Antique Arts And Crafts Clock

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.

A sophisticated clock design, whether it’s a desk clock, mantel clock or large wall clock for your living room, is a decorative object to be admired in your home as much as it is a necessary functional element. This is part of the reason clocks make such superb collectibles. Given the versatility of these treasured fixtures — they’ve long been made in a range of shapes, sizes and styles — a clock can prove integral to your own particular interior decor.

Antique and vintage clocks can whisk us back to the 18th and 19th centuries. When most people think of antique clocks, they imagine an Art Deco Bakelite tabletop clock or wall clock, named for the revolutionary synthetic plastic, Bakelite, of which they’re made, or a stately antique grandfather clock. But the art of clock-making goes way back, transcending continents and encompassing an entire range of design styles and technologies. In short, there are many kinds of clocks depending on your needs.

A variety of wall clocks can be found on 1stDibs. A large antique hand-carved walnut wall clock is best suited to a big room and a flat background given what will likely be outwardly sculptural features, while Georgian grandfather clocks, or longcase clocks, will help welcome rainswept guests into your entryway or foyer. An interactive cuckoo clock, large or small, is guaranteed to bring outsize personality to your living room or dining room. For conversation pieces of a similar breed, mid-century modern enthusiasts go for the curious Ball clock, the first of more than 150 clock models conceived in the studio of legendary architect and designer George Nelson. 

Minimalist contemporary clocks and books pair nicely on a shelf, but an eye-catching vintage mantel clock can add balance to your home library while drawing attention to your art and design books and other decorative objects. Ormolu clocks dating from the Louis XVI period, designed in the neoclassical style, are often profusely ornate, featuring architectural flourishes and rich naturalistic details. Rococo-style mantel clocks of Meissen porcelain or porcelain originating from manufacturers in cities such as Limoges, France, during the 18th and 19th centuries, exude an air of imperial elegance on your shelves or side tables and can help give your desk a 19th-century upgrade.

On 1stDibs, find a range of extraordinary antique and vintage clocks today.