Question 1

What makes KAWS’s art unique?

Accepted Answer

What makes KAWS’s art unique is the artist's innovative approach to his work. The American artist seamlessly blends elements of Pop art, street art and popular culture into his pieces. He is known for putting a creative spin on familiar characters and his playful figurines, which often feature double-X eyes. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of art by KAWS.

Question 2

What was unique about Robert Rauschenberg's art?

Accepted Answer

What was unique about Robert Rauschenberg's art was that it incorporated everyday objects and straddled the line between painting and sculpture. The American artist is best known for the complex assemblages of found objects he termed “combines.” Rauschenberg was drawn to the visual landscape of popular culture and mined its imagery for inspiration. Early in his career during the 1950s, he used unorthodox materials like house paint and tried novel techniques in his studio, like running paper over with a car after inking its wheels. In the 1960s, Rauschenberg turned his attention to silkscreening, creating prints that feature iconic figures of the day, very much in line with the style and content of Pop art. One such work, 1965's CORE, which was created to commemorate the Congress of Racial Equality, combines photographs of President Kennedy, an unidentified Native American man and a statue of a Civil War soldier with images of highways, amusement parks, street signs and other features of the built environment. Throughout the 1960s and ’70s, Rauschenberg experimented with printing on unusual materials, such as Plexiglas, clothing and aluminum. Shop a range of Robert Rauschenberg art on 1stDibs.

Question 3

What is unique about Salvador Dalí art?

Accepted Answer

What is unique about Salvador Dalí art is its dreamlike imagery, drawn from the depths of the unconscious. He used hyperrealism to convey Surrealist symbols and concepts that subvert accepted notions of reality. You can see this clearly reflected in what is perhaps his most recognizable painting, The Persistence of Memory (1931), in which he depicts the fluidity of time through melting clocks, their forms inspired by Camembert cheese melting in the sun. Although the scene is one of fantasy, Dalí rendered each object in a manner that makes the elements look as lifelike and realistic as possible rather than abstracting their forms. On 1stDibs, explore a selection of Salvador Dalí art.

Question 4

What is Art Nouveau furniture?

Accepted Answer

Art Nouveau furniture was a style of furniture that emerged at the end of the 19th century and was characterized by its complex curved lines. The curved details in the furniture were typically carved by hand and finished with lacquer. The unmistakable gloss that is associated with Art Nouveau comes from the thick coat of varnish applied to the furniture as the final step of the production process.

Question 5

How do I identify Arts and Crafts furniture?

Accepted Answer

To identify Arts and Crafts furniture, first see if you can locate a maker's mark on your piece. By researching any marks using trusted online resources, you can determine who produced your piece and find out if the maker was linked with the Arts and Crafts movement. Some notable makers associated with the style include William Morris and Philip Webb. If you can't find a maker's mark, examine the details of your piece. The Arts and Crafts movement began as a reaction to mass production, highlighting craftsmanship, raw materials and simple design. Due to its handcrafted origins, Arts and Crafts furniture often displays tool marks and slight variations in carvings and details. Pieces so regular that they seem machine-made are less likely to be Arts and Crafts furniture. Other common characteristics of Arts and Crafts pieces include inlaid and carved details and natural wood materials with visible grains. Chairs often feature reclining or angled backs and armrests. If you'd like assistance determining whether a particular piece is Arts and Crafts, consider consulting a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer. On 1stDibs, explore a range of Arts and Crafts furniture.

Question 6

How do you identify Art Nouveau furniture?

Accepted Answer

To identify Art Nouveau furniture, first try to locate a maker's mark on the piece. You can then use it to research the maker with the help of information published in trusted online resources. Some makers, such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Louis Majorelle and Émile Gallé, are well-known for their Art Nouveau furnishings. If you determine that a maker identified with Art Nouveau produced your piece, it likely reflects the movement's characteristics, especially if it was made during the late 19th or early 20th centuries. You can also look for common features of Art Nouveau furniture, such as sinuous, organic and flowing lines; forms that mimic flowers and plant life; decorative inlays and ornate carvings of natural-world motifs such as insects and animals and the use of hardwoods such as oak, mahogany and rosewood. A certified appraiser or knowledgeable antique dealer can aid you with the identification process. Shop a diverse assortment of Art Nouveau furniture on 1stDibs.

Question 7

What is Art Deco style furniture?

