Art Deco

About Art Deco Antiques

Art Deco was an international design and art movement in the 1920s and ’30s. Influenced by sources as varied as the Bauhaus School in Germany, the Cubist paintings of Georges Braques and Pablo Picasso, Mayan ruins in the Yucatan, and the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, the style was a rejection of the organic, naturalistic sensibility of Art Nouveau.

Art Deco was a machine-made aesthetic for a fast-paced industrial age, using symmetry and line to bring order to the natural world and suggest movement in objects as inert as chairs and bookends. Even the cinema echoed and inspired the trend, most famously in Fritz Lang’s 1927 vision of dystopia, Metropolis...

For a time, no object escaped the streamline touch of Art Deco. Frank Lloyd Wright filled his geometric buildings with equally angular lamps, tables, and stained-glass windows. Indeed, Art Deco architecture is perhaps the most enduring legacy of the style.

The 1930 Chrysler Building, an Art Deco masterpiece, is a one of the most famous landmarks in Manhattan; the 1937 Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is another Art Deco triumph, in this case of both design and engineering. Then there’s Ocean Drive in the South Beach section of Miami, home to some 800 preserved Art Deco structures. Inside all those Art Deco buildings was furniture by the likes of Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, who equipped his armchairs with assertive, mesa-flat armrests. Elsewhere in the house, a host of decorative and functional objects set an elegant tone.

Because most Art Deco objects were mass-produced, a great many survive today, making them terrific and often surprisingly affordable collectibles. Industrial designers Raymond Loewy and Henry Dreyfus created many functional objects (such as clocks, radios, and telephones) with the classic Art Deco angular, streamlined look. Statuettes and figurines, frequently of female nudes, were produced in plastic, bronze, and ceramic. Glass objects — from vases to perfume bottles — were also popular, with René Lalique, Antonin Daum, Henri Navarre, and Maurice Marinot among the most prized practitioners.

Porcelain figurines created for Robj, Rosenthal, and Lenci often depicted characters and caricatures dressed in the fabrics of the day, with Art Deco costume jewelry on their necks and Art Deco watches on their wrists. By the bed would be a bronze and mahogany clock, in the dining room a china service emblazoned with geometric patterns, and in the living room silver and enamel cigarette cases leaning against ashtrays made of Bakelite.

Art Deco had a great ride, but by 1939 the movement had run its course, giving way to World War II and what we now know as the Mid-Century Modern style (which made even the simple flourishes of Art Deco look baroque). A 1966 exhibition in Paris at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs reminded the world why Art Deco, previously called modernism, had been so popular in its day. Today, it may be even more so.

Key terms for Art Deco:

Bakelite: One of several patented early plastic resins (along with Plaskon, Beetle, Catalin, etc.) popular in the 1920s and 30s, which are associated with Art Deco style objects. Invented by Leo Baekeland.

Streamlining: In an effort to make everything from radios to railroad trains look modern, designers tried for a streamlined look, which became ubiquitous during the heyday of Art Deco.

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Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Art Deco 1910-1939

Art Deco 1910-1939

This Victoria and Albert Museum microsite is a great reference on the Art Deco period. Take the Virtual Tour to lea… [read review or visit site]

Decopix

Decopix

Randy Juster's survey of Art Deco imagery and reference on all things Deco. Includes pages on murals, houses, gov… [read review or visit site]

Modernism

Modernism

An overview by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts of the design movements between 1880 and 1940 that comprised Moder… [read review or visit site]


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Original 1930's Leather French Art Deco Club Chairs$4,550 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 11 watchers
Royal Doulton * The Mask * Hn733 Rare Art Deco Figurine$2,823 Ends in 20 hours 14 bids 44 watchers
Antique American Irredescent Art Deco Glass Vase Quezal$2,250 Ends in 8 hours 12 bids 97 watchers
Mens Original 1929 Omega Vintage Silver Art Deco Watch$2,136 Ends Monday 36 bids 50 watchers
1930's Art Deco Neon Ruppert Beer Sign Buy it Now$1,423 Ends Sunday 10 bids 55 watchers
Rare Ronson Lighter Touch-tip Bartender Cocktail Deco$1,081 Ends Monday 23 bids 79 watchers
1939 Mills Throne Of Music Art Deco Jukebox Juke Box$1,035 Ends Sunday 7 bids 52 watchers
Rar 1920 Cartier Art Deco 18k Gold Enamel Note Pad Case$1,003 Ends Sunday 11 bids 67 watchers
1930's Vintage Antique Neon Clock Aztec Design Art Deco$1,000.00 Ends Wednesday 13 bids 36 watchers
Rare Art Deco Eterna 18k Gold Self Winding Pocket Watch$1,000.00 Ends Monday 14 bids 19 watchers
Huge Art Deco Rare Cherry Amber Bakelite Necklace 86g$664.36 Ends Sunday 10 bids 25 watchers
Art Deco~le Derniere Lettre Persane~12 Original Pochoir$635.00 Ends Wednesday 8 bids 33 watchers
Antique Fada Model 711 Catalin Tube Radio Deco Green Nr$550.00 Ends Tuesday 6 bids 42 watchers
Classic Art Deco Monrach Bakelite Valve Radio Stunning!$532.38 Ends Tuesday 18 bids 100 watchers
Longines 14k Solid Gold Art Deco Vintage Gents Watch$531.49 Ends Sunday 9 bids 66 watchers
Huge Art Deco Rare Cherry Amber Bakelite Necklace 93g$526.51 Ends Sunday 9 bids 28 watchers
Steuben Acid Cutback Acb Art Deco Cameo Glass Lamp$510.00 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 17 watchers
Rare Lady And The Tiger Elgin Deco Ladies Watch $500.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 17 watchers
1929 Art Deco~fashion~hand-painted 33 Color Plates~rare$500.00 Ends Wednesday 4 bids 17 watchers
Art Deco Carder Steuben Glass Acid Cut Back Lamp Nr$500.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 19 watchers
Rare Art Deco Sterling Silver Knife Fork Omar Ramsden$498.27 Ends Tuesday 8 bids 22 watchers
Wiener Werkstatte Vase-hilda Jesser/ Austrian-art Deco$460.00 Ends Monday 12 bids 34 watchers
Antique Longines Art Deco Watch Solid Gold 14k Tonneau$426.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 34 watchers
Art Deco White Baby Grand Piano J Broadwood Over Arnhem$423.53 Ends in 16 hours 2 bids 25 watchers
Pair 30's Art Deco Ceiling Light Fixture Chandelier$420.00 Ends Sunday 16 bids 25 watchers
Gruen 10 Krose Gold Art Deco Vintage Curvex Watch 1940s$418.13 Ends in 2 hours 19 bids 35 watchers
Super Clarice Cliff Bizarre Art Deco Gayday Coffee-pot$415.23 Ends Tuesday 18 bids 38 watchers
A Superb Pair Of Odeon Art Deco Cinema Wall Lights$415.23 Ends Sunday 1 bid 27 watchers
Rare Blue Art Deco Roseville Futura Balloon Vase 404-8$413.00 Ends Tuesday 7 bids 38 watchers
Impressive Art Deco Hagenauer Style Reclining Lady 17"$409.44 Ends in 20 hours 8 bids 22 watchers
Rare 1932 33 Seeburg Red Art Deco Jukebox Juke Box$405.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 46 watchers
Doxa Art Deco Antique Watch Large Solid Silver Case$405.00 Ends in 3 hours 22 bids 36 watchers
Rare 1933 Worlds Fair Ge Radial Fan Art Deco Exhibition$400.00 Ends Sunday 15 bids 66 watchers
Volupte Signed Art Deco 14k Gold Pill Box 16.4 Grams$399.99 Ends Monday 8 bids 3 watchers
Geradago Girl Art Deco Bookends Pixie Reader - Original$395.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 23 watchers
Fab Geometric Style Art Deco Wall Sconces Bronze 1920$369.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 6 watchers
Vintage Otis Elevator Measuring Tape - Deco Style$360.00 Ends Sunday 22 bids 15 watchers
Beautiful Vintage Swiss Art Deco Lecoultre Atmos Clock$360.00 Ends in 3 hours 19 bids 53 watchers
Rare C1920 Rolex 18k White Gold Art Deco Ladies Watch$355.00 Ends Sunday 27 bids 107 watchers
Ladies 1927 Illinois 18k Solid Gold Deco Diamonds Watch$355.00 Ends Monday 15 bids 42 watchers
Vintage 1930s Conn Art Deco Vocabell Trumpet- Silver$355.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 39 watchers
Deco Iwc International Watch Co 18k Enamel Pocket Watch$338.00 Ends Thursday 6 bids 18 watchers
Rare 50s 18kt 37mm Deco Claw Lugs Iwc & Org Dial!$338.00 Ends Tuesday 13 bids 29 watchers
Silver Tea Set Walker & Hall Sheffield 1929 Art Deco$330.52 Ends Sunday 1 bid 25 watchers
Period Art Deco Lamp By Frankart$330.00 Ends Friday 6 bids 31 watchers
Antique Art Deco Quoizel Nude Chromed Statue $327.77 Ends Thursday 4 bids 16 watchers
Art Deco Geometric Shape Noritake Bowl$325.54 Ends Sunday 7 bids 23 watchers
Pair Art Deco Chrome Odeon Streamlined Wall Lights$323.88 Ends Sunday 1 bid 15 watchers
Vintage Art Deco Sterling Silver Match Safe$310.00 Ends Sunday 11 bids 5 watchers
Fine 1920 Chinese 18k Gold Apple Jade Art Deco Bracelet$305.00 Ends Sunday 22 bids 98 watchers
Mens 1914 Longines Vintage Wrist Watch Art Deco Case$305.00 Ends Monday 25 bids 63 watchers
Michele Deco Moderne Watch$305.00 Ends Sunday 27 bids 20 watchers
Vintage Art Deco Onyx Carnelian & Marcasite Box$305.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 10 watchers
Neon Art Deco, Arcade Clock 1940-50's Stands Or Hangs$302.69 Ends Monday 3 bids 21 watchers
French Art Deco Statue - Signed Menneville C. 1920s$300.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 13 watchers
1920's Glass Art Deco Ceiling Light Fixture Chandelier$300.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 12 watchers
Art Deco Bronze Figurine "girl On Wall" After F. Preiss$299.99 Ends Sunday 2 bids 18 watchers
Antique Art Deco 14k Gold Filigree & Sapphires Bracelet$299.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 18 watchers
5 Light Art Deco Slip Shade Chandelier$299.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 10 watchers

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Recent News: Art Deco

Source: Google News

Evergreen Art Glass Bejewels Churches, Homes
Memphis Daily News, November 6th

Other stained glass pieces include Art Deco designs, whimsical figures and abstract creations. But it is the religious icons that make it all worthwhile for...Read more

Chris mcgrath: Ponti a Classic pick to keep it real
Independent, November 6th

In the one they made about Seabiscuit, the grandstand here at Santa Anita – an art deco masterpiece – proved a perfect prop, conveniently preserved as it is...Read more

Luxury trains may head to Honesdale
Wayne Independent, November 6th

By Peter Becker By Peter Becker Imagine riding in style aboard a plush, classic Art Deco train, with dining services, air conditioning and large windows to...Read more

Patek Philippe First Ladies Chronograph, Ref. 70171 R
JewelersLounge (blog), November 6th

To celebrate the opening of its new Art Deco salon at n°10 de la place Vendôme, Patek Philippe unveiled a lovely new timepiece called the “First Ladies...Read more

A Rally Marked by Bold Strokes
New York Times, November 6th

The realistic “Portrait du Marquis Sommi” painted in 1925, the year of the huge Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris which gave its name to the Art Deco...Read more

Changing Skyline: Powering down
Philadelphia Inquirer, November 6th

The art deco steam plant and soaring smokestack near 30th Street Station soon will be gone, yet another emblem of industrial might vanished...Read more

Kaminski's Annual Thanksgiving Auction November 28-29
News-antique.com (press release), November 5th

The auction features antiques, fine art, collectibles and a number of Art Deco pieces from estates spanning Massachusetts to Kaminski's second location in...Read more

Roosevelt Room: A Supper Club With Art Deco Style
BizBash, November 3rd

Flat-screen TVs have also been built into the mirrors in the 20 private washrooms on the lower level, where wall panels feature artwork by Art Deco painter...Read more

Art Deco

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