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Aesthetic Movement Furniture

AESTHETIC MOVEMENT

In 1880, polymath designer William Morris declared: “If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” His words encapsulated the Aesthetic Movement, which prized beauty above all and blurred the lines between fine art and the decorative arts, particularly through lavishly crafted furniture pieces.

The Aesthetic Movement, whose major proponents included author Oscar Wilde, flourished from the 1860s to the 1880s and was mostly popular in England and the United States. Design expositions like the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia, as well as the publishing of how-to books for interior design, helped disseminate Aesthetic Movement bedroom furniture, serveware, coffee tables and other items, especially to the middle class.

The establishment of new art museums, art clubs and a rising passion for collecting at the time contributed to a growing appreciation for art. Morris’s founding of Morris Co. in 1862 and the commercializing of this “cult of beauty” by the Liberty store in London, starting in the late 19th century, further disseminated the idea of a domestic space that was thoughtfully and floridly designed.

Leading Aesthetic Movement furniture designers included E.W. Godwin, who drew on Japanese influences and whose work reflected a wider enthusiasm for imported East Asian art. British designer Christopher Dresser created textiles, ceramics and more that were also inspired by Japanese decorative art but were representative of additional diverse design sources that ranged from Egypt to Mexico.

The Aesthetic Movement’s eclecticism resulted in dazzling interiors. Japanese fans were positioned on Renaissance-inspired cabinets with brass hardware, while mantels made of rich walnut or finely carved ebonized wood and adorned with painted Minton tiles mingled with cast-iron chairs against a backdrop of floral wallpaper. In 1881, in New York City, stenciled checkerboard motifs and painted floral murals could be found under an opalescent glass chandelier in a luxurious dressing room designed by German émigré cabinetmaker-decorator George Alfred Schastey. Amid the rise of the industrial age, the style’s promotion of art in everyday life would inform the Arts and Crafts Movement and Art Nouveau.

Find a collection of antique Aesthetic Movement seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture and antiques on 1stDibs.

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Style: Aesthetic Movement
Period: 20th Century
White Painted Bentwood Cheval Mirror Manner of Michael Thonet
Located in Queens, NY
White painted 19th/20th century bentwood cheval mirror (in the manner of Michael Thonet).  
Category

20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Wood, Bentwood

Victorian Aesthetic Movement Eastlake Style Oak Two Tier Parlor Table
Located in Seattle, WA
The table is a small, square, two-tiered wooden piece with a rich oak finish. It features intricately carved legs with turned spindles and bulbous details, supporting a scalloped low...
Category

1930s Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Oak

Antique Mahogany And Brass Music Cabinet in Aesthetic Style
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A tall mahogany music cabinet with brass racks for music or magazines. The top with brass supports with art deco style brass decorative plaques. framing functional brass bars. Below ...
Category

Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Metal

Large Orientalist Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large, early 20th century orientalist painting. Oil on canvas. No trace of signature.
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Takis (Panayotis Vassilakis) sculpture Signal jaune Greece 1990 Signed
Located in Paris, FR
Takis 1925 - 2019 "Signal jaune" unique piece stamped with the artist's signature, numbered 12 (on the base) lamp on metal rod with painted base 234 × 21 × 21 cm ; 92 ⅛ x 8 ¼ x 8 ¼ i...
Category

20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Metal

Vintage French Empire Style Figural Woman Black Gold Brass Table Lamps - Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage French Empire Style Figural Winged Woman Black & Gold Brass Metal Table Lamps - a Pair. Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 30" H (to finial) x 19" H (to light socket) x 7"...
Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Metal

Pair Harriton Eglomise Painted Mirrors Signed
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This pair of Harriton églomisé painted mirrors is a striking example of refined artistry and mid-20th century decorative design. Each mirror is reverse-painted and signed, showcasing...
Category