Accepted Answer

Art Deco style furniture appeared right before the start of World War I and is defined by sharp lines, vibrant colors and bold patterns. Heavily influenced by geometry, Art Deco furniture was born out of the Cubism movement.

Question 8

How do you identify Arts and Crafts furniture?

Accepted Answer

To identify Arts and Crafts furniture, look for characteristics that are hallmarks of the style. The Arts and Crafts movement began as a reaction to mass production, highlighting craftsmanship, raw materials and simple design. Makers working in this style placed an emphasis on natural motifs and adorned their pieces with simple flourishes like mosaics and carvings. This work is characterized by plain construction that showcases the hand of the artisan. Arts and Crafts 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 Gustav 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. If you need help identifying the style of your furniture, a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antique dealer can be of assistance. Find a diverse assortment of Arts and Crafts furniture on 1stDibs.

Question 9

How do I identify Art Deco furniture?

Accepted Answer

To identify Art Deco furniture, first look for maker's markings in inconspicuous areas. Once you've found them, use trusted online resources to research the manufacturer and determine whether they were active during the Art Deco era, which spanned from the 1920s through the 1930s. You can also look for classic characteristics of Art Deco furniture, such as bold geometric lines and forms, intricate floral motifs, metal accents, mirrored finishes and fine materials such as shagreen, marble, mahogany wood, zebra wood, ebony, exotic animal hides, onyx and mother-of-pearl. A certified appraiser or knowledgeable antiques dealer can also assist you with making identifications. Shop a collection of Art Deco furniture on 1stDibs.

Question 10

How was Art Deco furniture made?

Accepted Answer

Art Deco furniture was largely made by hand. Crafters often employed exotic hardwood like zebra wood, rosewood and Macassar ebony. Many pieces had a polished Japanese lacquer finish, which gave a high-gloss shine to the wood. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of Art Deco furniture.

Question 11

What does Art Deco furniture look like?

Accepted Answer

What Art Deco furniture looks like can vary from piece to piece, but there are some characteristics that help define the style. During the 1920s and ’30s, manufacturers often created furniture with bold geometric lines and forms as well as intricate floral motifs. Materials tended to be luxurious and included shagreen and marble as well as exotic woods such as mahogany, ebony and zebra wood. Many pieces feature luxe details like gleaming metal accents, shimmering mirrored finishes and embellishments made from exotic animal hide and inlays of mother-of-pearl or ivory. Explore a wide range of Art Deco furniture on 1stDibs.

Question 12

What are the main features of Art Deco furniture?

Accepted Answer

The main features of Art Deco furniture are bold geometric lines and forms, and an integration of expensive materials such as shagreen or marble as well as exotic woods such as mahogany, ebony and zebra wood.

The Art Deco era made an indelible mark on all fields of design throughout the 1920s and ’30s, and while the period yielded a range of stylistically diverse furnishings, interiors and objects, collectors will typically find the period’s desks, tables and chairs embellished with metal accents, animal hides, ivory or mother-of-pearl inlays and shimmering mirrored finishes.

Widely known designers associated with the Art Deco style include Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Eileen Gray, Maurice Dufrêne, Paul Follot and Jules Leleu. The term Art Deco derives from the name of a large decorative arts exhibition held in Paris in 1925. “Art Deco design” is often used broadly, to describe the work of creators in associated or ancillary styles. This is particularly true of American Art Deco, which is also called Streamline Moderne or Machine Age design. (Streamline Moderne, sometimes known as Art Moderne, was a phenomenon largely of the 1930s, post–Art Nouveau.)

Shop a collection of Art Deco furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

Unique Art Furniture

Early 2000s Danish Vases

Trine Drivsholm, contemporary Danish glass artist. Unique art glass vase

Early 20th Century French Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants

Stylish Art Deco Alabaster Bronze Pendant Chandelier with Unique Bronze Chain

Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Glass

"Sports Themed Art Deco Carafe and Glasses", Unique Set by Daum, France

Vintage 1910s Danish Art Nouveau Armchairs

Unique Art Nouveau Pinewood Artist´s Chair by Siegfried Wagner 1910s, Denmark

Vintage 1920s Swedish Art Deco Shelves

Unique Svenskt Tenn 1930 s lacquered self Art Deco elegant.

Vintage 1920s Danish Art Nouveau Decorative Bowls

Jens Petersen, unique Art Nouveau ceramic bowl with wall bracket.

Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Folk Art Side Chairs

Unique Rustic Primitive Folk Art Chair from Northern Sweden in Solid Pine

Vintage 1910s Danish Art Nouveau Table Lamps

Unique Ceramic Table Lamp by Møller Bøgely, Art Nouveau, Denmark, 1910s

Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Wall Mirrors

Art deco free form wood wall mirror circa 1940 french unique handmade production

Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Table Lamps

Unique Venini Smoked Murano Art Glass Table Lamp, 1970s, Italy

1990s Swedish Modern Table Lamps

Large Unique White Table Lamp - Art Glass with Flowers - Eva Darpö

Vintage 1920s Danish Art Nouveau Vases

Bertha Nathanielsen for Royal Copenhagen, Large Unique Art Nouveau Vase

Vintage 1940s Hungarian Art Deco Wall-mounted Sculptures

"Nude Shepherd Playing Pipes, " Unique Art Deco Sculptural Panel, 1940

Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Table Lamps

"Magnolia and Bluebirds", Unique, Lovely Art Deco Lamp by Rookwood, 1940s

Vintage 1970s Czech Modern Abstract Sculptures

Lubos Metelak for Moser, Czech art glass artist. Unique glass sculpture.

Vintage 1930s Danish Art Deco Vases

Jo Hahn Locher for Bing Grøndahl, Unique Art Deco Vase

Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Folk Art Decorative Bowls

Antique Unique Large Swedish Genuine Patina Folk Art Wooden Bowl

Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Vases

Lucien Brisdoux, France, Art Deco Pottery Lidded Vase, Unique Work

Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Wall-mounted Sculptures

"High-Stepping Horse, " Unique Art Deco Midcentury Ceramic Relief Sculpture

Vintage 1930s Austrian Art Deco Armchairs

Pair of the unique Art Deco Armchairs in solid walnut and floral plush

Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Vases

Sevres Vinsare, France. Unique large Art Deco ceramic vase. 1930s

Antique 19th Century Swedish Decorative Bowls

Swedish Folk Art, Unique 19th Century Wooden Bowl

Early 20th Century Swedish Art Nouveau Vases

Large Art Nouveau Unique Rörstrand Nils Emil Lundström Porcelain Vase

Vintage 1950s Austrian Art Deco Club Chairs

Pair of Art Deco armchairs with a unique shape and beautiful textured fabric

Late 20th Century French Modern Console Tables

Large art glass console table by Jean Claude Ourdouillie unique piece 1990

Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Art Deco Dry Bars

Unique Pop Up Bar Art Deco Vienna 1890 Chippendale Style

Antique 19th Century Belgian Art Nouveau Fireplaces and Mantels

Unique Art Nouveau Noir de Mazy Marble Antique Circulation Fireplace

Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Armchairs

Unique Pair of Art Deco Armchairs by Hubert Martin et Ploquin, France, 1930s

Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Folk Art Stools

Folk Art Unique Antique Swedish 3-legged Chair of Solid Hand-turned Wood 1850s

Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Decorative Bowls

"Seaside Scenes, " Unique Art Deco Bowl with Fishing Village Scenes

Vintage 1920s Czech Art Deco Secretaires

Unique Czech Art Deco Secretary/Writing Desk, Rosewood 1920-1929

Vintage 1930s Danish Art Deco Table Lamps

Unique Art Deco Table Lamp Handmade by Christian Schollert, Denmark, 1930s

Early 20th Century Chinese Art Deco Chinese and East Asian Rugs

Transcendental Green Color with Unique Florid Design Chinese Art Deco Rug

Early 20th Century European Art Nouveau Shelves

Unique Art Nouveau / Jugendstil Oakwood Open Shelf Etagere, Sideboard, Buffet

Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Urns

"Circus Scenes", Unique Art Deco Covered Urn w/ Ringmaster Horse Rider

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount

Unique Vintage Textured Handmade Art Glass Ceiling Light Flush Mount, 1960s

Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Wall Lights and Sconces

Unique Big Art Deco Brass and Glass Wall Lamp, 1930s

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Wall-mounted Sculptures

Unique Pair Early 20th Century Art Nouveau Gilt Bronze Hanging Wall Sculptures

Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Wall Lights and Sconces

Unique French Art Deco Glass Brass Pair of Sconces, 1940s, France

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Wall-mounted Sculptures