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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

CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS

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
American Antique Burnt Wood Folk Art Pyrography Match Stick House, mid century
American Antique Burnt Wood Folk Art Pyrography Match Stick House, mid century

American Antique Burnt Wood Folk Art Pyrography Match Stick House, mid century

Located in South Burlington, VT

This is a wonderful likely one of a kind hand crafted and hand burned folk art "Match Stick" house or cottage that dates back to the 1940's. It is an imaginatively conceived hand ...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Fabric

wooden Gingerbread Cookie Speculaas Springerle  Rolling Pin Antique German 1900s
wooden Gingerbread Cookie Speculaas Springerle  Rolling Pin Antique German 1900s

wooden Gingerbread Cookie Speculaas Springerle Rolling Pin Antique German 1900s

Located in Nuernberg, DE

An exceptional early 20th century wooden rolling pin featuring beautifully hand-carved cookie Springerle molds along its surface. This charming folk art piece combines functionality ...

Category

Early 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Set of Danish Teak Viking Figures, Attributed to Kay Bojesen – Denmark, 1960s
Set of Danish Teak Viking Figures, Attributed to Kay Bojesen – Denmark, 1960s

Set of Danish Teak Viking Figures, Attributed to Kay Bojesen – Denmark, 1960s

By Kay Bojesen

Located in Marinha Grande, PT

Set of Danish teak Viking figures, attributed to Kay Bojesen, Denmark, circa 1960s, emblematic of Scandinavian modern design and playful wooden objects of the mid-20th century. These...

Category

1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Wool, Teak

Alfonso Bini Mid-Century Blond Wood Novelty Pinocchio Orange Squeezer
Alfonso Bini Mid-Century Blond Wood Novelty Pinocchio Orange Squeezer

Alfonso Bini Mid-Century Blond Wood Novelty Pinocchio Orange Squeezer

Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire

A very stylish and unusual vintage Italian Firenze blonde wood orange or grapefruit squeezer modelled as a man’s head by renowned Italian wood carver Alfonso Bini and made around 197...

Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Wood

billard pokerballs aramith belgium 1970s
billard pokerballs aramith belgium 1970s

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

Wrought Iron Farm Animal Fire Screen by Atelier Marolles, France, 1955
Wrought Iron Farm Animal Fire Screen by Atelier Marolles, France, 1955

Wrought Iron Farm Animal Fire Screen by Atelier Marolles, France, 1955

By Atelier Marolles, Jean Touret

Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR

Incredible wrought iron farm animal fire screen by Atelier Marolles, France, 1955. Unique decorative piece showcasing a grid of charming barnyard animals including oxen, roosters, pi...

Category

1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Metal, Wrought Iron

Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Glazed Chawan Tea Bowl
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Glazed Chawan Tea Bowl

Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Glazed Chawan Tea Bowl

By Toshiko Takaezu

Located in Studio City, CA

A spectacular, rare and quite engaging early Chawan tea bowl by famed Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu. The fired bowl features a vibrant, shifting, thick, c...

Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Earthenware, Pottery

Toshiko Takaezu Signed Japanese Shigaraki Ware Pottery Chawan Yunomi Tea Bowl
Toshiko Takaezu Signed Japanese Shigaraki Ware Pottery Chawan Yunomi Tea Bowl

Toshiko Takaezu Signed Japanese Shigaraki Ware Pottery Chawan Yunomi Tea Bowl

By Toshiko Takaezu

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

Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Glazed Chawan Tea Bowl
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Glazed Chawan Tea Bowl

Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Glazed Chawan Tea Bowl

By Toshiko Takaezu

Located in Studio City, CA

A beautiful and quite engaging sumptuously glazed Chawan tea bowl by famed Japanese Hawaiian American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu. The fired bowl features a vast array of shifting...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Earthenware, Pottery

Vintage Mid Century Original Art The Marshland by Lee Reynolds
Vintage Mid Century Original Art The Marshland by Lee Reynolds

Vintage Mid Century Original Art The Marshland by Lee Reynolds

By Lee Reynolds

Located in San Diego, CA

Beautiful original landscape scene by acclaimed artist Lee Reynolds. This piece titled “Marshland” from the 1960s showcases a sunset marshland landscape done in a vivid, expressiv...

Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Paint

Vintage Japanese 3 Tea Cups from Mid-Century Studio Pottery
Vintage Japanese 3 Tea Cups from Mid-Century Studio Pottery

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 Folk Art

Materials

Stoneware

Antique Century Traditional Toy Singer Sewing Machine Reproduction, circa 1950
Antique Century Traditional Toy Singer Sewing Machine Reproduction, circa 1950

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

Susan Parkinson Studio Pottery Architectural Tankard
Susan Parkinson Studio Pottery Architectural Tankard

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

Toshiko Takaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Glazed Pottery Chawan Yunomi Tea Bowl
Toshiko Takaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Glazed Pottery Chawan Yunomi Tea Bowl

Toshiko Takaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Glazed Pottery Chawan Yunomi Tea Bowl

By Toshiko Takaezu

Located in Studio City, CA

An absolutely gorgeous and wonderful chawan tea bowl / yunomi cup by famed Japanese American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu. The work features a rich, matte black tenmoku glaze with ...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Pottery

Danish 19th Century Antique Copper Cake Baking Mold Form
Danish 19th Century Antique Copper Cake Baking Mold Form

Danish 19th Century Antique Copper Cake Baking Mold Form

Located in Haddonfield, NJ

Scandinavian antique copper cake baking mold pan in an intricate tiered design. This Danish cake mold was found at a flea market north of Copenhagen. Cake...

Category

Late 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Copper

Beatrice Wood Signed Midcentury California Studio Pottery Luster Glaze Vase
Beatrice Wood Signed Midcentury California Studio Pottery Luster Glaze Vase

Beatrice Wood Signed Midcentury California Studio Pottery Luster Glaze Vase

By Beatrice Wood

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

East German Yellow Vinyl Giraffe Vintage Toy Classic, 1960s, GDR
East German Yellow Vinyl Giraffe Vintage Toy Classic, 1960s, GDR

East German Yellow Vinyl Giraffe Vintage Toy Classic, 1960s, GDR

Located in Andernach, DE

Wonderfully hand crafted East German vintage toy – a true classic. These were made from soft vinyl sheets and softly stuffed. here in a lovely yellow, off-white and red combination. ...

Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Plastic

Sergio Bustamante (Mexican, B. 1949) Signed Limited Edition Paper Mache Duck
Sergio Bustamante (Mexican, B. 1949) Signed Limited Edition Paper Mache Duck

Sergio Bustamante (Mexican, B. 1949) Signed Limited Edition Paper Mache Duck

By Sergio Bustamante

Located in Bridgeport, CT

A large, colorful and striking paper mache duck figure by Sergio Bustamante. The rotund sculpture depicting a hand painted duck in blue tonal shades with wings in pastel colors of ro...

Category

Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Paper

Aldo Londi for Bitossi Rimini Blu Ceramic Plant Centaur Sculpture, Italy, 1960s
Aldo Londi for Bitossi Rimini Blu Ceramic Plant Centaur Sculpture, Italy, 1960s

Aldo Londi for Bitossi Rimini Blu Ceramic Plant Centaur Sculpture, Italy, 1960s

By Aldo Londi, Bitossi

Located in Morazzone, Varese

Aldo Londi for Bitossi Rimini Blu Ceramic Plant Centaur Sculpture, Italy, 1960s Exceptionally rare and very large Mid-Century Italian design ceramic sculpture, made by Aldo Londi fo...

Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Ceramic, Paint

Otto and Vivika Heino Signed Midcentury Large California Studio Pottery Bowl
Otto and Vivika Heino Signed Midcentury Large California Studio Pottery Bowl

Otto and Vivika Heino Signed Midcentury Large California Studio Pottery Bowl

By Otto and Vivika Heino

Located in Studio City, CA

A beautifully designed, exquisitely handmade bowl by pottery or ceramics masters husband and wife artists Vivika and Otto Heino. The two were best known for their inspired designs and distinctive glazes. This relatively hefty bowl is signed on the underside and is in excellent vintage condition with no discernible flaws. Really quite riveting and sure to Stand out in any collection or setting. Dimensions: 5.5" high, 8.5" diameter. They 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

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Ceramic

Vintage Metal "B Avenue" Street Sign - City of Coronado, California
Vintage Metal "B Avenue" Street Sign - City of Coronado, California

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

1960s Abstract Sculpture MCM Steel Brutalist Geometric Cubist Matthew Strumor
1960s Abstract Sculpture MCM Steel Brutalist Geometric Cubist Matthew Strumor

1960s Abstract Sculpture MCM Steel Brutalist Geometric Cubist Matthew Strumor

Located in Lake Worth, FL

1960s Abstract Sculpture believed to be by Matthew Strumor is a medium-sized metal artwork from the Post-War period. This handmade sculpture features a geometric cubist design in the...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Metal

Laura Andreson Signed Glazed Mid-Century Modern California Studio Pottery Bowl
Laura Andreson Signed Glazed Mid-Century Modern California Studio Pottery Bowl

Laura Andreson Signed Glazed Mid-Century Modern California Studio Pottery Bowl

By Laura Andreson

Located in Studio City, CA

A wonderfully crafted and beautifully glazed bowl by renowned American California master potter Laura Andreson. This bowl features a deep, mesmerizing, rich purple/blue glaze. Gorgeo...

Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Earthenware

Round American Hooked Rug Dated 1963
Round American Hooked Rug Dated 1963

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

Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture

Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture

By Toshiko Takaezu

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

aRT dECO  1940s / 50s Modernist Light -up "TELEPHONE" SIGN.... 40" LONG
aRT dECO  1940s / 50s Modernist Light -up "TELEPHONE" SIGN.... 40" LONG

aRT dECO 1940s / 50s Modernist Light -up "TELEPHONE" SIGN.... 40" LONG

By Ilka Plast

Located in Buffalo, NY

aRT dECO 1940s / 50s Modernist Light -up "TELEPHONE" SIGN.... 40" LONG...eMbossed form plastic lettering,,Stunning graphic, pull chain on/off switch.Retains original metal can,,orig...

Category

1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Metal

Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture
Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture

Tashiko Tazaezu Signed Japanese Studio Pottery Closed Form With Rattle Sculpture

By Toshiko Takaezu

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

Large Oil on Canvas Painting, Unknown Artist, 1956, Danish Midcentury
Large Oil on Canvas Painting, Unknown Artist, 1956, Danish Midcentury

Large Oil on Canvas Painting, Unknown Artist, 1956, Danish Midcentury

Located in Odense, DK

Presenting an enigmatic oil on canvas painting created by an unknown Danish artist made in 1956. This captivating artwork showcases a woman bathing her feet in a bathroom, and it is ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Canvas

California Design Studio Stoneware Weed Pot / Vase Signed
California Design Studio Stoneware Weed Pot / Vase Signed

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

Toshiko Takaezu Signed Mid-Century Modern Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Bowl
Toshiko Takaezu Signed Mid-Century Modern Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Bowl

Toshiko Takaezu Signed Mid-Century Modern Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Bowl

By Toshiko Takaezu

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 stoneware bowl features a v...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Pottery, Stoneware

Signed Curtis Jere Sculpture of a Church with Village
Signed Curtis Jere Sculpture of a Church with Village

Signed Curtis Jere Sculpture of a Church with Village

By Curtis Jeré

Located in Redding, CT

Signed Curtis Jere sculpture of a church with village. Signed and dated 1972. Nice 3D design.

Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Metal, Brass, Copper

Blue Lady Ema with Handbag Eva Fritz-Lindner, 1970
Blue Lady Ema with Handbag Eva Fritz-Lindner, 1970

Blue Lady Ema with Handbag Eva Fritz-Lindner, 1970

Located in South Burlington, VT

Blue lady with her handbag- mastertwork from Eva Fritz-Lindner. A serene tall handmade and hand painted sculpture of a lady carrying her handbag named EMA - a friend of the artist- e handcrafted and hand painted in beautiful blue colors. On bottom atelier mark i 3 D and with tree (black brush mark). Ema was the late Eva Fritz-Lindner's (1933-2017) good friend. Designer/maker: Eva Fritz-Lindner with stamp i3D, circa 1960-1970. Glaze: Light and dark blue matte colors are bright and vivid and the hand painting only adds to the charm; light original glaze crazing appropriate for age. Additional comments: Most of her larger sculptures were likely produced in less than 100 copies based upon research and all were hand painted individually by this artist ensuring each work of art was indeed unique. Dimensions: 12.5 inches high. Handmade / handarbeit and hand glazed, few survive. Provenance: Old German collection. About the artist: The bold folk art sculptress and ceramist Eva Fritz-Lindner (1933-2017) studied at the Werkkunstschule Wiesbaden and Darmstadt and was a master student in the sculptor class by Erich Kuhn. From 1955 she worked as a master designer at the Staatliche Majolika-Manufaktur Karlsruhe where she created and designed several hundred highly regarded ceramic folk art animal sculptures and unique wall and garden works of art inspired by nature and possibly the local zoo at Karlsruhe. Owls and family concepts were a particular specialty. During this time she created designs for building and garden ceramics, vessels and small sculptures. Since 1964, the sculptress worked as a freelance artist in her own studio in Karlsruhe-Durlach. The artist designed important works in the field of building ceramics, including wall designs in mosaic, in Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Baden-Baden, Schwäbisch Gmünd and Göppingen. Of particular note, she created enormous scale owl sculptures for the palace gardens in Karlsruhe in 1967 (see photo). In 1962, Eva Fritz-Lindner was awarded the silver medal at the Prague International Ceramic Exhibition. The artists' ceramics are owned and located in the Hetjens-Museum Düsseldorf, in the Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art...

Category

20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Ceramic, Pottery

Toshiko Takaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Glazed Chawan Tea Bowl
Toshiko Takaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Glazed Chawan Tea Bowl

Toshiko Takaezu Signed Japanese Hawaiian Studio Pottery Glazed Chawan Tea Bowl

By Toshiko Takaezu

Located in Studio City, CA

An absolutely gorgeous and wonderful Chawan tea bowl by famed Japanese American pottery master Toshiko Takaezu. The work features a rich, luminous dark black tenmoku like glaze with ...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Porcelain, Pottery

Rare Mid Century Brutalist Jean Nison Ceramic Tile George Slaying the Dragon
Rare Mid Century Brutalist Jean Nison Ceramic Tile George Slaying the Dragon

Rare Mid Century Brutalist Jean Nison Ceramic Tile George Slaying the Dragon

By Jean Nison

Located in New York, NY

Exceptional mid century ceramic tile depicting George slaying the dragon, by important ceramicist Jean Nison. The tile is in excellent original condition, free of damage or repair.

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Ceramic

Goyard Trunk, 1910 France
Goyard Trunk, 1910 France

Goyard Trunk, 1910 France

By Goyard

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Astounding vintage Goyard trunk in a rare extra large size. The oldest and largest antique Goyard trunk available for sale anywhere. Completely or...

Category

1910s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Brass

Chess set by Romeo Rega c1970
Chess set by Romeo Rega c1970

Chess set by Romeo Rega c1970

By Romeo Rega

Located in London, GB

A rare Romeo Rega 1970s chess set in polished brass and chrome. The tallest chess piece 8.8cm

Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Brass, Chrome

Vintage Haitian Painting of a Leopard by Ti Tra Jean Fatreuse Delva
Vintage Haitian Painting of a Leopard by Ti Tra Jean Fatreuse Delva

Vintage Haitian Painting of a Leopard by Ti Tra Jean Fatreuse Delva

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Striking mid century Haitian acrylic painting on canvas of a leopard executed in a distinctive naif style with lush bold colors. Signed by Ti Tra Jean Fatreuse Delva and presented in...