1960s European Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Walnut

Pair Harriton Eglomise Painted Mirrors Signed
Pair Harriton Eglomise Painted Mirrors Signed
$1,036 Sale Price / set
20% Off
California Coastal Landscape by Rod Goebel (American 1946-1993)
Located in Dallas, TX
SPRING LIGHT, American West / California rocky Pacific coast oil on canvas landscape picture by American painter / artist Rod Goebel (1946-1993) impressionist style, signed front low...
Category

20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Canvas

The Andean Citadel: A Vintage Peruvian Tapestry of Modernist Symbolic Order
Located in Dallas, TX
79405 Vintage Peruvian Tapestry Rug, 05'06 x 03'04. This handwoven wool vintage Peruvian tapestry stands as a striking testament to Andean visual language—where architecture, cosmolo...
Category

Mid-20th Century Peruvian Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Wool

Orientalist Austrian Cold Painted and Stained Glass Tented Table Lamp
Located in New York City, NY
A charming Middle Eastern theme decorative table lamp / night light in leaded glass and cold painted French metal. Highly atmospheric with a soft glow and deep rich colors, the mosai...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Spelter

Framed Oil Painting on Canvas by Ewald Kreusch
Located in Dallas, TX
Framed oil painting on canvas by Ewald Kreusch (1895-1960) is a delightful study of an old-growth forest with a footworn path leading on to adventures beyond the horizon. Kreusch has...
Category

Mid-20th Century Belgian Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Canvas

Large Silver Plated Sea Shell Plate Hollywood Regency Art Deco Italian 1970s
Located in London, GB
This large silver-plated sea-shell shaped bowl is an evocative nod to Venus and the organic curves of nature. Imported from 1970s Italy, it seamlessly blends the 1940s Art Deco eleg...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Silver Plate

1960s Fish Platter French Oval Hammered Copper Plate Antique Vintage Midcentury
Located in London, GB
A really amazing selection of copper fish platters coming from the French Riviera and an old restaurant called La Loupe(wolf fish). Copper body with silver chrome plate on the servin...
Category

1960s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Copper

Murano Mirror, Italy, 1970
Located in Nice, FR
Murano mirror, Italy, 1970, central mirror part, smoked mirror outline, original shape.
Category

20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Art Glass

Large Pair Antique Aesthetic Cobalt Blue Porcelain Bronze Wisteria Vases
Located in New York, NY
Pair of large (27 inch tall) antique (late 19th century) Aesthetic period porcelain vases with gilt decorations and raised enamel designs of butterflies and wisteria flowers on a cob...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Sculpted Bronze Sea Creatures Coffee Table with a Chiseled Glass Top
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful bronze and glass coffee table depicting a sea creatures playing around a piece of coral and sea weed leaves, there you can see a couple of fish, snails, clams and a sea star. The bronze has beautiful patina and a glossy finish to mimic the wet underwater environment. The glass top has a beautiful chiseled edge that supposed to represent the water and waves...
Category

1980s American Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Aesthetic Movement Embossed Brass Cushion Mirror
Located in Astoria, NY
Aesthetic Movement Embossed Brass Cushion Mirror. 35" H x 25.25" W x 2.25" D. Provenance: From a New York City Collection.
Category

Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Brass

Ram s Skull Silver Plated
Located in Chicago, IL
Rams skull rests on plinth base. Marked "Made in France on underside from Wingate and Johnston"
Category

1960s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Silver

Vintage Old Florida Egret Landscape Painting by Debra Pate Daniels
Located in North Fort Myers, FL
Quintessential Old Florida at its finest. This beautifully painted landscape features elegant white egrets set among palms, cypress, and marsh grasses in a serene Florida waterway. S...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Metal

The Imperial Dynasty: An Antique Persian Mahal Masterpiece of Noble Grandeur
Located in Dallas, TX
79402 Antique Persian Mahal Rug, 11'03 x 17'09. This exceptional hand knotted wool antique Persian Mahal rug represents the height of workshop refinement, where disciplined artistry ...
Category

Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Wool

1980 s Colorful Turkish Striped Kilim Rug with Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
60678 Colorful Vintage Turkish Striped Kilim Rug, 05'08 x 07'01. Like a woven symphony of Anatolian sunlight and festival music, this handwoven wool vintage Turkish kilim rug dazzles...
Category

Late 20th Century Turkish Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Wool

Aesthetic Movement Side Table by C. Fischer Amsterdam, 1900s.
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning and elegant Aesthetic Movement side table. Design by C. Fischer Amsterdam. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Solid oak base with original solid oak top. Marked with manu...
Category

Early 1900s Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Oak

Venice Vintage Chandelier Lustre Antique Big Flower Glass Brass
Located in Berlin, DE
Authentic preserved Venice chandelier: Impeccably restored and revitalized Step back in time with this original preserved chandelier from 1950. It has been carefully restored to emb...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Crystal, Brass

Pair of Early 20th Century Stained Glass Doors
Located in London, GB
Pair of early 20th century stained glass doors Continental, early 20th century Each door: Height 239cm, width 59cm (118cm when together), depth 9cm T...
Category

Early 20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Stained Glass, Wood

1980 s Berber Boujad Diamond Moroccan Carpet with Modern Style
Located in Dallas, TX
21429 Vintage Red Boujad Moroccan Rug, 05'11 x 09'04. Maximalism meets bohemian rhapsody in this hand knotted wool vintage Boujad Moroccan rug. The intrinsic tribal pattern and satur...
Category

Late 20th Century Moroccan Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Wool

Pair of French Victorian Green Limoges Porcelain Vases
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of French Victorian green Limoges porcelain and gilt trimmed vases with lady and cupid scene (PRICED AS Pair)
Category

Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Chinese Rustic "Root" Table
Located in San Marino, CA
19th century Chinese rustic root table, made from natural tree timbers. Sturdy and appealing country styling is obvious in this table from the Qing period,...
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Wood

Chinese Rustic "Root" Table
Chinese Rustic "Root" Table
$2,880 Sale Price
41% Off
Persian Rug With Red Decor
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Very beautiful hand-woven Persian rug Superb color in red tones
Category

Early 20th Century Turkmen Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Wool

Armchair with Ottoman Antique Horn
Located in Nice, FR
Armchair with its pouf, horn structure, beautiful light brown braided leather work. Good condition, not torn.
Category

20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Leather

Mason s Ironstone Red Mandalay Jug Flower Bowl Set
Located in Worcester Park, GB
Add a touch of timeless elegance to your collection with this beautiful Mason’s Ironstone Flower Bowl and Jug Set, featuring the highly sought-after Mandalay Red pattern. Crafted fr...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Earthenware

Early 20th Century Rare Coromantel, Ebony and Satinwood Display Cabinet
Located in Tyrone, Northern Ireland
A stylish and rare Coromantel, Ebony and Satinwood display cabinet. The interior lined with Satinwood and fitted with two glass shelves. The frame made of Coromantel wood with dec...
Category

Early 20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Satinwood

Large Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Hand Wrought Black Iron Andirons
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Large Aesthetic Movement Hand Wrought Black Iron Andirons 28” Tall By 22” deep and 16” wide. Each andiron is one piece. Great condition with just s...
Category

Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Wrought Iron

Antique Tiffany Aesthetic Oval Sterling Silver Picture Frame
Located in New York, NY
Aesthetic sterling silver picture frame. Made by Tiffany & Co. in New York, ca 1909. Oval window in flat surround with acid-etched stylized ornament: Quatrefoils alternating with lea...
Category

Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Sculptural Lamp in Bronze Representing the Mermaid Princess Suvannamaccha
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Sculptural Lamp in Bronze with Double Green and Gold Patina Representing the Mermaid Princess Suvannamaccha, Thailand, 20th Century We present an exceptional piece that combines ar...
Category

