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Pair of Vintage Metal Faux Bamboo Pagoda Étagères Glass Display Shelves
Pair of Vintage Metal Faux Bamboo Pagoda Étagères Glass Display Shelves

Pair of Vintage Metal Faux Bamboo Pagoda Étagères Glass Display Shelves

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Pair of faux bamboo, original gold tone finish, metal étagères with 5 glass shelves per étagère. Listing is for the pair (set).

Category

Vintage 1970s American Hollywood Regency Shelves

Materials

Metal

Antique Steel Metal Industrial Medical Dental Display Cabinet with Glass Doors
Antique Steel Metal Industrial Medical Dental Display Cabinet with Glass Doors

Antique Steel Metal Industrial Medical Dental Display Cabinet with Glass Doors

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Antique Steel Metal American Industrial Medical Dental display cabinet with glass doors. Item features steel metal frame, 2 glass doors, glass knobs, very nice antique item, quality ...

Category

Mid-20th Century North American Industrial Cabinets

Materials

Steel

Pair of Display Cabinets
Pair of Display Cabinets

Pair of Display Cabinets

Located in Gloucestershire, GB

An unusual pair of early 20th century French gilded and painted metal display cabinets.

Category

20th Century French Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Antique French Display Cabinet
Antique French Display Cabinet

Antique French Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

Like a four-masted ship, this antique French display cabinet is equipped with steel upper shelving units mounted to the surface of the four wooden drawer compartments. The faint glea...

Category

Antique Early 1900s French French Provincial Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Large Painted Display Cabinet
Large Painted Display Cabinet

Large Painted Display Cabinet

Located in Gloucestershire, GB

Large French painted vitrine / display cabinet, circa 1900.

Category

20th Century French Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Rosewood Gilt Metal Mounted Small Display Case
Rosewood Gilt Metal Mounted Small Display Case

Rosewood Gilt Metal Mounted Small Display Case

Located in San Francisco, CA

A fine quality English rosewood gilt metal mounted small hanging display case, the beveled glass front framed with a metal beaded edge and a further gadrooned edge, the interior upho...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Neoclassical Shelves and Wall Cabinets

Materials

Glass, Rosewood

Pair Faux Bamboo Brass Etageres Glass Display Shelves Hollywood Regency Metal
Pair Faux Bamboo Brass Etageres Glass Display Shelves Hollywood Regency Metal

Pair Faux Bamboo Brass Etageres Glass Display Shelves Hollywood Regency Metal

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Lovely pair of vintage Hollywood Regency, Chinese Chippendale Style, brass (metal) faux bamboo etageres with six smoked glass shelves per etagere. Perfect for that glamorous Palm Bea...

Category

Vintage 1960s Singaporean Hollywood Regency Shelves

Materials

Brass

1900s French Wooden Display Cabinet
1900s French Wooden Display Cabinet

1900s French Wooden Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

A wooden display cabinet from France, produced circa 1900. This humble country cabinet is an unexpected totem of the 20th Century: iron and wood, joined together by industry, rising ...

Category

20th Century French Cabinets

Materials

Metal

1930's Belgian Tubax Atomic Metal Rod Store Display Shelf Etagere
1930's Belgian Tubax Atomic Metal Rod Store Display Shelf Etagere

1930's Belgian Tubax Atomic Metal Rod Store Display Shelf Etagere

Located in Hyattsville, MD

Unknown Designer, Stamped, "Belgium." Shelf will be shipped with 1/4 Inch Glass Shelves cut upon purchasing. Or smooth Slate panel shelving can be ordered for an additional $750, an...

Category

Vintage 1930s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Shelves

vintage rosewood display cabinet
vintage rosewood display cabinet

vintage rosewood display cabinet

Located in Lemmer, NL

vintage display cabinet wall cabinet 60s Danish period 60's designs unknown Denmark conditions excellent minimal signs of use size 37 x 82 x 30 (hxwxd) details rosewood; ...

Category

Vintage 1960s Danish Vitrines

Materials

Metal

Italian Display Cabinet 1970's
Italian Display Cabinet 1970's

Italian Display Cabinet 1970's

Located in Shibuya-ku, 13

The gold and black frame lends the entire cabinet a refined impression. The top panel features an ornate design, allowing any items displayed upon it to be presented with elegance. I...

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets

Materials

Metal, Brass

Italian Etagere Display Stand
Italian Etagere Display Stand

Italian Etagere Display Stand

Located in San Francisco, CA

Gilt metal stand having stepped display surfaces with glass inserts. Mid-20th century, Italy.

Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Shelves

Materials

Metal

Italian Etagere Display Stand
Italian Etagere Display Stand

Italian Etagere Display Stand

Located in San Francisco, CA

Gilt metal stand having stepped display surfaces with mirror inserts. Italy, mid-20th century.

Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Shelves

Materials

Metal

1970s Vintage Italian Display Cabinet
1970s Vintage Italian Display Cabinet

1970s Vintage Italian Display Cabinet

Located in London, GB

A stylish and impressive vintage cabinet, this was made in Italy and dates from circa 1970s. It has a fantastic design, identical front and back so can be used as a free standing roo...

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Mid Century Display Cabinet
Mid Century Display Cabinet

Mid Century Display Cabinet

Sold|$19,900 / item

Mid Century Display Cabinet

Located in Westwood, NJ

A mid century style satin ebonized two-door display cabinet with a dramatically shaped front and full-length glass doors. A clear mirror back reflects your collection of beautiful pi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Asian Mid-Century Modern Vitrines

Materials

Metal

Modern Industrial Display Cabinet
Modern Industrial Display Cabinet

Modern Industrial Display Cabinet

Located in Westwood, NJ

A towering example of form meeting function with an edge. This statuesque piece contrasts the warmth of natural wood with the industrial cool of a dark metal frame. Behind the glass...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Asian Industrial Bookcases

Materials

Metal

19th Century French Oak Display Cabinet
19th Century French Oak Display Cabinet

19th Century French Oak Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

This 19th Century French oak display cabinet is a distinctive blend of utility and architectural elegance. The base features two wide drawers with diamond-shaped escutcheons and simp...

Category

Antique 19th Century French Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Rare Antique Tea Shop Counter/Huge Display Cabinet with Metal Bins, London, Engl
Rare Antique Tea Shop Counter/Huge Display Cabinet with Metal Bins, London, Engl

Rare Antique Tea Shop Counter/Huge Display Cabinet with Metal Bins, London, Engl

Located in Round Top, TX

Today this will make a remarkable, one of a kind book case or display cabinet. Scuffs, marks, distress commensurate with age of an item that was used daily.

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century English Bookcases

Materials

Wood

19th Century French Oak Display Cabinet
19th Century French Oak Display Cabinet

19th Century French Oak Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

Graceful and unique, this antique oak display cabinet cuts a striking silhouette. Made in France in the 1800s, the light, airy design of the upper shelves evokes the masts of sailing...

Category

Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Antique French Store Display
Antique French Store Display

Antique French Store Display

Located in High Point, NC

A handsome turn of the century French store counter. Equipped with a two tiered metal shelf, this piece blends styles and materials in a dark and natural tones- brown and black. Text...

Category

Early 20th Century French French Provincial Shelves

Materials

Metal

Faux Bamboo Etagere Display Stand
Faux Bamboo Etagere Display Stand

Faux Bamboo Etagere Display Stand

Located in New York, NY

Tall Etagere / display stand with glass shelves. The frame is metal with a faux bamboo pattern.

Category

20th Century Shelves

Materials

Metal

1970s Italian Renato Zevi Display Unit
1970s Italian Renato Zevi Display Unit

1970s Italian Renato Zevi Display Unit

By Renato Zevi

Located in London, England

An Italian smoked glass and chromed brass display cabinet or étagère designed by furniture designer Renato Zevi in the 1970s. The cabinet has two smoked glass display shelves and doo...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets

Materials

Metal, Brass, Chrome

Vintage Industrial Display/Storage Cabinet
Vintage Industrial Display/Storage Cabinet

Vintage Industrial Display/Storage Cabinet

By Reinhold-schumann

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Fabulous industrial metal display cabinet/bookcase with double glass doors and six glass shelves. The bottom features two storage drawers and storage compartment. Manufactured by Re...

