Aesthetic Movement Furniture
AESTHETIC MOVEMENT
In 1880, polymath designer William Morris declared: “If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” His words encapsulated the Aesthetic Movement, which prized beauty above all and blurred the lines between fine art and the decorative arts, particularly through lavishly crafted furniture pieces.
The Aesthetic Movement, whose major proponents included author Oscar Wilde, flourished from the 1860s to the 1880s and was mostly popular in England and the United States. Design expositions like the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia, as well as the publishing of how-to books for interior design, helped disseminate Aesthetic Movement bedroom furniture, serveware, coffee tables and other items, especially to the middle class.
The establishment of new art museums, art clubs and a rising passion for collecting at the time contributed to a growing appreciation for art. Morris’s founding of Morris & Co. in 1862 and the commercializing of this “cult of beauty” by the Liberty store in London, starting in the late 19th century, further disseminated the idea of a domestic space that was thoughtfully and floridly designed.
Leading Aesthetic Movement furniture designers included E.W. Godwin, who drew on Japanese influences and whose work reflected a wider enthusiasm for imported East Asian art. British designer Christopher Dresser created textiles, ceramics and more that were also inspired by Japanese decorative art but were representative of additional diverse design sources that ranged from Egypt to Mexico.
The Aesthetic Movement’s eclecticism resulted in dazzling interiors. Japanese fans were positioned on Renaissance-inspired cabinets with brass hardware, while mantels made of rich walnut or finely carved ebonized wood and adorned with painted Minton tiles mingled with cast-iron chairs against a backdrop of floral wallpaper. In 1881, in New York City, stenciled checkerboard motifs and painted floral murals could be found under an opalescent glass chandelier in a luxurious dressing room designed by German émigré cabinetmaker-decorator George Alfred Schastey. Amid the rise of the industrial age, the style’s promotion of art in everyday life would inform the Arts and Crafts Movement and Art Nouveau.
Find a collection of antique Aesthetic Movement seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture and antiques on 1stDibs.
to
276
1,091
694
1,672
135
30
199,977
113,768
43,293
33,302
16,289
12,192
10,765
10,738
9,965
9,021
7,302
6,773
6,444
6,401
6,166
5,811
4,912
3,780
12
1,140
520
165
227
163
71
49
13
12
10
7
11
16
17
9
6
529
498
448
356
253
1,209
724
590
269
256
1,837
1,821
1,826
32
31
30
21
20
Style: Aesthetic Movement
Paintings Set of Four Seasons for a Dining Room
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
O/5542 - What to say about this rare set of four large paintings ? It's certainly an idea for wall decoration: inside a boiserie (wooden panels) or with golden frames. in the dini...
Category
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Canvas
$21,334 / set
Small Ceramic Fabric Bowl
Located in El Segundo, CA
Exquisitely crafted, our windswept bowl is a testament to artisanal excellence. Meticulously handmade by skilled artisans in our studio, it emerges from pure white clay, resulting in...
Category
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Ceramic
$165 / item
Hat For Table Lamp
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
O/425 - Lamp hat embroidered in silver tinsel: unique piece. It is suitable for a high floor or table lamp.
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Silk
19th Century Aesthetic Victorian Parlor Set Settee & 4 Chairs By John Moyr Smith
Located in Long Branch, NJ
This parlor set was designed by John Moyr Smith in the 19th century UK. The panels are made by Minton designed by John Moyr Smith. The panels are excellently made and the chairs are ...
Category
19th Century Scottish Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Porcelain, Oak
Aesthetic Period, Antique Silver Plate Candelabrum, Hukin & Heath, Circa 1880
Located in London, London
Made circa 1880 by Hukin & Heath, this stylish, Victorian, antique silver plated candelabrum, is a fine example of the Aesthetic Movement, featuring a plain base, and will hold 6 can...
Category
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Silver Plate
Victorian Antique Centrepiece Vase, Ram Horn, Glass & Silverplate, Circa 1880
Located in London, London
Made circa 1880, this striking, Victorian, antique silver plated centrepiece, stands on Ram horn legs, and features a varicoloured glass dish and trumpet vase. The centrepiece measur...
Category
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Silver Plate
Bronze Curtain Holder or Coat Hanger or Tie-backs
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
O/6839 - Old French gold bronze curtain-holder to enrich Your windows.
Before photos had not been cleaned (excuse me).
