Though much of Arthur Umanoff's furniture is marked by a no-frills simplicity common in American mid-century modern design, his work is anything but one-note. Over the course of a prolific career, Umanoff designed everything from case pieces to candleholders to magazine racks to dining chairs in iron, leather, walnut, wicker and more. With furnishings for a broad range of manufacturers throughout the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s, Umanoff continued a thread of sculptural elegance and textural sensitivity through his designs.
After graduating from Pratt Institute in the early 1950s, Umanoff experimented mostly with wood furniture before landing a job at Post Modern Ltd, a New York manufacturer of wrought-iron furniture. There he produced furnishings that married wrought iron with wood and plastic, creating functional pieces free of utilitarian bulkiness.
Umanoff continued his experimentation with mixed materials through a partnership with Shaver Howard, for whom he designed wine racks in combinations of iron, leather and wicker.
When Shaver Howard bought Boyeur Scott, Umanoff conceived several furniture designs for the brand, including the 1964 Granada collection, whose curlicue iron bases, visible through glass tops, stand out as some of his most ornate and decorative work. Indeed, much of Umanoff’s oeuvre is far more simplistic, like iron-and-pine armchairs for The Elton Co. or low-backed, slatted-seat barstools with slender iron legs for Raymor.
Umanoff was fluent, too, in the more sumptuous modernism of the era: In the mid-1960s, he designed the 2405 and 4449 armchairs for Madison Furniture Industries. Popular in offices, the walnut-framed, leather-upholstered seats, which could have been mistaken for the seductive Scandinavian modern seating of the era, were reportedly the jumping-off point for Captain Kirk’s iconic seat on Star Trek.
Even as he is among the mid-century modern designers you may not know, with work across such a range of styles and manufacturers (most no longer in business), Umanoff, who died in 1985, leaves a legacy that is fascinatingly diverse and at times enticingly elusive, making his work intriguing objects for collectors.
Find vintage Arthur Umanoff bar stools, tables, benches and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
Rare Arthur Umanoff Candelabra
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A super rare six-light candelabra by Arthur Umanoff, a celebrated American designer known for his ability to blend modernist form with handcrafted, natural materials. This sculptural...
Iron
Table Lamp by Ugo Zaccagnini
By Ugo Zaccagnini
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A beautifully proportioned and sculptural table lamp by Ugo Zaccagnini, featuring a soft robin’s egg blue crackled glaze with subtle tonal variation and surface depth. The gentle craquelure enhances the organic curves of the ceramic body, lending the lamp a tactile quality and a sense of quiet movement. The original rosewood cap and base provide a rich material contrast—dark, refined, and architectural against the delicate surface of the glaze. This interplay of texture and tone reflects the studio’s deep sensitivity to form and finish. Zaccagnini, one of Italy’s most respected 20th-century ceramicists, worked at the intersection of tradition and modernity. Known for his sculptural forms and refined glazes, his work was widely exhibited and retailed through top galleries and luxury decorators in postwar Europe and the United States. This lamp’s silhouette is bold yet fluid—equally at home in a richly layered interior or a clean-lined, organic modernist space. The cool, pale blue makes it a versatile design element: it can act as a subtle pop of color in a neutral room, or as a cool, calming contrast against deeper hues and dark woods. Designers such as Gio Ponti, Billy Baldwin, or Kalef Alaton...
Brass
Emaús Workshop Sun and Moon Forged Iron Candelabra, Mexico, 1960s
By Emaus
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
Hand-forged iron candelabra from the Benedictine Emaús Workshop, Mexico, 1960s. Sculpted in the form of a stylized sun with a human face on one side and a crescent moon on the revers...
Wrought Iron
Vittorio Zecchin Iridato Sofosiati Candelabra Lamp
By Vittorio Zecchin, MVM Cappelin
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
A stunning and rare candelabra-style table lamp crafted in 1927 by Vittorio Zecchin for MVM Cappellin, one of Murano’s most innovative and artistically driven glassmakers. This excep...
Art Glass
French Modern Style Gilt Iron Table Lamp
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
An elegant table lamp featuring a gilt iron globe, gracefully supported by a round black marble base. The design draws inspiration from the iconic work of Jean Royère, celebrated for...
Marble, Iron
Mid Century Italian Table Lamp
By Bitossi
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
This exquisite 1960s table lamp showcases a vibrant majolica-style glaze in deep blues and greens, clearly inspired by the celebrated ceramic works of Bitossi from the same era. It p...
Ceramic
Four Candle Candelabra in Wrought Iron and Cane by Arthur Umanoff, 1950s
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Kansas City, MO
Completely original four branch table top candelabra / candle holder designed by Arthur Umanoff. Very good original condition. No breaks in the can portion. Some areas of discolorati...
Iron
Arthur Umanoff Iron and Rattan Floor Candelabrum
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in New York, NY
Wrought iron and woven rattan curved candelabrum designed by Arthur Umanoff, circa 1950.
Wrought Iron
Large Four Arm Candelabra by Tommi Parzinger
By Tommi Parzinger
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Two-and-a-half feet tall stately four-arm candelabra refinished in antique bronze. This is probably one of Parzinger's larger designs for Dorlyn Silversmiths.
Brass
Hard-to-come-by Wrought Iron + Rattan Floor Candelabra by Arthur Umanoff
By Arthur Umanoff
Located in Kensington, MD
- This single Wrough Iron floor candelabrum by Arthur Umanoff has four candle stems forming a double “U”, the outer two of which are wrapped in cane. - The base is composed of an ups...
Iron
20th Century Turquoise Art Deco Ceramic Candleholder, Marked - AT ca. 1930
By Gmundner Keramik
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Extraordinary, rare Art Deco ceramic candleholder from the period in Austria around 1930. An outstanding designed 20th century candleholder from the famous workshops of Gmundner cera...
Ceramic
Richard Rohac Brass Candelabra Mid-Century Candle Holder, Vienna, Austria, 1950s
By Richard Rohac
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful Austrian modernist three-arm candelabra candleholder / candlestick, made of brass, partly black-finished. Designed by Richard Rohac, manufactured by Atelier Rohac in the...
Brass