Category

Vintage 1940s American Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Chippendale Style Mahogany Display Cabinet on Stand
Chippendale Style Mahogany Display Cabinet on Stand

Chippendale Style Mahogany Display Cabinet on Stand

Located in Troy, MI

Tall mahogany display cabinet on stand with glass-front top cabinet that locks with skeleton key, two interior glass shelves, ornamental crest, reeded based and legs. This tall, stri...

Category

Antique 19th Century English Cabinets

Materials

Metal

1900s, French, Wooden Display Cabinet
1900s, French, Wooden Display Cabinet

1900s, French, Wooden Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

A wooden display cabinet from France, produced circa 1900. THis humble country cabinet is an unexpected totem of the 20th Century: iron and wood, joined together by industry, rising ...

Category

Antique Early 1900s French Country Buffets

Materials

Metal

Vintage French Jewelry Display Counter
Vintage French Jewelry Display Counter

Vintage French Jewelry Display Counter

Located in High Point, NC

This wood and metal jewelry discounter counter was made in France, circa 1950. The angular metal base and oblique vitrine comprise the clean geometric silhouette of this Mid-Century ...

Category

Vintage 1950s French French Provincial Vitrines

Materials

Metal

1880s, French Oak Display Cabinet
1880s, French Oak Display Cabinet

1880s, French Oak Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

This antique display cabinet harks back to an era of exploration and discovery. Made in Belle Époque France, circa 1880, the sandy natural oak of the lower cabinet evokes uncharted b...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Buffets

Materials

Metal

Mercantile-Style Display Cabinet with Glass Doors
Mercantile-Style Display Cabinet with Glass Doors

Mercantile-Style Display Cabinet with Glass Doors

Located in High Point, NC

This substantial vintage wooden display cabinet features a warm, richly toned wood construction with multiple glass-front doors and lower storage drawers. Designed with both practica...

Category

Late 20th Century Indian Rustic Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Antique French Oak Screen Door Display Cabinet
Antique French Oak Screen Door Display Cabinet

Antique French Oak Screen Door Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

A distinctive storage piece from France, circa 1880. At nearly twelve feet, this four door cabinet is constructed in oak, with metal mesh screen doors. Resting on turned round feet, ...

Category

Antique Early 19th Century French French Provincial Cabinets

Materials

Metal

19th Century French Oak Display Cabinet
19th Century French Oak Display Cabinet

19th Century French Oak Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

Built in 19th century France, this antique oak display cabinet offers a unique and forward-thinking silhouette. A trio of shelves are set upon slender metal posts to create an unobtr...

Category

Antique 19th Century French Country Buffets

Materials

Metal

19th Century Portuguese Wooden Display Cabinet
19th Century Portuguese Wooden Display Cabinet

19th Century Portuguese Wooden Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

A 19th century wooden display cabinet from Portugal, this actualized cabinet is composed of two aerial shelves balanced on a double door country buffet. The structure allies the mode...

Category

Antique 19th Century Portuguese Country Buffets

Materials

Metal

1900s French Bleached Oak Display Cabinet
1900s French Bleached Oak Display Cabinet

1900s French Bleached Oak Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

A bleached oak display cabinet from France, produced circa 1900. A striking, open-faced display cabinet, rising like a mixed media use-object monument: three tiers of iron shelves, b...

Category

Antique Early 1900s French French Provincial Buffets

Materials

Metal

vintage counter  1940s  display  cupboard  Swedis
vintage counter  1940s  display  cupboard  Swedis

vintage counter 1940s display cupboard Swedis

Located in Lemmer, NL

vintage counter 1940s display cupboard Swedish period 1940s design unknown Sweden condition good light signs of wear/patina; small veneer chips; 1 glass plate with a piece ...

Category

Vintage 1940s Swedish Apothecary Cabinets

Materials

Metal, Copper

Industrial Bauhaus Display Cabinet / Vitrine, 1930s
Industrial Bauhaus Display Cabinet / Vitrine, 1930s

Industrial Bauhaus Display Cabinet / Vitrine, 1930s

Located in Berlin, DE

This Industrial Bauhaus style display cabinet was made circa 1930. The top part features glass and the lower part is closed and features a flap door.

