Black Shell Chairs
Sylvie Chair in Black Pen Shell by R & Y Augousti
By R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Sylvie chair is an iconic design by R & Y Augousti. One of their very first designs, this majestic and ethereal piece is a statement in any space. This piece has been photographe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Chairs
Materials
Brass
Sylvie Chair in Black Pen Shell by R & Y Augousti
By R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Sylvie chair is an iconic design by R & Y Augousti. One of their very first designs, this majestic and ethereal piece is a statement in any space. This piece has been photographe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Chairs
Materials
Brass
Italian Inlaid Folding Savonarola Chair
Located in North York, ON
Original folding chair with finely carved detailed patterns and mother of pearl inlay.
Price includes complimentary curb side delivery to the continental USA.
Category
Early 20th Century Italian Renaissance Armchairs
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century Lacquer Side Chairs with Mother of Pearl Inlay
Located in New Orleans, LA
If you appreciate lacquer and mother of pearl, these chairs may be just the ticket for you.
Category
Antique 19th Century English Chairs
Materials
Lacquer, Mother-of-Pearl
H 32.75 in W 15.25 in D 15.88 in
Sylvie Chair in Black Pen Shell by R & Y Augousti
By R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Sylvie chair is an iconic design by R & Y Augousti. One of their very first designs, this majestic and ethereal piece is a statement in any space. This piece has been photographe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Chairs
Materials
Brass
19th Century Victorian Inlaid Mother-of-Pearl & Gilt Papier Mache Chair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th Century Victorian inlaid mother-of-pearl & gilt papier mache chair.
This elegantly shaped chair is detailed with Mother Of Pearl inlaid patterns of flowers and birds in fligh...
Category
Antique 1870s English Victorian Chairs
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl
People Also Browsed
Murano Round Green Glass and Brass Modern Wall Light, 2020
Located in Rome, IT
Very special Murano glass wall light, stylish and elegant, their design truly unique in their kind. Beautiful coloring.
The wall light is composed of a brass stem where a system f...
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Materials
Brass
"Chital" 2-Top Side Table in Bronze-Patina Brass by Kifu, Paris
By Kifu Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Chital 2-top side table is both dramatic and organic it’s unique design. The 2-top sits and pair of ethereal and sculptural legs are all fully inlaid in bronze-patina brass. This...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Side Tables
Materials
Brass
Shuffle mh1 Spectrum Side Table by Mia Hamborg for & Tradition
By Mia Hamborg
Located in Dubai, AE
The Shuffle side table in Spectrum colors seems to conjure images of classic wooden toys and with good reason.
The choice of colors and the fact that you can unify and construct the...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Side Tables
Materials
Wood
Pair of Art Deco Style Murano Glass Wall Sconces, 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...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Deco Wall Lights and Sconces
Materials
Brass
Betty Custom Made to Order Sconce by Lightmaker Studio
By Lightmaker Studio
Located in Kingston, Ontario
With curvaceous shapes and a nipped centre, Betty is a modern take on midcentury era design. Sculptural mold-blown glass spheres glow in opal opaque, semi-opaque colors or clear glas...
Category
2010s Canadian Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Materials
Brass
Mawu Sculpted Oak Chair by Laura Gonzalez
By laura gonzalez
Located in Paris, FR
Original chair in golden oak, satin finish. Flared legs, backrest and seat upholstered in a textured cream fabric by Dedar.
Category
2010s French Modern Chairs
Materials
Oak
Strelitzia Modern Solid Brass Upholstered Luxury Dining Chair by Egg Designs
By Egg Designs
Located in Bothas Hill, KZN
The Strelitzia bespoke, dining chair is designed by Egg Designs and manufactured in South Africa.
This luxury dining chair has a backrest of solid sand cast brass, the method of ...
Category
2010s South African Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Brass
H 35.04 in W 27.56 in D 27.56 in
Giraffe dining Chair in Solid Brazilian Wood by Juliana Vasconcellos
By Juliana Lima Vasconcellos
Located in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
The Giraffe dining chair was designed with soft curves and slender, but with volume, bringing comfort and elegance. The base structure was thought with three feet. The upholstered se...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Wood
H 33.47 in W 17.72 in D 20.08 in
Art Deco Style Black Marble Quartz Top and Oval Brass Bar Cabinet or Counter
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Oval black bevelled quartz marble stone tray, curved and rounded lines bar or counter table sparkling and sophisticated with black lacquered wooden and brass finishes, opening shelve...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Art Deco Carts and Bar Carts
Materials
Marble
H 41.74 in W 105.52 in D 33.08 in
Brown and Black Italian Leather Checkerboard Rug
Located in New York, NY
A vintage Italian Art Deco rug from the mid-20th century. A true oddity. Brown and black leather squares alternate in a chessboard (checkerboard) pattern on this totally modern scatt...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Western European Rugs
Materials
Leather
Sylvie Chair in Coal Black Shagreen by R & Y Augousti
By R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Sylvie chair is an iconic design by R & Y Augousti. One of their very first designs, this majestic and ethereal piece is a statement in any space. This piece has been photographe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Chairs
Materials
Shagreen Stingray
21st Century Contemporary Minimal White Velvet Bench With Black Lacquered Base
Located in Porto, PT
Fifih Bench is a luxury bench upholstered in velvet and wood base. A contemporary design bench is perfect for minimalist and modern interior architecture projects.
