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.
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Style: Aesthetic Movement
Period: 20th Century
1950's Turkish Angora Wool Carpet with Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
53855 Vintage Turkish Angora Wool Blanket Kilim Rug, 04'02 x 05'03. Emerging from the earthen silence of southeastern Turkey, this handwoven Turkish Angora kilim rug holds the softne...
Category
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool, Angora
$1,232 Sale Price
30% Off
Antique Framed Oil Painting on Board by Windel
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique Framed Oil Painting on Board by F. Windel depicts an intriguing perspective of an impressionistic harbor scene at dawn wit...
Category
Early 20th Century Belgian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Canvas
Italian Style Neo Classical Bronze Table Lamp Figural Base Paw Feet
Located in Toledo, OH
Italian style Neo- Classical bronze table lamp resting on three paw feet. Dimensions: 37" high x 9.5" diameter.
Category
20th Century Unknown Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Bronze
1950's Distressed Persian Kerman Carpet with Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
53750 Distressed Vintage Persian Kerman Rug, 06'09 x 10'00. Step into a realm of timeless elegance with this hand-knotted wool distressed vintage Persian Kerman rug, where quiet soph...
Category
Mid-20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool
Lamp Hat Embroidered in Silver Tinsel
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
O/423 - Unique piece : lamp hat embroidered in silver tinsel - It is suitable for a high floor or table lamp.
The price is very interesting because I want to close my activities.
...
Category
1990s Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Silk
1950’s Turkish Oushak Carpet with Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
50651 Vintage Turkish Oushak Runner, 03'06 x 11'00. This hand-knotted wool vintage Turkish Oushak runner features two medallions and a cl...
Category
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool
Textured Glass, Brass and Steel Pendant in the Style of Stilnovo-Ipso Facto
Located in Nice, FR
Stylnovo Ipso facto metal lantern with crackle glass globe, from Italy, 1960. Green color. Interesting metal work.
Category
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Brass
Vintage Persian Sarouk Scatter Rug with American Traditional Style
Located in Dallas, TX
75657 Vintage Persian Sarouk Scatter rug with American Traditional style. Rich in color with beguiling beauty, this hand knotted wool vintage Persia...
Category
Mid-20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool
$1,799 Sale Price
20% Off
1960's Earth-Tone Persian Mazandaran Kilim Carpet with Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
76384 Vintage Persian Mazandaran Kilim Rug, 09'10 x 10'00. Woven beneath the rain-heavy skies of northern Iran, this rare vintage Persian Mazandaran kilim distills the poetry of ligh...
Category
Mid-20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool
$7,199 Sale Price
20% Off
1960's Zeki Muren Turkish Sivas Rug with Modern Style
By Zeki Müren
Located in Dallas, TX
51909 Distressed Vintage Turkish Sivas Rug, 02'06 x 06'00. Zeki Muren Turkish Sivas rugs, originating from Turkey's tranquil Sivas region, pay tribute to the esteemed Turkish singer ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool
1920’s Persian Heriz Carpet with Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
77175 Antique Persian Heriz Rug, 11'05 x 19'00. Enter a world where geometry meets grandeur with this magnificent antique Persian Heriz rug—a striking testament to the powerful desig...
Category
Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool
1950's Turkish Striped Kilim Rug with Modern Rustic Style
Located in Dallas, TX
60646 Distressed Vintage Turkish Striped Kilim Rug, 08'09 x 11'08. A dazzling celebration of color, craft and rugged beauty, this handwoven wool distressed vintage Turkish kilim rug ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Asian Style Wood Wall Lantern Sconce, Early 20th Century circa 1915
Located in San Francisco, CA
Asian / Esthetic Movement style wooden lantern shaped wall sconce with mica panel inserts.
Newly reconditioned and re-wired, ready to install.
In good antique condition.
Early 20th ...
Category
Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Walnut
1960's Turkish Oushak Carpet with Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
50228 a vintage Oushak rug runner. Punctuate your space with personality by incorporating this vintage Oushak runner. It features two substan...
Category
Mid-20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool
$3,320 Sale Price
20% Off
1930's Turkish Oushak Carpet with Traditional Style
Located in Dallas, TX
51360 Vintage Turkish Oushak Rug, 05'06 x 08'11. Rooted in the storied soil of Anatolia, this hand knotted wool vintage Turkish Oushak rug evokes a tranquil symphony of earth and air...
Category
Early 20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Wool
$3,248 Sale Price
26% Off
Armchair with Ottoman Antique Horn
Located in Nice, FR
Armchair with its pouf, horn structure, beautiful light brown braided leather work. Good condition, not torn.