Category

Vintage 1930s German Bauhaus Vitrines

Materials

Metal

Twentieth Century French Wooden Display Cabinet
Twentieth Century French Wooden Display Cabinet

Twentieth Century French Wooden Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

A nineteen hundred’s painted wood display cabinet with shelves. This finely crafted, yet understated cabinet is heightened by its shelves, mounted to its top like ship masts. With st...

Category

Antique Early 1900s French French Provincial Buffets

Materials

Metal

19th Century French Wooden Display Cabinet
19th Century French Wooden Display Cabinet

19th Century French Wooden Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

Rational and distinguished, this antique wooden display cabinet is a covetable find. Built in France in the 1800s, the airy, stripped-back composition of the upper shelves evokes the...

Category

Antique 19th Century French Country Buffets

Materials

Metal

1860s French Bleached Oak Display Cabinet
1860s French Bleached Oak Display Cabinet

1860s French Bleached Oak Display Cabinet

Located in High Point, NC

This bleached oak cabinet was made in France, circa 1860. The display portion is refurnished with metallic shelving supports and decorative brackets, creating a piece that blends a r...

Category

Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Buffets

Materials

Metal

Rolling 3 Tier Display Shelf Unit
Rolling 3 Tier Display Shelf Unit

Rolling 3 Tier Display Shelf Unit

Located in Oakville, CT

Rolling 3 Tier Display Shelf Unit. Dividers on 2nd & 3rd Shelf.

Category

20th Century American Shelves

Materials

Metal

Antique French Louis XVI Armoire Display Shelf Cabinet
Antique French Louis XVI Armoire Display Shelf Cabinet

Antique French Louis XVI Armoire Display Shelf Cabinet

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Materials: Oak, Glass Shelves, Metal Mesh Door

Category

Vintage 1940s European Louis XVI Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Mid-Century Modern Chrome and Glass Mirrored Display Cabinet
Mid-Century Modern Chrome and Glass Mirrored Display Cabinet

Mid-Century Modern Chrome and Glass Mirrored Display Cabinet

Located in Brooklyn, NY

This beautiful vintage display cabinet is a beautiful mix of aluminum with a chrome finish and five spacious glass shelves. The floor and back panel are mirrored, and a light fixture...

Category

Vintage 1960s American Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Antique English Victorian Mahogany Bowfront Shop Display Cabinet
Antique English Victorian Mahogany Bowfront Shop Display Cabinet

Antique English Victorian Mahogany Bowfront Shop Display Cabinet

Located in Glasgow, GB

A good freestanding Victorian mahogany bowfront shop display cabinet. With an ogee shaped cornice, inset glass top and rear glazed door and standing on four short cabriole legs with ...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century British Victorian Cabinets

Materials

Metal, Brass

Large Bronzed Gilt Circular Form Display Shelves
Large Bronzed Gilt Circular Form Display Shelves

Large Bronzed Gilt Circular Form Display Shelves

Located in Worcester, GB

Large bronzed gilt circular form display shelves Ornate hoop metal frame with antiqued bronzed gilt finish. 4 heavy toughened glass shelves. Measures 170 x 44 x 201 (hei...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Shelves

Materials

Metal

19th Century '1850s' French Walnut Central Standing Display Cabinet
19th Century '1850s' French Walnut Central Standing Display Cabinet

19th Century '1850s' French Walnut Central Standing Display Cabinet

Located in North Miami, FL

19th Century (1850s) French walnut central standing display cabinet (central standing bijouterie) with two end doors and brass molded decoration raised on elegant turned feet with or...

Category

Antique 19th Century French Cabinets

Materials

Metal, Brass

Antique Country Store Counter Top Display Cabinet, circa 1900
Antique Country Store Counter Top Display Cabinet, circa 1900

Antique Country Store Counter Top Display Cabinet, circa 1900

Located in Big Flats, NY

An antique country store counter top display cabinet offers oak construction with double glass doors opening to shelved interior, c1900 Measures: 28.75" H x 31" W x 14.5" D.

