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Bauhaus Vitrines

BAUHAUS STYLE

The Bauhaus was a progressive German art and design school founded by the architect Walter Gropius that operated from 1919 to 1933. Authentic Bauhaus furnituresofas, dining chairs, tables and more — and the school’s followers married industrial and natural materials in simple, geometric forms. The goal of the Bauhaus was to erase the distinction between art and craft while embracing the use of new technologies and materials.

ORIGINS OF BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGN

  • Emphasis on craft
  • Simplicity, order, clarity and a prioritization of functionalism
  • Incorporation of geometric shapes
  • Minimalist and refined, little to no ornamentation
  • Use of industrial materials such as tubular chrome, steel and plastic as well as leather, cane and molded plywood in furniture and other products

BAUHAUS FURNITURE DESIGNERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

AUTHENTIC BAUHAUS FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The name Bauhaus is derived from the German verb bauen, “to build.” Under the school’s innovative curriculum, students were taught the fine arts, such as painting and sculpture, as well as practical skills like carpentry and metalworking. 

The school moved from Weimar in 1925 to the city of Dessau, where it enjoyed its heyday under Gropius, then Hannes Meyer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The period from 1932 to 1933 when it operated in Berlin under Mies was its final chapter. Despite its brief existence, the Bauhaus has had an enduring impact on art and design in the United States and elsewhere, and is regarded by many as the 20th century’s chief crucible of modernism

The faculty roster at the Bauhaus reads like a who’s who of modernist creative genius — it included such artists as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and László Moholy-Nagy along with architects and designers like Mies and Marcel Breuer, who became known for his muscular brutalist-style concrete buildings in the postwar years. In 1925, while he was head of the Bauhaus carpentry workshop, Breuer gave form to his signature innovation: the use of lightweight tubular-steel frames for chairs, side tables and sofas — a technique soon adopted by Mies and others. Breuer’s Cesca chair was the first-ever tubular steel frame chair with a caned seat to be mass produced, while the inspiration for his legendary Wassily chair, a timeless design and part of the collection crafted to furnish the Dessau school, was the bike he rode around campus.

Bauhaus design style reflects the tenets by which these creators worked: simplicity, clarity and function. They disdained superfluous ornament in favor of precise construction. Seating pieces such as side chairs, armchairs or club chairs for example, were made with tubular metal or molded plywood frames, and upholstery was made from leather or cane. Above all, designs in the Bauhaus style offer aesthetic flexibility. They can be the elements of a wholly spare, minimalist space, the quiet foundation of an environment in which color and pattern come from one’s own collection of art and artifacts.

Today, from textiles to typefaces, architecture, furniture and decorative objects for the home, Bauhaus creations continue to have an outsize influence on modern design.

Find a collection of authentic Bauhaus furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Bauhaus
Marcel Breuer S40 cabinet for Tecta Germany 1980
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare display cabinet model S40, originally designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925. Re-editioned by Tecta Germany in the 1980s. Marcel Breuer always had a structural and architectural way ...
Category

1920s German Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Glass, Beech

Bauhaus Chrome-Plated Tubular Steel Étagère / Flower Stand, 1930s
Located in Lucenec, SK
Chrome-plated tubular steel étagère made in the 1930s with glass shelves. Chrome plating is in original condition.
Category

1930s Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Bauhaus Corner Vitrine Oak with 2 Glass Shelves and Light
Located in Weiningen, CH
Bauhaus corner vitrine oak with 2 glass shelves and light.
Category

1930s German Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Glass, Oak

Minimalist Free-Standing Wire Bookshelf by Tjerk Reijenga for Pilastro
Located in Antwerp, BE
Pilastro wire bookshelf with original enameled metal plates in white and red. In original condition with visible signs of wear and some paint loss and m...
Category