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Bronze
Nacre and Gold Porcelain Plate by Hania Jneid
By Hania Jneid
Located in BARCELONA, ES
This is a numbered piece in fine porcelain designed and hand built by artist - designer Hania Jneid. Unique piece hand glazed and ornamented in Gold lustre. It is functional as well ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Stilnovo, Lighting, Italy 1950 Th
By Stilnovo
Located in Nice, FR
Italian light from the 1950s, with 6 white opalines, brass structure, red metal, original bakelite parts. Interesting to find a light from this period, all complete.
Category
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Opaline Glass
Antique Ornately Carved Burr & Burl Walnut Green Leather Coffee Cocktail Table
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning heavily carved Aesthetic Movement style Burr & Burl Walnut coffee table with green Leather top
A very good looking and well made ...
Category
1880s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Leather, Walnut
SUPER RARE ANTiQUE VICTORIAN AESTHETIC MOVEMENT ARMCHAIR WITH GRAND TOUR PLAQUES
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this super rare and totally original Aesthetic Movement, Victorian circa 1840-1860 Library armchair with ins...
Category
1840s European Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Walnut
Aesthetic Movement Tall Back Mahogany Armchair Attributed to Liberty & Co
Located in Petworth, GB
Aesthetic Movement turned tall back mahogany chair
Pad feet and spindle decoration
Silk upholstery
Circa 1890
Attributed to Liberty & Co
Height 132cm. Width 57cm. Depth 47cm. ...
Category
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Silk, Mahogany
19th c Old Paris Hand Painted Porcelain Planter with Portraits of Horses
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This large square hand painted porcelain planter was made in France ca. 1880's or earlier. It features two hand painted "portraits" of horses heads alternating with 2 sides of hand p...
Category
1880s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Porcelain
Pair of 19th Century Hand-Painted Ceramic Plaques Seascapes 2-DM Birds
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This huge pair of "Barbotine" ceramic plaques have all the bells and whistles. Completely hand-painted with inviting seascapes, each one is surrounded with paste flowers and realisti...
Category
19th Century Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Ceramic, Porcelain
fractals
By John Brevard
Located in Coral Gables, FL
John Brevard's new silk tufted rug collection is a masterful interplay of fractals and sacred geometries, each piece a testament to the elegance of mathematical symmetry in design. H...
Category
2010s Spanish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Silk
$8,580
Monumental Overmantel or Pier Mirror in the Aesthetic Taste
Located in New York, NY
American, third quarter of the 19th century.
Pine, gessoed and gilded, with mirror plate.
Measures: 81 ½ in. high, 59 ½ in. wide.
Condition: Excellent. The gilding has been cleaned and very, very slightly inglided as necessary. The ball at the upper left was missing and has been replicated based upon...
Category
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Mirror, Pine
SMALL ANTiQUE CIRCA 1880 AESTHETIC MOVEMENT BAMBOO CARVED CHINESE FOOTSTOOL
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this super rare and highly collectable Aesthetic Movement Chinese ha...
Category
1880s Chinese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Bamboo
Aesthetic Movement Tromp L'Oeil Basket
Located in Montreal, QC
An American Aesthetic Movement Basket, naturalistically modeled as a bird perched on a a leafy twig, above a shallow dish simulating cloth, decorated with gilt and silvered leaves an...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Bronze
$1,260 Sale Price
30% Off
Midnight Morris
Located in Kuala Lumpur, MY
Over hill, over dale, Thorough bush, thorough brier, Over park, over pale, Thorough flood, thorough fire. I do wander everywhere.
Category
2010s Thai Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool, Bamboo
$14,900 / item
Antique Wine Cooler Side Table
Located in London, GB
A beautiful and unusual antique wine cooler table with a lift up lid, in solid birch. This was likely made in the 1920’s, it has an aesthetic influence in the design. It is dated on ...
Category
1920s British Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Tin
ANTiQUE VICTORIAN AESTHETIC MOVEMENT STYLE LEATHER ARMCHAIR FOR RESTORATION
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this original Aesthetic Movement style Victorian circa 1860 armchair for restoration with original brown lea...
Category
1860s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Leather, Hardwood
Pair of Signed Allen Wedgwood Hand Painted Porcelain Plaques of Children
By Wedgwood
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This exquisite pair of hand-painted Wedgwood porcelain plaques, painted by Thomas Allen, is a beautiful example of the Aesthetic Movement. The delicate, intricate designs and vibrant...
Category
1890s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Enamel
James Shoolbread Occasional Chairs
Located in Faversham, GB
A wonderful pair of James Shoolbred occasional chairs in mahogany.
