Signed John Dickinson Table

About the Item
- Creator:John Dickinson (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 24 in (60.96 cm)Width: 27 in (68.58 cm)Depth: 27 in (68.58 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960-1970
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Nashville, TN
- Reference Number:1stDibs: 1303079237108
John Dickinson
Playful, sculptural, unexpected: Illustrious designer and decorator John Dickinson created interiors, lighting fixtures, seating and other furnishings that were wholly peculiar and unlike anything seen before. The Berkeley, California, native mined design movements of bygone eras for elements he would later integrate into what would become his signature anthropomorphic work.
Dickinson was inspired by Art Deco designers such as Jean-Michel Frank, who similarly drew on the past for his extravagant pieces, and found appeal in the claw-foot tables and seating that Georgian-era furniture makers produced.
Although Dickinson attended the Parsons School of Design in New York, he returned to the West Coast following graduation. He worked for decorating firms and furniture stores, and, in 1956, he set up his own practice in San Francisco, where he reinterpreted heritage in his sculptural lamps, stools and chairs with legs that terminate in hooves or resemble bones and tree branches.
Dickinson’s spare but sophisticated furniture is often associated with a “golden age” of San Francisco decorating that includes the work of designers Charles Pfister and Michael Taylor. Wider recognition over the years owes to collectors’ interest and exhibits such as “Fantasy and Function: The Furniture of John Dickinson,” which opened at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 2003.
Despite his irreverent approach, Dickinson’s pieces were luxury items. He crafted lamps of unpolished brass and tables in chalky white plaster with a resin coating. His most iconic works are his Etruscan tables with legs resembling hooved animal feet and his Three-Legged African table, which was inspired by an artifact he discovered in an import shop. Dickinson took on only handpicked, young, well-to-do clients who were willing to give him free rein to experiment with these unusual forms and industrial materials. Leading department stores like Lord & Taylor, however, were also among his clientele. In 1977, Dickinson was commissioned to design a furniture collection for Macy’s. It featured white lacquered bookcases that drew on urban architecture and table lamps with bodies that mimicked animal bones.
Owing to his untimely death, and the fact that he worked in plaster, a highly breakable material, few of Dickinson’s original pieces exist to this day. Their scarcity renders every remaining Dickinson design a valuable heirloom guaranteed to make a statement in any room.
Find vintage John Dickinson furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Nashville, TN
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- French Art Deco Macassar Ebony TableLocated in Nashville, TNTable has unusual shape. Macassar ebony veneer over mahogany. Three drawers on two sides. Bakelite pulls that imitate ivory. Markings 749953 S.G.Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsEbony, Macassar, Mahogany
- Italian Tole and Wood Table with Smoky Glass TopLocated in Nashville, TNHandmade tole lemon vines, flowers and leaves adorned with carved, painted wood lemons. Replaced smoky glass top.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsTôle
- Signed Herb Ritts PosterBy Herb Ritts, 1952-2002Located in Nashville, TNSigned Herb Ritts 1995. Poster designed for Ritt's exhibition at the Fahey-Klein Gallery, Los Angeles. Image size: 25"w x 22.25"hCategory
20th Century American Photography
MaterialsWood
- Mesquite Table Found in San Miguel de Allende, MexicoLocated in Nashville, TNMesquite door converted to table. Distressed finish. Found in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Mexican Farm Tables
- Pair of Italian Steel and Bronze ChairsLocated in Nashville, TNSavonarola style folding chairs with Curule form bases. Backs and seats are gilt embossed taupe suede. Four bronze finials.Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Bronze
- Painted Four-Drawer ConsoleBy Hickory WhiteLocated in Nashville, TNConsole with glazed painted ivory finish. Finished on all four sides. One felt lined drawer.Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Console Tables
- John Dickinson Style Side TableBy John DickinsonLocated in Chicago, ILVintage John Dickinson style "Africa" table crafted in plaster with the iconic claw sculpted feet.Category
Vintage 1980s Organic Modern Side Tables
MaterialsPlaster
- Original Production John Dickinson Galvanized Steel Drape End Table, SignedBy John DickinsonLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis exceptionally rare and high-sought after collectors item is the John Dickinson model #107 drape end table with trompe-l'œil fabric motif in galvanized steel and brass binding. This piece of functional fine art is suited for a design collector, art investor or an interior designer looking to impress a hard-to-please client who wants nothing but the best of the best. This iconic 1970s American design by John Dickinson was later produced by Sutherland, and even the Sutherland examples have great worth and collectibility. But nothing compares to the originals, like this one. An interior steel frame with adjustable feet gives this table ample sturdiness and is suited for regular every-day use - but can also be used as an impressive stand-alone sculpture. Original John Dickinson pieces are exceptionally hard to find. This example of the galvanized steel trompe l'oeil draped tablecloth table...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern End Tables
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Set of 2 John DIckinson Style Plaster TablesBy John DickinsonLocated in Saint Louis, USA set of “African Primitive” side tables attributed to John Dickinson. Bone white plaster with wood frames. Pairs well with Mid-Century Modern or Boho designs.Category
Vintage 1980s American Hollywood Regency Side Tables
MaterialsPlaster, Wood
- John Dickinson Mid-Century Modern Style Sculpted Africa Side / End Table, SignedBy Sutherland, John DickinsonLocated in Stamford, CTJohn Dickinson Mid-Century Modern Style Sculpted Africa Side / End Table, Signed A painted plaster occasional table signed John Dickinson for Sutherland. The conical top above three stylized large shaped legs inspired by African design. One leg with minor repair. Strong and sturdy. Licensed reproduction by Sutherland. John Dickinson (1920-1982) Model African side table Painted plaster Model originally created in the 1970s Bibliography: J. Lovine & T. Merrill, "Modern Americana...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Side Tables
MaterialsPlaster, Paint
- John Dickinson Mid-Century Modern Style Drape End Table, Galvanized Steel SignedBy Sutherland, John DickinsonLocated in Stamford, CTJohn Dickinson Mid-Century Modern Style Drape End Table, Galvanized Steel Signed Priced well below site as well as market value is this fine work of this San Francisco-based designe...Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern End Tables
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Signed John Dickinson 1970s White Plaster Low Side Table with Hoofed FeetBy John DickinsonLocated in Atlanta, GAA signed John Dickinson plaster low side table from circa 1970 with white finish, X-Form base and hoof feet. This iconic John Dickinson plaster low side table, dating back to around ...Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsPlaster