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Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE

Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.

ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS

VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.

Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively. 

Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer

Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.

The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by legendary manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.

As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.

Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.

As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.

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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Midcentury Stainless and Brass Footed Bowl
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Midcentury stainless and brass footed bowl, a sleek and modern bowl, simple and elegant alone, it also ready for any shelf or desk. Also perfect ...
Category

20th Century Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Brass, Stainless Steel

Large Danish Mid-Century Modern Provence bowl by Per Lütken for Holmegaard
Located in Berlin, DE
Large Danish Mid-Century Modern Provence bowl by Per Lütken for Holmegaard In the 1950s, Per Lütken and his glassblowers developed a technique for blowing glass using the steam from...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Glass

Large Oval Bowl Blu Cobalt Crystal Italian Design 1980 Mirror Satin Base
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Large oval bowl blu cobalt crystal Italian Design 1980 mirror satin base.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Crystal

1950s Sail Fish Bowl by Herb Cohen Studio Pottery Dish Midcentury Atomic
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Wonderful rare handmade piece from Herb Cohen's ceramic studio. Cohen worked for Hyalyn most of his career. Signature style dates this piece before 1959.
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Stoneware

"Fish Bowl by the Window", Early and Important Footed Enamel Bowl by Winter
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A brilliant and early example of enamel art in America, this footed bowl depicts a fish bowl sitting on a long table, with a Classical-Art Deco chair against one wall, and figured cu...
Category

1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Enamel

Large, 1950 Chic Design Embossed Brass Shell Bowl
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Large, 1950 chic design embossed brass shell bowl.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Brass

Italian Murano Bright Green Art Glass Bowl
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful Italian Murano art glass bowl in bright green with scalloped edge design, circa mid-20th century, Italy. Art glass colors include: bright green, bright orange, white, bla...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Murano Glass, Blown Glass, Art Glass

Torch Cut and Hammered Metal Bowl by Marcello Fantoni
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
Mid-century Marcello Fantoni brutalist hammered metal torch cut bowl. Stamped twice "Fantoni Firenze, Italy," 1950s.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Metal

Pair of Large Decorative Honeycomb Midcentury Glass Bowl Vases
Located in Den Haag, NL
Pair of large decorative honeycomb midcentury glass bowl vases.
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Glass

Huge Signed Cenedese 'Tessuti' Blue Murano Art Glass Bowl, circa 2000
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Signed Cenedese art glass bowl part of a limited edition called ‘Tessuti’, made in the early 2000s. This is a magical piece of Murano glass - measur...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Blown Glass, Murano Glass

Egidio Casagrande Italian Modernist Monumental Brass Vessel
Located in New York, NY
Monumental modernist style brass repoussé vessel made in the 1930s-1940s by Italian designer Egidio Casagrande (1911-1962). Casagrande is renown for ...
Category

1930s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Brass

Hammershøi Pottery Bowl by Nils A. Kähler for Kähler, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
- Hammershoi bowl - Executed by ceramist Nils Kähler in the 1970s - In commemoration of Svend Hammershøi (1873-1948) - Executed in black/white ash-based glazes - Stamped HAK, Den...
Category

1970s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Pottery

Leo Amino Hand Carved Bowls and Fork
By Leo Amino
Located in Kansas City, MO
Stunning Leo Amino hand carved bowls and one utensil in excellent condition. Tray with utensil: 1.75 in. H x 3.88 in. D x 8.25 in. W Tray: 1 in. H x 4 in. D x 7.88 in. W.
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Wood

Gorgeous Freeform Murano Dish or Bowl, 1960s, Italy
Located in Miami, FL
Murano glass bowl or dish perfect for any table, 1960s, Italy.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Raised or Bowl with Brass Foot Scalloped Often Glass Gold Brass 24-Karat Italian
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Raised or bowl with brass foot scalloped often glass gold brass 24-karat Italian.
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Gold Plate, Brass

Large Danish Modernist Bowl in Silver Plate and Enamel by DGS, 1950s
By DGS
Located in Esbjerg, DK
This large conical silver plate bowl's interior is decorated with a deep ruby red enamel. The piece was manufactured and designed in Denmark during the late 1950s by DGS (Danish Silv...
Category

1950s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Silver Plate, Enamel

1960s by A. Mangiarotti for Brambilla Space Age It, Design Pottery Ashtray Bowl
Located in Brescia, IT
White and yellow ceramic bowls Excellent condition Measures: H 7.5 x W 16 x D 10 cm H 8 x W 20 x D 20 cm.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Pottery

Mid-Century Modernist Urchin Design Bone China Bowl by Coalport
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful bowl features a stylized urchin form design and it is signed Coalport bone china.
Category

1960s English Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Porcelain

Emil Milan Hand-Carved Double Compartment Freeform Vessel
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An exquisitely carved double-compartment freeform bowl by Emil Milan (1922-85), executed in bubinga. Rich patina throughout. Signed to the underside, "By Emilan, Bubinga". Other exam...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Bubinga

Ceramic Bowl by Stig Lindberg, Mid-Century Scandinavian, Faience, Sweden, C 1950
Located in New York, NY
Decorative leaf pottery bowl by Stig Lindberg, Sweden, circa 1950, Faience. Very good condition. An artistic jack-of-all-trades, Stig Lindberg was accomplished in Industrial design...
Category

1950s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Ceramic, Faience

Italian Murano Seguso Large Sculptural Glass Bowl with Gold Aventurine
Located in North Miami, FL
This beautiful folded Italian Murano Seguso cased folded glass bowl is large and Mid-Century Modern. It has the combinations of two colors of light y...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Blown Glass

Mid-Century Modern Handblown Murano Glass Bowl in Oyster Shell and Champagne
Located in New York, NY
This stunning handblown Murano glass bowl features scalloped edges and a wealth of specter-like forms in shades of champagne, oyster shell and pistachio emanating from the center as ...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Gold

Cuno Fischer Rosenthal Studio-Linie White Relief Op Art Bowl with Lid, 1960s
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful white matte relief op-art porcelain vase from the 1960s designed by Cuno Fischer and executed by Rosenthal Studio-Line, Germany. In excellent condition.
Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Porcelain

Yellow Murano Art Glass Bowl Italian Design
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Yellow Murano Art glass bowl Italian design, 1940s. Attributed Barovier.
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Murano Glass

Large Mathieu Matégot Bowl Dish in Original Condition
Located in Berlin, DE
Large Matégot dish bowl in original vintage condition.
Category

1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Metal

Design Technics Zig Zag Ceramic Bowl/ Cigar Ashtray
Located in East Hampton, NY
Midcentury Zig Zag ceramic bowl or cigar ashtray by Design Technics in beige and sienna tone underglaze. Marked and in excellent condition.
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Ceramic

Carole Stupell Selection Murano Glass Bowl
Located in Miami, FL
Fabulous Murano cut-glass bowl.
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Vintage Rosenthal Black and White Monochrome Dish by Hans-Theo Baumann, 1960s
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A very stylish and scarce vintage midcentury German porcelain rounded bowl of shallow form decorated with a central black star and web des...
Category

1960s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Porcelain

Fantoni Metal Tray
Located in Chicago, IL
Small tray is 4.25 W x 4.75 D x 1.25 H.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Metal

Gucci Bowl, Porcelain, Suede, Metallic, Gold, Chrome Silver, Signed
Located in New York, NY
Gucci bowl, porcelain, suede, metallic, gold, chrome silver, signed. Chunky 6” square bowl decorated with bridle belt that fastens to an interlocking double G clasp. Classic Gucci me...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Suede, Porcelain

"Moroccan Agadir Bazaar, " Unique Midcentury Bowl by Waylande Gregory
Located in Philadelphia, PA
One of the most colorful and atmospheric pieces ever created by master sculptor and ceramicist Waylande Gregory, this glazed, shallow bowl shows a turbaned figure in the foreground, ...
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Ceramic

Lino Sabbatini Rare Set of Graduated Round Silvered Bowls, Italy, 1970s
Located in New York, NY
Lino Sabbatini ( 1925-2016 ) A rare set of three graduated round silvered bowls with decorated rim. Signed Italy, 1970's Dimensions: Large: 12.5 Ø, medi...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Metal

Pair of Unusual Brass & Copper Overlay Bowls
Located in Stamford, CT
Pair of unusual brass & copper overlay bowls, circa 1920 - 1930.
Category

1920s English Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Brass, Copper

Ceramic Bowl by Stig Lindberg Midcentury Scandinavian Design, C 1950, Faience
Located in New York, NY
Decorative bowl by Stig Lindberg, Sweden, circa 1950. Faience. Very good condition. Hand painted. An artistic jack-of-all-trades, Stig Lindberg was accomplished in industrial design...
Category

1950s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Ceramic, Faience

Mid-Century Modern Ceramic Bowl in the Manner of Georges Jouve by Marcel Giraud
Located in Miami, FL
Sculpted with a captivating organic form, this mid-century modern ceramic bowl by Marcel Giraud embodies the artistic spirit of Georges Jouve. The hand-crafted piece features a str...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Ceramic

Polia Pillin Mid-Century Modern Footed Studio Bowl
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Pillin is known for her whimsical designs and a re-occurring motifs of women, birds, horses and flowers. Decorated ceramic footed bowl by Polia Pillin (1909-1992). Signed on the bottom: Pillin. Perfect condition, no chips, cracks or repairs. Measures: 2.75" H x 7.38" D. Polia Pillin was a painter and ceramist. Born in Poland, 1909, she immigrated to Chicago in 1924. She studied there at the AIC and Jewish Peoples...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Ceramic

Early Production Quistgaard Dansk Staved Teak Fruit or Salad Bowl Danmark
Located in Ferndale, MI
Jens Quistgaard for Dansk, Branded Mark Staved Teak JHQ Danmark
Category

1950s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Teak

1940s German Bronze Bowl
Located in New York, NY
1940s German bronze decorative bowl.
Category

20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Box with Glass Lid Owl 1960 Italian Design Murano Glass Metal Chrome Brass
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Box with glass lid owl 1960 Italian design Murano glass metal chrome brass.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Chrome, Brass

Italian Venetian, Bowl, Blown Murano Glass, Light-Green, Signed Cenedese, 1970s
Located in Villaverla, IT
Elegant, Italian Venetian, Bowl, Blown Murano Glass, Light-Green, Signed Cenedese, 1970s. This bowl is a unique portrait, entirely handcrafted in blown Murano Glass, in the Venetian Murano island. It is a massive bowl...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Glass, Murano Glass, Cut Glass, Blown Glass, Art Glass

Mid-Century Modern Handblown or Cup Sculptural Translucent Bowl with Silver Base
Located in Miami, FL
Mid-Century Modern handblown sculptural translucent four flecks bowl with silver base.    
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Silver

AMERICAN BRASS BOWLS - COLEUS, CRYSANTHEMUM, CALLA LILY Hand-Crafted TRAYS
Located in Hawthorne, CA
A set of three [3] decorative American brass bowls set depicting a grouping of coleus, chrysanthemum, and calla lily floral designs. Handcrafted and stamped by Virginia Metal Crafters...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Brass

Vannes 1950s Crystal Bowl
Located in Buchanan, NY
French Vannes 1950s crystal bowl in a swirled rib design with six ribbed points.
Category

1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Art Glass

Battuto Bowl by Tobia Scarpa for Venini Murano
Located in Chicago, IL
Signed with decal manufacturer's label to side: [Venini Murano Made in Italy]. Incised signature to underside: [Venini 1997/4].
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Glass

Edith Heath Studio Hand Thrown Lemon Yellow Pottery Bowl Vase Ceramics
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Edith Heath (1911–2005) founded Heath Ceramics, Sausalito California in 1948 after her solo pottery show at San Francisco’s Legion of Honor. Extremely rare...
Category

1940s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Pottery

Werkstatte Hagenauer Austrian Hand-Hammered Brass Bowl Mid-Century Modern
Located in North Miami, FL
This special and rare Austrian Mid-Century Modern hand-hammered brass polished bowl is attributed to the glorious work of the Werkstatten Hagenauer. It is not marked but of the perio...
Category

1950s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Brass

Huge 20 Inch Seguso Vetri d'arte Black Scavo Murano Glass Bowl Centrepiece Set
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Seguso Vetri d'Arte black 'a Scavo' ensemble, attributed to Eliakim, featuring a centrepiece bowl and deep bowl with lid, circa 1985. black glass using the 'a Scavo' technique and of...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Murano Glass

Murano Bowl with Red and Gold Accents
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A spectacular Murano bowl - rare and desirable, this piece has a large red center with accents of 24-karat gold in the reverse.
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Gold

Swedish Coquille Flygsfors Handblown Glass Bowl
Located in North Miami, FL
This thick walled and heavy hand blown Swedish vintage glass bowl is called Coquille Flygsfors. It is like an egg yolk was dropped in the centre. ...
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Blown Glass

Ceramic Bowl by Stig Lindberg, Midcentury Scandinavian Faience, C 1950, Sweden
Located in New York, NY
Decorative faience bowl by Stig Lindberg, Sweden, circa 1950. In a shape of a leaf the bowl is produced by Gustavsbergs factory. An artistic jack-of-all-trades, Stig Lindberg was ac...
Category

1950s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Faience

Murano Glass Three-Section Bowl, 1960s
Located in Niederdorfelden, Hessen
A biomorphic thick glass bowl with three sections made in Murano, Venice Italy in the 1960s.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Murano Glass

Pair of Waylande Gregory Small Square Purple Ceramic Trays with Gold Key Pattern
Located in Bedford Hills, NY
Pair of small trays or decorative square trinket dishes by Waylande Gregory. Vibrant matte purple glaze with 24-karat gold key pattern. Classic design by Gregory but newer production.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Peruvian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Ceramic

Blue and Gold Murano Dish or Bowl, 1960s, Italy
Located in Miami, FL
Gorgeous blue and gold glass bowl by Murano, 1960s, Italy.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Glass

Ceramic Bowl by Stig Lindberg Mid-Century Swedish Design, C 1950, Faience Bowl
Located in New York, NY
Decorative leaf shaped bowl by Stig Lindberg, Sweden, circa 1950, Faience. Very good condition. Yellow and white color. An artistic jack-of-all-trades, Stig Lindberg was accomplish...
Category

1950s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Faience

Pair of Sascha Brastoff Enameled Bowls
Located in Chicago, IL
Enameled Metal, copper and brass tones.
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Metal

Sinuous Vintage Black, Yellow and Green Ceramic Centrepiece by Vibi, Italy
By Vibi
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1950s. This stunning and elegant centerpiece is made in lacquered ceramic and is signed by the maker. It is a vintage piece, therefo...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Ceramic

Vallauris Decorative Ceramic Fish Bowl
Located in Antwerp, BE
Vallauris decorative ceramic fish bowl.
Category

1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Ceramic

Italian Venetian, Bowl, Blown Murano Glass, Blue Red Transparent, Donà, 1990s
Located in Villaverla, IT
Massive and Gorgeous, Italian Venetian, Bowl, Blown Murano Glass, Blue Red Transparent, Donà, 1990s. This is a unique portrait in blown Murano glass, entirely handcrafted in the Vene...
Category

1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls

Materials

Art Glass, Murano Glass, Blown Glass, Glass

Mid-century Modern decorative bowls for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern decorative bowls 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 decorative bowls created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, folk art and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with glass, murano glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern decorative bowls made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative bowls, popular names associated with this style include Archimede Seguso, Seguso Vetri d'Arte, Barovier&Toso, and Flavio Poli. 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 decorative bowls differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $34 and tops out at $46,574 while the average work can sell for $646.

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