$3,950 / set
Pair of Gold Leaf Grotto Shell Back Chairs
By Tony Duquette
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Pair of gold leaf grotto shell back side chairs. These have been professionally restored, gold leafed and reupholstered. Please ask for upholstery fabric swatch if needed. We also ha...
Beech
Set of Six Venetian Grotto Style Carved Wood Shell Back Dining Chairs
Located in Vero Beach, FL
Set of six elegant Venetian Grotto carved wood shell back dining chairs, having a scalloped design with cushioned fabric seats.
Wood
1980s Faux Tortoise Bergere Chairs W/ Coral Form Backs & Carved Shells - Pair
Located in Kennesaw, GA
The backs are a carved coral motif, and the tapered legs have a carved shell at the top of each leg.
Wood
$15,000Sale Price / set|40% Off
Six Italian Decorative Venetian Shell Back Dining Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Italian Venetian Grotto, wood framed chairs having a scalloped design with cushioned fabric seats. Shell-back chairs.
Wood
$9,800 / set
Set of Six Gold Leaf Grotto Shell Back Chairs
By Tony Duquette
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Set of six gold leaf grotto shell back side chairs. Professionally restored, gold leafed and reupholstered. Upholstery fabric swatch available upon request. We also have set of two a...
Beech
English Walnut Upholstered Wing Back Chair with Shell Knee & Spanish Feet C 1760
Located in Charleston, SC
English walnut upholstered wing back chair with scrolled arms, carved shell knee, and terminating on Spanish feet, Chair is upholstered in white muslin with removable cushion, Mid 1...
Muslin, Walnut
Set of Six Italian Gilded Wood Shell Back Dining Chairs
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Set of six Italian gilded carved shell back wood dining chairs with goatskin seats.
Sheepskin, Giltwood
Set of 10 Antique Venetian Italian Queen Anne Style Carved Splat-Back Chairs
Located in Essex, MA
Set of 10 Antique Venetian Italian Queen Anne Style Carved Splat-Back Chairs with Shell Crest An exceptional set of ten Venetian dining chairs, each hand-carved in the graceful Quee...
Wood, Paint
American Queen Anne Mahogany Wing Back w/ Acanthus Shell Knees on Pad Feet, 1740
Located in Charleston, SC
American Queen Anne mahogany wing back chair upholstered in white muslin, flanking carved acanthus shell knees, and resting on the original pad feet with rear splayed legs, 18th Cent...
Muslin, Mahogany
Swedish Gustavian Style Grey Painted Double Chair-Back Settee with Carved Shell
Located in Essex, MA
A wonderfully characterful Swedish Gustavian style double chair-back settee or canapé, combining the robust carved tradition of 18th century Scandinavian provincial furniture with an...
Wood
$8,697 / set
Set Queen Anne Dining Chairs Walnut Furniture
Located in Potters Bar, GB
The Shaped Frieze of the Chairs also Having a Carved Shell. The Backs of the Chairs Having a Wide Shaped Back Splat and a Shaped Cresting Rail.
Walnut
14 Shell-back Chairs in the manner of Andre Groult
Located in New York, NY
A wonderful group of carved shell-back chairs, painted and gilded. Upholstered in new, custom dyed leather. 12 side chairs and two arm chairs make up this set. 6 of the chairs come f...
Wood, Leather, Paint
Set of Six Carved Pickled Wood Shell Back Chairs
Located in Abilene, TX
This is a set of six shell back chairs made of pickled wood. They have round upholstered seats. The legs are stylishly splayed. The seats are 18 inches in diameter and the chairs are...
Wood
Carved Shell Back Chairs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautifully carved and detailed chair with shell shaped back.
Wood
Six Italian Shell Back Carved Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Set of Six Italian carved shell back chairs with sabre legs. The chairs have been newly reupholstered in chocolate brown mohair fabric
SET OF SIX SHELL BACKED DINING CHAIRS
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Set of 6 hand carved shell back chairs. Seat height is 20 inches.
Wood, Velvet
Carved Wooden Shell Back Chair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
BEAUTIFULLY SCALLED AND CARVED SHEEL BACK CHAIR.
Wood
Six Italian 19th Century Painted Side Chairs with Shell-Carved Back
Located in Doylestown, PA
Six Italian 19th century klismos side chairs with elaborate shell-carved back rails, parcel-gilt and painted in green and cream.
Shell
An Italian Shell Back Carved and Silver Leafed Chair
Located in New York, NY
A shell back carved and white gold leafed chair having four sabre legs and upholstered seat. (7 available).
