Henry Ward On Sale
Antique Mid-19th Century English High Victorian Taxidermy
Other
People Also Browsed
2010s Peruvian Animal Sculptures
Amethyst, Multi-gemstone, Rock Crystal
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Natural Specimens
Stone, Multi-gemstone
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
Wool, Alpaca, Wood
Antique 1870s Swiss Napoleon III Decorative Boxes
Bronze, Iron, Other, Cut Steel, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Slovenian Modern Armchairs
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sofas
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cabinets
Crystal, Steel
2010s American American Classical Daybeds
Oak
Antique 17th Century Dutch Snuff Boxes and Tobacco Boxes
Silver
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Candelabras
Crystal, Ormolu
Antique 1820s English Books
Leather
Antique 19th Century German Black Forest Side Chairs
Walnut
Antique 1870s American Soup Tureens
Silver
Early 20th Century Serving Pieces
Sterling Silver
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Table Clocks and Desk Clocks
Carrara Marble, Ormolu
Finding the Right vitrines for You
Why not give your precious collectibles the case pieces they deserve? Antique and vintage vitrines can be used to safely store and display your most treasured objects.
While they were initially used to display relics in churches or to preserve specimens for scientific observation, vitrines are best known for their place in retail spaces and museums. The name for these glass display cases comes from the Latin word “vitrum,” meaning glass, as well as the Old French word “vitre,” which also refers to glass. Instead of simply showcasing collector’s items on shelves, you can bestow extra importance on them by displaying them in a vitrine for passers-by to observe and admire.
Not all vitrines are created equal. Over time, furniture makers have explored different shapes and sizes for vitrines. A display case you’ll find in a retail store will likely look drastically different from what you’ll see in a museum or art gallery. A vitrine in a shop is likely there to best market specific wares to the general public, while in museums there is usually a range of different vitrines intended to house and protect single objects or to display a grouping of artifacts.
Most of us have an antique, new or vintage case piece in our home. Though the terms “case pieces” and “case goods” may cause even the most decor-obsessed to stumble, these furnishings have been a vital part of the home for centuries. Any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — cabinets, dressers, buffets — may be properly termed a case piece.
Mirror-backed vitrines, which refer to cases that usually feature shelved and mirrored interiors, are a most appropriate home for your jewelry or decorative objects. Adding such items to a vitrine already suggests that there is an irreplaceable preciousness to the case’s contents, and the mirrors will emphasize as much as well as refract more light to render the display eye-catching.
On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of antique and vintage vitrines to protect and preserve your most prized items. The collection of mid-century modern vitrines and Art Deco vitrines is mostly inclusive of those built with a wooden frame, but there are many other types to choose from as well. It’s time to give your collectibles a good home!