Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
MODERN STYLE
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
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Style: Modern
Handcrafted Sterling Silver Kiddush Cup and Plate Set Signed Israel, 1980
Located in New York, NY
A stunning example of handcrafted Judaica, this sterling silver Kiddush cup and matching base were made in Israel in 1980 and are both signed by the artisan. Elegantly designed and r...
Category
Late 20th Century Israeli Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver
Italian Modern Finely Worked Capitals in Brown Plaster, 1990s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Finely worked capitals in brown plaster, 1990s
Pair of finely worked capitals with curls and floral patters, in brown painted plaster. They can be used as a shelf bra...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Plaster
Brass, 21st Century Passive Nero Portoro Marble Amplifier for Smartphones
Located in Cologna Veneta, IT
The Brass amplifier, entirely made of Nero Portoro marble, is an exclusive and elegant design object that acts as a passive amplifier for your smartphone. To use this object, just tu...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Marble, Carrara Marble
#25/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited edition #25/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#55/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
LIMITED EDITION #55/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#79/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #79/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#64/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #64/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new desi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#36/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
LIMITED EDITION #36/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#76/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #76/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#62/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #62/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#39/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #39/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#67/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #67/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly as the real-size Shroom CACTUS®, the new Guframini piece features multiple hand painted mini mushrooms, growing on its trunk and at its feet challenging reality. The miniature of the new CACTUS® is then finished by hand, becoming a unique piece, an icon of Radical Contemporary Design in 1:8 scale.
Guframini Shroom...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#74/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #74/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#63/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
LIMITED EDITION #63/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#73/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #73/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#61/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #61/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#65/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #65/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#50/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
LIMITED EDITION #50/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#75/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #75/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly as the real-size Shroom CACTUS®, the new Guframini piece features multiple hand painted mini mushrooms, growing on its trunk and at its feet challenging reality. The miniature of the new CACTUS® is then finished by hand, becoming a unique piece, an icon of Radical Contemporary Design in 1:8 scale.
Guframini Shroom...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#28/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
LIMITED EDITION #28/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#59/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
Limited Edition #59/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
#49/99 Limited Edition by A$AP Rocky GUFRAMINI X HOMMEMADE Shroom Cactus Mini
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
LIMITED EDITION #49/99
Gufram presents the miniaturised version of the Shroom CACTUS® created in collaboration with A$AP Rocky and the artist’s new design studio HOMMEMADE Exactly a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Other
Late 20th Century Silver Mezuzah Case by Shuki Freiman
Located in New York, NY
Late 20th century silver Mezuzah case handmade by the artist Shuki Freiman. The base of the mezuzah case is adorned with floral engraving throughout, while the cylinder is decorated ...
Category
Late 20th Century Israeli Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Silver
Brass, 21st Century Passive Botticino Light Marble Amplifier for Smartphones
Located in Cologna Veneta, IT
The Brass amplifier, entirely made of Botticino Light marble, is an exclusive and elegant design object that acts as a passive amplifier for your smartphone. To use this object, just...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Marble, Carrara Marble
Brass, 21st Century Passive Calacatta Oro Marble Amplifier for Smartphones
Located in Cologna Veneta, IT
The Brass amplifier, entirely made of Calacatta Oro marble, is an exclusive and elegant design object that acts as a passive amplifier for your smartphone. To use this object, just t...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Marble, Carrara Marble
Vintage 7.5 Foot Black Wood Guess Cultural Advertising Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
Vintage 7.5 Foot Black Wood Guess Cultural Advertising Sign
Vintage 7.5 foot wood black "Guess Parfum" signature question mark advertising sign. This sign would be perfect for a fas...
Category
Late 20th Century American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood, Paint
19th Century Solid Wood Coffee Table
By France"
Located in Madrid, ES
19th century solid wood coffee table.
Above it has a glass back
In the centre it has a brass pot for flowers.
Measures: 50 cm high and 110 c...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Wood
E.T. Statue. Three-dimensional Resin and Enamel - Italy 1990s
Located in modena, Emilia-Romagna
This artistic masterpiece is a tribute to the famous extraterrestrial invented by Steven Spielberg in 1982--a must-have collector's item for fans of the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestri...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Enamel
Materials Matter Set by Theodora Alfredsdottir
Located in Geneve, CH
Materials matter set by Theodora Alfredsdottir
Unique set
Materials: Granite
Dimensions: 11 x 6 x 18 cm
Theodora Alfredsdottir is a product design studio based in London.
The...
Category
2010s English Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Granite, Marble
Italian Modern Finely Worked Capital in Grey Plaster, 1990s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern finely worked capital in grey plaster, 1990s
Finely worked capital with curls and floral patters, in gray painted plaster. It can be used as a shelf bracket.
1990s
...
Category
1990s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Plaster
Nube Italia Softwood Armchair in Taupe Leather by Marco Corti
Located in New York, NY
Frame in solid wood. Arms in hide. Padding in shape retaining polyurethane with a differentiated density. Cover available in leather or fabric.
Marco Corti was born in Milano in 196...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Stainless Steel
FRAME DRIVING SCHOOL 70 S 20th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Large Globe 50S
THE GLOBE IS IN PLASTIC AND THE FOOT IN WOOD. 1950s. IT HAS LIGHT. GOOD CONDITION WITH CENTURIES OF USE. MEASUREMENTS: 110 CM IN HEIGHT AND 60 CM IN DIAMETER
good con...
Category
20th Century English Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Plastic, Wood
Jacques Adnet Chess Set
Located in Atlanta, GA
This stunning and rare original chess board and set of thirty-two game pieces were designed by French designer Jacques Adnet (1901-1984) in the 1950s. The bi-color leather board disp...
Category
1950s French Vintage Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Leather
Corset Music Stand with Adjustable Height and Angle
Located in Sebastopol, CA
Crafted from the highest musical grade of California Walnut and polished brass, the Corset Music Stand by Taylor Donsker is designed to elevate the experience of the musician and the...
Category
2010s American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Materials
Brass
Modern collectibles and curiosities for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Modern collectibles and curiosities 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 collectibles and curiosities created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include more furniture and collectibles, decorative objects, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, paper and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern collectibles and curiosities made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original collectibles and curiosities, popular names associated with this style include Gufram Furniture, A$AP Rocky, dlsc, and Lladro. 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 collectibles and curiosities differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $7 and tops out at $96,443 while the average work can sell for $986.