Arts and Crafts Textiles
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.
1890s Japanese Antique Arts and Crafts Textiles
Wool, Cotton
1890s Uzbek Antique Arts and Crafts Textiles
Fabric, Textile, Linen, Upholstery, Feathers
Mid-19th Century French Antique Arts and Crafts Textiles
Brass
1890s Uzbek Antique Arts and Crafts Textiles
Feathers, Upholstery, Textile, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Uzbek Arts and Crafts Textiles
Cotton, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Nepalese Arts and Crafts Textiles
Yarn
1960s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Textiles
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary American Arts and Crafts Textiles
Cotton, Down
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Textiles
Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary Arts and Crafts Textiles
Linen
21st Century and Contemporary European Arts and Crafts Textiles
Linen
20th Century Uzbek Arts and Crafts Textiles
Cotton, Silk
20th Century Uzbek Arts and Crafts Textiles
Cotton, Silk
2010s Arts and Crafts Textiles
Fabric, Linen, Down, Feathers
20th Century Uzbek Arts and Crafts Textiles
Cotton, Silk
20th Century Uzbek Arts and Crafts Textiles
Cotton, Silk
1890s Uzbek Antique Arts and Crafts Textiles
Feathers, Upholstery, Textile, Fabric
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Arts and Crafts Textiles
Wool, Down
Late 19th Century British Antique Arts and Crafts Textiles
Silk
1890s European Antique Arts and Crafts Textiles
1890s European Antique Arts and Crafts Textiles
Canvas