The gothic style chairs have a square back with four vertical slats.
Featuring Marlborough front legs and sabre l...
Category
Late 19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Velvet, Mahogany
$980 Sale Price
20% Off
Modern Watercolor Female Portrait
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
ST/736 - Watercolor and tempera modern female portrait: simple but unusual.
An interesting item..., simply to frame.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Paper
American Aestheticism, Griffoul Foundry Sculptural Bronze Bookends, Early XX C.
By M. Peinlich
Located in New York, NY
A charming set of bronze bookends. One of the bookends depicts a figure of a young girl with a questioning face expression, holding a bouquet; and the other a cupid, who peeks around...
Category
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Bronze
Mirrored Tulips
Located in Kuala Lumpur, MY
Reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, Omar Khan composes symmetrical flowers in swathes of ombre periwinkle tones that rhythmically dance across the face of the...
Category
2010s Thai Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool
$14,400 / item
Painting with Roses in a Crystal Vase
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
O/8157 - Old French painting with a beautiful bouquet of roses in a vase on a table. It almost seems to smell it...
If you want, You can use the elegant frame for a mirror, leaving the picture free...
Category
Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Canvas
Pair of Fern Wall Brackets
Located in New York, NY
American, circa 1850-1880.
Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), with wire armature and composition ornament, gessoed
and gilded.
Measures: 14 1/8 in. high, 16 5/16 in. wide (at the sh...
Category
19th Century American Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wood
$55,000 / set
Pair 19th c. Wedgwood Aesthetic Movement Porcelain Plaques Thomas Allen
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This pair of unusual porcelain plaques depict two young women in period dress against gold background panels. The acid etched panels are decorated with an all-over Aesthetic Movement motif depicting peacock feathers and surrounded by sheaves of wheat. The painting of the women is finely done and very detailed in a thick enamelled application. One is playing with a stick-toy doll and the other with wheat and a toy broom.
Unsigned but attributed to Thomas Allen...
Category
19th Century British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
ANTiQUE CIRCA 1880 AESTHETIC MOVEMENT BAMBOO CARVED CHINESE MAGAZINE PAPER RACK
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this super rare and highly collectable Aesthetic Movement Chinese ha...
Category
1880s Chinese Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Bamboo
Pair of Geometric 19th Century Wood Occasional Tables
Located in Los Angeles, CA
These ebonized wood tables or stools from the English Aesthetic Movement showcase spare, geometric designs adorned with traces of gilt. The craftsmanship emphasizes the movement's fa...
Category
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wood
A Pair Of Late Victorian Aesthetic Brass Candlesticks
Located in London, GB
A Beautiful Pair of Late Victorian Aesthetic Brass Candlesticks (Circa 1880–1900)
This exquisite pair of brass candlesticks exemplifies the refined craftsmanship and decorative flai...
Category
Late 19th Century English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Brass
French Repousse Silver Table
Located in Stamford, CT
A French rectangular table with repousse silver plaques and inlay. Primary woods is walnut with ebonized wood trim and pewter legs.
Category
19th Century French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Pewter
$14,900
Stanford White Style Mirror
Located in New York, NY
Early 20th century American style frame in the Stanford White design. Cast and gilded, 29" x 25". Available in other sizes, please inquire.
Category
2010s American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Gold Leaf
$7,500 / item
20th Century Oil on Canvas of Romanticized, Woodland Waterfall
Located in Van Nuys, CA
An unsigned, unframed, oil painting on canvas. This painting is peaceful, charming and in very good condition. It is tacked to its original wood stretcher bars.
Category
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Paint
Lighting Italy, Sconce, xx Th
Located in Nice, FR
a single light, brass structure, a very beautiful Murano glass plate. Application of a geometric design on the glass plate. Single model.
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Brass
Pair Lamps, Modernist, Metal, Geometric
Located in Nice, FR
Pair of lamps, modernist, composed of a lampshade of a gray metal sphere and a fabric lampshade. Palm style beech wood. The pair of Lamps is a creation, it is not mass-produced. Ampo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Beech
$1,422 / set
Aesthetic Movement furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Aesthetic Movement furniture 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 furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, decorative objects, seating and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Aesthetic Movement furniture made in a specific country, there are Europe, United Kingdom, and England pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Minton, Doulton Lambeth, Christopher Dresser, and Wedgwood. 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 furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $65 and tops out at $86,402 while the average work can sell for $1,820.