Aesthetic Movement Furniture
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.
Mid-20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Earthenware
Early 20th Century Japanese Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
Early 20th Century Chinese Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Bamboo
20th Century Chinese Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ash
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Swedish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Finnish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1970s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1960s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1920s Unknown Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1960s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver
1940s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
1910s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Late 20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
1930s Belgian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Belgian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Canvas
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ormolu
Early 20th Century North American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
1920s English Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Faience
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century German Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Gold, Silver
1960s European Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1930s Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Oak
20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
1970s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool, Cotton
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1910s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Art Glass
20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s Italian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
1920s English Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver
1940s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Wire
1910s European Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 1900s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Porcelain
20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Faux Bamboo
Mid-20th Century Australian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Crystal
Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Silver Plate