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 French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
1910s European Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood, Boxwood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Paint, Canvas, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Burl
1910s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Bronze
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
1930s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Stone, Metal
Early 20th Century Irish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
1910s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper, Other
Late 20th Century Korean Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mother-of-Pearl, Lacquer
Late 20th Century Japanese Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic
1930s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
1930s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
1940s Swedish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Muslin, Wood
1930s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
1930s Spanish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
1920s European Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
1950s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 1900s American Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
20th Century Chinese Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
19th Century North American Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Brass
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s European Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Silk, Paper
1920s European Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
Early 20th Century Japanese Arts and Crafts Furniture
Enamel
1980s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 2000s American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
Early 1900s French Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary North American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 2000s North American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1920s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Blown Glass