$55,000
H 36.2 in W 70.9 in D 16.9 in
Brazilian Modern Credenza, Attributed to Joaquim Tenreiro for Laubisch & Hirth
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
last year at Laubisch & Hirth, a high-end furniture firm in Rio de Janeiro, before starting his own
Brass
Joaquim Tenreiro, Side Table, Brazil, 1950
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language and
Formica, Wood
Joaquim Tenreiro round dining table Brazil 1960
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
the late 1920s, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and started working for the company Laubisch Hirth
Glass, Rosewood
$49,790 / set
H 27.96 in W 29.14 in D 24.02 in
Joaquim Tenreiro Pair of Armchairs Model “Leve”, Brasil, 1942
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
working at various furniture manufacturers such as Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth
Fabric, Jacaranda
$13,553 / item
H 41.26 in W 23 in D 17.64 in
Joaquim Tenreiro, Set of Eight Dining Room Chairs, Brasil, 1950
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
various furniture manufacturers such as Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro
Cane, Jacaranda
Joaquim Tenreiro Side Table, Brazil, 1950
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language and
Glass, Jacaranda
$28,613 / item
H 27.96 in W 29.14 in D 24.02 in
Joaquim Tenreiro Pair of Armchairs Model “Leve”, Brasil, 1942
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
working at various furniture manufacturers such as Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth
Fabric, Jacaranda
Joaquim Tenreiro Two Seats Bench, Brasil, 1958
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
as Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language
Cane, Jacaranda
$39,154 / set
H 28.35 in W 31.5 in D 33.86 in
Joaquim Tenreiro Pair of Armchairs Model “Concha” Brasil, 1950
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
various furniture manufacturers such as Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro
Fabric, Wood
Joaquim Tenreiro Three-Seat Sofa, Brasil, 1954
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language and advocated the idea that
Fabric, Jacaranda
Joaquim Tenreiro Three-Seat Sofa, Brazil, 1954
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language and advocated the idea that
Fabric, Jacaranda
$42,354
H 24.81 in W 32.68 in D 37.01 in
Joaquim Tenreiro Single Armchair Model “Redonda”, Brasil, 1950
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language and
Fabric, Jacaranda
Joaquim Tenreiro Coffee Table, Brasil, 1950
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language and
Marble
$18,000 / set
H 28 in W 31.5 in D 34 in
Brazilian Modern Armchairs, Hardwood & Grey Ultra Suede, Joaquim Tenreiro Brazil
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
for the firm of Laubisch & Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro was among the first designers in the
Ultrasuede, Hardwood
$24,500
H 29.5 in W 74.8 in D 28.7 in
1960's Brazilian Modern Sofa “Concha” in Hardwood & Fabric, by Joaquim Tenreiro
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
Janeiro and began working for the firm of Laubisch & Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro was among the
Fabric, Wood
$150,595 / item
H 34.26 in W 21.66 in D 19.69 in
Joaquim Tenreiro, Set of 8 Chairs Variant of the “Cadeira baixa para quarto”
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language and advocated the idea that
Cane, Jacaranda
$25,000 / set
H 31.5 in W 28.35 in D 31.5 in
Brazilian Modern Armchairs in Hardwood, Joaquim Tenreiro, 1950s, Brazil
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
1920s, he emigrated to Rio de Janeiro and began working for the firm of Laubisch & Hirth. In the early
Hardwood, Fabric
$17,647 / set
H 31.5 in W 20.87 in D 19.69 in
Joaquim Tenreiro Wood Dining Chair Manufactured by Tenreiro Movèis, Brazil, 1960
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
various furniture manufacturers such as Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro
Jacaranda
Joaquim Tenreiro Coffee Table with Five Woods, Brasil, 1950
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language and
Wood
$27,500
H 32.25 in W 70.8 in D 17 in
Credenza in Cherry Wood, Joaquim Tenreiro for Laubitch & Hirth, 1942
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
a private residence in Teresópolis, the piece retains the original Laubisch & Hirth
Hardwood, Cherry
Unavailable
H 37.8 in W 27.96 in D 24.41 in
Joaquim Tenreiro Rocking Chair, Jacaranda Wood & Cane, Brazilian
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Veyrier du Lac, FR
including Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. A forerunner in rediscovering raw
Cane, Jacaranda
Joaquim Tenreiro Curva Sofa
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
emigrated to Rio de Janeiro and began working for the firm of Laubisch Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro
Fabric, Jacaranda
Joaquim Tenreiro Curva Armchairs
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
emigrated to Rio de Janeiro and began working for the firm of Laubisch Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro
Fabric, Jacaranda
1950's Joaquim Tenreiro Rare Coffee Table
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
of Laubisch Hirth, laying the foundation for his illustrious career in furniture design. In the
