An Italian terracotta garden seat, C. 1920.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Modeled after the ancient Roman Chair of State, this garden seat back is formed from the wings of
Terracotta
$28,000
H 32.25 in W 28 in D 22.5 in
American Classical Revival Macassar Ebony Throne Chair From The Frick Estate
Located in Essex, MA
ancient Roman throne chair. Fricks home 104 room Eagle Rock now gone was the largest home ever built on
Ebony, Macassar
Pair of Barcelona Chairs with Otttomans
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in New York, NY
. Inspired by ancient Roman curule chairs, the Barcelona Chair combines classical form with modern
Steel
$1,800
H 38 in W 24.25 in D 20.25 in
Antique Italian Savonarola Dante Chair Carved Oak Renaissance Lion Shield
Located in Tyler, TX
Girolamo Savonarola, an Italian priest in Florence from 1494-1498~~the design comes from an ancient Roman
Oak
Pair of painted open armchairs/ fauteuils
Located in Cheltenham, GB
and simplicity of ancient Greek and Roman designs, these chairs boast a dignified old paint finish in
Beech
Sold
H 29.5 in W 24 in D 22.44 in
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Period Original Paint Chair Signed Ephraim Stahl
By Ephraim Stahl
Located in Wichita, KS
backrest inspired by ancient Roman "sulla" models. This beautiful chair has been newly upholstered in
Linen, Pine, Paint
Sold
H 33 in W 24.5 in D 20.5 in
20th Century Renaissance Revival Savonarola x Folding Lion Head Throne Armchair
Located in Dayton, OH
brass rings. The Savonarola chair design comes from the ancient Roman X-shaped chair that was very
Brass
Sold
H 47.45 in W 30.12 in D 26.38 in
Fine Antique Hand Carved Walnut Italian Renaissance Revival Savonarola Armchair
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Savonarola chair is another misnamed piece of furniture. The design comes from the ancient Roman X-shaped
Walnut
Sold
H 34.5 in W 26 in D 21.5 in
Antique Carved Mahogany Savonarola Folding X Figural Dragon Throne Arm Chair Sea
Located in Dayton, OH
. The Savonarola chair design comes from the ancient Roman X-shaped chair that was very popular in
Mahogany
Framed Antique Etching by Piranesi of an Ancient Roman Curule Chair
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in New York, NY
Plate 81, "Sedia curule di marmo in prospettiva", from Giovanni Battista Piranesi's Vasi Candelabri Cippi Sarcofagi, first available in bound form in 1778.
Pair of Murano Glass Wall Sconces, Art Deco Style, in Stock
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Murano glass wall sconces, in stock Fume color and horizontal striation texture Black opaline finials and brass accents Art Deco inspired design. Gives off warm beams of lig...
Brass
$1,800
H 15 in W 24 in D 25 in
Mies van der Rohe for Knoll Barcelona Ottomans circa 1979 Pair Available
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Knoll
Located in Atlanta, GA
Iconic Barcelona Stools or Ottomans, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Knoll, American, circa 1979. Signed with Knoll labels underneath. Please note they have some cat scratch...
Metal
$14,699Sale Price|20% Off
H 88.59 in W 55.52 in D 80.71 in
Letto a baldacchino. Italia, inizi del XIX sec
By Non-Standard Furniture and Lighting
Located in Milano, IT
Letto a baldacchino in ferro battuto con pediera e testiera in legno sagomato per poter essere rivestita di tappezzeria. I montanti in ferro battuto come i piedi presentano delle ins...
Wrought Iron
French Art Deco Carved Walnut Chaise
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Fans of the pioneering furniture designer Emile-Jacque Ruhlmann will delight in this glamorous French Art Deco period chaise with a swooping crest of a seat back that rises from the ...
Textile, Walnut
Murano Sputnik Spherical Green Glass and Brass Chandelier
Located in Roma, Lazio
A fantastic emerald green sputnik, with a surprising design and for its very low height, which allows it to fit in both high and low ceilings. Very elegant, it will furnish and decor...
Brass
19th Century Italian Carved Inlaid Walnut Burl Queen Bed
Located in Milano, MI
Italian carved walnut double bed dating back to the first half of 19th century, in good condition, with a great original patina. The elegant and unique bed frame is walnut veneer and...