1950s Dutch Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Wire

Ernst Rockhausen Bauhaus Style Plywood and Oak Display Cabinet, Germany, 1920s
Located in Almelo, NL
Ernst Rockhausen Bauhaus style plywood and oak display cabinet, Germany, 1920s Size: 88" W 26-16" D 98.5" H. This furniture comes in 2 parts.  
Category

Early 20th Century German Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Glass, Oak

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Bauhaus Steeltube Étagère, Nickel and Black Lacquer, Germany/Czechia, 1930s
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1930s German Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

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Gilt Metal Flowers Decorated Italian Pyramid Shape Display Shelves Etagere Table
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Gilt metal flowers decorated Italian pyramid shape display shelves etagere table. 4 Tier etagere decorative accent shelf display unit.
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20th Century Italian Bauhaus Vitrines

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Barbara Barry for Henredon Vitrine Cabinet with Glass Doors and Shelves
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Barbara Barry for Henredon wooden bow front vitrine cabinet from the late 20th century with oval motifs, glass doors and glass shelves. Designed by Barbara Barry for Henredon during the later years of the 20th century, this wooden cabinet features a thin curving cornice sitting above two bow-front glass doors, adorned with thin oval motifs and fitted with a single brass pull. These doors open to reveal four glass in wooden frames inner shelves offering convenient display opportunities. The ensemble is raised on four short tapered feet. The décor on the side shows great restraint as it is left bare and the back is simply planked. With its clean lines and modern design, this Barbary Barry for Henredon vintage vitrine...
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Late 20th Century American Bauhaus Vitrines

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Renato Zevi Chrome and Brass Small Étagère
Located in Hanover, MA
This is a chromed steel and brass trim small scale étagère, in the round, open from all sides, with four removable tempered safety glass shelves; two center, one floating on top and ...
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1970s Italian Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

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Wall Unit by Tjerk Reijenga for Pilastro with Die Cut Magazine Shelve
Located in Appeltern, Gelderland
Vintage industrial wall system / bookshelves, designed by Tjerk Reijenga for Pilastro, Holland 1960s. Very nice and complete wall unit with some rare pieces included, it contains 2 cabinet, a die cut magazine shelve, a grey/taupe lamp...
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Mid-20th Century Dutch Bauhaus Vitrines

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Hollywood Regency Italian Chrome and Brass Etagere by Renato Zevi, 1970s
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning Hollywood Regency etagere or display piece. Design by Renato Zevi. Striking Italian design from the 1970s. Original chrome and brass frame with five glass shelves. This ...
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1970s Italian Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

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Gilbert Rohde for Herman Miller Display Cabinet from Formal Dining Room Line
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Gilbert Rohde formal dining room display/ China cabinet. Designed in the mid 1930's, unique design that has glass corners and combination of exotic ...
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1930s American Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

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Stainless Steel

Brass Chrome Glass Tall Etagere
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Mixed metals Mid-Century Modern etagere.
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20th Century American Bauhaus Vitrines

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Brass Chrome Glass Tall Etagere
Brass Chrome Glass Tall Etagere
H 75 in W 14 in D 31 in
Renato Zevi Étagères Shelving Shelf Chrome and Brass Glass
Located in Vienna, AT
Renato Zevi étagères shelving shelf chrome and brass glass, Italy, circa 1970 Beautiful 6' 8 shelves by Renato Zevi, Italy, 1970. It comes with ...
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1970s Italian Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

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Brass, Chrome

1800s Dutch Oak Vitrine
Located in High Point, NC
The silhouette of this antique oak vitrine evokes the lavish beauty of the Baroque. Built in the Netherlands circa 1800, serpentine drawers are crowned by an arched cabinet...
Category

19th Century Dutch Antique Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Brass

