Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
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.
Find antique Arts and Crafts chairs, tables, cabinets and other authentic period furniture on 1stDibs.
2010s French Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Straw
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Brass
Mid-20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper, Gold
2010s Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Wool
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Oak, Wood, Mirror
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Pewter
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Metal, Brass
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Ceramic
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper
2010s Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Wool
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper
1910s Italian Vintage Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Ceramic
1950s German Vintage Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Metal
Early 20th Century German Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Paint, Oak, Porcelain
1990s British Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Canvas, Wood
20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Wood
1960s German Vintage Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Metal, Copper
18th Century Dutch Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Ceramic
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Bronze, Enamel, Iron, Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Pottery
21st Century and Contemporary English Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Alabaster, Metal
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Brass, Copper
1950s Indian Vintage Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Wool
Early 1900s English Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Abalone, Mother-of-Pearl, Fruitwood, Oak
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Majolica, Mirror, Oak
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Oak
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Clay, Wood
1920s French Vintage Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Wool
Mid-20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Bronze
1880s French Antique Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Cotton
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Brass
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Wood, Scagliola
Early 20th Century Belgian Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Velvet, Wood, Paint, Canvas
Early 20th Century Dutch Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Glass, Oak
Mid-20th Century French Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Copper
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Metal
1980s German Vintage Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Ceramic, Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Decorative Art
Glass, Nutwood, Paper