Glass, Wood
Unavailable
H 17.72 in W 39.38 in D 39.38 in
Modernist Pair of Coffee Tables by Joaquim Tenreiro, 1967
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Paris, FR
, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth, which catered to wealthy Brazilian families eager to buy furniture
Copper
Sold
H 28 in W 79 in D 50 in
Credenza in Rosewood, Attributed to Joaquim Tenreiro for Laubisch & Hirth 1940s
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
Attributed to Joaquim Tenreiro and produced in the 1940s during his formative years at Laubisch
Marble
Sold
H 5.19 in W 78.75 in D 17.72 in
Joaquim Tenreiro Buffet/Side Board, Jacaranda (rosewood) wood, Brazil, 1950
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language and advocated the
Jacaranda
Joaquim Tenreiro, Poltrona Leve, Pau Marfim Ebonized, 1942
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Zürich, CH
furniture manufacturers such as Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a
Upholstery, Wood
Sold
H 34.6 in W 15.7 in D 18.1 in
Brazilian Modern 4 Chair Set in Hardwood, Cane, Leather, Joaquim Tenreiro 1950s
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
working for the firm of Laubisch & Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro was among the first designers
Leather, Cane, Hardwood
Joaquim Tenreiro Pair of Rosewood and Cane U Chair, circa 1960
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in London, England
emigrated to Rio de Janeiro and began working for the firm of Laubisch Hirth. In the early 1940s
Cane
Sold
H 31.5 in W 70.87 in D 29.14 in
Two Seater Sofa, wooden frame and upholsterd cushions, by Joaquim Tenreiro
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Whitstable, GB
to Rio de Janeiro and began working for the firm of Laubisch Hirth. A decade later he founded
Fabric, Hardwood
Sold
H 31.89 in W 20.48 in D 19.69 in
Four Brazilian Midcentury Dining Chairs by Joaquim Tenreiro, 1960s
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Utrecht, NL
Laubisch & Hirth, where he had to copy traditional European designs for their wealthy but conservative
Cane, Wood
Joaquim Tenreiro Bloch writing desk Brazil 1965
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
of Laubisch Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro was among the first designers in the Brazilian
Rosewood
Sold
H 28 in W 23.5 in D 23.6 in
Mid-Century Modern Armchairs in Hardwood & White Leather Joaquim Tenreiro Brazil
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
emigrated to Rio de Janeiro and began working for the firm of Laubisch & Hirth. In the early 1940s
Leather, Hardwood, Rosewood
Sold
H 17.72 in W 17.72 in D 31.5 in
Three Mid-Century Modern Hardwood & Cane Chairs by Joaquim Tenreiro, 1950 Brazil
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
working for the firm of Laubisch & Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro was among the first designers
Straw, Hardwood
Sold
H 30 in W 57 in D 28 in
Brazilian Modern Desk in Hardwood by Joaquim Tenreiro for Bloch, 1966, Brazil
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
began working for the firm of Laubisch & Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro was among the first
Hardwood
Joaquim Tenreiro Pair of Armchairs, Brasil, 1954
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Leandro Martins, Francisco Gomes and Laubisch & Hirth. Tenreiro proposed a contemporary language and
Fabric, Wood
Sold
H 33.9 in W 17.3 in D 17.3 in
Set of 8 Brazilian Modern Chairs in Hardwood & Cane by Joaquim Tenreiro, 1960s
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
of Laubisch & Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro was among the first designers in the Brazilian
Cane, Wood, Hardwood
Sold
H 32 in W 17 in D 18 in
Set of 6 Dining Chairs in Rosewood & Caning, Att. to Joaquim Tenreiro, 1960s
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
carpenters. In the late 1920s, he emigrated to Rio de Janeiro and began working for the firm of Laubisch
Cane, Hardwood
Joaquim Tenreiro Rosewood and Cane U Chair, circa 1960
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in London, England
emigrated to Rio de Janeiro and began working for the firm of Laubisch Hirth. In the early 1940s
Cane, Rosewood
Sold
H 29 in W 64.5 in D 29.5 in
Brazilian Designer Joaquim Tenreiro Vintage Rosewood Desk with White Glass Top
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Los Angeles, CA
of Laubisch Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro was among the first designers in the Brazilian
Rosewood
Sideboard by Joaquim Tenreiro, Brazil, Circa 1942
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in PARIS, FR
factory : Laubisch-Hirth. After 1943, Tenreiro will run his own production factory. Inspired by the
Brass
Chaise Longue by Joaquim Tenreiro, Brazil, circa 1942
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in PARIS, FR
production. Laubisch and Hirth. The label under the seat indicate the production from 1940 to 1943. The
Upholstery, Jacaranda, Palisander
$82,000 / set
H 26.78 in W 35.44 in D 61.03 in
Ubald Klug DS-1025 "Terrazza" Sofa for De Sede, Brown Leather, 1974, Set of 4
By Ubald Klug, De Sede
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Ubald Klug DS-1025 "Terrazza" sofas for De Sede, brown leather, Switzerland, 1974, set of four. Ubald Klug designed this rare modular DS-1025 "Terrazza" sofa as a real living landsc...
