$7,431 / item
The Grotto Chair
Located in Banbury, GB
An exceptional model Grotto chair, the scallop shell back to scallop shell seat connected with stylized dolphin arms. The chairs with specialist aged grotto style gilding.
Mahogany
$2,950 / item
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 champagne color velvety fabric. Arm height is 26.5"
Wood
Pair of Early 20th-century Venetian Grotto Chairs
Located in San Francisco, CA
Odds are good that you haven't seen many of these, with their scallop shell backs and seats, dolphin-head arms, and particularly such strange, roughened, coral-textured legs suggesti...
Wood, Paint
Gilt Wood Grotto Chair
Located in Houston, TX
Gorgeous vintage giltwood grotto chair or fantasy chair with nice carving, generous size and comfortable too. This versatile chair would look great as a side chair, in a powder room,...
Vintage Coastal Gilt Carved Grotto Chairs - a Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Add a splash of seaside luxury to your space with this stunning pair of Vintage Coastal Gilt Carved Grotto Chairs. Inspired by the elegance of coastal living, these chairs feature in...
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 carved detail with a glamorous gold finish. Perfect to add that flash of glamour to a...
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 exquisitely carved swan.
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 dolphins. Note the intricate leg details also.
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.
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 as upturned shells, raised on supports carved as dolphins, ending on tripartite base.
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 back supported by beautifully carved conch legs.
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 available, sold by the each.
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 velvet. Two available, sold individually.
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.
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 the form of an open scallop shell. The armrests are in the form of dolphins and su...
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 by one Signor Pauly of Venice. At the time, in an increasingly industrialized world...
Wood
19th Century Italian Silver Gilt Grotto Chair
Located in Water Mill, NY
Beautifully carved Italian silver gilt grotto chair
Pair of Silver Gilt Grotto Chairs
Located in San Francisco, CA
A great pair of mid-century silver gilt armchairs probably made in France
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.
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 an open scallop shell and supported on conch shell legs.
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 original silver leaf and paint, attributed to Pauly et Cie. The back shaped to resemble an...
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 furniture.
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 shell form legs. All original finish.
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 carved seahorses. This represents a supremely unique purchase opportunity for the discr...
Wood, Gesso, Pigment
Cesare Toso Murano Glass Grape Vine Chandelier (x2)
Located in Hanover, MA
1960’s Italian chandelier by Cesare Toso in the form of grape vines with handmade colored glass grapes and leaves on a scaffold of green enameled iron and wire tendrils. Five bunches...
Iron
$55,676
H 76.78 in W 43.31 in D 21.66 in
Modern Penedo Quartz Display Cabinet, Handmade in Poerugal by Greenapple
By GF Modern, Greenapple
Located in Lisboa, PT
Mid-Century Modern Penedo Quartz Display Cabinet, Handmade in Portugal - Europe by Greenapple The Penedo quartz display cabinet captures the enduring beauty of nature’s landscapes,...
Carrara Marble, Granite, Onyx, Brass
$4,117
H 38 in Dm 34 in
Rare Hand Carved Wooden Gothic Revival Art Chandelier with Gargoyle Sculptures
Located in Lisse, NL
Antique and good size Gothic Revival light fixture. If you are looking for an out of the ordinary chandelier then this antique European light fixture in the Gothic style could be p...
Metal
Classic Empire Center Table, Oatmeal
Located in Westwood, NJ
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"
Wood
Navagero Murano Glass Mirror
By Fratelli Tosi
Located in Milan, IT
Bold yet feminine, this exceptional mirror handcrafted by Venetian master glassmakers will be a splendid focal point in classic or eclectic decors. The indented frame in golden cryst...
Murano Glass
$4,200
H 36 in W 37 in D 21 in
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Oversized Bergere Marquise Armchair
Located in Charleston, SC
19th century French Louis XVI style bergère marquise upholstered armchair in painted wood frame with neoclassical architecture embellished hand-carved foliates, rosettes and tapered ...
Fabric, Wood, Paint
Exceptional Mahogany and Ormolu-Mounted Bibliotheque
Located in London, GB
The overhanging foliate cornice above a frieze with reliefs of female and male figures surmounted by ribbon ties and flanked by foliage and laurel leaves, above two pairs of glazed d...
Ormolu
$9,850
H 20 in W 16 in D 12 in
A 1930's French Gilt Lacquered Wood Pagoda Form Chinoiserie Platinum Painted Box
By Maison Jansen
Located in New York, NY
A 1930's French Gilt Lacquered Wood Pagoda Form Chinoiserie Platinum Painted Box, Attributed to Jansen. At first glance, the box's visual allure is simply breathtaking. Adorned with ...
Wood
$4,639
H 47.25 in W 31.5 in D 1.97 in
Midcentury Murano Oval Gold Art Glass and Brass Italian Wall Mirror, 2020
Located in Roma, Lazio
Stunning mirror in blazing gold color Murano glass, Venice. A mirror that alone will furnish your home environment. The mirror has a rear structure in wood, on which four Murano gol...
Brass
$16,154
H 24.02 in W 40.95 in D 21.26 in
Important 18th Century circa 1740 Hand Carved Italian Giltwood Tete a Tete Sofa
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this very rare and important 18th century hand craved Italian circa 1740 Tete a Tete conversation settee What a find, I have never seen another ...
Upholstery, Giltwood
Italian Corner Sofa attributed to Gio Ponti
By Gio Ponti
Located in CA, CA
Corner sofa attributed to Gio Ponti, upholstered in a black and white silk fabric by Christian Lacroix
Upholstery
Set of Six Aluminum Shell Back Patio Chairs
By Brown Jordan
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Set of six newly powder coated aluminum shell back Grotto style patio chairs attributed to Brown Jordan furniture company. Seats are newly reupholstered in outdoor water resistant fa...
Aluminum
$4,639 / item
H 47.25 in W 31.5 in D 1.97 in
Midcentury Murano Oval Gold Art Glass and Brass Italian Wall Mirror, 2020
Located in Roma, Lazio
Stunning mirror in blazing gold color Murano glass, Venice. A mirror that alone will furnish your home environment. The Murano furnaces create an indisputable timeless design, simple...
Brass
$23,618
H 61.42 in W 83.47 in D 67.72 in
Floral Swag - A French Classic Louis XV Style Caned Bed by La Maison London
By La Maison London
Located in London, Park Royal
The Floral Swag Bed is a beautifully handcrafted statement piece in the classic French Louis XV Corbeille style. Featuring its signature rounded corners, the bed’s curved headboard a...
Wood
French Art Nouveau Floral Foliage Table Lamp in Bronze
Located in Barcelona, ES
Beautiful cast bronze floral design Art Nouveau table lamp, France, 1930s. This exquisite table lamp features two flowers standing on a plant, one of them holds the light bulb. This ...
Bronze
$1,913Sale Price|25% Off
H 8.27 in Dm 2.76 in
Authentic Émile Gallé Art Nouveau Vase with Wisteria Motif, circa 1910
By Émile Gallé
Located in Bochum, NRW
An exquisite authentic vase by Émile Gallé, master of French Art Nouveau glass. Circa 1910. Dimensions: Height 21 cm × Diameter 8 cm. This piece showcases a delicate interplay of pur...
Glass
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.