Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Emerging in reaction to industrialization and mass production, the Arts and Crafts movement celebrated handcrafted design as a part of daily life. The history of Arts and Crafts furniture has roots in 1860s England with an emphasis on natural motifs and simple flourishes like mosaics and carvings. This work is characterized by plain construction that showcases the hand of the artisan.
The earliest American Arts and Crafts furniture dates back to the start of the 20th century. Designers working in this style in the United States initially looked to ideas put forth by The Craftsman, a magazine published by Wisconsin native Gustav Stickley, a furniture maker and founder of the Craftsman style. Stickley’s furniture was practical and largely free of ornament. His Craftsman style drew on French Art Nouveau as well as the work he encountered on his travels in England. There, the leading designers of the Arts and Crafts movement included William Morris, who revived historical techniques such as embroidery and printed fabrics in his furnishings, and Charles Voysey, whose minimal approach was in contrast to the ornamentation favored in the Victorian era.
American Arts and Crafts work would come to involve a range of influences unified by an elevation of traditional craftsmanship. The furniture was often built from sturdy woods like oak and mahogany while featuring details such as inlaid metal, tooled leather and ceramic tiles. The style in the United States was led by Stickley, whose clean-lined chairs and benches showcased the grain of the wood, and furniture maker Charles Rohlfs, who was informed by international influences like East Asian and French Art Nouveau design.
Hubs in America included several utopian communities such as Rose Valley in Pennsylvania and the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony in New York, where craftspeople made furniture that prioritized function over any decoration. Their work would influence designers and architects including Frank Lloyd Wright, who built some of the most elegant and iconic structures in the United States and likewise embraced a thoughtful use of materials in his furniture.
Find antique Arts and Crafts chairs, tables, cabinets and other authentic period furniture on 1stDibs.
1920s Vintage Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Felt
Early 20th Century German Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Metal
2010s American Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Fur
1910s European Vintage Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Copper
20th Century Austrian Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Brass
Early 20th Century German Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Silver Plate, Sheet Metal
20th Century English Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Mahogany
1950s German Vintage Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Tin
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Metal, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Rattan, Linen
20th Century Austrian Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Silver Plate, Sheet Metal
Mid-20th Century English Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Metal
Early 20th Century German Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Silver Plate, Sheet Metal
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Marble
2010s American Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Lambskin, Mohair, Acrylic, Lucite, Rope
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Leather, Wood, Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Other
1890s French Antique Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Wood
19th Century Chinese Antique Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Wood
1980s Russian Vintage Arts and Crafts Toys and Dolls
Gold