Category

Early 20th Century American Cabinets

Materials

Metal

19th Century Japanese Black and Gold Lacquered Display Cabinet
19th Century Japanese Black and Gold Lacquered Display Cabinet

19th Century Japanese Black and Gold Lacquered Display Cabinet

Located in Debenham, Suffolk

Superb quality Japanese display cabinet circa 1890. Contains various scenes from Japanese life on the gold panels, showing birds, dogs, flowers and foliage. Decorated front and back ...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Lighted Display Vitrine/Cabinet in Brass Finish Attributed to Mastercraft
Lighted Display Vitrine/Cabinet in Brass Finish Attributed to Mastercraft

Lighted Display Vitrine/Cabinet in Brass Finish Attributed to Mastercraft

By Mastercraft

Located in Dallas, TX

This is a beautiful lighted display cabinet with glass doors and shelves and brass finish by Mastercraft. Doors open from outside edges.

Category

Mid-20th Century American Cabinets

Materials

Brass, Metal

Large Brazilian Painted Wood Cabinet with Display Shelves and Storage
Large Brazilian Painted Wood Cabinet with Display Shelves and Storage

Large Brazilian Painted Wood Cabinet with Display Shelves and Storage

Located in Atlanta, GA

A large size vintage Brazilian painted wood cabinet. This custom Brazilian cabinet stands over 8.5 feet tall and roughly 8 feet wide, allowing for an abundance of storage and display...

Category

20th Century Brazilian Cabinets

Materials

Metal

1940s American Whitman’s Chocolate Refrigerated Display Shop Counter Sweet Shop
1940s American Whitman’s Chocolate Refrigerated Display Shop Counter Sweet Shop

1940s American Whitman’s Chocolate Refrigerated Display Shop Counter Sweet Shop

By General Electric

Located in Sherborne, Dorset

Originally from America, this rare vintage 1947 Whitman’s Chocolate Refrigerated Display Counter has just come out of long time storage. The company Whitman's was founded in Philad...

Category

Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Cabinets

Materials

Metal, Brass, Copper

Vintage Chippendale Style Flame Mahogany Display Cabinet/Bookcase
Vintage Chippendale Style Flame Mahogany Display Cabinet/Bookcase

Vintage Chippendale Style Flame Mahogany Display Cabinet/Bookcase

Located in Chicago, IL

Vintage Chippendale Style Flame Mahogany Display Cabinet/Bookcase Beautiful Antique Chippendale Style Flame Mahogany Display Cabinet/Bookcase. The cabinet has 3 shelves behind 2 gla...

Category

Early 20th Century Unknown Chippendale Cupboards

Materials

Metal

Ornate 1920's Vitrine - Outstanding Store Display Fixture
Ornate 1920's Vitrine - Outstanding Store Display Fixture

Ornate 1920's Vitrine - Outstanding Store Display Fixture

Located in Atlanta, GA

Ornate Iron Vitrine, probably French, believed to be circa 1920's, possibly earlier. It is a versatile size and would make an outstanding vitrine, bar, or store display fixture. Beca...

Category

Early 20th Century French Vitrines

Materials

Iron, Metal

Bernard Rohde for Mastercraft Mid-Century Modern Acid Etched Display Cabinets
Bernard Rohde for Mastercraft Mid-Century Modern Acid Etched Display Cabinets

Bernard Rohde for Mastercraft Mid-Century Modern Acid Etched Display Cabinets

By Mastercraft

Located in Astoria, NY

Bernard Rohde for Mastercraft Mid-Century Modern pair of display cabinets / vitrines with acid etched metal decor. Each with 2 glass shelves on upper part. 4 display levels on top, o...

Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Antique Harvard Company Quartersawn Oak Dental Cabinet Curio Showcase Display
Antique Harvard Company Quartersawn Oak Dental Cabinet Curio Showcase Display

Antique Harvard Company Quartersawn Oak Dental Cabinet Curio Showcase Display

Located in Dayton, OH

Early 20th Century Harvard Company Dental Cabinet. A petite showcase made from quartersawn oak with two interior shelves over 5 drawers in a 2 over three configuration. Features pa...

Category

Early 20th Century American Victorian Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Early 20th Century Grain Lift Rustic Display Shelf
Early 20th Century Grain Lift Rustic Display Shelf

Early 20th Century Grain Lift Rustic Display Shelf

Located in Round Top, TX

This old vintage grain lift has been restored and waxed, bringing out the warm patina of the wood. As seen in photos, this can be raised and lowered creating unique display options....

