Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Hardwood, Maple, Oak, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Leather
20th Century South African Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Animal Skin
1950s American Vintage Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Mexican Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
1990s Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Paper
1970s American Vintage Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
Early 2000s American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1990s European Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Jade, Multi-gemstone, Rock Crystal, Gold
Late 20th Century American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
Early 20th Century British Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1990s German Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Foam
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Fabric, Wool
20th Century French Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Canvas, Paint
1990s Unknown Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Porcelain
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
20th Century French Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
1970s American Vintage Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
20th Century South African Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Animal Skin
20th Century American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
1980s Japanese Vintage Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Chrome
20th Century Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
Early 2000s Chinese Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Plastic
Late 20th Century American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1990s Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Paper
20th Century European Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Early 2000s Australian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Plastic
Early 20th Century American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
2010s Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Ceramic
17th Century Italian Antique Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
1940s Spanish Vintage Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Porcelain, Wood
Mid-20th Century North American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Crystal, Aluminum, Stainless Steel
20th Century French Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Silk
1990s French Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Late 20th Century American Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Porcelain
1990s French Modern Collectibles and Curiosities
Plastic