Modern Decorative Objects
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”
Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.
Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chair — crafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.
It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.
20th Century French Modern Decorative Objects
Bronze
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery, Stoneware
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Marble
2010s Modern Decorative Objects
Crystal
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Aluminum
2010s African Modern Decorative Objects
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Onyx, Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Modern Decorative Objects
Stainless Steel
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Marble
2010s South American Modern Decorative Objects
Stone, Onyx, Metal
20th Century American Modern Decorative Objects
Earthenware
21st Century and Contemporary South African Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Marble
Late 20th Century French Modern Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Resin
Late 20th Century Scottish Modern Decorative Objects
Art Glass
20th Century French Modern Decorative Objects
Bronze
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
1960s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Objects
Quartz, Rock Crystal
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Early 2000s European Modern Decorative Objects
Silver
1950s Danish Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
2010s Scandinavian Modern Decorative Objects
Aluminum, Brass, Nickel
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Objects
Stone, Onyx
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Swedish Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
20th Century American Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Objects
Blown Glass, Mirror
2010s Mexican Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
1990s Polish Modern Decorative Objects
Art Glass
Late 20th Century Modern Decorative Objects
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Metal
Early 2000s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Art Glass, Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Objects
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Late 20th Century English Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 20th Century Chinese Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Marble
1970s French Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Silver, Bronze
2010s Spanish Modern Decorative Objects
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Lacquer
2010s European Modern Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
20th Century French Modern Decorative Objects
Rock Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
Early 2000s French Modern Decorative Objects
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Dutch Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Earthenware
2010s Dutch Modern Decorative Objects
Travertine
Late 20th Century Swedish Modern Decorative Objects
Crystal
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Gold, Enamel, Sterling Silver, Gold Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Decorative Objects
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
Early 2000s Japanese Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Plastic
Modern decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.
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