Campaign Furniture
Sometimes called “knock-down” furniture, campaign furniture was designed to be folded, collapsed, taken apart and packed flat to load onto a ship or a camel’s back. Although mobile furniture for military campaigns dates back to the Romans, the British Army in its global conquests in the 18th and 19th centuries defined the style with sturdy and elegant pieces. Even in a tent thousands of miles from London, a four-poster bed, dining table and seating could simulate the comforts of home.
Antique and vintage campaign-style furniture was also initially designed as propaganda. The mahogany and teak structures were part of a purposeful demonstration of power in these campaigns, with the colonizing military officers imposing their culture and view of what they considered “civilized” on a given land and its peoples. Designers and manufacturers including Thomas Butler, Ross & Co. of Dublin, and Morgan & Sanders contributed to the rapid production of this furniture as the British Empire expanded through Africa, Asia and Australia.
Campaign furniture was utilitarian as well as refined, fitted with recessed brass handles and brass angles on stackable chests and other case pieces to protect vulnerable corners. The Wellington chest was one of the most famous pieces to come out of this style, named for the Duke of Wellington, who slept in his campaign bed long after his battles were over.
The flexibility of campaign-style furniture would influence 20th-century Scandinavian modernists such as Kaare Klint, Mogens Koch and Arne Norell. For his 1930s Safari chair, Klint drew on the simple Roorkhee chair, named for a town in northern India. The lightweight and adaptable campaign-style seat was created in the late 19th century and had no fixed joinery. The Roorkhee’s influence can also be seen in the Wassily chair, a pared-down work of tubular metal and durable canvas conceived by legendary Bauhaus instructor Marcel Breuer.
Now, 21st-century designers like Jomo Tariku and Dokter and Misses are creating pieces that recognize the contributions of African artisans to campaign furniture in order to reframe this style without overlooking its difficult past.
Find a collection of authentic antique and vintage campaign bedroom furniture, chairs, decorative objects and other pieces on 1stDibs.
19th Century Asian Antique Campaign Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Furniture
Ceramic, Rattan
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Campaign Furniture
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Furniture
Brass
1920s Unknown Vintage Campaign Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Campaign Furniture
Brass
2010s Italian Campaign Furniture
Nickel
Late 20th Century Philippine Campaign Furniture
Brass
1940s French Vintage Campaign Furniture
Oak
20th Century American Campaign Furniture
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Campaign Furniture
Leather, Wood
1860s English Antique Campaign Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Campaign Furniture
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s Italian Antique Campaign Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Furniture
Brass
19th Century English Antique Campaign Furniture
Metal, Brass
19th Century Indian Antique Campaign Furniture
Padouk
Late 19th Century Antique Campaign Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Campaign Furniture
Metal, Brass
1960s Spanish Vintage Campaign Furniture
Brass, Stainless Steel
19th Century English Antique Campaign Furniture
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Campaign Furniture
Leather, Wood
1880s English Antique Campaign Furniture
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Furniture
Hardwood
1930s British Vintage Campaign Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Unknown Campaign Furniture
Metal
20th Century Unknown Campaign Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Campaign Furniture
Brass
1960s French Vintage Campaign Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Steel
19th Century English Antique Campaign Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Campaign Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century English Campaign Furniture
Brass, Zinc
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Furniture
Brass
1960s Japanese Vintage Campaign Furniture
Elm
21st Century and Contemporary Campaign Furniture
Metal, Nickel
1840s British Antique Campaign Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Chinese Antique Campaign Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Furniture
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Furniture
Leather, Hardwood, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary English Campaign Furniture
Hardwood
1920s American Vintage Campaign Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Campaign Furniture
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Campaign Furniture
Brass
20th Century American Campaign Furniture
Brass
1850s Chinese Antique Campaign Furniture
Mahogany, Padouk
20th Century American Campaign Furniture
Reed
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Furniture
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Furniture
Rope
20th Century Campaign Furniture
Metal
1960s Spanish Vintage Campaign Furniture
Brass, Stainless Steel
1980s French Vintage Campaign Furniture
Travertine
20th Century English Campaign Furniture
Brass
1980s Scandinavian Vintage Campaign Furniture
Metal
1940s French Vintage Campaign Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Campaign Furniture
Metal