Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
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 legendary 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.
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
Returnable Items Only
'Uccle' Block Geometric Woven Merino Wool Throw, Piccalilli Yellow/Greys
By Pamela Print
Located in Chelmsford, GB
Drawing inspiration from the color and pattern found in stain glass work, the Uccle block throw takes its name from an area of Brussels renowned for its Art Deco architecture.
Woven in blocks of grey and pearl grey melange with a deep border of piccalilli yellow, caramel and coal grey. This limited edition luxury throw...
Category
2010s British Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Wool
Mid-20th Century Set of Schiapparelli Stockings in the Original Box
By Elsa Schiaparelli
Located in Miami, FL
Mid-20th Century Set of Schiapparelli Stockings in the Original Box
A Mid-Century set of Schiaparelli stockings in the original box with the original Schiaparelli tissue paper liner...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Silk, Paper
1960s Vintage Merry Go Round Crib Quilt Applique Cotton Childrens Toddler 53.5"
By Paragon
Located in Dayton, OH
Merry Go Round crib quilt in applique, a Paragon kit quilt, circa 1960s.
Dimensions:
36" x 53.5" (Width x Length)
Category
1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Cotton
1960s Fun Vintage Blue Plaid Leisure Blanket Troy N. H.
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1960s Fun Vintage Blue Plaid Leisure Blanket Troy New Hampshire
52 x 64.25
Label present
Preowned original vintage condition
See all images.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Textile
Midcentury Vintage Textile Art Majestic Mexican Eagle Blanket
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Midcentury Vintage Textile Art Majestic Mexican Eagle Blanket
50 x 74
Original preowned vintage condition. Unrestored. Wear visible.
See all images.
Category
Late 20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Textile
Midcentury Florida Souvenir Square Tablecloth
Located in Stamford, CT
Midcentury Florida souvenir table cloth. White cotton table cloth with multi-color printed Florida landmarks. As found, lightly used condition. The cl...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Cotton
Pompallier, Hand Embroidered sweet blue Throw Blanket
Located in Middelburg, NL
Pompallier, a sweet blue throw blanket made of the finest New Zealand mohair. Characterized with a pink and yellow fringe border completely embroide...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Mohair
Vintage Robert Payne New York Two Tone Full Length Mink Fur Coat
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage two tone brown mink fur coat, full length with swivel hook and loop closure and two side pockets. Owner of this coat is approx. 5'2'', 110lbs.
Measures: Shoulders - 20” / ...
Category
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Fur
Vintage Stanley Rich Dark Brown Full Length Mink Fur Coat Rhinestone Button Belt
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage dark brown mink coat by Stanley Rich of Cincinnati, Ohio, full length with two front pockets, double breasted with two rows of black rhinestone...
Category
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Fur
Midcentury Large Cloth, Fabric or Textile in Style of Panton Verner, 1960s
Located in Praha, CZ
- very rare cloth
- perfect original condition
- never used.
Category
1960s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Textile
Midcentury Florida Souvenir Square Tablecloth
Located in Stamford, CT
Midcentury Florida souvenir table cloth. White cotton table cloth with multi-color printed Florida landmarks. Colors remain bright and the cloth has b...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Cotton
Schumacher Safari Throw in Leopard
By Schumacher
Located in New York, NY
Perennially chic, the divine leopard print on our Safari Epingle Throw, based on a classic Schumacher pattern, is subtle and sophisticated and lets the luxury of the fibers shine. Ma...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Wool
1960s Traditional Welsh Wool Tapestry Blanket Yellow & Black Bed Throw
Located in Llanbrynmair, GB
A beautiful original 1960s welsh wool tapestry blanket in immaculate condition, in a vibrant yellow colour with black and grey tones.
Baring its original l...
Category
Mid-20th Century Welsh Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Wool
Mid-Century New York City Souvenir Table Cloth
Located in Stamford, CT
Mid-century New York City souvenir table cloth. White cotton with all over red printed design featuring NYC landmarks.
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Cotton
Russian Roller Printed Cotton Fabric Panel, Mid-20th Century or Earlier
Located in Istanbul, TR
These type of Russian prints that are also called 'trade cloth' since they were made for Central Asian markets. They were used to make blankets and dresses, and also used for the lin...
Category
Mid-20th Century Russian Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Cotton
Mid-Century Modern Vintage Souvenir Silk Scarf Throw Pillow from 1970s
Located in Prato, IT
Mid-Century Modern vintage souvenir silk scarf throw pillow with cashmere wool back.
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Wool, Silk
Mid-Century Modern Italian Vintage Silk Scarf Throw Pillow, 1970s
Located in Prato, IT
Mid-Century Modern Italian vintage silk scarf throw pillow, 1970s.
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Cotton, Silk
Suter, Hand Embroidered brown Throw Blanket
Located in Middelburg, NL
Suter, a graphic brown blanket made of the finest New Zealand mohair. This throw is embellished with bright blue embroidery done by hand. Nothing as pers...
Category
2010s Indian Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Mohair
Mid-Century New England Souvenir Table Cloth
Located in Stamford, CT
Mid-century New England souvenir table cloth. White cotton with all over multicolor printed design featuring New England (Northeast) landmarks.
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Cotton
Midcentury New York City Souvenier Table Cloth
Located in Stamford, CT
Midcentury New York souvenir table cloth. New with tags. White cotton table cloth with multi-color printed New York City landmarks. Colors remain b...
Category
1950s North American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Cotton
Bob Van Allen Holiday Bow Red & Green Oval Placemat Set of 5 & Napkin Set of 10
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bob Van Allen holiday bow red & green oval placemat set of 5 & napkin set of 10.
Bob Van Allen holiday/christmas table linens, includes 5 foam backed p...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Foam
Signed, Victor Vasarely 1969 Op Art Silk Scarf Screen-Print
Located in New York, NY
Framed, color screen-print on silk scarf. Untitled. 138/150. Measures: 37" W x 36.5" H.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Silk
Plaid Cats on Books by Piero Fornasetti
By Fornasetti
Located in Brussels, BE
Plaid cats on books by Piero Fornasetti.
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Textile
Midcentury Souvenir New York City Square Table Cloth
Located in Stamford, CT
Midcentury New York souvenir table cloth. New with tags. White cotton table cloth with multi-color printed New York City landmarks. Colors remain b...
Category
1950s North American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Cotton
Vintage French Tapestry Rug. Size: 6 ft x 3 ft 6 in
Located in New York, NY
Vintage French Tapestry Rug, Origin: France, Circa: Mid 20th Century. Size: 6 ft x 3 ft 6 in (1.83 m x 1.07 m)
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Wool
Otago Hand Embroidered Pearl Grey Throw Blanket
Located in Middelburg, NL
Otago, a beautiful pearl grey throw blanket made of the finest New Zealand mohair. Characterised with pink big dots, completely embroidered by hand...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Mohair
Mink Fur Scarf, Black and White, 1960s Style, Chic Scarf by Area ID, New Skins
By Area ID
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful new mink scarf in a 1960s style, deigned by Area ID.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Fur
Kowhai - Hand Embroidered sweet blue Throw Blanket
Located in Middelburg, NL
Kowhai, an elegant sweet blue throw blanket made of the finest New Zealand mohair. Adorned with flowers in black and silver skillfully embroidered b...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Mohair
Large Vintage Uzbek Suzani Needlework Textile Blanket or Tapestry
Located in Antwerp, BE
Large vintage Suzani Uzbek Samarkand textile, Suzani means needlework and these embroideries are some of the most characteristic forms of tex...
Category
Mid-20th Century Uzbek Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Silk, Cotton
Italian Handcrafted Green Blanket Horse Throw Wool Leather Selleria Pariani 1980
Located in Arosio, IT
A piece of Italian history in your home:
Adolfo Pariani founded his business in 1903. They were the first Saddlery in the whole world that used a saddle tree that was flexible which meant it was elastic and shock-absorbing.
Since then Selleria Pariani supplied personalities of the 20th century, such as George Patton...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Wool, Leather
Pair of Karel Appel Curtains, 1963, Documented at Stedelijk Musem
By Karel Appel
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Super rare and impressive pair of large cotton ''gordijnstof' curtains, designed in 1963 by world renowned Dutch painter and sculptor Karel Appel (1921-2006) for the textile company Hermann Hartman & Co of Amsterdam.
This extremely rare, original repeat print textile is documented in the Stedelijk museum's textile collection under object nubmer KNA 1998, please see image 2.
Each curtain measures 56.7" X 83.85" (144cm X 213cm).
'Gordijnstof' translates as "curtain fabric" confirming that this textile was originally designed by Appel specifically for use as curtains however being of such an impressive dimension these examples could equally be used as wall hangings ,as photographed, or mounted on both sides of a screen or mounted and framed as an art work in its own right , a practice which is becoming increasingly commonplace as high end textile designs by important artists are becoming increasingly valued , appreciated and sought after in the marketplace.