1800s Dutch Oak Vitrine
1800s Dutch Oak Vitrine
H 96.5 in W 71.3 in D 24.8 in
Art Deco Signed Wolfgang Hoffmann for Romweber World's Fair Display Cabinet
Located in Forney, TX
A rare and important Art Deco period Century of Progress Display Cabinet designed by Wolfgang Hoffmann (Austrian, 1900-1969) for Romweber Company, Batesville, Indiana, United States of America. circa 1933-1936 Created for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, one piece design, having a rectangular showcase top with glass panel sides and a pair of sliding glass doors, over solid wood chest fitted with four drawers affixed with horizontal pulls, flanked by cabinet doors, opening to shelved interior. Rosewood, mahogany, richly figured blonde - golden birch or primavera, and glass. Signed, original label to drawer interior, featuring 1933 World's Fair mark impressed. **Please note, at the time of writing this, a matching sideboard - buffet (shown in last photo) is currently available separately** Provenance / Acquisition: Property from the important and iconic collection of Mr. James I. Rafftesaeth Jr., Dallas, Texas Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas. 2022 Design Signature Auction catalog #8091 History: Wolfgang Hoffmann was born in Vienna, Austria in 1900. He is the son of famous architect, pedagogue and Wiener Werkstatte cofounder, Joseph Hoffmann (1870-1956). Early on, following his father’s s interests, he was trained in the decorative arts and design. Wolfgang Hoffmann once reminisced, “I spent eight years at the Realschule, then three years went to a special architectural school, where I perfected my technical knowledge of architecture and general construction. From this school, I was graduated to the Kunstgewerbeschule [Studying under Oskar Strnad and Josef Frank in Vienna]. After finishing this school, I had one and a half years of practical in a well known architect’s office. Thereafter I worked in my Father’s office for two years”. Hoffmann met his future wife, Polish immigrant Pola (1902-1984) when they were both studying at the Kunstgewerbeschule. Joseph Urban (1872-1933) was needing an assistant for his architectural business in New York and contacted his friend and colleague, Joseph Hoffmann in Vienna. Hoffmann recommended his son Wolfgang. Urban hired him and sent a first class passage ticket to Vienna for Wolfgang to travel to New York. Wolfgang married Pola and traded his ticket for two tickets to America in steerage, arriving in New York City in December of 1925. Leaving the Urban office after nine months, Wolfgang and Pola formed an independent design practice with offices on Madison Avenue in Manhattan with the purpose of creating contemporary interiors and industrial designs. Early work included theaters, stores, and apartments mostly in New York City. During the late 1920’s and early 1930’s the Hoffmanns designed custom furniture for private clients. Some of these examples were shown in the February 1929 issue of House and Garden. Curiously, the examples’ design was attributed to Urban and the production to Pola Hoffmann, Inc. Established in the fall of 1928, the American Designers’ Gallery was “devoted exclusively to showing objects and interiors for practical use… by fourteen American architects and designers”. Its members included the Hoffmans and Urban as well as ceramist Henry Varnum Poor (1888-1971), architect Raymond Hood (1881-1934), artist designer Winold Reiss (1886-1953), graphic designer Lucien Bernhard (1896-1981), decorator Donald Deskey (1894-1989), and architect Ely Jacques Kahn (1884-1972). The Hoffmanns’ work was included in the American Designers’ Gallery’s two showcase events, its 1928 and 1929 exhibitions. Their dining alcove at the 1929 event featured a bench with a dinette table and two chairs in American walnut designed by Wolfgang and a rug by Pola. Lucien Bernhard, fellow Austrian immigrant who settled in New York a year before the Hoffmanns, operated the gallery and decorating service Contempora with Munich resident Bruno Paul (1874-1968). The Hoffmanns, occasionally participating with Contempora, designed a number of outstanding interiors, including the constructivist living room of 1930 for Mrs. O.R. Sommerich at 40 East 66th street. In 1934, Donald Deskey commissioned Wolfgang to design birchwood furnishings for the eclectic apartment at 625 Park Avenue belonging to Helena Rubinstein. In 1931, Wolfgang exhibited his work at the Pennsylvania Art Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The same year, with Kem Weber (1889-1963) he organized the second and final exhibition of AUDAC- “Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts”- at the Brooklyn Museum. At this event, the Hoffmanns showed the dining room previously included in the American Designer’s Gallery’s 1929 exhibition in the Chase Bank Building lobby at 145 West 57th Street in Manhattan. In 1932 Wolfgang was asked to assist Urban in developing the color scheme for the 1933-34 Chicago World’s Fair “A Century of Progress”. He was also commissioned to design the interior and furniture for the fair’s lumber industries house. There he executed its living and dining rooms furnished by Kroehler Manufacturing Company of Chicago; the boys’ room by Shower Brothers...
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Early 20th Century American Bauhaus Vitrines

