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Brutalist Decorative Objects

BRUTALIST STYLE

The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave. 

ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN 

  • Use of industrial materials — tubular steel, concrete, glass, granite
  • Prioritizes functionalism, minimalism and utilization of negative space
  • Spare silhouettes, pronounced geometric shapes
  • Stripped-down, natural look; rugged textures, modular construction
  • Interiors featuring airy visual flow and reliance on neutral palettes

BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.

Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.

Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.

Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.

Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Brutalist
Vintage Brutalist Iron and Bronze Table Sculpture
Located in Charleston, SC
Vintage Brutalist abstraction Iron and Bronze Table Sculpture. C. 1960’s
Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze, Iron

Signed winged ceramic vessel, brutalist and mid-century modern
Located in San Francisco, US
This dramatic signed vintage Mid Century Modern vessel features triangular wings, iconic of the Brutalist style. The Brutalist wings flare out around the vintage vessel and taper up to a rounded point. Hand-thrown and coated in glossy glaze with hues of emerald, turquoise, and teal, this Mid Century Modern vessel feels distinctly sensual and serpentine. Glazed inside and out, this eye-catching vintage MCM vessel can hold water and will make any floral a focal point. A unique piece signed by the artist H.R., this vintage winged vase...
Category

Late 20th Century European Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Vintage Boho Patinated Ceramic Female Torso Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This arresting vintage sculpture embodies the raw, textural power of the Brutalist movement combined with classic figural form. The female torso is composed of a textured material (l...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Brutalist Metal and Wood Horse Bookends
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Unique circa 1970s, USA Brutalist-style horse bookends composed of cut and soldered sheet metal heads and legs with carved wooden bodies and wire tails. Very good, vintage condition,...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Sheet Metal

Harlequin, American Cubist Modernist Welded Metal Sculpture, ca. 1970s
Located in New York, NY
About sculpture This figurative sculpture of a Harlequin standing in a relaxed pose is unusual not only in the choice of materials; but, most importantly, due to the unusual combina...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Sun Clock D003 handmade in cast brass aluminium
Located in Benahavis, AN
The Sun Clock was created by David Marshall, from sand cast aluminium and brass. We use recycled materials all our pieces are handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and works...
Category

2010s Spanish Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Iron And Brass Welded Sculpture By Ernesto Emilio Gonzalez
By Ernesto Gonzales
Located in Norwood, NJ
Iron and brass one of a kind sculpture created by Cuban/American modernist sculptor Ernesto Gonzalez. Sculpture has a textured, blackened finish with edges hand torched by the artist...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass, Iron

Harry Bouras Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
Chicago art critic, Harry Bouras was the host of "Arts and Artists" for 25 years. Harry's pieces are in permanent collections in Chicago, New York and Tokyo. Resin coated iron sculpture. Two matching...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

Cast Bronze Megalodon Sculpture by J. Dale M Hall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cast bronze 'Megalodon' sculpture by American sculptor J. Dale M'Hall. James began sculpting in the 1960's and has worked with a variety of different media throughout his career but bronze sculpting...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Mixed Metal Curtis Jere Elongated Urchin Wall Sculpture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This uncommon Jere sculpture is comprised of chromed steel 'spores' that together form an urchin or pom-pom figure at the top. A combination of brass and chromed steel rods with stee...
Category

1980s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass, Chrome, Metal, Steel

4 Bronze Brutalist Figurative Head Art Sculptures, Circa 1920
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Four striking brutalist bronze sculptures of heads, incredibly well executed by a talented and likely well trained hand but are unsigned by the artis...
Category

Early 20th Century Canadian Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Vintage Brutalist Hand Forged Double Vase
Located in Charleston, SC
Excellent vintage 20th Century hand forged metal vase. It has a very thin profile and two necks, one being much taller than the other. The vase is signed but after extensive research...
Category

20th Century Unknown Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Gladiator and Jester, Brutalist Sculptures in Mixed Metal, 1966-1967
By B. O Byrne
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Superlative examples of welded, Brutalist sculptures from the 1960s, this pairing of Gladiator and "King's Clown" were executed in steel, brass and slate by B. O'Byrne. The sculptor ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Steel

Vintage Coastal Patinated Bronze Cattail Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Capture the raw, organic beauty of nature with this striking vintage cattail sculpture. Expertly crafted from mixed metals, this artisan piece showcases a dynamic composition of slen...
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass, Copper

Torch Cut and Welded Steel Brutalist Bull Sculpture
Located in Ferndale, MI
Well executed minimal and brutalist torch cut sheetmetal on round stock welded steel frame.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Steel, Sheet Metal

Brutalist Wrought Iron Floor Candleholder with Ring Detail, France, 1960s
Located in PARIS, FR
A tall and sculptural floor candleholder in hand-forged iron, France, circa 1960. Characteristic of the Brutalist aesthetic, this piece features a slender, tapered central shaft ador...
Category

1960s European Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Wrought Iron

Gabor Kalman Brutalist Steel Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
Kalman takes steel and torch-cuts it, then contours it for a Brutalist effect. Signed base Gabor Kalman '68. This item is currently on view in our NYC Greenwich Street Location.
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Cut Steel

1970’s Mid Century Brutalist Sheet Metal and Wire Avian Figure
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Ca. 1970's. An openwork globular cage form bird with sheet metal flat beak and tail, and wings. With a stand at the back. Dimensions:: Height 14 1/2", length 20", depth 9" Conditio...
Category

1970s Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Brutalist Bronze Mounted Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bronze mounted abstract sculpture. The sculpture features four topographical like forms connected to a narrow bronze stem, mounted to a thick limestone base. Signed by the artist. D...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Limestone, Bronze

Unique Glazed Ceramic Vase by André Rozay, France, 1960s
Located in PARIS, FR
This unique ceramic vase by French ceramist André Rozay perfectly embodies the organic and textured style for which the artist is celebrated. Featuring raised motifs reminiscent of n...
Category

1940s French Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Bronze Brutalist Square Sculptures In The Style of Harry Bertoia Paul Evans
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
Beautifully Mid Century textured bronze plate sculptures mounted on custom iron stands. Finely crafted and ready to place. Perfect for a mantel, in front of a fireplace, or tabletop....
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze, Steel

Vintage Boho Abstract Figurative Cast Metal Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This powerful vintage sculpture captures a fluid, dynamic human form in motion, executed with the rough texture and expressive technique characteristic of Brutalist or Abstract Expre...
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

"Caravan I" Ernest Shaw, Large Brutalist Mixed-Media Wood and Iron
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Brutalist/Tribal sculpture with elemental form and Industrial style. Made of wood, iron, rubber and string. Signed and dated 1987 on Verso.
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

A huge brutalist Steel Totem – Gilbert Ségas, France, 1994
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
This metal sculpture by Gilbert Ségas depicts an anthropomorphic figure with a totemic presence, assembled from old tools. Two large crossed shears form the legs, while pliers and ot...
Category

1990s French Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Steel

"Tashlich" by Samuel M Segal Judaism Vintage Brutalist Green Plaster Sculpture
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Tashlich" by Samuel M Segal Judaism Vintage Brutalist Green Plaster Sculpture. Item features painted plaster, brutalist form, brass plaque to base, impressive vintage sculpture. "Ta...
Category

1960s Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Plaster

Pied fumeur dans le goût de Noll-Marolles 1950 s
Located in TOURCOING, FR
Pied fumeur dans le goût de Noll-Marolles 1950's
Category

1950s French Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Large antique wooden tray, brutalist style, Sweden, 1800 s
Located in Stockholm, SE
A very large baking trough. Handmade i Sweden and signed 1889. Hand carved from a single piece of pine tree trunk Good condition. Consisting with age. Only flaw is an older repair t...
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

American Post-War Brutalist Abstract Sculpture
Located in Queens, NY
American Post-War Design Brutalist abstract sculpture composed of welded iron shapes with a rust patina.
Category

20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

Table Top Torch Cut and Welded Brutalist Skeleton Sphere Sculpture
Located in Ferndale, MI
Skeleton steel sphere. Comprised of varying sizes of round stock steel and sheet brass welded together. Presents a Primitive folk Brutalist quality.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Steel, Sheet Metal

Abbott Pattison Running Figure Bronze Sculpture
Located in Astoria, NY
Abbott Pattison (American, 1916-1999), Running Figure Bronze Sculpture, on black slate base, apparently unsigned. Overall: 25" H x 17.5" W x 11.5" D. Pr...
Category

