Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Vintage Handmade Turkish Rug Christmas Stocking
Located in Houston, TX
Handmade
Vintage from the 1960s
Materials: wool, cotton
Sustainable, upcycled Turkish rug Christmas stocking made from hand-woven rug fragments.
Width: 13 inches
Height: 17 inches
...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Vintage Handmade Turkish Rug Christmas Stocking
Located in Houston, TX
Handmade
Vintage from the 1960s
Materials: wool, cotton
Sustainable, upcycled Turkish rug Christmas stocking made from hand-woven rug fragments.
Width: 13 inches
Height: 17 inches
...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Vintage White Plaster of Paris and Resin Face Wall Sculpture
Located in North Miami, FL
This vintage 1960s newly white painted resin and plaster of Paris face wall sculpture is from a company in Chicago. It is marked on the back. It ma...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Resin, Plaster, Lacquer
Jean Lurcat Hand Painted Ceramic Glazed Wall Plate, Owl "Chouette" Circa 1950's
By Jean Lurçat
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A wonderful owl or chouette Vintage Jean Lurcat hand painted enamel glazed fired ceramic wall plaque or plate. A limited edition, 4/100 hand inscribed Saint Vicens
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Enamel
1960's Mid Century Modern Framed Silk Screen Aquatic Art
Located in Opa Locka, FL
1960's Mid Century Modern Framed Silk Screen "Aquatic Art".
Category
1960s North American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Wood
Eduardo Chillida, Original Vintage Lithograph on cardboard, Framed
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
Eduardo Chillida
Lithograph on cardboard
Number T 169/1000
The work is signed by the artist and individually numbered (pencil)
Work dimensions 47/34
The work is framed
Eduardo Chillida(1924 - 2002). He was a Spanish artist. He began his career in 1943, studying architecture at the University of Madrid, but in 1947 he took up drawing and sculpture. In 1948 he moved to Paris, then the world capital of art. Although he dropped out of college, his work betrays his architectural training, revealing an underlying sense of structural organization as well as material discipline, planning spatial relationships, and scaling elements. For years, the artist used materials that were the basis for his research on conceptual and metaphysical issues. Chillida's early efforts in stone and plaster oscillated between humans and the natural world. His return to the Spanish Basque country in 1951 initiated a change of vision, focusing more on the metamorphosis of space and the definition of spatial volume through form. Chillida soon abandoned the plaster he had used in his Paris works in favor of iron, then wood and steel. These materials represent Basque traditions in industry, architecture and agriculture, and recall the landscape and black light of the region. Chillida began using alabaster for its illuminated but veiled appearance, he used it in the sculpture How Deep is the Air (1996). Despite his use of a variety of media, Chillida's intentions for simplicity and balance never allowed the material to take on a form alien to its nature. He was consistently guided by the quality of space, density and rhythm. Major retrospectives of Chillida's graphic and sculptural works have been exhibited by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1966), the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh (1979), the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (1979), the Guggenheim Museum (1980), the Palacio de Miramar, San Sebastián (1992), and Museo nacional centro de arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (1999). Chillida's monumental sculptures designed for urban and more remote spaces are permanently installed internationally and constitute a central aspect of his artistic production. Chillida has received numerous awards, including the Grand International Sculpture Prize at the Venice Biennale (1958), the Kandinsky Prize (1960), the Carnegie Prize for Sculpture (1964), the Andrew Mellon...
Category
1990s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Gilbert Portanier Unique Art Grey Pottery Plate Signed 1977
Located in Munich, DE
A rare Gilbert PORTANIER born in 1926 ceramic plate / bowl with a design of an abstract polychrome painted inspiration in the middle.
Monogrammed on with Portanier 77.
Category
1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
A Kay Whitcomb Enamel 1966
By Kay Whitcomb
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A great enamel by Kay Whitcomb, framed, signed and dated 1966. Titled" Where your Treasure is, there will your Heart be also"
A note about the artist: " Whitcomb was born in 1921 in Arlington, Massachusetts, to a long line of New England metalsmiths, the Carr family. In a way, it was almost preordained that her life would be devoted to the crafts. While she hoped to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, financial conditions prevented it. With financial assistance from relatives and friends, she began her art studies at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1939. Whitcomb recalls that in her third year, in 1941, she took an enameling class. Her instructor taught the cloisonné technique. Ruth Raemisch also used the same facilities, working on her enamels while regular courses were offered. Whitcomb recalls being intrigued by Raemisch’s techniques and wanting to emulate the distinguished German-born artist, whose style was based on the Limoges school of enamel painting. She completed her course work at RISD in 1942 while taking additional classes at the Cambridge School of Art. In 1944 she joined the United States Marine Corps Women’s Reserve at Camp Pendleton...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Enamel
Original Acrylic on Canvas Abstract Painting by Listed Artist Ted Lownik
By Ted Lownik
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A beautiful 1970s acrylic on canvas abstract painting by American listed artist Ted Lownik. Newly framed with a wood gilded frame. Signed on the right lower corner.
Dimension: 23.5"...
Category
1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid century Impasto Portrait of a Woman
Located in Redding, CT
Mid Century Modern Impasto Portrait of a Woman. Heavy impasto painting on board. She reminds us of Jackie O with a headband but with white hair...
Category
1970s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Wood, Paint, Masonite
Italian Mid-Century Sculptural-Figurative Sandstone Wall Pannel signed 1950s
Located in Salzburg, AT
Italian Mid-Century Sculptural-Figurative Sandstone Wall Pannel / Picutre signed 1950s
The mural shows a relaxed, classical-looking scene of male and fem...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Sandstone
Swedish Floral Organic Modern Ceramic Wall Plate / Centerpiece, 1950s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Vintage handmade fully glazed Swedish midcentury modern wall platter / centrepiece with organic, floral decor depicting a gazelle with a direct gaze surrounded by vegetation in brown, ochre, green, white and bright pink colors on a striped dark blue background created with the experimental sgraffito technique that Tilgmans became famous for. Designed and handpainted in the late 1950s by Eivor Lang and manufactured by German/Finnish Paul Harald Tilgman in his workshop in the small town of Kortedala close to Gothenburg, Sweden. Milky white glaze on the base and sides with curved, muted green decor framing the image along the edge. Three holes for hanging - two in use with metal wire. Signed under base. An handpainted piece in beautiful condition.
Paul Harald “Harry” Tilgmann was born in Dresden, Germany in 1904 and emigrated to Sweden during WWII where he started Tilgmans Keramik (= Ceramics) in 1948 in the small town of Utbynäs close to Gothenburg. Tilgman had 16 employees working for him and when he hired the Polish refugee Marian Zawadzki (1912-1978) as artistic director in 1953, Tilgman Keramik started experimenting with the distinct sgraffito technique. The sgraffito technique consists of carving fine lines into the background of a design through a light colored glaze down to a dark grey clay slip. This created a unique textured ground which has become a style associated with Tilgmans Keramik in particular. The decorative elements also appear to be outlined with a carved line and then hand painted with overglazes where birds, fish, flowers, butterflies and other animals were a common theme. This type of work was the most popular in midcentury Sweden alongside Tilgmans small animal figurines...
Category
1950s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic, Stoneware, Pottery
Jim Dine Serigraph Two Red Boots on a Black Ground
By Jim Dine
Located in Bradenton, FL
1965 Serigraph by artist, Jim Dine. Signed, titled and dated in the plate 'Two Red Boots on a Black Ground Jim Dine 1965.' Printed marks to verso Silk Screen...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Signed Vintage Seriagraph by Dietrich Grunewald
Located in Redding, CT
Signed vintage Seriagraph by Hermann Dietrich Grunewald
Hermann Dietrich Grunewald. (1916-2003). Born in Oskarstm, Sweden.
He was an impressionist...
Category
1960s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Vintage Scandinavian Verner Panton Textile.7 ft 9 in x 7 ft 9 in
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Scandinavian Verner Panton “mira Spectrum” Textile, Country of Origin: Scandinavia, Circa date: Mid-20th Century. Size: 7 ft 9 in x 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m x 2....
Category
20th Century Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Linen
Mid-Century Modern “And Together We Rise” Abstract Serigraph Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition: Original Vintage Condition
Designer: Muraina Oyelami
Manufacturer: Muraina Oyelami
Materials: Serigraph
Vibrant and emotionally evocative, this original serigraph title...
Category
1960s Nigerian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Other
Oblong Decorative Ceramic Lobster Mold in Green and Red
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A lovely ceramic piece to add interested hung on a wall or placed on a table.
Measures: 10" wide
2.5" tall
7.5" deep.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Wire
Collage Artwork by Paul Dufrane Dated 1968, 'LE MIRROIR'
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
Beautiful and atmospheric collage artwork by the Belgian artist Paul Dufrane. The painting is entitled 'The mirror', it is composed of various antique pri...
Category
1960s Belgian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
20th Century Light-Brown French Self-Portrait Oil Painting of Daniel Clesse
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A light-brown, vintage Mid-Century modern French self-portrait oil on cardboard painting of Daniel Clesse, in good condition. Signed on the lower right. Wear consistent with age and ...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Wood
Salvador Dali Midcentury Art Exhibition Poster, 1975
Located in Miami, FL
Original midcentury art exhibition poster of Salvador Dali’s work. This poster shows the master's interesting depiction of a woman holding a bouq...
Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Painting “Motion” by Earl Daniels 'Midcentury 1960s' American Painter
By Earl Daniels
Located in San Diego, CA
Earl Daniels (1920-1999), California painter of landscapes, seascapes, coastal scenes, still- lives and abstracts, was born in New York City where he worked both as a commercial arti...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paint
Fornasetti Tema e Variazioni Plates by Rosenthal 1980s
Located in Tunbridge Wells, GB
Piero Fornasetti said that he chose Lina Cavalieri for her archetypal beauty. It's clear what he meant. Fornasetti designed more than 400 variations of her face, some winking, some c...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Porcelain
Landscape Crane Birds Brass Wall Decoration Vintage, 1960s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A beautiful vintage brass crane themed wall decoration. This decorative item would make a beautiful ornament on each wall. Made in the 1960s it di...
Category
1960s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Brass
Modernist Vintage Panton Style Wall Rug Ewald Kröner Attributed, Germany, 1970s
Located in Kirchlengern, DE
Article:
Wall hanging element
Decade:
1970s
Origin:
Germany
Design:
Ewald Kröner attrib.
This rug is a great example of 1970s pop art interior. Made i...
Category
Late 20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Cotton
Antique Letterpress Cabinet, a Rare Treasure of Printing History, circa 1950
Located in Barcelona, ES
Antique Spanish Letterpress Cabinet – 700 Wooden Pieces, Circa 1950, A Unique Printing Artifact
Immerse yourself in the rich history of traditional printing with this extraordinary ...
Category
1950s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Metal
Unique Mid-Century Wall Relief Tile of Musicians by Cam Para of California
Located in San Diego, CA
Very cool framed wall tile depicting a quartet of musicians playing their instruments; Classic Mid-Century style! Vibrant colors and great texture by California artist Cam Para, circ...
Category
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
1950s Enamel on Copper Framed Artworks, by Greet van der Wens, Set of 3
Located in Ferndale, MI
A c.1950s set of three framed enamel on copper artworks by Greet van der Wens. Each work features a main subject, popular of the era - young de...
Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Enamel
Keith Vaughan Figures in Landscape Circa 1960 Pencil Drawing
Located in CA, CA
Keith Vaughan 1912-1977 Figures in landscape 1960s
Pencil on detached spiral bound sketchbook paper
Signed with initials KV to back
Measures...
Category
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Italian 007 "Thunderball" Movie 1980 Rerelease Poster by Rotopress Roma
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Vintage poster that chronicles the iconic fourth James Bond movie,“Thunderball“, originally released in 1965. An original Italian rerelease poster for the movie by Rotopress Roma. Cu...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Mid-century modern ceramic tiles italian modernist wall art 1970s
Located in Nicolosi, IT
Mid-century modern ceramic tiles italian modernist wall art 1970s
This painting from the 1970s is a fascinating example of Italian modernism, with glazed relief tiles depicting elega...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Vallauris Majolica Palissy Crab Wall Platter, 1950
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Majolica Palissy crab Wall platter at Vallauris, France, ca.1950. Measures: Diameter: 11.4" (29cm), Depth: 2.7"(7cm).
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Set of Five Wall Panels ‘Ply’ by Jouko Kärkkäinen for Hkt Korhonen Oy, Finland
Located in Stockholm, SE
Set of five wall panels ‘Ply’ by Jouko Kärkkäinen for HKT Korhonen Oy,
Finland. 1990s.
Varnished plywood.
Dimensions of one panel:
H: 59.5 cm / ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Finnish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Plywood
20th Century Dino Gavina Wall Decorative Panel mod. Mandelbrot
By Dino Gavina, Gavina
Located in Turin, Turin
Dino Gavina was an Italian designer, entrepreneur, and publisher. He began his career in the 1940s working on stage sets. Visual arts were a great passion for Gavina. In 1960, Dino G...
Category
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Steel
Very Rare Harry Bertoia Monoprint on Rice Paper
Located in Munich, DE
Purchased at la modern around 20 years ago. Size is of the visible picture inside passe-partout.
Category
1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paint
Curtis Jere Large Gold Leaf Wall Applique, 1991
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Hastings, GB
Monumental leaf wall applique, hand crafted by C Jere in their California based workshop, and fully signed C Jere 1991
The huge brass leaves are intricately cut and bonded together ...
Category
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Brass
American Mid-Century Gold World Map Plaque
Located in Queens, NY
American mid-century oval shaped metal wall plaque map of the world with gold continents in relief against a black grid.
Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Metal, Gold
Mid-Century Wood Framed Copper Enamelled Artwork of a Horse, circa 1960
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mid-century wood framed enamelled plates copper composition arwork of a horse by unknown artist, circa 1960.
Manufactured in Spain, circa 1960.
In original condition with minor...
Category
1960s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Copper, Enamel
Orange and White Abstract Expressionist Painting
Located in Chattanooga, TN
This vintage orange and white Abstract Expressionist painting has a provenance dear to many. The 1960s/1970s era painting resurfaced at the Antique Tobacco Barn in Asheville, North C...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Large Abstract Resin Painting by Noted Artist Anita Weschler
By Anita Weschler
Located in New York, NY
Large and impressive abstract art work by noted artist Anita Weschler. This piece is from her series of resin pieces done in the mid 20th C., it is in v...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Resin
Mid-20th Century Frank Walcutt Yellow and Brown Abstract Oil Painting circa 1972
Located in San Francisco, CA
Vintage 1970s abstract oil painting by listed artist Frank Walcutt.
Signed and dated 1972.
Dimensions 36 inches x 30 inches.
Unframed.
Ve...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Canvas
1967 Vanguard Studios Don Quixote Spanish Conquistador Wall Sculpture
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Commanding Spanish Conquistador wall sculpture, vintage 1967 by Vanguard Studios. The image is actually carved from a hardened foam type material but looks like wood. No detail was s...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paint, Foam
David Holleman Mosaic Tile Art Panel with Sgraffito Illustratration
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Mid-Century Modern era mosaic tile art panel by celebrated artist, David Holleman (1927-2020). Holleman is a prolific artist with a storied career spanning the better part of the 20th century and into the 21st. During his time serving with the US Army in Berlin, he became influenced by German Expressionist painter Carl Hofer. Once Holleman returned to the US he turned to ceramics as his primary medium. Despite winning national prizes for his pottery, he endeavored to further explore the medium. Holleman began working with his hallmark, mosaic tiles. Holleman produced over 50 mosaic tile murals...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Wood, Paint, Ceramic
20th Century Dino Gavina Wall Decorative Pannel mod. Venere
Located in Turin, Turin
Dino Gavina was an Italian designer, entrepreneur, and publisher. He began his career in the 1940s working on stage sets. Visual arts were a great passion for Gavina. In 1960, Dino Gavina founded Gavina SpA, the company that would eventually manufacture the designs of the important Italian designers of the 1950s and 1960s, such as the Castiglioni brothers, Carlo and Tobia Scarpa, Cini Boeri, Vico Magistretti, and Mario Bellini; and in 1962, together with Cesare Cassina and industrialist Arturo Eisenkeil, Gavina founded FLOS, which is still one of the most important Italian lighting companies today.
Here the Wall Decorative Panel mod. Venere, that has a steel structure with silk-screen printing. This one is a tribute to Man Rey...
Category
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Steel
20th Century John De Tore Vintage "Abstract Cityscape" Original Watercolor
Located in San Francisco, CA
Mid-Century Modern watercolor by John De Tore, circa 1960s
Abstract cityscape. Signed lower right. Beautifully matted and framed.
Dimensions: 19 1/2...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Vintage Piero Fornasetti Special Commission Large Iznik Plaque, 1950s
Located in Downingtown, PA
Rare Vintage Piero Fornasetti Special Commission Large Iznik Plaque,
1950's.
Piero Fornasetti coloured panel designed for the Hilton in Istanbul features Iznik pottery vessels a...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Set Of Vintage Enamel Blue Number Plaques, Czechoslovakia, 1950s
Located in Zohor, SK
A striking set of nine vintage enamel number plaques originating from Czechoslovakia, circa 1950s. Each plaque features a bold white numeral (1 through 9) against a rich cobalt blue ...
Category
1950s Czech Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Metal, Enamel
Beige Ceramic Tile Wall Sculpture with Wood Frame by Jean D'asti, France 1960s
Located in Chicago, IL
A 1960s French table top wall sculpture signed by ceramic artist Jean D'asti. During the Mid 20th Century, Jean D'asti operated his workshop in Vallauris, a picturesque seaside villa...
Category
1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic, Wood
20th Century Gavina Studio Mirrored Panel mod. Margellina
Located in Turin, Turin
Dino Gavina began his activity as early as the 1940s with objects for theater sets, his great passion. Convinced of the need for design that was modern but also rich in poetry, he gr...