Walnut, Burl
$2,765Sale Price / set|30% Off
H 30 in W 29 in D 30 in
Pair Italian Leather and Polished Steel Barcelona Lounge Chairs, 4 Available
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in San Francisco, CA
A pair of iconic “Barcelona” chairs in the style of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Initially created for the German Pavilion at the Barcelona exposition, each chair features a sturdy poli...
Leather
$1,650 / set
H 30 in W 31 in D 30 in
Vintage Chair and Ottoman Set in Mies Van der Rohe Barcelona Chair Style
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Chair and Ottoman Set in Mies Van der Rohe Barcelona Chair Style Offered for sale is vintage Barcelona style chair and ottoman originally designed in 1929 by Mies Van der Ro...
Chrome
$2,396Sale Price|20% Off
H 46.5 in W 26.5 in D 27 in
Antique American Robert Mitchell Carved Chinoiserie Savonarola Dragon Chair 1900
Located in Portland, OR
A very rare antique American carved Savanarola dragon chair, by Robert Mitchell, circa 1900. This most unusual chair by Robert Mitchell (formerly Mitchell and Rammelsberg) follows a ...
Mahogany
$3,080
H 26 in Dm 37 in
Antique French Round Table Entry Sofa Foyer Coffee Table Renaissance Revival Oak
Located in Tyler, TX
Superb highly carved late 19th century antique oak round entry, coffee, sofa, center, parlor or end table ~~Victorian Era Renaissance Revival ~~c. 1890s These versatile tables were ...
Oak
$2,800Sale Price|30% Off
H 95.5 in W 59.5 in D 21.5 in
Antique French Renaissance Revival Walnut Buffet Cabinet Cupboard Hutch 96"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique French Renaissance / Henry II style walnut buffet a deux corps / vaisselier / cupboard / cabinet / hutch featuring Neoclassical carved figural / floral / acanthus theme. The...
Walnut
$2,450Sale Price|47% Off
H 30 in W 34.5 in D 50 in
Antique Quartersawn Oak French Renaissance Revival Dining Table Library Desk
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique 19th Century Figural French Renaissance Revival / Elizabethan style Dining or Library Table. A rectangular form made from oak with a quartersawn top. Features a thick gadroon...
Oak
$16,546
H 25.6 in W 37.8 in D 77.96 in
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Bauhaus Brown Leather Barcelona Daybed for Knoll
By Knoll, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Vicenza, IT
Barcelona daybed, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 and manufactured by Knoll International. Made of chromed steel and coffee brown leather. Fully restored in Italy. The ...
Chrome
$1,675
H 35.5 in W 24.5 in D 18 in
Antique Italian Inlaid Savonarola Chair Reupholstered in Your Fabric
By Carlo Bugatti
Located in Atlanta, GA
Antique Italian Inlaid Savonarola Chair, Italy, late 19th Century. It is currently being reupholstered, and can be completed in your fabric. Simply send us two yards of your fabric a...
Bone, Upholstery, Wood
$6,360
H 30.32 in W 29.53 in D 29.93 in
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Bauhaus Red Barcelona Lounge Chair for Knoll, 1972
By Knoll, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Vicenza, IT
Barcelona lounge chair, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 and manufactured by Knoll International in 1972. Made of chromed steel and leather. Excellent vintage condition. ...
Chrome
$3,500
H 41 in W 32.5 in D 27 in
Antique Italian Hand Carved Walnut Renaissance Dragon & Knight Throne Chair 1880
Located in Portland, OR
A fine & remarkable carved walnut Renaissance Revival Italian Curule chair, carved with Dragons & Knights, circa 1880. The chair having a very finely carved top crest with a pair of ...
Upholstery, Walnut
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.
Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.
Andrianna Shamaris has filled her epic new home with pieces of her own design.
Top interior designers show — and tell — us how to create delectable spaces for hosting dinner parties.
With its plush cushions, cane details and dazzlingly colorful back, it’s inviting from every angle.
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
The plush Cove Slipper 2.5 Seater sofa is just one of many convenient combinations from the London-based maker.
Sam Klemick's cool stool is edgy, cozy and environmentally sustainable all at once.
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.