The Grotto Chair
Located in Banbury, GB
An exceptional model Grotto chair, the scallop shell back to scallop shell seat connected with
Category
2010s English Chairs
Materials
Mahogany
Gilt Grotto Chair
Gold Leaf Venetian Grotto Style Shell Back Chair
By Tony Duquette
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Antique gold leaf Venetian grotto style shell back armchair. Seat has been newly reupholstered in
Category
Vintage 1980s Spanish Rococo Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Pair of Early 20th-century Venetian Grotto Chairs
Located in San Francisco, CA
continuing into the 19th-centuries, Europe's aristocracy desired to have their very own "grottoes" built at
Category
Early 20th Century Italian Rococo Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Recent Sales
Gilt Wood Grotto Chair
Located in Houston, TX
Gorgeous vintage giltwood grotto chair or fantasy chair with nice carving, generous size and
Category
Vintage 1970s Unknown Rococo Chairs
Vintage Coastal Gilt Carved Grotto Chairs - a Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Grotto Chairs. Inspired by the elegance of coastal living, these chairs feature intricately carved frames
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Chairs
Materials
Wood
Vintage Regency Gilt Shell Back Grotto Chairs, a Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Fantastic pair of vintage side chairs. The much coveted shell back Grotto chairs. Beautiful hand
Category
Late 20th Century North American Regency Chairs
Materials
Gold
19th Century Venetian Gilt Swan Grotto Chair
Located in Essex, MA
Rare and complete 19th century carved and gilt Venetian swan Grotto chair. Realistically and
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Rococo Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Beech
Pair of Italian Venetian Silver Gilt 19thC Grotto Arm Chairs
Located in New York, NY
These rare early 19thC grotto arm chairs have a carved seashell back and seat. The arms are carved
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Armchairs
Materials
Vermeil, Silver
Midcentury Painted and Silver Gilt Italian Grotto Chair
Located in Stamford, CT
A midcentury painted and silver gilt Grotto chair with hand carved dolphin legs and arms.
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Baroque Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Venetian Style Parcel-Gilt Shell Form Grotto Chairs
Located in Wichita, KS
Beautiful pair of Venetian style parcel-gilt "Grotto" chairs. The seats are carved and are modeled
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Benches
Materials
Wood, Giltwood
Pair Italian Grotto Silver Parcel Gilt Wood Chairs
Located in Houston, TX
An iconic pair of 20th Century silver gold Italian giltwood grotto chairs with clamshell seat and
Category
20th Century Italian Baroque Chairs
Materials
Giltwood
Gilded Shell Grotto Chair
Located in Houston, TX
A 20th century gilded Italian shell back chair newly upholstered in a creamy Alpaca velvet. Two
Category
20th Century Italian Side Chairs
Materials
Velvet, Wood, Beech
Silver Gilded Shell Grotto Chair
Located in Houston, TX
A 20th century silver gilded Italian shell back chair newly upholstered in a white creamy low pile
Category
20th Century Italian Side Chairs
Materials
Velvet, Wood, Beech
1930s Venetian Grotto Chair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hand-carved and painted, parcel gilt, Venetian grotto chair with faux drapery and tassels.
Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Stools
Materials
Wood, Paint
Italian 19th Century Grotto Chair
Located in Round Top, TX
A stunning 19th century Venetian Grotto armchair in giltwood. Hand-carved with the seat and back in
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Venetian Grotto Chair
By Pauly & Co.
Located in New York, NY
The so-called grotto chair, made from clusters of shell-form elements, was introduced in the 1880s
Category
Early 20th Century Italian Arts and Crafts Armchairs
Materials
Wood
19th Century Italian Silver Gilt Grotto Chair
Located in Water Mill, NY
Beautifully carved Italian silver gilt grotto chair
Category
Antique 19th Century Armchairs
Pair of Silver Gilt Grotto Chairs
Located in San Francisco, CA
A great pair of mid-century silver gilt armchairs probably made in France
Category
Vintage 1940s French Armchairs
Materials
Vermeil, Silver
Pair of 19th Century Italian Grotto Chairs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Hand Carved Italian Grotto Chairs from the Late 19th Century. Original Finish.
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Chairs
Materials
Wood
Grotto Side Chair Circa 1880
By Pauly & Co.
Located in London, GB
A carved, silvered and gilt-varnished green-painted grotto chair. Comprising a seat in the form of
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Chairs
19th Century Venetian Grotto Shell Chair, Silver Gilt, Pauly et Cie, Italian
Sold
H 34.65 in W 23.23 in D 24.41 in
19th Century Venetian Grotto Shell Chair, Silver Gilt, Pauly et Cie, Italian
By Pauly et Cie
Located in Totnes, GB
An exceedingly rare opportunity to own an original and exceptional Venetian grotto chair in
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Chairs
Materials
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Rare Venetian Silver Gilt "grotto" Fantasy Rocker
Located in Natchez, MS
Rare Pauly et Cie Rocker. See photo of Grotto suite. This rocker is included in the suite of
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Rocking Chairs
Materials
Giltwood
19th Century Venetian Grotto Arm Chairs
Located in Toronto, ON
Pair of carved and painted grotto armchairs, hand carved dolphin form arms over silver leaf seat on
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Armchairs
Rare Pair of Pauly et Cie. Grotto Chairs from Aileen Getty Collection
By Pauly & Co.
Located in San Francisco, CA
An exceptionally rare pair of Pauly et Cie. grotto chairs with sweeping backs embellished with
Category
Antique 19th Century Italian Rococo Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Gesso, Pigment
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A Classic Empire style grey cerused oak oatmeal stained center table with a carved ogee edge, raised on an octagonal pedestal base. Dimensions: 42" W x 42" D x 30" H. Clearance: 27"
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Very Rare 19th Century 1880 Italian Venetian Grotto Fantasy Stool Height Adjust
$5,063
H 22.84 in W 16.93 in D 18.71 in
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Pair of Shell Back Grotto Style Bar Stools
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Pair of Grotto style hand carved shell back swiveling bar stools upholstered in vibrant Palm Beach Regency tropical fabric.
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English Georgian Mahogany Gadrooned and Upholstered Tester Bed, Circa 1800
$26,000
H 102 in W 61.5 in D 79 in
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Located in Charleston, SC
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Category
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Materials
Brass
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Located in Palm Beach, FL
Vintage Hollywood style console table with a bow front top having a dark lush mahogany finish over a stylized plaster seashell with a gilt finish and lacquer base.
Category
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Materials
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Located in Westwood, NJ
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French Late 18th Century Louis XVI Style Settee
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Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Settees
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Brass
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Located in East Hampton, NY
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A Pair of Venetian Silvered and Gilt Grotto Armchairs attributed to Pauly et Cie
$15,000
H 35 in W 23.5 in D 23.5 in
A Pair of Venetian Silvered and Gilt Grotto Armchairs attributed to Pauly et Cie
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Finding the Right Seating for You
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.
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The plush Cove Slipper 2.5 Seater sofa is just one of many convenient combinations from the London-based maker.
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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.