Appel's paintings and sculptures can be found in the collections of some of the world's most prominent museums including the Museum of Modern art in New York and Tate Modern ,London.
Each curtain is of a very impressive scale with each measuring
56.7 " (144 cm) X 83.85" (213cm).
The curtains are signed on the banding KUNSTENAAR DESSIN ONTWERP Karel Appel, HARTMAN PRINT, AMSTERDAM. Another of Appel's designs for Hermann Hartman,Amsterdam can be found in the collection of the national textile museum in Holland. Please see image 9.
Even a small sample of this 1963 textile in good condition would be hard to find today but to find two large scale Appel curtains intact and in beautiful unfaded condition with no staining or fraying must be next to unique today. This is a very rare find and certainly a unique opportunity.
Image 10 shows Karel Appel in his atelier in New York in 1966.
Provenance:
These curtains come from the private collection of a retired Professor from Oxford,UK.
Biography:
Karel Appel was an Expressionist Dutch painter. He was a member of the famous Cobra, the European group of the late 1940s to early 1950s, which promoted spontaneous expressionism and abstract features in painting. Appel's paintings incorporate applications of vibrant, violent colors often possessing a primal, childlike quality or a schizophrenic innocence. Later in life, Appel turned to creating figurative sculptures. Examples of his work can be seen in the Museum of Modern Art, New York City, Boymans-Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam, and other collections. Expressionist painter Karel Appel made a name for himself in the world of painting by creating a majestic collection of highly distinguishable work for which he became internationally renowned. From the start, art curators could not ignore Appel's work, which has been exhibited at major museums around the world, including New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Manhattan-based Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Tate Gallery in London. Though Appel is widely recognized as one of the best-known Dutch Expressionist painters of all time, he was also a passionate printmaker, sculptor, and ceramicist.
Karel Appel’s childhood and early life
Christiaan Karel Appel was born on April 25, 1921, in his parents’ house at 7 Dapperstraat, Amsterdam. His father, Jan Appel, owned a barbershop. His mother, born Johanna Chevalier, was a descendant of French Huguenots. Karel Appel had three brothers. He studied art from 1940 to 1943 at the Rejksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts during the German occupation and befriended young painter Corneille and, some years later, Constant. His parents opposed his choice to become an artist, leading him to leave home. This was also necessary to hide himself from the German police so that he would not be picked up and sent to Germany to work in the weapon industry. Appel produced his first real painting on canvas, which was a still life of a fruit basket at the age of fourteen. On his fifteenth birthday, his wealthy uncle Karel Chevalier gave him a paint set and an easel and some lessons on painting.
Career.
In 1946, his first solo show was held in Groningen, Netherlands. He also participated in the Jonge Schilders exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum of Amsterdam nd created a buzz in the art world, as it generated a huge scandal and many objections in the press and public. About this time, Appel was influenced first by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, then by the French brute-art artist Jean Dubuffet. In 1947, he started sculpting with various used materials and painted them in bright colors such as white, red, yellow, blue and black. Karel Appel became the member of Nederlandse Experimentele Group in Holland along with the young Dutch painters Anton Rooskens...
Category
1960s Dutch Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Cotton
A Large Modernist Abstract Tapestry by Mathieu Mategot
Located in Atlanta, GA
A modernist wool woven tapestry designed by French artist and designer Mathieu Mategot (1910-2001) circa 1960s. The piece is signed with Matégot and monogrammed TMP fino (Manufactur...
Category
1960s Portuguese Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Canvas, Wool
Hand Loomed Textile
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An exquisite hand-loomed textile of good scale incorporating an expressive and colorful array of tufted wool and variegated fabric elements.
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Textile
Hocken, Hand Embroidered Black Throw Blanket
Located in Middelburg, NL
Hocken, a unique graphic black blanket made of the finest New Zealand mohair. This throw is embellished with small cream crosses embroidered by hand. Not...
Category
2010s Indian Mid-Century Modern Quilts and Blankets
Materials
Mohair
Mid-century Modern quilts and blankets for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern quilts and blankets 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 quilts and blankets created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include more furniture and collectibles, wall decorations, rugs and carpets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with fabric, wool and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern quilts and blankets made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original quilts and blankets, popular names associated with this style include Jackie Villevoye, Pamela Print, Pierre Cardin, and Area ID. 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 quilts and blankets differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $85 and tops out at $15,000 while the average work can sell for $650.
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