In its sinuous lines and flamboyant curves inspired by the natural world, antique Art Nouveau furniture reflects a desire for freedom from the stuffy social and artistic strictures of the Victorian era. The Art Nouveau movement developed in the decorative arts in France and Britain in the early 1880s and quickly became a dominant aesthetic style in Western Europe and the United States.
ORIGINS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGN
ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ANTIQUE ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
Art Nouveau — which spanned furniture, architecture, jewelry and graphic design — can be easily identified by its lush, flowing forms suggested by flowers and plants, as well as the lissome tendrils of sea life. Although Art Deco and Art Nouveau were both in the forefront of turn-of-the-20th-century design, they are very different styles — Art Deco is marked by bold, geometric shapes while Art Nouveau incorporates dreamlike, floral motifs. The latter’s signature motif is the "whiplash" curve — a deep, narrow, dynamic parabola that appears as an element in everything from chair arms to cabinetry and mirror frames.
The visual vocabulary of Art Nouveau was particularly influenced by the soft colors and abstract images of nature seen in Japanese art prints, which arrived in large numbers in the West after open trade was forced upon Japan in the 1860s. Impressionist artists were moved by the artistic tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking, and Japonisme — a term used to describe the appetite for Japanese art and culture in Europe at the time — greatly informed Art Nouveau.
The Art Nouveau style quickly reached a wide audience in Europe via advertising posters, book covers, illustrations and other work by such artists as Aubrey Beardsley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha. While all Art Nouveau designs share common formal elements, different countries and regions produced their own variants.
In Scotland, the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh developed a singular, restrained look based on scale rather than ornament; a style best known from his narrow chairs with exceedingly tall backs, designed for Glasgow tea rooms. Meanwhile in France, Hector Guimard — whose iconic 1896 entry arches for the Paris Metro are still in use — and Louis Majorelle produced chairs, desks, bed frames and cabinets with sweeping lines and rich veneers.
The Art Nouveau movement was known as Jugendstil ("Youth Style") in Germany, and in Austria the designers of the Vienna Secession group — notably Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich — produced a relatively austere iteration of the Art Nouveau style, which mixed curving and geometric elements.
Art Nouveau revitalized all of the applied arts. Ceramists such as Ernest Chaplet and Edmond Lachenal created new forms covered in novel and rediscovered glazes that produced thick, foam-like finishes. Bold vases, bowls and lighting designs in acid-etched and marquetry cameo glass by Émile Gallé and the Daum Freres appeared in France, while in New York the glass workshop-cum-laboratory of Louis Comfort Tiffany — the core of what eventually became a multimedia decorative-arts manufactory called Tiffany Studios — brought out buoyant pieces in opalescent favrile glass.
Jewelry design was revolutionized, as settings, for the first time, were emphasized as much as, or more than, gemstones. A favorite Art Nouveau jewelry motif was insects (think of Tiffany, in his famed Dragonflies glass lampshade).
Like a mayfly, Art Nouveau was short-lived. The sensuous, languorous style fell out of favor early in the 20th century, deemed perhaps too light and insubstantial for European tastes in the aftermath of World War I. But as the designs on 1stDibs demonstrate, Art Nouveau retains its power to fascinate and seduce.
There are ways to tastefully integrate a touch of Art Nouveau into even the most modern interior — browse an extraordinary collection of original antique Art Nouveau furniture on 1stDibs, which includes decorative objects, seating, tables, garden elements and more.
Michelin 1910 Slim-Skinny Bibendum Bronze Car Mascot Hood Ornament
By Michelin Man
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
An early 'Bibendum Protégé' Car mascot - Hood Ornament, French, circa 1910, Nickel-plated bronze figure of a 'slim' Mr. Bibendum, mounted on wooden black base. Perfect for any Classi...
Bronze
Edgar Brandt Style Hand Forged Iron Snake or Serpent Sculpture, Austria, 1920s
By Edgar Brandt
Located in Vienna, AT
A wrought iron Art Nouveau era model of a snake / serpent. High-quality craftsmanship, handmade of forged iron by a Viennese metalworker in the 1920s. A decorative object, which would look great in your shelf, but also suitable as a paperweight, a jewelry ring holder...
Iron, Wrought Iron
Daum France Rose Passion Pâte de Verre Crystal Rose Paperweight, 1990s
By Daum
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Daum France "Rose Passion" Pâte de Verre Crystal Rose Paperweight Sculpture, Signed A beautiful Daum France "Rose Passion" pâte de verre cristal sculpture, exquisitely modeled as a ...