Category

Early 20th Century Danish Rustic Shelves

Materials

Metal

French Faberge Black and Gold Lighted Display Cabinet Vitrine
French Faberge Black and Gold Lighted Display Cabinet Vitrine

French Faberge Black and Gold Lighted Display Cabinet Vitrine

Located in West Hartford, CT

Elegant tall black and gold Faberge display cabinet with four glass panel sides including door with stainless steel lock. Door opens to glass shelves that are illuminated from above....

Category

Late 20th Century Vitrines

Materials

Metal

Tall Display Cabinet Made of 19th Century French Windows and Reclaimed Wood
Tall Display Cabinet Made of 19th Century French Windows and Reclaimed Wood

Tall Display Cabinet Made of 19th Century French Windows and Reclaimed Wood

Located in Atlanta, GA

A tall display cabinet of 19th century French windows and reclaimed wood. This tall custom-made cabinet is comprised of two doors made from 19th century French windows, and a body of...

Category

Antique 19th Century French Cabinets

Materials

Metal

Art Deco Bar / Display cabinet 1940's
Art Deco Bar / Display cabinet 1940's

Art Deco Bar / Display cabinet 1940's

Located in Miami, FL

Very unique dry bar in the highest quality mahogany with accents of citroniere. The inside is sycamore. This high bar has a center door that opens in a circular fashion to have a ...

Category

Vintage 1940s French Dry Bars

Materials

Metal

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Metal Display Case For Sale on 1stDibs

Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the metal display case you’re looking for at 1stDibs. Each metal display case for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, glass and wood. There are 131 variations of the antique or vintage metal display case you’re looking for, while we also have 4 modern editions of this piece to choose from as well. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect metal display case — we have versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century are available. A metal display case made by Mid-Century Modern designers — as well as those associated with Industrial — is very popular. A well-made metal display case has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Poul Cadovius, Cipriani Homood and Mastercraft are consistently popular.

How Much is a Metal Display Case?

Prices for a metal display case can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $450 and can go as high as $25,995, while the average can fetch as much as $2,650.

Finding the Right Case Pieces And Storage Cabinets for You

Of all the vintage storage cabinets and antique case pieces that have become popular in modern interiors over the years, dressers, credenzas and cabinets have long been home staples, perfect for routine storage or protection of personal items. 

In the mid-19th century, cabinetmakers would mimic styles originating in the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI eras for their dressers, bookshelves and other structures, and, later, simpler, streamlined wood designs allowed these “case pieces” or “case goods” — any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — to blend into the background of any interior. 

Mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts will cite the tall modular wall units crafted in teak and other sought-after woods of the era by the likes of George Nelson, Poul Cadovius and Finn Juhl. For these highly customizable furnishings, designers of the day delivered an alternative to big, heavy bookcases by considering the use of space — and, in particular, walls — in new and innovative ways. Mid-century modern credenzas, which, long and low, evolved from tables that were built as early as the 14th century in Italy, typically have no legs or very short legs and have grown in popularity as an alluring storage option over time. 

Although the name immediately invokes images of clothing, dressers were initially created in Europe for a much different purpose. This furnishing was initially a flat-surfaced, low-profile side table equipped with a few drawers — a common fixture used to dress and prepare meats in English kitchens throughout the Tudor period. The drawers served as perfect utensil storage. It wasn’t until the design made its way to North America that it became enlarged and equipped with enough space to hold clothing and cosmetics. The very history of case pieces is a testament to their versatility and well-earned place in any room. 

In the spirit of positioning your case goods center stage, decluttering can now be design-minded.

A contemporary case piece with open shelving and painted wood details can prove functional as a storage unit as easily as it can a room divider. Alternatively, apothecary cabinets are charming case goods similar in size to early dressers or commodes but with uniquely sized shelving and (often numerous) drawers.

Whether you’re seeking a playful sideboard that features colored glass and metal details, an antique Italian hand-carved storage cabinet or a glass-door vitrine to store and show off your collectibles, there are options for you on 1stDibs.

Questions About Metal Display Case
  • 1stDibs ExpertNovember 2, 2021
    A glass display case is also called a showcase, vitrine, or display cabinet. It usually has one or more panels of transparent glass that allows for proper display of your treasured collectibles. Find a collection of antique and vintage furniture on 1stDibs today.

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