20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Slate, Bronze

Brutalist "Patchwork" Foot Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Brutalist style "patchwork" welded foot sculpture.
Category

1960s French Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Brutalist Solid Wood Planter, 1970s
Located in Delft, NL
Brutalist solid wood planter, 1970s.
Category

1970s Dutch Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Handmade Clay Czech Glass Collectible Sculpture ÉTER Objects, HENDER 02L
Located in Miami, FL
HENDER 02L is part of ÉTER’s collectible HENDER Series, an exploration of harmony between the grounded weight of clay and the luminous delicacy of glass. The base is shaped from Peruvian clay...
Category

2010s Czech Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Clay, Glass

Vintage Brutalist Patinated Man and Woman Andirons - a Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A fantastic pair of vintage Boho metal andirons. A chic Brutalist composition of a male and female. The most beautiful patinated finish from time. Acquired from a Palm Beach estate.
Category

Late 20th Century North American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Brutalist abstract wrought iron sculpture from the 1970s
By François Thévenin
Located in LE CANNET, FR
Interesting artisanal French work from the 1970s Wrought and welded iron sculpture This highly decorative piece is in the same vein as other designers such as Sido and Francois Theve...
Category

1970s French Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

Brutalist Ethnic Sweet Bowl Handmade in Spain Aluminium Brass
Located in Benahavis, AN
The decorative Sweet Bowl was created by David Marshall, it is made of sand cast aluminum and sand cast brass. Handmade, mounted and finished in our foundry and workshop in Spain from recycled materials. Certified authentic by the Artist David Marshall with his signature. The Artist is inspired by nature and land scape...
Category

2010s Spanish Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Brutalist Bud Vases by Thomas Ray Markusen in Copper
Located in North Miami, FL
Pair of large 1970s Brutalist copper candleholders by master sculptor Thomas Roy Markusen. Tall, tortured form of hammered and shaped copper has an organic aesthetic. Pinched and ind...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Copper

Liza Monk (1906-?) Brutalist nail sculpture of Hercules WPA artist based in CA
Located in Bridgehampton, NY
Brutalist sculpture of Hercules by Liza Monk - Los Angeles based WPA artist. Heavy and welded pieces of metal/ nails.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Mid Century Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase, Germany C.1970
Located in London, GB
Mid Century Brutalist Studio Pottery Vase, Germany C.1970 In excellent condition commensurate of age. Free from chips and cracks.
Category

20th Century German Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Pottery

Clay Sculpture Abstract Swan, Black Graphite 1970s
Located in ROUEN, Normandie
Clay Sculpture Abstract Swan, Black Graphite 1970s. Anonymous work from a French artist, unsigned. This black graphite-patinated clay sculpture, dating from the 1970s, is a stylize...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Clay, Pottery

Brutalist Abstract Cast Aluminum Marble Sculpture by D. Calvi, ca. 1970’s
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Brutalism D. Calvi Cast & Partially Polished Aluminum, Marble ca. 1970’s DIMENSIONS Height: 22 inches (w/ base) Width: 9.5 inches Depth: 4 inches Base: 11 x 6 x 3 inches A...
Category

1970s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Marble, Aluminum

Brutalist Silvered Bronze Table Set by Morbelli, Italy, 1970s
Located in Conversano, IT
A rare and sculptural brutalist-style table set crafted in silvered bronze with a richly textured surface and organic openwork design. Produced by the renowned Italian art foundry Mo...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

1950s Brutalist Bronze Tabletop Sculpture by Costikyan Signed
Located in New York, NY
A bronze tabletop sculpture on rectangular base. Signed Costikyan on underside.
Category

1950s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Peter Callas Pottery Vase
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Peter Callas spent years in Kansas City and is often relate to the town this is also where he met and assisted Peter Voulkos for a time this relationship is apparent in his work the ...
Category

1980s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Pottery

Brutalist wrought iron bird sculpture dating from the 1970s
Located in LE CANNET, FR
Interesting french work in the manner of Michel Anasse, dating from the 1970s. Wrought and welded iron sculpture representing a rooster. Decorative sculpture also in the spirit of Si...
Category

