$40,116 / set
H 42.52 in W 32.68 in D 14.57 in
Pair of Italian Crab-Form Grotto Chairs, Attributed to Pauly et Cie, Venice
By Pauly et Cie
Located in London, GB
The trend originated with the European nobility of the 18th and 19th centuries, who designed and built whole rooms as shell-encrusted pavilions, to resemble grottos. These chairs ar...
Velvet, Wood
Ch. 1102 Crab Chair by Peter Hedstrom
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by Eames molded plywood chair. This unique crab chair uses laminated bleach ashwood from Maine.
Bentwood
Crab Leg Lounge Chairs
Located in San Francisco, CA
Pair of american crab leg lounge chairs. Frames refinished in black lacquer and re-upholstered in a charcoal wool blend.
Wood
Set of Two Crab Chairs by Peter Hedstrom
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by Eames Molded plywood chair. This unique crab chair uses laminated bleach ash wood from Maine.
Mid 20th Century Design Crab Claw Chair
Located in London, GB
Crab Claw Chair with button back upholstery This fantastic Chair will add great style to any interior.
Fabric
Early Oak Wainscot Chair
Located in Sutton Coldfield, GB
Tobias Jellinek explains that the two things which distinguish the ‘caqueteuse’ from all other types of armchair are the trapezium shaped seat and the horizontal arms which are crook...
Oak
Purple / Blue Fluorite Mineral Specimen – Xiayang Town, China
Located in Edison, NJ
This breathtaking specimen comes from a distinctive group of fluorites that have affectionately been nicknamed, “tanzanite fluorite” for their gemlike aesthetics and color-shifting a...
Stone, Multi-gemstone
$38,400 / set
H 23.63 in W 35.44 in D 35.44 in
Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" Sofa for B&B Italia, Two-tone Velvet, Set of 8
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" modular sofa for B&B Italia, velvet, metal and plastic, Italy, 1970, eight elements. "Camaleonda" is an icon, rediscovered. Our atelier carefully res...
Plastic, Velvet
Venetian Grotto Style Book Stand
Located in East Hampton, NY
Early 19th century book stand in carved wood, gilded and painted in the Venetian style..... grotto style book rest.
Wood
$42,000 / set
H 30.52 in W 41.74 in D 33.08 in
René Drouet Pair of Lounge Chairs in Olive Green Corduroy and Walnut
By René Drouet
Located in Waalwijk, NL
René Drouet, pair of lounge chairs, corduroy velvet, walnut, France, 1930s Designed by French decorator René Drouet, these club chairs are a quintessential example of French Art Dec...
Velvet, Walnut
$125,000
H 24.81 in W 17.72 in D 9.85 in
Purple Amethyst “Harp" phantom White calcites Decorative object Sculpture
Located in London, GB
This museum-quality Amethyst “harp” from Artigas, Uruguay, is a natural sculpture of exceptional beauty and rarity. The piece features a harmonious arrangement of high-quality Amethy...
Amethyst, Quartz
Una 'Articolo Indeterminativo' Wood Chaise Longue
By Stefano Marolla
Located in Roma, IT
The chaise longue is the third piece of the collection Una (Articolo Indeterminativo) by Stefano Marolla. The name of the collection comes from the Italian grammar where the indeterm...
Wood
$125,000
H 42.52 in W 27.56 in D 22.84 in
Purple Museum Quality Amethyst Centerpiece Mineral Masterpiece Decorative Object
Located in London, GB
A very large, one of a kind epimorph amethyst. This piece is a visual spectacle with the natural sculptural formations of amethyst in a different variety of purple tones. Also disp...
Agate, Amethyst, Quartz
$6,500
H 3.75 in W 14 in D 8.75 in
T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Saridis of Athens Greek Walnut Foot Stool Model # 22
By Saridis, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
Located in Lynn, MA
Very rare T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings for Saridis of Athens Greek Walnut Foot Stool Model # 22. The design was taken from the stele of Philotera of the 4th century B.C. in the Archaeologi...
Walnut
19th Century Venetian Gilded, Carved Wood Grotto Style Table
Located in Jensen Beach, FL
Mid-19th century, Venetian grotto style table. Shell form top, mythical dolphin, sitting atop three shell legs.
Giltwood
$38,500
H 37 in W 65 in D 28 in
Rare and Important Walnut And Upholstered Parchment Bench By Carlo Bugatti
By Carlo Bugatti
Located in Montreal, QC
Carlo Bugatti bench upholstered with parchment, inlaid with pewter details and mounted with hammered copper decorations.Italy, c. 1906 literature: Carlo Bugatti au Musée d'Orsay, Mas...
Walnut
French Sycamore Champagne Satin Chaise
By André Arbus
Located in Queens, NY
French Mid-Century (1940s) sycamore chaise lounge with champagne satin upholstery and tufted shaped side and back (p. 90 "ANDRE ARBUS" by Yvonne Brunhammer) (authentication letter fr...
Sycamore, Satin
Pink Fluorite on Smoky Quartz, Switzerland
Located in New York, NY
PINK FLUORITE ON SMOKY QUARTZ Tiefengletscher, Furka, Uri, Switzerland 28.5 cm tall x 12.7 cm wide In the mineral kingdom there are hierarchies, not all of them actually correct. Bu...
Other
English Regency Style Canopy Library Arm Chair
Located in Queens, NY
English Regency-style (19th Century) hooded mahogany library arm chair with adjustable chaise attachment and leather cushion.
Leather, Mahogany
$116,413
H 61.82 in W 38.59 in D 22.05 in
17th Century Japanese Lacquer Cabinet On French Giltwood Regence Stand
Located in Benington, Herts
An Extremely Fine and Very Important 17th Century Japanese Lacquer Cabinet on French Giltwood Stand of Regence Period circa 1680-1690 Provenance Likely acquired by Herman Willem ...
Giltwood, Lacquer
$36,000
H 5.5 in W 15.25 in D 8.25 in
Art Nouveau Sea Battle Repoussé Box with Moonstones by Alfred Daguet
By Alfred Daguet
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Daguet’s beautifully patinated box is a rich textural and colorful tour de force. The top of Daguet’s box is striking for its bird’s-eye-view of a crab clutching a viper eel. Using r...
Copper, Steel
$260,000
H 6.75 in W 17.5 in D 12.25 in
19th C. Gold, Damascene, Etched Steel Casket Box/Safe with Noble Coat of Arms
Located in New York, NY
An Incredible 19th Century Royal Casket Box/Safe with Coat of Arms, Made of Gold, Damascene, and Etched Steel. Charles Le Hon, a Belgian politician, lawyer and industrialist, served...
Gold, Steel
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.