Category

20th Century Haitian Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Wood, Paint

Eames House of Cards Designed by Charles Eames
Eames House of Cards Designed by Charles Eames

Eames House of Cards Designed by Charles Eames

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

Vintage Hand-Painted Wooden Rhinoceros Lawn Sign / Folk Art Yard Stake
Vintage Hand-Painted Wooden Rhinoceros Lawn Sign / Folk Art Yard Stake

Vintage Hand-Painted Wooden Rhinoceros Lawn Sign / Folk Art Yard Stake

Located in Seattle, WA

This decorative vintage wooden rhinoceros cut-out is hand-painted in a warm yellow tone and designed as a yard or garden sign with an integrated ground stake. The silhouette is cut f...

Category

1970s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Rare 1975 Robert Swain Geometric Color "Study for 7' x 7' Painting" Signed
Rare 1975 Robert Swain Geometric Color "Study for 7' x 7' Painting" Signed

Rare 1975 Robert Swain Geometric Color "Study for 7' x 7' Painting" Signed

By Robert Swain

Located in Virginia Beach, VA

A key figure in American color theory, Robert Swain (b. 1940, Austin, TX) is known for his vibrant, grid-based compositions. After studying fine art at The American University and sp...

Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

In-Touch Rug by Cassina: Eco-Friendly Tencel, Mid-Century Modern
In-Touch Rug by Cassina: Eco-Friendly Tencel, Mid-Century Modern

In-Touch Rug by Cassina: Eco-Friendly Tencel, Mid-Century Modern

By Cassina

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

Gtdesign For Cassina In Touch Rug In-Touch is a design carpet that caters to creativity and meets the most extreme needs, suited to any modern furnishing style. Made of Tencel, on...

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Natural Fiber

Otto & Gertrud Natzler Signed Dark Blue Green Glazed Bowl with Original Label
Otto & Gertrud Natzler Signed Dark Blue Green Glazed Bowl with Original Label

Otto & Gertrud Natzler Signed Dark Blue Green Glazed Bowl with Original Label

By Gertrud and Otto Natzler

Located in Studio City, CA

Another wonderfully glazed and delicately designed work by famed pottery masters Otto and Gertrud Natzler. This round-shaped, eggshell thin-walled footed bowl was hand thrown and formed by Gertrud and glazed by Otto with a beautiful dark blue or green 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

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Earthenware

Ceramic Abstract Wall Sculpture Perignem, Belgium
Ceramic Abstract Wall Sculpture Perignem, Belgium

Ceramic Abstract Wall Sculpture Perignem, Belgium

By Perignem, Paul Vermeire

Located in Antwerp, BE

Beautiful colorful ceramic wall sculpture in organic nature details with abstract mushrooms and mosses designed by Paul Vermeire for Perignem,Belgium, 1960s. Paul Vermeire was a Belgian artist who lived and worked in Ostend. His oeuvre exists out of ceramics, paintings and drawings. He experimented with differed materials and techniques. At the back of the multicolored sculpture...

Category

1960s Belgian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Ceramic

Rosewood Marquetry Backgammon Set by Don Shoemaker
Rosewood Marquetry Backgammon Set by Don Shoemaker

Rosewood Marquetry Backgammon Set by Don Shoemaker

By Senal, Don S. Shoemaker

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A modernist backgammon set by US-born, Mexico-based designer Don Shoemaker for his company Señal. This portable set includes the game board, which folds up into a carrying case, chec...

Category

1960s Mexican Vintage Mid-Century Modern Folk Art

Materials

Rosewood, Hardwood

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.