Crystal
Big Silvered Bronze Vienna Dog Sculpture, Paperweight, 1900s
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Big silvered bronze Vienna dog sculpture, 1900s. Very good detailed silvered bronze dog sculpture. Perfect as desk paperweight. We have specialized in the ...
Bronze
French Art Nouveau Rene Lalique Butterfly Glass Cachet 1, 919
By René Lalique
Located in Worcester Park, GB
A very early and exceptionally rare signed original blue stained Rene Lalique 'Papillon Ailes Ouverte' (Butterfly with wings open) cachet, dating from 1919. (Ref: Marcilhac 192) Cach...
Art Glass
Amalric Walter and Alfred Finot Pate De Verre Woman with Schawl Paperweight
Located in Bochum, NRW
Amalric Walter and Alfred Finot, a seated female figure with a shawl and a necklace, Nancy, c. 1910 Gorgeous pâte-de-verre figurine in shades of jade, dark green and violet-blue colo...
Art Glass
Antique French Animalier Bronze Marble Greyhound Sculpture Desk Paperweight 1900
Located in Portland, OR
A very handsome antique French Animalier bronze greyhound sculpture, paperweight, circa 1900. The bronze in the style of Emmanuel Fremiet, mad...
Marble, Bronze
Art Nouveau Pate de Verre Paperweight, Escargot, Amalric Walter, France, Ca 1920
By Henri Bergé and Amalric Walter
Located in Vienna, AT
Pâte de Verre Presse-papiers 'Escargot': A dark brown snail with a light brown shell, crawling over scattered green twigs bearing red berries, on a yellow-orange base with a pentagon...
Glass
"Langouste" Pâte de Verre Paperweight by Walter and Bergé
By Henri Bergé and Amalric Walter
Located in New York, NY
This French Art Nouveau pâte de verre paperweight (or "Presse Papiers") by Amalric Walter and Henri Bergé is an earlier, and smaller version of a series of "Langouste" paperweights f...
Glass, Art Glass, Blown Glass
$5,500 / item
Amalric Walter “Parrot” Pâte de verre Paperweight
Located in New York, NY
This exquisite pâte de verre sculpture by Amalric Walter captures an amber-hued cockatiel poised with quiet alertness upon a rocky outcrop, its form subtly animated by the interplay ...
Glass
"Langouste" Pâte de Verre Paperweight by Walter and Bergé.
Located in New York, NY
A French "Langouste", pâte de verre paperweight by Amalric Walter and Henri Bergé. The brown crayfish with red spots straddles a green and yellow curved base. Circa 1920. A simil...
Art Glass
Hick Glass Face in the Style Lalique French Art Deco
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Thick glass face in the art deco style of the work of the Lalique house of the 40s. Very beautiful decorative object with a pure and decorative design. Thic...
Glass
French Art Nouveau Rene Lalique Grey Stained Dragonfly Knife Rest c1919
By René Lalique
Located in Worcester Park, GB
An very rare and very early signed (R Lalique France -see image 5) original grey stained Rene Lalique 'Libellule' knife rest -depicting a dragonfly in flight, dating from 1919 (See ...
Art Glass
German Shepherd Dog Bust Paperweight Sculpture / France, 1910
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
German shepherd dog bust paperweight sculpture / France, 1910. Foundry Mark coin. Signed H. Puyen. Silver plated metal mounted over a green marble. Desk sculp...
Marble, Metal
Art Nouveau Paperweight with Mussels Amalric Walter & Henri Mercier, Nancy
By Henri Bergé and Amalric Walter
Located in Vienna, AT
Two mussels on a yellow stone base covered with algae. Signed 'AWALTER NANCY' and 'hm'. Manufactory: Amalric Walter & Henri Bergé, Nancy, Lorraine, France Dating of manufacture: circa 1920/1930 Designer: Victor Amalric Walter (1870-1959) was a French glass manufacturer mainly known for his pâte de verre pieces. In the Cristalleries Daum at Nancy, France, he met the designer and modelist HENRI BERGÉ, with whom he produced the first pâtes de verre, which at the time were only signed with "Daum Nancy". After the war he continued to work with Henri Bergé. From 1919 to 1935 he cast no fewer than 500 models with Bergé and other famous sculptors or designers, always in few numbers due to the sophisticated technique of glass kiln casting. Henri Mercier...
Glass
$188Sale Price|42% Off
A cast bronze sprung hinged letter / document clip in the form of a crane’s head
Located in Chonburi, TH
This exquisite cast bronze sprung hinged letter/document clip from France circa 1880 is a stunning example of functional artistry. Crafted in the form of a crane's head, it embodies ...
Bronze
Bronze Deer Head & Letter Opener Sculpture Paperweight Antique, Austria, 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A decorative paperweight and Letter opener sculpture. Some wear with a nice patina, but this is old-age. Made of metal or bronze. This item was purchased at an estate sale in Vienna,...
Metal, Bronze
Erotic - Nude Woman Viena Bronze Sculpture / Desk Paperweight. Austria 1900´s
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Erotic - Nude Viena Bronze Sculpture / Paperweight. Austria 1900´s. Lovely woman nude paperclip or paperweight. We have specialized in the sale of Art Deco and Art Nouveau and Vinta...
Bronze
Sitting Kewpie or The Thinker, Silvered Bronze Car Mascot Hood Ornament, 1910´s
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
"Sitting Kewpie" or "The Thinker", Car Mascot Hood Ornament, 1910´s. Made of silvered bronze, mounted over a green and white mrble base. Can de used as a desk paperweight. Originally appearing in the form of magazine illustrations between 1905 and 1909, Kewpie dolls...
Marble, Bronze
Bofill Silvered Bronze Owl, Hibou Paperweight / Hood Ornament, France, 1910-15
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Bofill silvered bronze owl - Hibou Desk Paperweight / Car Mascot / Hood Ornament. France 1910-15. Silver plated bronze, signed. Excellent original conditions. HIBOU Par Antoine Bofi...
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Taxile Doat Manufacture De Sevres dated 1899 Flora
By Taxile Doat
Located in Marseille, FR
Art Nouveau ceramic paperweight "Flora" by Taxile Doat, Sèvres factory dated 1899. Some cracks on the periphery.
Ceramic
$749Sale Price|20% Off
French Paperweight with Purple Flower Arrangement of St. Louis, 1910
Located in Oirlo, LI
French Paperweight with Purple Flower Arrangement of St. Louis, 1910 Additional information: Dimensions: 7.5 W x 7.5 D x 6 H cm Period of Time: 1910 Country of origin: France Cond...
Art Glass
Sterling Silver Large Smoke Topaz Rosewood Paperweight
Located in Westport, CT
Sterling silver large genuine smoke Topaz, rosewood elaborate decorative desk paperweight.
Sterling Silver
American Art Nouveau Swirl Paperweight by, Tiffany Studios
Located in Englewood, NJ
An American Art Nouveau gilt bronze and mosaic inlaid TIffany Favrile "Swirl Paperweight" by, Tiffany Studios decorated with an organic swirl pattern...
Bronze
Elegant Sterling Silver Paperweight by Unattributed Metalworker, 1950
Located in Alessandria, Piemonte
Sterling silver American paperweight: an idea for an elegant gift - But You can use also as crumb collector... Very elegant for Your desk. A/2620 -
Sterling Silver
Stylized Frog Sculpture / Paperweight by Baccarat
By Baccarat
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous stylized frog sculpture / paperweight by Baccarat, circa 1990s. The piece is in excellent condition with no visible imperfections and has great clarity. Signed on the unders...
Crystal
$3,250 / set
H 4.63 in W 5.75 in D 3 in
Pair of Antique Bronze Sculpture Paperweights Wounded Stag and Wild Boar
Located in Shippensburg, PA
Pair of figural bronze paperweights over cararra marble bases. circa early 19th century; models of "Il Porcellino" and "Wounded Stag" Item # C104009 A superb pair of 19th century p...
Carrara Marble, Bronze
$2,120 / set
H 5.91 in Dm 3.55 in
Lalique After René Lalique, Six Fontainebleau Red Wine Glasses, France 1950s
By René Lalique
Located in PARIS, FR
Beautiful Lalique Fontainebleau set of six red wine glasses. Other wine glasses from the same collection are available in the shop. In very good...
Crystal
$2,500
H 5.75 in Dm 2.25 in
Franz Xavier Bergman, Oriental Dancer, Jugenstil Vienna Bronze Sculpture, 1900s
Located in New York, NY
This provocative, desk-size bronze statuette of a semi-nude oriental dancer in a sensuous, rather candid pose rendered in the best Art Nouveau traditions of the world-famous Viennese foundry of Franz Xavier Bergman...
Bronze
Daum Pate de Verre Amaryllis Vase, Signed Daum, France Number 94
By Daum
Located in Lexington, KY
Daum Pate de Verre Amaryllis Vase in pinks and greens. This piece is signed Daum, France and numbered 94. This piece has been retired and is no longer in production. Since 1878,...
Glass
$15,136
H 5.91 in Dm 3.55 in
Lalique After René Lalique, Fontainebleau Service (50 pieces), France 1950s
By René Lalique
Located in PARIS, FR
Superb Lalique Fontainebleau service composed of 48 pieces in sets of 8, one carafe and one decanter (50 pieces total). This service has champagn...
Crystal
Daum Crystal Pate de Verre Flower Bowl
By Daum
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This a Daum crystal Pate de Verre single flower (it can be a Groundsel) and large leaves bowl depicting different shades of blue and turquoi...
Crystal
Stylized Starfish Sculpture / Paperweight by Baccarat
By Baccarat
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous stylized starfish sculpture / paperweight by Baccarat, circa 1990s. The piece is in excellent condition with no visible imperfections and has great clarity. Signed on the un...
Crystal
$16,000
H 3.94 in Dm 2.76 in
Art Glass, A. Walter, (Pâte de verre vide-poche by Amalric Walter), France
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
Logistics and International Shipping We provide a comprehensive export service so that your only concern is enjoying your acquisition. • Door-to-Door Service: Pieces located in our A...
Art Glass
Daum France Vase Bowl Raisins Grapes Crystal Glass Pate de Verre
By Daum
Located in Boulogne Billancourt, FR
Vase Bowl "Raisins" (Grapes) made in crystal and glass pate de verre by Daum France. Engraved signature. Perfect condition. height : 15 cm diameter : 22 cm
Glass, Art Glass
Rene Lalique Glass Chrysis Car Mascot
By René Lalique
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Rene Lalique clear and frosted glass 'Chrysis' car mascot (radiator cap). Features a naked female figure, kneeling, with her head thrown back. In ancient Greece, Chrysis was the prie...
Glass
René Lalique Gui Opalescent Glass Bowl
By René Lalique
Located in New Orleans, LA
Delicate fruiting mistletoe festoons this striking opalescent glass bowl by the renowned René Lalique. First designed by Lalique in 1920, the Gui pattern is molded in low relief with...
Glass
Lucien Gaillard Carved Horn "Grand Paon de Nuit" Paperclip
Located in New York, NY
This exquisite Lucien Gaillard paper clip depicts the Grand Paon de Nuit (Great Night Peacock), the largest moth in Europe. This paper clip would have bound stacks of important docum...
Silver, Bronze
Sold
H 2.75 in W 3.88 in D 2.63 in
Two Bronze Gnome with Base Paperweight Figurine with Globe Antique France 1900s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A beautiful bronze Figurine paperweight or desk accessory. Some wear with a nice patina, but this is old-age. Made of bronze and enameled parts. Shows two Gnomes standing on a base w...
Marble, Metal, Enamel
Pair Vintage Lalique Crystal Anémone Flower Paperweights
By Lalique
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A pair of Lalique French crystal paperweights in the Anemone pattern, circa early 1980s. Designed in 1930, and now considered a classic, René Lalique was inspired by the delicate fl...
Crystal
Art Nouveau Glass Paperweight with Floral Silver Overlay, c. 1910s
Located in Chicago, IL
This elegant paperweight from the early 20th century is expertly crafted of cut glass and floral silver overlay in the manner of Art Nouveau. The translucent glass cube is shaped wit...
Silver
Amalric Walter and Daum Nancy "Crabe" Pâte de Verre Glass Paperweight
Located in New York, NY
This exquisite “Crabe” pâte de verre glass paperweight, by Amalric Walter and Daum Nancy is decorated with a relief of a reddish-brown crab poised upon a bright contrast of green and...
Glass
Rare Antique Tiffany Sterling Silver & Leather Paperweight
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Rare Antique Tiffany Sterling Silver & Leather Paperweight
Sterling Silver
Sold
H 4.5 in W 2.75 in D 4.75 in
Austrian Jugendstil Vienna Bronze Sculptural Paperweight by Carl Fiala, ca. 1910
Located in New York, NY
ABOUT This elegant Austrian Jugenstil sculptural desk paperweight depicts some fantastic half-human creature from the underwater world, riding a snail. Signed C. Fiala, dark-green co...
Bronze
Antique 19th Century Figural Bronze Duck Clip / Letter Holder
Located in Chonburi, TH
Introducing a captivating Antique 19th century Figural Bronze Duck Clip / Letter Holder. This exquisite piece showcases the artistry and charm of the 19th-century craftsmanship. Skil...
Bronze
Sold
H 1.78 in W 3.94 in D 2.76 in
Art Nouveau Pâte De Verre Vide-Poche 'Deux Poissons', Amalric Walter, France
Located in Vienna, AT
Decorative pâte-de-verre vide-poche: bowl in yolk yellow, one side overflowing in dark blue, swimming around each other, plastically formed goldfish couple. Signed 'AWALTER NANCY' on the top. Manufactory: Amalric Walter, Nancy, Lorraine, France Dating of manufacture: circa 1920/1925 Designer: VICTOR AMALRIC WALTER (1870-1959) was a French glass manufacturer mainly known for his pâte de verre pieces. In the Cristalleries Daum at Nancy, France, he met the designer and modelist HENRI BERGÉ, with whom he produced the first pâtes de verre, which at the time were only signed with "Daum Nancy". After the war he continued to work with Henri Bergé. From 1919 to 1935 he cast no fewer than 500 models with Bergé and other famous sculptors or designers, always in few numbers due to the sophisticated technique of glass kiln casting. Technique: Pâte de verre (English glass paste) is a technique used in the production of multi-colored glass. A cold-formed paste made of glass powder and dyes is filled into a refractory mold and then fired in a muffle furnace, whereby the glass melts into the desired shape. To achieve polychrome color effects, the process is repeated with other colors. The technique was already known in ancient Rome and Egypt. Particularly in the Art Nouveau period and later in the Art Deco period, she found artistic use again in works by French glass artists such as Gabriel Argy-Rousseau, Henry Cros...
Glass
French Art Nouveau Rene Lalique Perruches Glass Cachet, 1919
By René Lalique
Located in Worcester Park, GB
An very rare and very early signed (R Lalique) original blue stained Rene Lalique 'Perruches' cachet -depicting a pair of parakeets, dating from 1919 (Marcilhac ref: 187). Cachets we...
Art Glass
Sold
H 1.78 in W 3.94 in D 2.76 in
Art Nouveau Pâte De Verre Paperweight with Stag Beetle, Amalric Walter, France
Located in Vienna, AT
Pâte de Verre paperweight 'Lucane': Stag beetle in shades of brown on a yellow stone base with greenish foliage. Signed 'AW' at the bottom. Manufactory: Amalric Walter, Nancy, Lorraine, France Dating of manufacture: circa 1920/1925 Designer: VICTOR AMALRIC WALTER (1870-1959) was a French glass manufacturer mainly known for his pâte de verre pieces. In the Cristalleries Daum at Nancy, France, he met the designer and modelist HENRI BERGÉ, with whom he produced the first pâtes de verre, which at the time were only signed with "Daum Nancy". After the war he continued to work with Henri Bergé. From 1919 to 1935 he cast no fewer than 500 models with Bergé and other famous sculptors or designers, always in few numbers due to the sophisticated technique of glass kiln...
Glass
Sold
H 2.37 in W 2.76 in D 2.76 in
Art Nouveau Pâte de Verre Paperweight 'Bernard l'Heremite', Walter & Bergé
By Henri Bergé and Amalric Walter
Located in Vienna, AT
Pâte de Verre Paperweight 'Bernard l'Heremite': Hermit crab in shades of black-brown and green with brown snail shell on dark blue seabed base with pentagonal plan. Signed 'Bergé' and 'AWALTER' on the sides. Manufactory: Amalric Walter & Henri Bergé, Nancy, Lorraine, France Dating of manufacture: circa 1920/1925 Designer: VICTOR AMALRIC WALTER (1870-1959) & HENRI BERGÉ (1870-1937) AMALRIC WALTER was a French glass manufacturer mainly known for his pâte de verre pieces. In the Cristalleries Daum at Nancy, France, he met the designer and modelist HENRI BERGÉ, with whom he produced the first pâtes de verre, which at the time were only signed with "Daum Nancy". After the war he continued to work with Henri Bergé. From 1919 to 1935 he cast no fewer than 500 models with Bergé and other famous sculptors or designers, always in few numbers due to the sophisticated technique of glass kiln...
Glass