1970s French Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

1970s Vase by Don Johns
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Unique handmade vase, signed on underside by Dan Johns. American, 1970s.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Giovanni John’ Bucci Metal Art Sculpture, 1960s
Located in Savannah, GA
Giovanni 'John' Bucci (Italian-American, 1935-2019) A welded metal sculpture composed of various found metal pieces, 1960s. 17 inches wide by 18 ¼ inches tall by 8 inches deep
Category

1960s American Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Vintage Boho Abstract Studio Pottery Vase
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This intensely sculptural piece of vintage studio pottery is a powerful embodiment of the Brutalist aesthetic, emphasizing raw texture and primal form. The structure consists of mult...
Category

Late 20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Pottery, Stoneware

Bronze Modernist Large Square Bowl Sculpture, Signed Del Campo - Italy
Located in North Miami, FL
Raised sculptural texture adorns this brutal style bronze square bowl with an interior enamel finish. Excellent patina and very heavy - SIGNED to v...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze, Enamel

Stoneware Vase by André Rozay from the Pottery Village of La Borne France 1960s
Located in London, GB
Stoneware vase from the 1960s by André Rozay made in the pottery village of La Borne in the Cher department in Central France. André Rozay, painter and ceramic sculptor, "potter and ...
Category

1960s French Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Stoneware

Cast Bronze Shark Tails Statuette by J. Dale M Hall
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cast bronze sculpture by American sculptor J. Dale M'Hall featuring a grouping of shark tails. James began sculpting in the 1960's and has worked with a variety of different media throughout his career but bronze sculpting...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Brutalist Bronze Ram Sculpture on Lucite Plinth Signed M. Katz
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Brutalist bronze ram sculpture on Lucite plinth signed M. Katz.
Category

20th Century Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Scrap Metal Art of a Tank c1970
Located in Paddock Wood Tonbridge, GB
Metal Art of a Tank c1970 Introducing a stunning piece of artisan craftsmanship that transcends mere decoration: a handmade scrap metal tank from the 1970s, skill-fully assembled fro...
Category

1970s French Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Steel

Tall Brutalist Black / Gold Ceramic Candle Light Candelabra, Norway, 1960s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Painted black and gold ceramic candle light candelabra, made in Norway, 1960s.
Category

Mid-20th Century Norwegian Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Ceramic

Mid-Century Modern Metal Brutalist Stylized Figurative Sculpture Marked "Ann"
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This large metal mid-century sculpture is unsigned, but presumed to have been made in Canada in approximately 1965 in a Brutalist style. The sculpture is do...
Category

Mid-20th Century Canadian Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Sculptural Sconces by Marc D haenens
Located in Brussels, BE
An important 1980s brass Agate inset illuminating wall sculpture. By Marc D'haenens.  
Category

1980s Belgian Vintage Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Agate, Brass

Joel Escalona s Masterpiece in Elegant Dark Black Solid Wood, Still Stand No100
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Joel Escalona's Masterpiece in Elegant Dark Black Solid Wood, Still Stand No100 —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one i...
Category

2010s Mexican Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Hardwood

Carved Elegance, Black Solid Wood Still Stand No80 by NONO
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Carved Elegance, Black Solid Wood Still Stand No80 by NONO —— Joel Escalona's wooden standing sculptures are objects of raw beauty and serene grace. Each one is a testament to the ...
Category

2010s Mexican Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Hardwood

Sculpture-Base Unseen Force #67: Joel Escalona s Oak Coffee Table, Unique Design
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Sculpture-Base Unseen Force #67: Joel Escalona's Oak Coffee Table, Unique Design Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or carbonized finish. Due to ...
Category

2010s Mexican Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Hardwood

Unseen Force #61: Joel Escalona s Solid Oak Table, Art-Inspired Design
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Unseen Force #61: Joel Escalona's Solid Oak Table, Art-Inspired Design Sculptural coffee table made of solid wood with a natural water-based or carbonized finish. Due to the nature ...
Category

2010s Mexican Brutalist Decorative Objects

Materials

Hardwood

Brutalist decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Brutalist decorative objects 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 objects created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Brutalist decorative objects 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 objects, popular names associated with this style include David Marshall, James Bearden, David Palombo, and Taylor Ruby Bell. 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 objects differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $42 and tops out at $450,000 while the average work can sell for $1,290.

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