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 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
1920s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery
21st Century and Contemporary European Arts and Crafts Furniture
Steel
Late 19th Century Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Glass
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century Persian Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Pottery, Beech
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ash
20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper, Iron, Wrought Iron
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Stained Glass
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Beech
20th Century Swedish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1910s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Early 1900s American Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Rattan, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Straw
19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain, Plastic
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Steel
20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Uranium Glass
19th Century Dutch Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
1890s British Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
1890s Austrian Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
1960s Turkish Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Silver, Sterling Silver
1920s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Canvas, Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Epoxy Resin, Wood, Chestnut
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
Early 1900s Irish Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper, Bronze
20th Century Moroccan Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Silver, Copper, Other
1920s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood, Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Rush, Oak
Early 1900s Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
1890s Danish Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wicker, Nutwood
20th Century British Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Art Glass
2010s Persian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century English Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Furniture
Uranium Glass, Opaline Glass