Category
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Steel
Witco Red Faux Fur Cedar Wood Carved Shield Knight and Spears
Located in Chattanooga, TN
Incredible original Witco carved cedar wood Medieval shield. This shield is in time capsule quality original condition. The original red faux fur has a brilliant color with no fading, no stains. Collectors will instantly recognize the chainsaw carved, richly figured cedar wood that distinguishes Witco. The shield is crowned with ornate carving. The medallion at center features a knight’s profile silhouette framed by two horses. The knight is highlighted with apropos silver paint. Two spears criss-cross the shield with gold colored metal chain dangling from each side. We had the piece arranged above a fireplace which seemed more that fitting. This is the ultimate man-cave accessory. LARPers and Dungeons and Dragons fans, you’ve met your match. We also have a Witco dining set, armless chairs and armchairs in the same red faux fur fabric (sold separate). Create an envious Renaissance theme room by adding more pieces of the collection.
We also have a Witco sofa, group of cat sculptures, leopard arm chairs...
Category
1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Cedar, Faux Fur, Paint
Fernand Leger Style Drawing by Heidi Melano
Located in Miami, FL
Original drawing executed by Heidi Melano in the manner of and during her collaboration with Fernand Leger.
This beautiful work of art by mosaic artist, Heidi Melano, would make a great addition to an art collection and enhance most any home, perfect for those who have an affinity for unusual pieces of art.
Measures: Depth 0.07 in. x Width 36 in. x Height 46 in.
Will enhance any setting.
About The Artist:
Heidi Melano is a world renowned artist.
Her maiden name Heidi Hoegger, she was born in Geneva on April 20, 1929. Granddaughter of the great Swiss painter Ferdinand Hodler, she was passionate about art from an early age: she created, painted and lets her imagination speak by expression through different techniques. Very quickly, she wanted to become a mosaic artist. At the age of 23, she won a mosaic competition with her work "La Volière". On this occasion, she meets Lino Melano...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paint, Paper
Jo Patch Framed Oil Painting Depicting New York Waterfront
By Jo Patch
Located in Miami, FL
Oil on board painting by Jo Patch.
A very colorful piece of decorative artwork that depicts a cityscape scene by a river or bay. Perhaps this is a view from somewhere in New York Ci...
Category
20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paint
Unique Cast Iron Wall Art
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage cast iron wall art featuring a variety of symbols and shapes. This art would make a great addition to any home.
Please confirm it...
Category
1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Iron
1950s Miracle Tip Cigarette Advertising Tin Sign Vintage Red Ratrod Garage Decor
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Mid-Century LM Cigarette Advertising Sign. Still with Bright Colors, and age appropriate wear. This is an authentic vintage sign, and it is mar...
Category
1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Metal
Majolica Fish Sealife Platter Vallauris, circa 1950
By Vallauris
Located in Austin, TX
Majolica sealife platter Vallauris, circa 1950.
High relief of 2 fishs, seaweeds, shells, onion , oyster.
Nautical style.
10 inches diameter
Category
1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Gilbert Portanier Unique Art Blue Pottery Plate Signed 1981
Located in Munich, DE
A rare Gilbert PORTANIER born in 1926 ceramic plate / bowl with a design of an abstract polychrome painted inspiration in the middle, bright blue surround and red rim. Unique piece. ...
Category
1980s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Ceramic
Vintage Handmade Turkish Rug Christmas Stocking
Located in Houston, TX
Handmade
Vintage from the 1960s
Materials: wool, cotton
Sustainable, upcycled Turkish rug Christmas stocking made from hand-woven rug fragments.
Width: 13 inches
Height: 17 inches
...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Turkish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Signed 20th C. Mixed Media, Still Life With Lemons
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A large and Poetic mixed media artwork in gilt and lacquered frame. Signed lower left. Painted sections of board and paper superimposed. A fragment of a carpet above, a printed paper...
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paper
Jo Patch Oil on Board Painting Titled "l'Aveugle", The Blind
By Jo Patch
Located in Miami, FL
A very colorful and interesting work of decorative, contemporary art by listed artist, Jo Patch. Titled "l'Aveugle".
Oil on isorel/board.
Measures: 31 3/4" W x 23 3/4" H
Jo Patc...
Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Materials
Paint
Mid-century Modern decorative art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern decorative art for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage decorative art created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, ceramic and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern decorative art made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative art, popular names associated with this style include Robert Picault, Curtis Jeré, Vallauris, and Daniel Clesse. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for decorative art differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $50 and tops out at $406,322 while the average work can sell for $1,323.