$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
$21,500
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
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
$50,891 / 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
$13,853 / 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 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
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
$29,245 / 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
$40,020 / 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, 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
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
$43,291
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
$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
$12,000 / set
H 28 in W 31.5 in D 34 in
Brazilian Modern Armchairs in Hardwood & Grey Velvet by Joaquim Tenreiro Brazil
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
of Laubisch & Hirth. In the early 1940s, Tenreiro was among the first designers in the Brazilian
Ultrasuede, Hardwood
$153,923 / 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
$18,037 / 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
$20,000 / set
H 34.3 in W 17.3 in D 18.1 in
Brazilian Modern 4 Chair Set in Hardwood & Cane, Joaquim Tenreiro, Brazil, 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
Cane, Hardwood
$19,500
H 29.5 in W 74 in D 27 in
Midcentury Modern Sofa in Hardwood & Grey Velvet by Joaquim Tenreiro Brazil 1960
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
the late 1920s, he immigrated to Rio de Janeiro and began working for the firm of Laubisch & Hirth
Velvet, Hardwood
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
Bis Bench
Located in República, SP
Bis bench is drawn with a single trace gesture. It has two seats and one support surface, that are differentiated by the curve and the straight line, making the functionality of the...
Metal
Oak Slatted Credenza / Sideboard - Fully Customizable
Located in Portland, OR
Solid wood credenza / sideboard with slatted screen doors in white oak built by Material in Portland, Oregon. The clean modern lines and quiet texture of this piece are perfect for b...
Oak
Antique Petite Mexican Butaque in the Style of Clara Porset
By Clara Porset
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this Antique Petite Mexican Butaque in the style of Clara Porset, circa 1960.
Wood
From $1,500 / item
+ 3 moreH 32.25 in W 17 in D 13.5 in
Tractor Bar Stool in Carved, Solid Wood by Craig Bassam
By BassamFellows
Located in Ridgefield, CT
Since debuting at the Milan furniture fair in 2003, the BassamFellows Tractor stool has become a bona fide modern icon. From the outset, it has proven to be a piece of infinite varie...
Wood
$1,155Sale Price / item|30% Off
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
$5,440Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 36.25 in W 36.5 in D 36.5 in
Jean-Michel Frank and Adolphe Chanaux Pair "Armchair 40" Club Chairs by Ecart
By Adolphe Chanaux & Co., Ecart International, Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Cathedral City, CA
Jean Michel Frank and Adolphe Chanaux for Ecart International Pair of Club Chairs, "Armchair 1940". Ecart has re-edited this design and has been producing it from their Paris showroo...
Fabric, Wool, Upholstery, Oak
Wall-mounted oak wood sideboard with four doors, Italy, 1950s
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A large wall-mounted sideboard with four paneled doors, oak wood, Italian manufacture, 1950s Designing a wall-mounted cabinet presents a unique challenge for both renowned designers...
Oak
$5,411
H 35.04 in W 52.76 in D 21.66 in
French Art Deco cabinet with graphic patterned doors 1940s, brutalist
Located in Antwerpen, Antwerp
This handcrafted French Art Deco sideboard from the 1940s features elegant brass details and a timeless design. It has two storage compartments, hidden behind graphic detailed door ...
Wood
$1,480Sale Price|38% Off
H 55 in W 9 in D 4 in
Large Aluminum Light by Paul Mayen for Habitat International; 1960s
By Paul Mayen, Habitat International
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Unique and impressive aluminum light by Paul Mayen for Habitat International, circa 1968. This well proportioned design consists of two polished aluminum cylindrical sections joined ...
Aluminum, Steel
Paul Frankl, Organic Coffee Table, Cork Top, Mahogany Base, 1950s
By Paul Frankl, Johnson Furniture Co.
Located in High Point, NC
A very rare cork top coffee table or cocktail table by Paul Frankl for American manufacturer Johnson Furniture Company, circa 1955. The playful cork top features a tear-drop shaped ...
Mahogany, Cork
Architect Designed Bespoke Walnut Mid Century Desk Single Drawer
By (after) Frank Lloyd Wright
Located in Forest Grove, PA
A very well made architect designed desk made for a Main Line Philadelphia Mid century house by an unknown architect. Great size and proportions. Book matched walnut boards. Single d...
Walnut
French 1940s Art Deco Iron and Granite Table
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Very handsome large Art Deco table, with a wrought iron base of neoclassical inspiration. Tasteful design with minimalist lines. The black granite top has canted corners. Raised on s...
Granite, Wrought Iron
Custom Made Belgian Linen Armchair
Located in Jesteburg, DE
Introducing the home collection. A small selection of timeless Flemish designs made by hand for us in a small third generation workshop in Belgium. Has been used by many influentia...
Linen
2 parts sofa in stainless steel by Studio Glustin
By Glustin Creation
Located in Saint-Ouen (PARIS), FR
2 parts sofa in stainless steel with seating upholstered with a fabric by Dédar. Creation by Studio Glustin. France, 2023.
Stainless Steel
$1,600
H 9.85 in Dm 21.66 in
Brass Pendant Light Knubbling by Anders Pehrson for Ateljé Lyktan, Sweden, 1970s
By Ateljé Lyktan
Located in Hausmannstätten, AT
A large polished brass ceiling lamp model 'Knubbling' designed by Anders Pehrson in 1971 and manufactured in Mid-Century by Ateljé Lyktan in Sweden. The fixture has been restored and...
Brass
Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce Chandelier in Hammered Brass
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, chandelier model 12369, brass, Italy, design circa 1951 Organic chandelier by Angelo Lelii designed for Arredoluce. Six leaves open towards the ceiling ...
Brass
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.