The stories behind 4 design icons

Explore them now + shop The Most Beautiful Things collection. To unsubscribe from 1stDibs promotional emails, click [here]( [1stdibs.com]( [FURNITURE]( [FINE ART]( [JEWELRY]( [WATCHES]( [FASHION]( [INTERIORS]( [The Most Beautiful Things]( [Barcelona Chair]( Upon learning Alfonso XIII would be visiting the German Pavilion at the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, Mies pronounced that the monarch "couldn't just use a kitchen chair." With that in mind, he designed this X-shaped, cantilevered chrome-and-leather structure, an artful reimagination of the folding stools used by ancient Egyptian aristocrats. [SHOP NOW]( [Tank Watch]( It seems ironic that one of the most elegant timepieces ever created was conjured on the battlefields of World War I. In his design, Louis Cartier, grandson of founder Louis-François Cartier, sought to mimic the overhead view of the formidable Renault FT-17 tank. True to its military heritage, the watch is spare and utilitarian. [SHOP NOW]( [Flexible]( This 2016 hand-numbered print is from a limited-edition reproduction of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1984 masterpiece Flexible. The original was made from wooden fence rails the artist took from his patio in Venice, California, exemplifying the way he repurposed discarded objects for museum-quality work. The use of this "debris" allows the viewer to consider the piece organically, detached from any cultural or historical conceptions of high art. Unlike the black male figures so often seen in his work, this one appears otherworldy and informed by Basquiat's fascination with Afro-Caribbean images of divinity and power. [SHOP NOW]( [Artichoke Lamp]( Since its 1958 debut, Henningsen’s iconic fixture has forever changed the lighting landscape. At a time when function took precedence over form, the Danish architect set out to conceive of a lamp that would remain beautiful when it was extinguished. His opportunity came when he was tasked with producing lights for a Copenhagen restaurant. His sculptural solution was composed of 72 copper leaves, painted in a soft pink color, that would obscure the lightbulb while bathing patrons in a warm glow. [SHOP NOW]( [#alt] [George Nakashima Conoid Chair]( [Picasso Ceramics]( [Tiffany Diamonds by the Yard]( [Bullseye Mirrors]( [Le Corbusier LC4 Chaise Longue]( [Saarinen Pedestal Table]( [Albrecht Durer Prints]( [19th Century Suzani Rugs]( [DISCOVER MORE ICONIC DESIGNS]( [Barcelona Chair Blog]( From Our Blog [Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair Shook Modernism and Charmed Hollywood]( [READ NOW]( [Enjoy $100 off your purchase of $500+ with Apple Pay. Use code APPLEPAY.*]( [Enjoy $100 off your purchase of $500+ with Apple Pay. Use code APPLEPAY.*]( [Thank you]( [1stdibs Promise]( [1stdibs Promise]( *The next purchase (of over $500, excluding shipping and taxes) from [1stdibs.com]( that you complete with Apple Pay as the payment method during the period of June 17th – July 1st, 2020, using the code APPLEPAY, will receive $100 off a purchase of $500 or more (before shipping and taxes). Offer may be withdrawn or changed without notice. This code and discount may only be used one time by any purchaser, and the discount is only available and valid from 6/17/2020 through 7/1/2020. [1stDibs]( 51 Astor Place New York, NY, 10003, US To unsubscribe from 1stDibs promotional emails, click [here]( [View in Browser](