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Glass, Mahogany, Rosewood

19th Century Large French Oak Directoire Library Cabinet
Located in Surrey, BC
Beautiful six-door cabinet with brass details and adjustable solid oak shelves. Fantastic patina/age-cracked finish on the cabinet's original, untouched surface. This fully functioni...
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Mid-19th Century French Antique Bauhaus Vitrines

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Oak, Walnut

Previously Available Items
Marcel Breuer, Vintage Vitrine / Cabinet, Model "S40", Designed in 1925
Located in Odense, DK
Rare vintage vitrine in glas, wood and metal. Designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925. This model is produced by Tecta on licens - a custom made model in th...
Category

Mid-20th Century European Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Metal

Bauhaus Chrome-Plated Tubular Steel Étagère / Flower Stand, 1930s
Located in Lucenec, SK
Chrome-plated tubular steel étagère designed by Emile Guyot and made in the 1930s with glass shelves. Chrome plating is in original condition.
Category

1930s Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Bauhaus Chrome-Plated Tubular Steel Étagère / Flower Stand, 1930s
Located in Lucenec, SK
Chrome-plated tubular steel étagère designed by Emile Guyot and made in the 1930s with glass shelves. Chrome plating is in original condition.
Category

1930s Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Chrome, Steel

Bauhaus Chrome-Plated Tubular Steel Étagère / Flower Stand, 1930s
Located in Lucenec, SK
Chrome-plated tubular steel étagère designed by Emile Guyot and made in the 1930s with opaxite glass shelves. Chrome plating is in original condition.
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1930s Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

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Steel, Chrome

Unusual Completely Restored Oak Bauhaus Spatial Showcase from Germany, 1930s
Located in Horomerice, CZ
20th century Bauhas Spatial display cabinet (Showcase) Completely restored Material: Oak, glass and chrome Source: Germany Period: 1930-1939.  
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20th Century German Bauhaus Vitrines

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Chrome

Pair of Bauhaus Style Black Lacquer, Burled Wood and Chrome Display Counters
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This pair of Minimalist styled display counters with rounded ends feature and elegant top glass and chrome section with burled wood floor above a black lacquered body adorned with bu...
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Late 20th Century American Bauhaus Vitrines

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Chrome

Bauhaus Library, Germany, circa 1925, Low Depth, Walnut Veneer and Chrome-Metals
Located in Regensburg, DE
Big Bauhaus library/book shelf from Germany around 1925 Low depth for books of only 16 inches (what is very rare) Four doors, can be dismantled completely. Chromed metal fittings a...
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1920s German Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

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Metal

Industrial Bauhaus Display Cabinet / Vitrine, 1930s
Located in Berlin, DE
This Industrial Bauhaus style display cabinet was made circa 1930. The top part features glass and the lower part is closed and features a flap door.
Category

1930s German Vintage Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Metal

Bauhaus vitrines for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Bauhaus vitrines for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage vitrines created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with glass, oak and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Bauhaus vitrines made in a specific country, there are Europe, and Germany pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original vitrines, popular names associated with this style include and Ernst Rockhausen. 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 vitrines differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $503 and tops out at $9,750 while the average work can sell for $2,708.

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