Leather
Large Round Art Deco Dinning Table
Located in Kastrup, DK
Large round Art Deco dining table. The table top has a diameter of 155 cm and is crafted in Narra hardwood. Base in elm. From the Philippines, ca. 1900 Narra is the national tre...
Hardwood
$990 / item
H 18.5 in Dm 17.7 in
IDE Travertine Stone Side Table, 17.7Ø"x18.5"H - Accent, End Table, Coffee Table
Located in St Petersburg, US
IDE Table: a stunning piece that embodies the natural elegance of travertine stone. This table is crafted with precision and attention to detail, making it a unique addition to any ...
Travertine, Stone
$1,650 / item
H 16.1 in Dm 11.5 in
'Plissé White Edition' Pleated Textile Table Lamp by Folkform for Örsjö
By Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Glendale, CA
'Plissé White Edition' pleated textile table lamp by Folkform for Örsjö. This unique table lamp was awarded “Lighting of the Year 2022” by Residence Magazine Sweden, who called it “...
Textile
Pair of Modern Walnut Side Tables
By Theodore Alexander
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Pacific walnut side table, the square top with rounded corners and a reeded edge above a similar under tier, on bobbin turned legs. Dimensions: 26" W x 26" D x 28.5" H.
Wood
American Designer, Sectional Sofa, Rattan, Velvet, USA, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A rattan and yellow velvet sectional sofa designed and produced in the US, c. 1970s. Dimensions: 25.25” H x 98” W x 98” D Seat Height: 17”
Velvet, Rattan
$16,706 / item
H 53.15 in W 125.99 in D 59.06 in
Oval Brass and Parchment Chandelier by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires
By Diego Mardegan
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Beautiful chandelier by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires, this other version of the spider chandelier has longer arms on the sides giving the oval shape. The metal arms paint...
Metal, Brass
$2,094 / set
H 24.81 in W 23.63 in D 13.78 in
French Pair of Nightstands Side Cabinets Bedside Tables Brutalist Style, 2022
Located in Labrit, Landes
Pair of oak nightstands "Pyrénées" signed by Sébastien Lamarre. This french side cabinets were made by Sébastien Lamarre for Maison Marie Anne. The creator chose for the Pyrénées mo...
Oak
LU Louis Sconce AS
By Lumfardo Luminaires
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Handsome LU Louis sconce AS. An all brass wall sconce in an aged silver finish with patterned perforations by Lumfardo Luminaires. Made contemporary in the US. Multiples available fo...
Brass, Nickel
$150,000 / set
H 31.25 in W 22.5 in D 19.25 in
Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto Set of Twelve Africa Walnut Dining Chairs 1975
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Maxalto
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto extraordinary set of twelve dining chairs model 'Africa' with sculptural frames in walnut including ebony with seats in saddle or cogn...
Brass
Custom French Plaster Chandelier in the Style of Jean-Charles Moreux
By Jean-Charles Moreux
Located in New York, NY
An Elegant and Timeless, Custom French Modern Neoclassical Plaster Chandelier / Pendant or Flush Mount Ceiling Light in the style of the French Mid-century architect-decorator Jean-C...
Metal
$7,600 / item
H 39.38 in W 9.85 in D 31.5 in
Parchment, Brass and Glass Table Lamp by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires
By Diego Mardegan
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Ventola table lamp by the artist Diego Mardegan exclusively for Glustin Luminaires. Beautiful two ways shade made of a brass structure, parchemin paper and waxed fabric hold by an...
Brass
$13,530 / item
H 49.22 in Dm 70.87 in
Brass and Parchment Paper Chandelier by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires
By Diego Mardegan
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Impressive chandelier made of white enameled brass arms holding six beautiful parchment paper shades, which can be adjusted thanks to the handle of each socket. Signed by the arti...
Brass
Round Oak Modernized Art Deco Gueridon Side Table, France 1940's
Located in New York, NY
Elegant gueridon with a tri-lobe base raised on thick round feet. Original patina.
