Are Wassily chairs mid-century modern?

Yes, Wassily chairs are indeed considered mid-century modern. Although the chair was initially designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925, it was re-released in the 1960s. Shop a collection of mid-century modern goods from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

What is an iconic chair from the mid-century modern era?

Some iconic chairs from the mid-century modern era include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobson, the La Chaise by Charles and Ray Eames and the Womb chair by Eero Saarinen. With their clean lines, organic shapes and simple details, these chairs reflect some of the key features of the style. Shop a variety of mid-century modern chairs on 1stDibs.

Mid-Century Modern Bone Chairs

Heywood Wakefield Dog Bone Chairs

Mies Van Der Rohe Chrome Chairs

Saarinen Womb Chair

Heywood Wakefield Dining Room Furniture

John Brown Chair

Karl Springer Bone

Materials

Chrome

Large Wacky Bull Bone Throne Chair, Mid-Century Modern, Germany, 1930

$5,216Sale Price|20% Off

Large Wacky Bull Bone Throne Chair, Mid-Century Modern, Germany, 1930

Located in Berghuelen, DE

Large Wacky Bull Bone Throne Chair, circa 1930 A great piece of fantasy furniture - a large throne chair made of original bones from the male cattle (Bos taurus). All parts are made...

Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Bone

Vintola Studio Dining Chair, Alpaca Wool Mohair, by Zak Fox, Europe.

Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL

Springy, very comfortable and stabile dining seats. They are contemporary chairs inspired of 1960s style. They can be used as armchairs and dining chairs. Chair was designed by Vi...

Category

2010s Polish Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Jacquard, Velvet, Beech

$5,216Sale Price|20% Off

Large Vintage Cow Bone Throne Armchair, Germany, circa 1930

Located in Berghuelen, DE

A great piece of fantasy furniture - a throne chair made of original bones from the female cattle (Bos taurus). All parts are made of real cattle bones sticked together with iron rod...

Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Bone

Mid-Century Modern Expandable Tessellated End Table in the Style Enrique Garcel

$1,120Sale Price|36% Off

Mid-Century Modern Expandable Tessellated End Table in the Style Enrique Garcel

By Enrique Garcel

Located in Plainview, NY

A striking Mid-Century Modern tessellated bone coffee or end table crafted in the style of Enrique Garcel, celebrated for his luxurious organic materials and sculptural forms.

Category

Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Wood

Mid-Century Modern Ceramic Centerpiece, Made in England, 1940s

$4,400

Mid-Century Modern Ceramic Centerpiece, Made in England, 1940s

Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C

In 1904 the first Jansen branch outside Paris was established in Buenos Aires, as the Argentinean clientele demanded a large amount of furniture, from the end of the 19th century to ...

Category

Vintage 1940s English Art Deco Centerpieces

Materials

Ceramic

Early 2001 Vitra Eames La Chaise – Labeled, Sculptural Bone-White Patina

$9,750

Early 2001 Vitra Eames La Chaise – Labeled, Sculptural Bone-White Patina

By Charles and Ray Eames, Vitra

Located in Dronten, NL

This sculptural showstopper is more than a chair—it’s a piece of design history that offers endless lounging possibilities. Presenting a Vitra-produced Eames La Chaise in wonderful v...

Category

Early 2000s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues

Materials

Steel, Chrome

$7,750 / item

Exotic Wood Contemporary Upholstered Settee from Costantini, Belgrano

By Costantini

Located in New York, NY

The Belgrano Settee is inspired by mid-twentieth century modernist design and features an ergonomic backrest. It can be customized into any size. Shown in Argentine Rosewood and C.O....

Category

2010s Argentine Modern Settees

Materials

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Pair of Mid Century Modern Oak Lounge Chairs by Harold Schwartz for Romweber Co.

Located in New York, NY

This stunning pair of Mid-Century Modern button back lounge chairs were designed by Harold Schwartz for the Romweber Furniture Company circa 1950.

Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Oak

Pair of Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs in Red Vinyl, Italy or France, 1960s

Sold

H 33 in W 30 in D 30.75 in

Pair of Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs in Red Vinyl, Italy or France, 1960s

By Pierre Guariche, Marco Zanuso

Located in Los Angeles, CA

A bold and sculptural pair of Mid-Century Modern lounge chairs, likely produced in Italy or France during the 1960s.

Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel

Sold

H 39 in W 20.75 in D 26 in

Set of Six Enrique Garcel Bone Tessellated Dining Chairs, Karl Springer

By Karl Springer

Located in Stamford, CT

Set of six Mid-Century Modern tessellated bone and upholstered dining chairs attributed to Karl Springer.

Materials

Faux Leather, Birch

Pair of Mid-Century Modernist Klismos Style Chairs in Ebonized Walnut

Sold

H 28.5 in W 24.5 in D 24 in

Pair of Mid-Century Modernist Klismos Style Chairs in Ebonized Walnut

Located in New York, NY

This pair of ultra-chic Mid-Century chairs features a klismos style back, ebonized walnut frame, gently tapering legs, and new metallic antique bone upholstery.

Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Slipper Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Rare Mexican Modern Chair by Don Shoemaker

Sold

H 29 in W 23 in D 25 in

Rare Mexican Modern Chair by Don Shoemaker

By Don S. Shoemaker

Located in Round Rock, TX

Incredibly uncommon chair designed by Don Shoemaker. This beauty was designed in 1960 and referred as silla “Tubo”. Made from cocobolo, leather and tubular steel stretchers that fit ...

Category

Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel

H 26.5 in W 22.5 in D 25 in

Early Eames Walnut LCW (lounge chair wood) c 1950s. Classic Modernist Design

By Charles Eames

Located in Buffalo, NY

The iconic LCW (Lounge Chair Wood) design has earned its place in the most important private and public collections the world over and for good reason. Using technology they develope...

Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Materials

Chrome

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Mid-Century Modern Bone Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs

An assortment of mid-century modern bone chairs is available at 1stDibs. Frequently made of wood, fabric and bone, all mid-century modern bone chairs available were constructed with great care. Mid-century modern bone chairs have long been popular, with older editions for sale from the 19th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 20th Century. Mid-century modern bone chairs are generally popular furniture pieces, but Mid-Century Modern style is often sought at 1stDibs. Many mid-century modern bone chairs are appealing in their simplicity, but Heywood-Wakefield Co., Enrique Garcel and Karl Springer produced popular mid-century modern bone chairs that are worth a look.

How Much are Mid-Century Modern Bone Chairs?

Mid-century modern bone chairs can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price at 1stDibs is $3,800, while the lowest priced sells for $1,800 and the highest can go for as much as $15,000.

A Close Look at Mid-century Modern Furniture

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

Emerged during the mid-20th century
Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
A heyday of innovation in postwar America
Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe

CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
Promotion of functionality

MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

Charles and Ray Eames
Eero Saarinen
Milo Baughman
Florence Knoll
Harry Bertoia
Isamu Noguchi
George Nelson
Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa

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 celebrated 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.

Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. 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.

Finding the Right Seating for You

With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.

Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.

Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.

The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.

Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.

With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.

Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.

No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.

Questions About Mid-Century Modern Bone Chairs

Are Wassily chairs mid-century modern?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Yes, Wassily chairs are indeed considered mid-century modern. Although the chair was initially designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925, it was re-released in the 1960s. Shop a collection of mid-century modern goods from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
What is an iconic chair from the mid-century modern era?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023
Some iconic chairs from the mid-century modern era include the Egg chair by Arne Jacobson, the La Chaise by Charles and Ray Eames and the Womb chair by Eero Saarinen. With their clean lines, organic shapes and simple details, these chairs reflect some of the key features of the style. Shop a variety of mid-century modern chairs on 1stDibs.

How Top Designers Are Using Mid-Century Chairs in Today’s Interiors

Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.

The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs

You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.

Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair Shook Modernism and Charmed Hollywood

The enduring appeal of the Barcelona chair is in the details.

Herman Miller Got Its Start in the Office, but Its Legacy Is in the Home

The brand that turned Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson into mid-century household names is just as relevant today as it was six decades ago.