UP5 La Big Mamma Chair & UP6 Ottoman Gaetano Pesce, 2000s
Located in PARIS, FR
Designed in 1969 by Gaetano Pesce for C&B Italia — soon to become B&B Italia — the UP5/6, known as "La Mamma" or "Donna," remains one of the most politically charged objects ...
Fabric, Foam
MINT Black UP5 La Big Mamma UP 2000 Chair & UP6 Ottoman Gaetano Pesce B&B Italia
By B&B Italia, Gaetano Pesce
Located in Basel, BS
Often referred to as the "Big Mama Chair" or "La Mamma," it is distinguished by its organic, sculptural form that harmoniously merges comfort with aesthetic appeal.
Fabric, Upholstery, Foam
Sold
H 40.56 in W 47.25 in D 51.19 in
UP5_6 armchair from the UP 2000 series, by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Langemark-Poelkapelle, BE
This iconic UP5_6 armchair from the UP 2000 series, designed by Gaetano Pesce and re-released by B&B Italia in 2000, is a true design statement and a must-have for lovers of vintage ...
Fabric, Foam
'UP4' Loveseat Sofa by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia, Signed
By Gaetano Pesce, B&B Italia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Within the UP2000 Series there is the UP1, UP2, and UP3 chairs, UP4 loveseat settee, UP5 Big Mamma Lounge Chair and matching UP6 Ottoman, and UP7 lounge chair shaped as a dark foot. ...
Fabric, Jute, Nylon
$15,439 / item
H 32.68 in W 110.24 in D 40.56 in
Art Deco Sofa by Munna Design Studio with Velvet Upholstery
By Munna Design Studio
Located in New York, NY
This sofa features a wonderfully elegant fan-shaped motif, with its accentuated curvy lines with decadent and lavish finish. The feminine curves are ravishingly enhanced by the diffe...
Velvet
Rosso Glass Wall Mirror
By Specchi Veneziani
Located in Milan, IT
Crafted in the finest Murano tradition, this exquisite Venetian mirror is a true work of art. Assembled with crystal and gold elements, and adorned with red glass flowers, each piece...
Glass
$1,724 / item
H 15.75 in Dm 43.31 in
Contemporary Art Deco Mint green and Red powder coated Carousel 5 arms pendant
By Mambo Unlimited Ideas
Located in Lisbon, PT
Carousel suspension lamp has a delicate balance of form and function that produces a quiet, modern light ambiance for all to savour, with its Contemporary Art Deco lines. The struct...
Metal
Cubosfera glass table lamp by Alessandro Mendini, Italy, 1968
By Alessandro Mendini
Located in Argelato, BO
"Cubosfera" table lamp designed by the Italian architect and designer Alessandro Mendini and created by Fidenza Vetraria. Italy, 1968 This is one of Alessandro Mendini's most iconic...
Glass
Procession — Contemporary Entomological Assemblage by Hasharat
Located in New York, NY
“Procession” by Hasharat is a contemporary entomological artwork featuring an exquisitely curated lineup of global beetles and other insects arranged in a vertical, march-like format...
Glass
Frank Gehry Wiggle Chair forVitra. Switzerland, late 20th C.
By Vitra, Frank Gehry
Located in London, GB
Simple yet subtly futuristic, the design of this famous chair was Frank Gehry’s answer to a unique challenge: quickly creating furniture for a meeting of artists and NASA scientists ...
Paper
$6,131
H 28.35 in W 70.08 in D 38.59 in
Le Bambole sofa in velvet By Mario Bellini For B&B Italia, 1970s
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in ABCOUDE, UT
Beautiful Le Bambole sofa in coral/pink coloured velvet designed by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia in the 1970s. This beautiful edition is reupholstered in a high quality cotton velve...
Velvet
Up, Up and Away: Large Vintage Hot Air Ballon Chandelier, 58" H
Located in New York, NY
A whimsical and finely crafted vintage chandelier modeled in the form of a hot air balloon, constructed of patinated metal with an openwork wire frame forming the balloon canopy abov...
Metal
Roche Bobois Eighteen Piece Mah Jong Set
By Roche Bobois, Hans Hopfer
Located in Rochester, England
The Roche Bobois Mah Jong Sofa, a design icon by Hans Hopfer, epitomises modular versatility and luxurious comfort. The set showcases Roche Bobois' signature patterns, creating a har...
Foam, Upholstery
Pair of "Garden Egg" Epoxy Chairs by Peter Ghyczy
By Peter Ghyczy
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare pair of Garden Egg chairs in original condition, including original cloth upholstery. The Garden Egg chair was designed by the Hungarian émigré Peter Ghyczy 1968, who started ...
Epoxy Resin
Pair of 'Buriti' Vases
By Fernando and Humberto Campana
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Pair of ‘Buriti’ Vases By Fernando & Humberto Campana of Estudio Campana Brazil, Circa 2004 Ethylene Vinyl Acetate and Glass 20”D x 16¼”H
Glass, Plastic
Limited Edition Salvador Dali Armchair, "Invisible Personage"
By BD Barcelona Design, Salvador Dalí
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Indulge in a rare opportunity to own a piece of art history with this Limited Edition Salvador Dali Armchair, featuring the artist's iconic "Invisible Personage" design. One of only ...
Sheepskin, Upholstery, Lacquer
$11,550
H 28.75 in W 68.12 in D 34.65 in
Mario Bellini "Le Bambole" Sofa for B&B Italia, Dark Brown Suede, 1971
By B&B Italia, Mario Bellini
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Mario Bellini “Le Bambole” sofa for B&B Italia, dark brown suede, Italy, 1971. This is a timeless Postmodern design icon. The starting point was a shopping bag containing formle...
Foam, Suede
$23,600 / item
H 36.62 in Dm 49.22 in
Gufram Pratone Forever Greener Chaise Lounge by Ceretti, Derossi & Rosso
By Riccardo Rosso, Piero Derossi and Giorgio Ceretti, Gufram Furniture
Located in La Morra, Cuneo
PRATONE® FOREVER is the version which was born to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the timeless icon PRATONE®, a myth which reinvents itself and becomes eternal, approaching the dim...
Wool, Bouclé, Foam
Verner Panton 'Easy' Sofa for Verpan
By Verner Panton
Located in Tilburg, NL
Verner Panton 'Easy' sofa for Verpan. Designed in 1963. New, current production. With its round shapes and layered design, the Easy collection stands out as one of the most visually...
Fabric
$6,956 / item
H 30.32 in W 39.38 in D 33.47 in
Senzafine Seat Armchair in Polyurethane Green by Gaetano Pesce
By Gaetano Pesce
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Colourful tangles giving life to a geometric and dynamic seating. A series of joyfully inconsistent seats, a manifesto of Meritalia’s pop-modern identity. Senzafine - Italian for “e...
Plastic
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.