove, 1970s
beautiful blue glazed ceramic dove.
Measures length 32, width 13, h19 cm
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Lucie Rie & Hans Coper Signed Stamped Yellow Glazed Stoneware Bowl, circa 1950
By Hans Coper, Lucie Rie
Located in Studio City, CA
A gorgeous mustard-yellow glazed stoneware bowl with manganese rim by famed European potters Lucie Rie & Hans Coper.
The bowl is signed with each artist's impressed seals on the b...
Category
1950s English Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Stoneware
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 Folk Art
Materials
Earthenware
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful and quite engaging wonderfully glazed closed-form sculpture with rattle by renowned Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu, famed for her use of color, texture, scale, multiple glazes, and various free-form shapes, including her orb-like moon pots. This high-fired porcelain piece features a vast array of shifting, vibrant, and colorful glazes (with earth tones of greens, burnt yellows, browns, etc... ). The sculpture/vessel radiates in the light. It is a unique and one-of-a-kind work.
The closed-form vessel sculpture is signed on the base with her traditional "TT" mark/ monogram.
A rare and special piece. Would be a great addition to any collectors of Toshiko's work or other Mid-Century Modern...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Porcelain, Pottery
Beatrice Wood Signed Midcentury California Studio Pottery Luster Glaze Vase
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderful gem of a piece by famed American/California ceramicist Beatrice Wood featuring her highly coveted, gorgeously radiant turquoise luster glaze. A beautiful design with a delicate long neck rising from a circular base. Classic and timeless.
Signed by Beatrice in her customary "Beato" on the underside of the base (with noted inventory number).
Would be an amazing addition to any Mid-Century Modern pottery collection or personal collectors of her work or a fabulous stand-alone accent piece in about any setting. One of the best Beatrice Wood's luster glaze vases we have come across in quite a while.
Know famously in the art world as "The Mama of Dada", Wood lived a long (1893-1998) and very fruitful, creative life and is considered by many experts and collectors alike to have been a centerpiece in the modern ceramic art movement of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. At one point in her career, Wood studied with master potters Otto and Gertrud Natzler and later become famed in her own right for her distinct luster-glazing techniques. In 1994, the Smithsonian Institution named Wood an "Esteemed American Artist".
Her other awards include:
1994 Governor’s Awards for the Arts (California)
1993 Recognition as A Role Model by Women in Film
1992 Gold Medal for Highest Achievement in Craftsmanship, American Craft Council
1988 Distinguished Service Award, Arizona State University
1987 Fellow of American Craft Council Women’s Art Caucus, National Award (NCECA Award)
1986 Women’s Building Award
1984 Living Treasure of California
1983 Symposium Award of the Institute for Ceramic History
1961 Goodwill Ambassador from USA...
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Earthenware
Contemporary African Art Sculpture from the Makonde Tribe of Tanzania
Located in Miami, FL
Stunning African Art Sculpture of a Tribal Woman by the Makonde Tribe of Tanzania.
A fine figurative sculpture is made of ebony. This decorative...
Category
20th Century Tanzanian Mid-Century Modern Folk Art
Materials
Ebony
Mid-century Modern folk art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern folk art 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 folk art created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include folk art, decorative objects, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern folk art 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 folk art, popular names associated with this style include Albert Chubac, Adrien Audoux and Frida Minnet, La Borne Potters, and Beatrice Wood. 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 folk art 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 $64,764 while the average work can sell for $1,325.