Materials: Uphols...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Materials
Fabric, Velvet, Lacquer, Wood
H 18.51 in W 63 in D 19.69 in
Smoked Murano Glass Wall Sconces with Central Brass Plate
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Wall sconces made of a piece of curved and wavy Murano glass with a central brass plate.
Two lights per sconce.
Price per sconce
Category
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Materials
Brass
Custom Round Mohair Velvet Ottoman with Oak Feet
Located in London, GB
Dagmar Design - Round Ottoman
Custom-made ottoman developed & produced at our workshops in London using the highest quality materials. These examples are upholstered in a mustard ...
Category
2010s British Scandinavian Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Materials
Mohair, Velvet, Oak
Eden Chair in Black Pen Shell and Upholstered in Calf-Hair by R&Y Augousti
By R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Eden chair in black pen shell and upholstered in black calf-hair adds the perfect balance between fantasy and modernity to any space. This chair can be used as an entrance piece ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Chairs
Materials
Shagreen Stingray
H 42.13 in W 15.75 in D 20.48 in
Modern Bohemian Ibiza Round Wall Mirror in Natural Fiber & Black
By Hommes Studio
Located in Porto, PT
Ibiza is an eye-catching wall mirror perfect for a modern design decor. The hanging mirror is inspired by the raw and timeless textures of the tribes' decorations, jewels, and artist...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Wall Mirrors
Materials
Lacquer, Natural Fiber, Mirror
Recent Sales
Hand Painted and Mother of Pearl Inlaid Miniature Chair, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
A very fine 19th century ebonized wooden miniature chair. The mother of pearl inlay and hand painted decoration of painted birds with floral surroundings all-over the frame and is ac...
Category
Antique 19th Century European Victorian Chairs
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl
H 24.81 in W 11.82 in D 11.82 in
Antique Rare Victorian, circa 1890 Mother-of-Pearl Cane Inlaid Bedroom Chair
Located in Wisbech, Walton Wisbech
Antique rare Victorian ebonized mother-of-pearl cane inlaid bedroom chair. Came from the Master's Lodge, Trinity College, Cambridge.
Dates from circa 1890. Fantastic quality decor...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Chairs
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl
H 33.86 in W 16.54 in D 16.93 in
Set of 6 Mid-Century Modern Stackable Chrome Chairs by Steelcase
By Steelcase
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Original Condition
Dimensions:
32.25”H x 19.50”W x 24.50”D
Seat Height 17.25"
Materials: Plastic Resin, Polished Chrome
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Chrome
Vintage Coastal Black Lacquered Shell Back Grotto Chairs, Set of 4
Located in west palm beach, FL
Fabulous set of four vintage black lacquered grotto chairs. Beautiful and iconic shell back in a high glass black finish. The seats are in great shape and in a bright colorful tropic...
Category
Mid-20th Century North American Chairs
Materials
Shell, Glass, Lacquer
Midcentury Herman Miller DFSW Shell Dining Chairs, Set of 8
By Herman Miller
Located in west palm beach, FL
Stunning set of 8 vintage MCM dining chairs. Made by the iconic Herman Miller and tagged on the bottom. The coveted DFSW Shell design with a molded fiberglass seat and the wooden dow...
Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Materials
Shell, Fiberglass
Pair of Vintage Indian Black Stained Side Chairs with Mother of Pearl Inlay
Located in Yonkers, NY
A pair of Indian vintage black stained side chairs from the mid-20th century, with mother of pearl inlay and rattan seat. Created in India during the midcentury period, each of this ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Indian Side Chairs
Materials
Rattan, Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
H 35 in W 18 in D 15.5 in
Sylvie Chair in Black Pen Shell by R & Y Augousti
By R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Sylvie chair is an iconic design by R & Y Augousti. One of their very first designs, this majestic and ethereal piece is a statement in any space. This piece has been photographe...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Chairs
Materials
Shell
19th Century Black Lacquered and Gilt Chair with Mother of Pearl Decor
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant and colorful antique chair was crafted in France, circa 1870. The petite chair frame stands on four curved legs over a bombe scalloped apron, and features an elaborate c...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl, Giltwood, Paint
Coco Stool in Black Pen Shell and Bronze-Patina Brass by Kifu Paris
By Kifu Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Coco stool is an elegant piece with its beautiful quilted detailing and bronze-patina brass border. A great stool for a dining table or living room area; available in other finis...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Art Deco Stools
Materials
Brass
Pair of Ottoman Empire Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Side Chairs
Located in Stamford, CT
Impressive pair of mother-of-pearl and metal inlaid chairs with intricate hardwood turnings. The skill and time that went into creating these chairs is remarkable. Each with a crest ...