Mid-20th Century Thai Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Metal, Bronze

Antique Aesthetic Movement Silver Plated Hot Water Urn with Floral Decoration
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This antique silver plated hot water urn was produced by the well known Simpson, Hall & Miller Co. of the United States in approxim...
Category

Early 20th Century Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Silver Plate

French Sarreguemines Large Character Jug, The Admiral, dated 1904
Located in Philadelphia, PA
From Sarreguemines, an over size majolica glazed character jug, The Admiral, France, date marked 1904. “The Admiral,” is a smiling, red-cheeked, red-nosed middle-aged man with a ful...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Painting :Germinal
Located in Nice, FR
Germinal: Germination sounds like revolution, right? Chebisiem artist   "In the flaming rays of the star, on this morning of youth, it was with this rumor that the countryside was...
Category

20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Acrylic, Paint

Bradley Hubbard Style Pierced Brass Jeweled Hanging Lantern Aesthetic Movement
Located in Troy, MI
Bradley and Hubbard style punched brass jeweled hanging lantern USA circa early 20th Century Hexagonal form constructed of thin brass with pierced cut out details and inset multi co...
Category

Early 20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Brass

Pair of Lamps, Murano Glass, Pebbles, 20th
Located in Nice, FR
Pair of Murano glass lamps, emerald color, similar to pebbles. They are mounted in lamps with a white lampshade. An E 27 base bulb. Pair of very elegant lamps.The originality is the...
Category

20th Century Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Art Glass

Vintage Boho Original Seascape Oil on Canvas
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Evoke the serene yet dynamic spirit of the ocean with this captivating vintage original oil on canvas, an ideal piece for those who appreciate Boho Chic aesthetics and expressive art...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Coalbrookdale Passion flower pattern Lovers seat.
Located in Alton, GB
A beautiful reproduction of a Coalbrookdale Passion flower pattern alloy garden seat circa 1970. Rare and interesting, this fabulous 'Passion flower' lovers seat...
Category

Mid-20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Mosaic table, iron foot, 1960, unique piece
Located in Nice, FR
Table or pedestal table with a mosaic top, iron base, all made in the old fashioned way, in an antique way, the mosaics are highlighted, unique piece. The outline of the mosaic tray...
Category

1960s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Belgian Black Marble

Set of 12 Cauldon Hand-Painted "Flower Arrangement" Dessert Plates, Cobalt Blue
Located in Great Barrington, MA
A decorative and beautifully hand-painted set of 12 Cauldon dessert plates with shaped rims trimmed in gold with central floral decoration. Each plate depicts a unique flower arrange...
Category

Early 1900s British Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

English Simple Epergne in Silver Plate
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
Simple but nice épergne in silver plate for Your table ornament, specially for Christmas: with candles, flowers and fruits all around. Just a few flowers are enough to refine a tabl...
Category

Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Silver Plate

Large Terrestrial Globe From Handels Und Verkehrsglobus 69cm High
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Superb terrestrial globe by Handels Und Verkehrsglobus from the beginning of the 20th century from Leipzig Very large model which has a height of 69 cm and a very beautiful blackene...
Category

Early 20th Century German Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Paper

Pair of Sculptural Lamps in Gilded Bronze Representing Dancers, Thailand, 20th
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Pair of Sculptural Lamps in Gilded Bronze Representing Dancers, Thailand, 20th Century. Add a touch of refinement and elegance to your interior with this superb pair of sculptural l...
Category

Mid-20th Century Thai Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Metal, Bronze, Brass

Antique Italian Walnut Framed Mirror
Located in North Miami, FL
A simple and elegant Italian walnut wall mirror with a tiered wood frame. ALL original and in wonderful aged condition.
Category

Early 1900s Italian Antique Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Walnut

Mid 20 th c Limoges France 7 pcs Porcelain Trays and Dishes Handpainted Artist
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Signed by artist Helen Hauptmann 7 pcs porcelain set by Limoges France botanical florals. Each piece signed by the artist. Comprises large tray, round platter in base, wall click, t...
Category

