Arts and Crafts Furniture
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.
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Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Clay
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Brass, Iron
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Alabaster, Metal, Brass
Early 1900s American Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Wire
Early 1900s American Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mirror, Oak
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Wire
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1920s Austrian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Cane, Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Stone
1910s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Alabaster, Brass, Wire
1910s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Fabric, Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 1900s American Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Earthenware
1910s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Silver Plate, Brass
20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Asian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Cherry
Late 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Leather, Cotton, Oak
1920s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s British Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Danish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
Late 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century British Arts and Crafts Furniture
Rush, Oak
Early 1900s British Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 1900s Danish Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Fabric, Oak
1920s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1940s Japanese Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Teak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Leather, Oak
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak, Leather
1920s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s Dutch Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mirror, Oak
Early 20th Century British Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Copper
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Walnut
1970s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1910s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
1940s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Crystal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Leather, Cotton, Upholstery, Oak