Category
Early 20th Century Turkish Moorish Side Chairs
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl
Victorian Papier Machè Chair with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay
Located in Chicago, IL
Since the mid-18th century, Europeans used papier mâché as an alternative to carved wood. When traditional Chinese lacquer furniture entered the European marketplace in the 19th cent...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century European Victorian Chairs
Materials
Other
Oxford Chairs by Arne Jacobsen
By Arne Jacobsen, Fritz Hansen
Located in Miami, FL
Set of six Oxford Chairs by Arne Jacobsen
for Fritz Hansen
High back series 3172 in production since 1965.
Four armless and two armchairs mounted on
swiveling cast aluminum bases.
R...
Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Materials
Aluminum
English Victorian Rococo Revival Papier-Mâché Slipper Chair
Located in New York, NY
This fine mid-19th century English Victorian period papier-mâché slipper chair in the Rococo Revival taste has a molded and shaped balloon back with mother-of-pearl inlay and gilded ...
Category
Antique 19th Century English Rococo Revival Slipper Chairs
Materials
Wood, Cane, Paint, Mother-of-Pearl
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Black Shell Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs
At 1stDibs, there are several options of black shell chairs available for sale. Find 7 antique and vintage black shell chairs at 1stDibs now, or shop our selection of 3 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished furniture. Black shell chairs have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 19th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century. Black shell chairs are generally popular furniture pieces, but Art Deco and Victorian styles are often sought at 1stDibs. Many black shell chairs are appealing in their simplicity, but R & Y Augousti and Kifu Augousti produced popular black shell chairs that are worth a look.
How Much are Black Shell Chairs?
Prices for black shell chairs start at $775 and top out at $5,400 with the average selling for $2,533.
Finding the Right Chairs for You
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.
Questions About Black Shell Chairs
- What are Shell Chairs?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 31, 2023Shell chairs are iconic mid-century modern chairs designed by Hans J. Wegner and first released in 1963. In terms of both process and aesthetics, the Shell chair was ahead of its time when it was introduced. The expressive seat and back are made out of form-pressed oak or walnut laminates and topped with upholstered cushions for maximum comfort. Its design includes a tapered three-leg structure with two front legs made of one continuous piece and a separate hind leg that supports the backrest. This gives the chair a feeling of lightness without sacrificing stability. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Shell chairs.
- Is the Shell Chair comfortable?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023Whether the Shell chair is comfortable is largely a matter of personal opinion. However, creator Hans J. Wegner designed the curves of the backrest and the seat to complement the contours of the human body in order to provide ample support when the Shell chair made its debut in 1963. Chairs became Wegner’s specialty, and over the years he designed over 500 of them. More than 100 of his designs, such as the Wishbone chair and the Papa Bear chair, went into production. Shop a selection of Shell chairs and other vintage Hans Wegner seating on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024The history of the Wegner Shell Chair begins in 1963. Hans J. Wegner unveiled the chair at the Furniture Guild Exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark. Often described as being "wing-like," the chair's radical fluid lines were considered a bit too futuristic at the time. Initially, mixed reviews from critics and the general public, as well as production difficulties, resulted in a very limited early run. Twelve new models were produced for a retrospective exhibition celebrating Wegner's 77th birthday in 1989, and the design began garnering renewed attention (a photograph of the chair was even selected to grace the cover of the exhibition catalog). In 1998, nearly a decade following the piece's reemergence at the retrospective event, Carl Hansen & Søn reintroduced the Shell chair 35 years after it was first released, and it has felt relevant ever since. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Hans Wegner Shell chairs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Whether or not the Wegner shell chair is comfortable is largely a matter of personal preference. Wegner did design the dramatically curved seat and gently tapered back to properly support the contours of the human body. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Hans Wegner chairs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021There are multiple chair colors that can be matched with a black table, it’s really a matter of preference. You could choose to go with black or a contrasting color or even think outside the box in order to add unlikely pops of color to a space. Visit 1stDibs for a wide selection of chairs and tables available in different colors.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Fred Rigby’s Modular Seating Can Be Configured in So Many Handy Ways
The plush Cove Slipper 2.5 Seater sofa is just one of many convenient combinations from the London-based maker.
This Chubby-Chic Quilted Stool Stands on Its Own Two Feet
Sam Klemick's cool stool is edgy, cozy and environmentally sustainable all at once.
Riotous Shapes and Colors Have Made Uchronia’s Designs the Toast of Paris
Julien Sebban’s energetic design collective is radically reshaping the look of 21st-century European furniture and interiors.
Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
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.
Rock Your Cares Away on This Sunny Hand-Crocheted Swing
The boho-chic Enchanted Forest Swing, handmade by marginalized women from Turkey and Syria, is uplifting in every way.
Learn Why Designer Maarten Baas Set This Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair on Fire
What happens when you do something to a piece of furniture that you shouldn’t? It becomes an entirely new object.
Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.
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