1960s French Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Royal Worcester Blush Porcelain Hadley Design Bud Vase with Roses F126/H
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique porcelain flower vase. By Royal Worcester. Model no. F126/H. Designed by James Hadley. Of a bulbous form with blush decora...
Category

Early 20th Century British Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

French Bamboo, Grasscloth Wallpaper Wicker Coat Rack Or Hall Tree Or Coat Rack
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a charming French bamboo and wicker hall tree or coat rack. It has grasscloth wall paper in the open spaces. Each panel has some red and blue painted accents. It dates to the...
Category

Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Grasscloth, Bamboo, Wicker, Mirror

Original Paintings by Jacob Semiatin
Located in Saint-Ouen (PARIS), FR
These three abstract paintings by Jacob Semiatin (1915-2003) are in wooden frames. Sold one by each.
Category

1950s Irish Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Paint

Stylish Arts and Crafts Copper Fireside Companion Set, Fireside Tools
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Stylish Arts and Crafts Copper Fireside Companion Set, Fireside Tools This is a Stylish copper set with turned fruitwood handles on its own very sturdy rectangular stand, shovel, br...
Category

1960s Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Copper

Pair of "Argyle" Chairs by Charles R Mackintosh for Atelier International
Located in Lyndhurst, NJ
Pair of Argyle chairs designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Atelier International, Designed 1897 and exhibited at the Eighth Secession Exhibition in Vienna, Austria in 1900 And ...
Category

1990s Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Wood

English Antique Silver Plate Epergne
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
Antique English silver plate épergne with side candy holders for sweets, to complete the central tray. There are many stamps, including an elephant (that I don't know). It 's perfect...
Category

Early 20th Century English Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Silver Plate

English Antique Silver Plate Epergne
English Antique Silver Plate Epergne
$1,230 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Persian Mohajeran Sarouk Rug with Traditional Style
Located in Dallas, TX
78525 Antique Persian Mohajeran Sarouk Rug, 08'09 x 11'09. This hand-knotted wool antique Persian Mohajeran Sarouk rug is a stunning work of art, where timeless elegance meets the gr...
Category

Early 20th Century Persian Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Wool

Unique Piece, Table, Palm Trunk, XXth
Located in Nice, FR
Realization of a table from a palm tree trunk. The legs of the table are carved in the mass. To obtain the hardness of the wood, it is soaked in salt water and then dried in the sun...
Category

20th Century Maghreb Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Palmwood

Paintings Set of Four Seasons for a Dining Room
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
O/5542 - What to say about this rare set of four large paintings ? It's certainly an idea for wall decoration: inside a boiserie (wooden panels) or with golden frames. in the dini...
Category

Early 20th Century French Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Canvas

Glass Coffee Table, Italy, Romeo Rega, Design, 1960s
Located in Nice, FR
Glass coffee table, Italy, designer Romeo Rega, 1970, Structure in brass and black iron, smoked glass. Very refined.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Brass

Lamp Hat Embroidered in Silver Tinsel
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
O/423 - Unique piece : lamp hat embroidered in silver tinsel - It is suitable for a high floor or table lamp. The price is very interesting because I want to close my activities. ...
Category

1990s Italian Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Silk

Antique 20th Century Spanish Oak Refectory Table c.1900
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Antique 20th Century Spanish dining table, generously sized to comfortably seat ten people. Crafted from solid oak with robust turne...
Category

20th Century Spanish Aesthetic Movement Furniture

Materials

Oak

Aesthetic Movement furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Aesthetic Movement furniture 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 furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, decorative objects, seating and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Aesthetic Movement furniture made in a specific country, there are Europe, United Kingdom, and England pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Minton, Doulton Lambeth, Christopher Dresser, and Wedgwood. 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 furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $65 and tops out at $86,402 while the average work can sell for $1,820.