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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1930s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1930s North American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
1940s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wrought Iron
1930s British Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Sterling Silver
1930s Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
1930s Great Britain (UK) Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Canvas
1930s British Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Arts and Crafts Furniture
Soapstone
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Danish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic, Wicker
1940s Mexican Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Spanish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Danish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic
1950s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery
1940s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Unknown Arts and Crafts Furniture
Cherry
1940s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Metal
1960s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Cut Glass
1930s British Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century Unknown Arts and Crafts Furniture
Leather, Oak
1950s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Balinese Arts and Crafts Furniture
Cane, Boxwood
Mid-20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Turkish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1940s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
1930s Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood, Masonite, Paint
Mid-20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Furniture
1930s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Russian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood, Pine
1940s Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century German Arts and Crafts Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century North American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Turkish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century French Arts and Crafts Furniture
Metal
1930s British Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
1930s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Maple
1950s Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Opaline Glass
Mid-20th Century Turkish Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century German Arts and Crafts Furniture
Copper
1950s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wood, Rosewood
1960s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Murano Glass
1930s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass, Iron
1930s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Paint, Canvas
1940s American Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Indian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1960s Austrian Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Persian Arts and Crafts Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Furniture
Brass
1930s English Vintage Arts and Crafts Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron