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
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
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. Carved on all sides. Feathers showing plumage. Armrest in Roc...
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
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
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
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
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
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 bas...
Wood, Giltwood
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
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
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 Italian Silver Gilt Grotto Chair
Located in Water Mill, NY
Beautifully carved Italian silver gilt grotto chair
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
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
Rene Lalique Glass 'Cigalia' Perfume Bottle
By René Lalique
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Rene Lalique clear and frosted glass 'Cigalia' perfume bottle. Details are highlighted with grey/black staining. The pattern features a cicadas on each of the four corners. Book refe...
Glass
$3,013Sale Price|39% Off
H 15.75 in W 15.36 in D 10.83 in
Hand Carved Wooden Reliquary Shrine, Italian Baroque, Circa 1750
Located in Buisson, FR
Very rare hand carved wooden reliquary shrine with wonderful decoration, Italy, circa 1750 Weathered, small losses and old repairs. H:40cm W:39cm D:27,5cm
Glass, Wood
$4,800 / item
H 25 in W 32 in D 9 in
Redondo Ship Chandelier by Miamar Home, Gilded Metal, Crystal Beads
By Melissa Levinson
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This exquisite ship-form chandelier is a custom creation by Miamar Home, an atelier based in Los Angeles renowned for its collaboration with the city’s finest local artisans. Entirel...
Crystal, Metal
Art Deco Cast Iron Fishbowl Stand C1930 with a Clear Glass Bowl
By Bradley & Hubbard
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Very nice Art Deco Fishbowl Pedestal Stand with a clear glass canteen shaped bowl. Stand is is in old gold paint with some highlights. In excellent antique condition with minimal wea...
Iron
$1,023,757
H 135.83 in W 94.49 in D 27.56 in
Monumental Pietre Dure Cabinet on Stand by Bernhard Ludwig
Located in London, GB
Monumental Pietre Dure Cabinet on Stand by Bernhard Ludwig By Bernhard, Ludwig (Austrian, 1834–1897) Height: 345cm, width: 240cm, depth: 70cm This monumental cabinet on stand, combi...
Bronze, Ormolu
$5,000
H 9.41 in W 6.11 in D 3.39 in
Louis-Albert Carvin Marabou Sculpture-shaped Table Lamp or Night-light 1920
By Louis-Albert Carvin
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Rare Marabou Sculpture-Shaped Table Lamp or Night-Light by Louis-Albert Carvin, France, 1920s Spelter & Frosted Glass. A rare and exquisite French Art Deco table lamp or night-ligh...
Spelter
$2,852
H 7.88 in W 12.6 in D 19.3 in
A large 19th century Japanese lacquer writing box with a secret compartment
Located in Central England, GB
This remarkable and highly decorative Japanese export large writing box is a rare high quality example with a complicated and intricate interior. The box is in very good condition c...
Lacquer
$10,237
H 9.06 in W 20.87 in D 9.85 in
French 19th Century Gilt Bronze and Jasperware Table Jardinière
Located in London, GB
French 19th century gilt bronze and jasperware table jardinière French, Late 19th Century Height 23cm, width 53cm, depth 25cm Crafted from gilt bronze and jasperware, this antiqu...
Ormolu
$11,889Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.93 in W 12.6 in D 7.87 in
A 17th century Augsburg ebonized cabinet with painted pietra paesina panels
Located in PARIS, FR
An ebonized wood cabinet with painted pietra paesina panels Augsburg, southern Germany, mid-17th century Dimensions: h. 43 cm, w. 32 cm, d. 20 cm Ebonized wood, inlay of painted piet...
Marble
$55,000
H 21.75 in W 11 in D 11 in
Art Nouveau Vase with Fiery Dragon by Stellmacher & Dachsel for RStK Amphora
By Paul Dachsel, Eduard Stellmacher
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Note: We highly recommend shipping through 1stDibs for its cost effectiveness, full insurance coverage, and reliable handling. While standard parcel services are an option, the defau...
Porcelain
$23,600Sale Price|20% Off
H 31.5 in W 6.5 in D 6.5 in
A Fine Pair of Russian Empire Period Malachite And Ormolu Obelisks, Early 1800's
Located in New York, NY
A Monumental and Quite Rare Pair of 19th Century Russian Empire Ormolu Mounted Malachite Obelisks with Maiden Ormolu Mounts. Each obelisk is complete with four sides which terminate...
Malachite, Ormolu
$26,331
H 6.7 in Dm 6.7 in
1924 Rene Lalique Vase Formose Fishes Agate Glass Cased Grey Opalescent Glass
By René Lalique
Located in Boulogne Billancourt, FR
Vase “Formose” (Fishes) made in agate glass (cased grey and opalescent) by René Lalique created in 1924. Molded signature on bottom. Perfect condition. Wonderful model and extremely...
Blown Glass
$68,800
H 13 in W 12.5 in D 9.5 in
Important French Renaissance Revival Silver, Lapis Lazuli, Jeweled Covered Box
Located in New York, NY
An Important French Renaissance Revival Covered Box, Crafted in Silver and Mounted with Lapis Lazuli Panels, Gilt Bronze Figures, and Jeweled Cabochons. The piece is signed in two lo...
Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Silver
$14,800
H 35.5 in W 25.5 in D 27.5 in
Pair of Ornate Hollywood Regency Polychrome Peacock Armchairs, Tony Duquette
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Ornate Hollywood Regency Hand Carved Polychrome Peacock Armchairs, in the Style of Tony Duquette. A pair of ornate Indian hand-carved polychrome peacock armchairs, in the st...
Hardwood
$11,117
H 61.03 in W 26.38 in D 15.75 in
Art Nouveau Display Cabinet, Gilded Bronze with Floral Theme, France, Circa 1900
By Louis Majorelle, Émile Gallé, Atelier Majorelle
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Art Nouveau Display Cabinet, Gilded Bronze with Floral Theme, France, circa 1900. Immerse yourself in the timeless elegance of Art Nouveau with this exceptional display cabinet craf...
Metal, Brass, Bronze
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.