Oak
$22,000 / set
H 31.5 in W 127.56 in D 80.91 in
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi Bedroom Set in Oak
By Officina Rivadossi, Giuseppe Rivadossi
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giuseppe Rivadossi for Officina Rivadossi, set consisting of a double bed, headboard and nightstands, oak, Italy, 1980s Giuseppe Rivadossi once again proves his great eye for materi...
Oak
Finn Juhl, Rare Sofa, Walnut, Fabric, United States, 1951
By Finn Juhl, Baker Furniture Company
Located in High Point, NC
A rare fabric and walnut sofa designed by Finn Juhl and produced by Baker, USA, 1950s. Fully restored, pre-restoration images available upon request. Overall Dimensions (inches): 4...
Fabric, Walnut
The Portugese-born furniture designer Joaquim Tenreiro was a pioneer of modernism in Brazil, where his work paved the way for the successes of such mid-20th-century design greats as Sergio Rodrigues, Jorge Zalszupin, and Lina Bo Bardi, an Italian-Brazilian architect whose futuristic São Paulo buildings are only part of her legacy.
Tenreiro’s vintage tables, chairs and storage cabinets are known for their simplicity of line and an elegance that is enhanced by the use of richly grained South American hardwoods such as jacaranda and imbuia.
Tenreiro’s father and grandfather were both master woodworkers, under whom he trained in the craft. He had artistic leanings and in the late 1920s enrolled as a university student at the School of Arts and Crafts in Rio de Janeiro, where he joined a group of upstart modernists protesting the staid, retrograde curriculum at the college. At the time, Brazil was culturally mired in a 19th-century mindset that was reflected in an upper-class preference for academic painting and reproduction furnishings in antique European styles. But the progressive spirit that Tenreiro and his colleagues fostered slowly gained force.
With the terms “lightness” and “functionality” as his bywords, Tenreiro opened a furniture-design business in 1943, where one of his first clients was the legendary architect Oscar Niemeyer. The arrival of Brazil’s first democratically elected government, in 1945, lent modernism official sanction, which culminated in the construction of the new capital, Brasília. Tenreiro eventually stepped away from design in the late 1960s to devote his time to sculpture and painting.
To appreciate how revolutionary Tenreiro’s work seemed, one must imagine the heavy, ornately carved, deeply varnished furniture that was the standard for top-end Brazilian interior design in the 1930s. Tenreiro’s chairs and sofas employed slender, softly angular frames that were only lightly stained to highlight the grains of the local woods. He preferred chairs and chaises with caned seats and backrests that “breathe” in the tropical climate, and as a carpenter and joiner he wanted to show off the beauty of Brazilian wood.
Two versions of a three-legged side chair introduced in 1947 serve as a veritable manifesto for a new age in Brazilian design: Using the stack-lamination technique, Tenreiro bonded together a gently contoured seat made of alternating layers of different-colored native woods to produce a magnificent stripe effect. These chairs, like all Tenreiro works, demonstrate the enduring power of simple design and superb construction — with a teaspoon of flair.
Find vintage Joaquim Tenreiro furniture on 1stDibs.
More often than not, vintage mid-century Brazilian furniture designs, with their gleaming wood, soft leathers and inviting shapes, share a sensuous, unique quality that distinguishes them from the more rectilinear output of American and Scandinavian makers of the same era.
Commencing in the 1940s and '50s, a group of architects and designers transformed the local cultural landscape in Brazil, merging the modernist vernacular popular in Europe and the United States with the South American country's traditional techniques and indigenous materials.
Key mid-century influencers on Brazilian furniture design include natives Oscar Niemeyer, Sergio Rodrigues and José Zanine Caldas as well as such European immigrants as Joaquim Tenreiro, Jean Gillon and Jorge Zalszupin. These creators frequently collaborated; for instance, Niemeyer, an internationally acclaimed architect, commissioned many of them to furnish his residential and institutional buildings.
The popularity of Brazilian modern furniture has made household names of these designers and other greats. Their particular brand of modernism is characterized by an émigré point of view (some were Lithuanian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, and Italian), a preference for highly figured indigenous Brazilian woods, a reverence for nature as an inspiration and an atelier or small-production mentality.
Hallmarks of Brazilian mid-century design include smooth, sculptural forms and the use of native woods like rosewood, jacaranda and pequi. The work of designers today exhibits many of the same qualities, though with a marked interest in exploring new materials (witness the Campana Brothers' stuffed-animal chairs) and an emphasis on looking inward rather than to other countries for inspiration.
Find a collection of vintage Brazilian furniture on 1stDibs that includes chairs, sofas, tables and more.