Category
20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Leather
$3,357 / set
Lacquer Armchair, Maison Versace, 1970
Located in Nice, FR
Armchair structure in burgundy lacquer, the fabric is not original. Chrome feet. Italy 1970
Category
20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Lacquer
Italian Murano Glass Vintage Table Lamp
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
The true Murano artistically engraved glass table lamp: elegant and settable anywhere.
It is NOT necessary to change the power supply, but also use Your lamps with 110 W - 12 V.
Now...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Art Glass
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
A Mahogany Display Cabinet Circa 1900
Located in London, GB
A fine mahogany display cabinet, circa 1900, likely a transitional piece with influences from the earlier Aesthetic Movement. The cabinet showcases clean lines, elegant detailing, an...
Category
Early 1900s English Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Brass
$2,639 Sale Price
30% Off
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
$21,585 / set
Asprey Carved Rock Crystal Gorilla Diamond Eye's and 18-Karat Gold Accents
Located in Westport, CT
Asprey one of a kind hand carved rock crystal Gorilla, with 18-karat gold accents and diamond eyes, together on the original petrified wood base, w...
Category
Late 20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Multi-gemstone, Rock Crystal, Gold, Silver
Rare Crystal Square Shape Delicate Pair Silver Ewers Mounted by Boivin C.1900
Located in Paris, FR
Pair of very refined ewers in engraved crystal beautifully mounted, part of the silver sterling base is like lace! a work that few silversmiths could do.
The octagonal base is decora...
Category
Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Crystal, Silver
$8,939 Sale Price / set
30% Off
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
Clair Seglem Watercolor Painting of Marble Torso on Magenta Background
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A small still life water color painting of an alabaster torso accented with flowers and limes on a bright magenta background.
This piece is by the late Oklahoma artist and retired Air Force man Clair...
Category
20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Paint, Paper
$200 Sale Price
20% Off
Painting :Germinal
Located in Nice, FR
Germinal: Germination sounds like revolution, right?
Chebisiem artist
  "In the flaming rays of the star, on this morning of youth, it was with this rumor that the countryside was...
Category
20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Acrylic, Paint
$10,184
Pair of Sculptural White Ceramic Lamps, Elephants, Italy, Circa 1970
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
We are pleased to present a magnificent pair of sculptural white ceramic lamps, made in Italy, dating from the second half of the 20th century (around 1970).
These rare pieces, bot...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Metal, Brass
Micro Mosaic Pen Holder
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
Micro mosaic Moorish pen holder: simply beautiful ! Elegant sitting on Your desk.
It must not remain near heat sources because the mosaic could be damag...
Category
Late 20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Enamel
Antique English Tortoiseshell Root Bamboo Magazine Holder, C.1900
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Just in this pristine antique English Root Bamboo magazine Rack in a beautiful tortoiseshell finish, this is a 19th Century English Bamboo Magazine or Newspaper Rack
I say pristine ...
Category
Early 1900s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Bamboo
$704 Sale Price
27% Off
Mezzotint Two Nudes on the Seashore by Alessandro, Mastro Valerio
Located in Toledo, OH
Mezzotint two nudes on the seashore lounging on a rock by Alessandro - Mastro Valerio 1887-1953. Signed lower right. Number 27/35. Hinged to backerboard...
Category
20th Century North American Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Paper
Glass and mirror pedestal table, asymmetrical, Fontana Arte style, 1970
Located in Nice, FR
Round glass and mirror pedestal table with asymmetrical glass legs, mirrored top in the style of Fontana Arte from the 70s
Italian work, design
This pedestal table can be placed at t...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Glass, Mirror
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
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
Rare Elegant Vintage Italian Glass Table Lamp by Balsamo Stella
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
Rare vintage glass lamp by Guido Maria Balsamo Stella - artist born in Torino 1st January 1882, died Asolo (Treviso) 1st January 1941 -
He studied A...
Category
1930s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Art Glass
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
Glass Coffee Table, Italy, Romeo Rega, Design, 1960s
Located in Nice, FR
Glass coffee table, Italy, designer Romeo Rega, 1970, Structure in brass and black iron, smoked glass. Very refined.
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Brass
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
Early-Mid 20th Century English Cast Stone Garden Gnome
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
English early-mid 20th century cast stone garden gnome. A plump faced gnome with watering can tending his plants. Old loss to the tip of his hat. Condition commensurate with age & pu...
Category
Mid-20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Cast Stone
Dripglaze Heavily Potted Floral Vase
Located in NYC, NY
A beautifully potted vase with raised delicate floral decoration with a burnt orange flower in a subtle Japanese aesthetic typical of aesthetic movement po...
Category
Early 20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture
Materials
Pottery
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
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.