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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.
Early 2000s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Decorative Objects
Fiberglass, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Objects
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Blown Glass
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Objects
Stone, Onyx, Metal
Late 20th Century Brazilian Modern Decorative Objects
Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
20th Century American Modern Decorative Objects
Wood
1990s Modern Decorative Objects
Iron
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Resin
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Modern Decorative Objects
Shagreen Stingray
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Modern Decorative Objects
Animal Skin
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Objects
Stone, Onyx, Metal
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Enamel
2010s Scandinavian Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Aluminum
2010s Mexican Modern Decorative Objects
Art Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
2010s German Modern Decorative Objects
Aluminum
20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
Late 20th Century French Modern Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
1960s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Glass, Art Glass, Cut Glass, Murano Glass
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Limestone, Bronze
Late 20th Century Unknown Modern Decorative Objects
Steel
1970s American Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Granite, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century Danish Modern Decorative Objects
Copper, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Objects
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Art Glass
2010s Greek Modern Decorative Objects
Clay
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 20th Century Modern Decorative Objects
Enamel
2010s Chilean Modern Decorative Objects
Stone
2010s American Modern Decorative Objects
Bronze, Enamel, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Metal
2010s Mexican Modern Decorative Objects
Glass
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
1960s French Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Silver
2010s Mexican Modern Decorative Objects
Hardwood
Late 20th Century Spanish Modern Decorative Objects
Brass, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Murano Glass
2010s Argentine Modern Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Decorative Objects
Alabaster
2010s Australian Modern Decorative Objects
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Modern Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1970s Italian Vintage Modern Decorative Objects
Animal Skin
2010s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 2000s Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Decorative Objects
Ebony
2010s French Modern Decorative Objects
Other
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Decorative Objects
Agate, Metal
Modern decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.
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