An American Shell Back Carved and Silver Leafed Chair
Located in New York, NY
An American shell back carved and white gold leafed chair having four sabre legs and upholstered seat.
An Italian shell back carved and silver leafed chair
Located in New York, NY
An Italian shell back carved and white gold leafed chair having four sabre legs and upholstered seat.
White Gold
Six Italian 19th Century Painted Side Chairs with Shell-Carved Back
Located in Charlottesville, VA
Six Italian 19th century klismos side chairs with elaborate shell-carved back rails, parcel-gilt and painted in green and cream.
Cane, Wood
Set of Four Venetian Grotto Shell Back Chairs
Located in Dallas, TX
Elegant set of four Venetian Grotto style shell back dining chairs produced in Italy in the Hollywood Regency taste.
Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer
Pair of 19th Century English Oak Shell Back Hall Chairs
Located in Water Mill, NY
Pair of 19th century English oak shell back hall chairs with carved shell backs and turned front legs.
Oak
18th Century Shell Carved Comb Back Windsor Armchair
Located in Greenwich, CT
Fine 18th Century English shell carved comb back Windsor armchair with scroll carved fan over vasiform back splat, the scrolled arms supported by shaped brackets, over deeply saddled...
Elm, Ash, Fruitwood, Beech
Sold
H 39.25 in W 24 in D 20 in
Vintage Coastal Venetian Shell Back Carved Grotto Armchair - Hollywood Regency
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
An exquisitely carved wood Venetian shell back armchair. This gorgeous piece is carved of rich dark wood.
Fabric, Wood
1940's Hollywood Vanity Chair with Carved Shell Back Design
Located in New York, NY
Ebonized walnut vanity or desk chair with hand carved shell back design. Chair has a rounded seat with saber leg details.
Sold
H 33.86 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Regency Style Hall-Chair, Shell-Back, Gillows Model, Late 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Regency style carved mahogany hall chair, standing on two turned tapered front legs and two saber back legs.
Mahogany
A Fine Pair of English Antique Shell Back Hall Chairs
By Gillows of Lancaster & London
Located in Faversham, GB
A beautiful pair of carved scallop shell back hall chairs attributed to Gillows of Lancaster and London.
Oak
Pair of Shell-Back Hall Chairs, Late 18th-Early 19th Century
Located in Charlottesville, VA
A pair of especially finely carved shell-back hall chairs, late 18th-early 19th Century, likely Irish, Mahogany with later upholstered seats.
Wood
Sold
H 37.25 in W 18.5 in D 17 in
Vintage Yellow Coastal Venetian Carved Shell Grotto Chair - Hollywood Regency
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
An exquisitely carved wood Venetian shell back chair. This gorgeous piece is carved of rich dark wood.
Fabric, Wood
Set of 7 rustic chairs
Located in BARCELONA, ES
The hand-carved shell on the back of the chair adds a distinctive and artistic touch to the design.
Rattan, Oak
SET OF TWO SHELL BACK ARMCHAIRS AND TABLE
Located in Los Angeles, CA
SET OF TWO HAND CARVED SHELL BACK ARM CHAIRS, NEWLY REUPHOLSTERED.
Wood, Silk, Shell
Italian Inlaid Game Table and Four Shell Back Chairs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Stunning Italian game table together with four wood carved shell back grotto style chairs. Chairs have been newly upholstered in a silk velvet chartreuse color.
Pair of Antique Silver Leaf Grotto Chairs
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A pair of Venetian carved wood silver leaf grotto chairs. Whimsically carved chairs with shell back and seat, dolphin arms and legs in a sea horse tail motif.
Hardwood
Italian Shell Back Gold Leaf Side Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Stunning pair of 1950s Venetian Grotto carved shell back chairs, in vintage original condition with some wear and patina to the gold leaf finish.
Gold Leaf
Pair of Regency Period Shell Back Hall Chairs
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A super pair of Gillow design shell back hall chairs with a fabulous depth and detail to the carving of the shells. Standing proudly on turned and reeded legs. Great color and patina.
Mahogany
Pair of Regency Period Mahogany Shell Back Hall Chairs
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A Regency pair of carved mahogany shell back hall chairs of superb color and patiation.
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Georgian Shell Back Hall Chair with Lion Carving
Located in Stamford, CT
A Georgian shell back hall chair with lion carving and great patina. English, circa 1810.
Mahogany
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.