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Puff Armchair by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Modern Italian Design
Puff Armchair by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Modern Italian Design

Puff Armchair by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Modern Italian Design

By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

found on show in some of the world’s key museums, including his ‘Libertà’ chair on show at the Louvre.As

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Limited Edition Soriana Denim Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
Limited Edition Soriana Denim Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

Limited Edition Soriana Denim Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

world’s key museums, including his ‘Libertà’ chair on show at the Louvre.As an architect he has worked for

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Tobia Scarpa Soriana Yellow Three-Seater Sofa by Cassina, Italy
Tobia Scarpa Soriana Yellow Three-Seater Sofa by Cassina, Italy

Tobia Scarpa Soriana Yellow Three-Seater Sofa by Cassina, Italy

By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

prizes and many of his designs can also be found on show in some of the world’s key museums, including

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Metal

Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

designs can also be found on show in some of the world’s key museums, including his ‘Libertà’ chair on

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

designs can also be found on show in some of the world’s key museums, including his ‘Libertà’ chair on

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

designs can also be found on show in some of the world’s key museums, including his ‘Libertà’ chair on

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal

Limited Edition Soriana Denim Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
Limited Edition Soriana Denim Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

Limited Edition Soriana Denim Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina

By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

world’s key museums, including his ‘Libertà’ chair on show at the Louvre.As an architect he has worked for

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Metal

Three Seater Blue Sofa Soriana by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina Modern Italian Design
Three Seater Blue Sofa Soriana by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina Modern Italian Design

Three Seater Blue Sofa Soriana by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina Modern Italian Design

By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

prizes and many of his designs can also be found on show in some of the world’s key museums, including

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Metal

Sofa Soriana by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Modern Italian Design
Sofa Soriana by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Modern Italian Design

Sofa Soriana by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Modern Italian Design

By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

be found on show in some of the world’s key museums, including his ‘Libertà’ chair on show at the

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Metal

Stedelijk Museum Chair
Stedelijk Museum Chair

Stedelijk Museum Chair

Unavailable|$7,120

Stedelijk Museum Chair

By Richard Hutten

Located in ROTTERDAM, ZH

This prototype Stedelijk Chair was designed for the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. The chair is

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Chairs

Materials

Other

Wing Chair Queen Ann Philadelphia Trifid Feet Carved Shell Knees, circa 1770
Wing Chair Queen Ann Philadelphia Trifid Feet Carved Shell Knees, circa 1770

Wing Chair Queen Ann Philadelphia Trifid Feet Carved Shell Knees, circa 1770

By Philadelphia Museum

Located in Allentown, PA

Wing chair Queen Ann Philadelphia Trifid feet carved shell knees, circa 1770.

Category

Antique 1750s American Queen Anne Wingback Chairs

Materials

Walnut

Pair of American Empire sidechairs
Pair of American Empire sidechairs

Pair of American Empire sidechairs

By Philadelphia Museum

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A pair of mahogany,Philadelphia region, empire
sidechairs with exceptional needlepoint seats, each having classical figures in landscape.

Category

Antique 19th Century American Chairs

Materials

Mahogany

Rare Thonet Marcel Breuer Theater Chairs from the Andy Warhol Museum
Rare Thonet Marcel Breuer Theater Chairs from the Andy Warhol Museum

Rare Thonet Marcel Breuer Theater Chairs from the Andy Warhol Museum

By Marcel Breuer

Located in Pittsburgh, PA

16 Sections of Marcel Breuer designed theater chairs that were part of the Andy Warhol Museum. Five

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Metal

Arflex Regent Lounge Chair design Marco Zanuso 1960 Leather Upholstery
Arflex Regent Lounge Chair design Marco Zanuso 1960 Leather Upholstery

Arflex Regent Lounge Chair design Marco Zanuso 1960 Leather Upholstery

By Marco Zanuso, Arflex

Located in Jersey City, NJ

'Museum' chair has not only been restored to perfection but this model has also been selected for an

Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Foam, Wood

Pedro Friedeberg “Hand Chair”
Pedro Friedeberg “Hand Chair”

Pedro Friedeberg “Hand Chair”

By Pedro Friedeberg

Located in Hampstead, QC

Paris, and so many other museums. The present chair was hand sculpted from stacked mahogany wood

Category

Vintage 1960s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Mahogany

Strap-Auto Chair
Strap-Auto Chair

Strap-Auto Chair

Unavailable|$1,070

Strap-Auto Chair

Located in Gloucestershire, GB

example of Buffington’s chair can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum. This chair is much smaller in size

Category

Early 20th Century French Chairs

Model 4875 Chairs by Carlo Bartoli for Kartell, 1970s, Set of 4
Model 4875 Chairs by Carlo Bartoli for Kartell, 1970s, Set of 4

Model 4875 Chairs by Carlo Bartoli for Kartell, 1970s, Set of 4

By Carlo Bartoli, Kartell

Located in Uccle, BE

Model 4875 Chairs by Carlo Bartoli for Kartell, 1960s, Set of 4 Minor Losses : slightly yellowed

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Plastic

Easy Edges Cardboard Chair by Frank Gehry, Early 1970s Model
Easy Edges Cardboard Chair by Frank Gehry, Early 1970s Model

Easy Edges Cardboard Chair by Frank Gehry, Early 1970s Model

By Frank Gehry

Located in Pittsburgh, PA

Museum. Two chairs are available.

Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Other

Venetian Illustrated, Polychrome, Gilt, and Leather Gondola Chair, c. 1820
Venetian Illustrated, Polychrome, Gilt, and Leather Gondola Chair, c. 1820

Venetian Illustrated, Polychrome, Gilt, and Leather Gondola Chair, c. 1820

Located in San Francisco, CA

An absolutely stunning and rare circa 1820 museum-worthy Venetian gondola chair with illustrated

Category

Antique Early 19th Century Italian Rococo Revival Chairs

Materials

Brass, Iron

20th Century Hexagonal-Backed "Peacock" Chair from the Imperial Hotel
20th Century Hexagonal-Backed "Peacock" Chair from the Imperial Hotel

20th Century Hexagonal-Backed "Peacock" Chair from the Imperial Hotel

By Frank Lloyd Wright

Located in Chicago, IL

Original museum-quality 20th century American hexagonal-backed side chair salvaged from the

Category

Vintage 1920s Japanese Prairie School Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Oak

POF 1 Light Chair by Horgen-Glarus & N2 for Hidden Nl
POF 1 Light Chair by Horgen-Glarus & N2 for Hidden Nl

POF 1 Light Chair by Horgen-Glarus & N2 for Hidden Nl

By Horgen-Glarus

Located in cham, CH

Victoria Albert Museum London. The chair is made of bent beech wood with an acrylic plate for the seat

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Chairs

Materials

Beech

Set of Six Dining Chairs, Biedermeier, Germany, 1830, Burled Walnut by Knussmann
Set of Six Dining Chairs, Biedermeier, Germany, 1830, Burled Walnut by Knussmann

Set of Six Dining Chairs, Biedermeier, Germany, 1830, Burled Walnut by Knussmann

By Wolfgang Knussmann

Located in Ettlingen, Baden-Wurttemberg

A set of six identical dining chairs, museum value, by Johann Wolfgang Knussmann, Mainz, Germany

Category

Antique Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Chairs

Materials

Steel

Etruscan Chair, Glass and Steel Chair
Etruscan Chair, Glass and Steel Chair

Etruscan Chair, Glass and Steel Chair

By Danny Lane

Located in Los Angeles, CA

. Danny Lane's Etruscan chair is in the permanent collections of the Corning Glass Museum Of Glass NY, USA

Category

Vintage 1980s English Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Jacobean Welsh Oak Great Chair c. 1620
Jacobean Welsh Oak Great Chair c. 1620

Jacobean Welsh Oak Great Chair c. 1620

Located in Heathfield, GB

chair. Examples of early children’s wainscot chairs are well documented and most reside in museums

Category

Antique 17th Century Side Chairs

Materials

Oak

Belter Slipper Chair, Rococo Revival NY, circa 1850
Belter Slipper Chair, Rococo Revival NY, circa 1850

Belter Slipper Chair, Rococo Revival NY, circa 1850

By John Henry Belter

Located in Long Island, NY

laminated furniture and his furniture is in all major American Museums. The chair has a Berlin work beaded

Category

Antique 19th Century American Victorian Slipper Chairs

Materials

Upholstery

Mid-century Grasshopper chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll (1950s)
Mid-century Grasshopper chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll (1950s)

Mid-century Grasshopper chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll (1950s)

By Eero Saarinen, Wohnbedarf, Knoll

Located in Tunbridge Wells, GB

in museum exhibits around the world This chair production has been attributed to Wohnbedarf AG

Category

Mid-20th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Wool, Bentwood, Plywood

Pair of 18th Century English Queen Anne Oak Occasional Chairs
Pair of 18th Century English Queen Anne Oak Occasional Chairs

Pair of 18th Century English Queen Anne Oak Occasional Chairs

Located in Malvern, Victoria

. Excellent colour and patination. These chairs are of Museum quality and it is a pleasure to be handling

Category

Antique Early 17th Century English Queen Anne Side Chairs

Materials

Oak

Important Pair of Neo-Antique Chairs by Michael Gottlieb Birckner Bindesbøll
Important Pair of Neo-Antique Chairs by Michael Gottlieb Birckner Bindesbøll

Important Pair of Neo-Antique Chairs by Michael Gottlieb Birckner Bindesbøll

By Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll

Located in New York, NY

chairs) This pair of chairs was de-accessioned from the State Art Museum, Copenhagen and still bear the

Category

Antique 1840s Danish Neoclassical Side Chairs

Materials

Rosewood

1800s Victorian Balloon Back Accent Chair on Casters in Emerald Green Velvet
1800s Victorian Balloon Back Accent Chair on Casters in Emerald Green Velvet

1800s Victorian Balloon Back Accent Chair on Casters in Emerald Green Velvet

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

is a museum quality chair highlighting the best of Victorian design and fabrication. Measures: 23

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Victorian Side Chairs

Materials

Velvet, Wood

Three Legged Chair by John Makepeace and Ann Sutton Pop Art Sculpture
Three Legged Chair by John Makepeace and Ann Sutton Pop Art Sculpture

Three Legged Chair by John Makepeace and Ann Sutton Pop Art Sculpture

By Ann Sutton , John Makepeace

Located in London, GB

permanent collection of the V and A Museum. This chair is of historical significance in the field of

Category

20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Steel

Set of x6 Glossy Green Carimate Chairs by Vico Magistretti
Set of x6 Glossy Green Carimate Chairs by Vico Magistretti

Set of x6 Glossy Green Carimate Chairs by Vico Magistretti

By Vico Magistretti

Located in London, GB

and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. These timeless chairs feature green glossy painted wood

Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Beech

Set of x2 Glossy Black Carimate Carver Chairs By Vico Magistretti
Set of x2 Glossy Black Carimate Carver Chairs By Vico Magistretti

Set of x2 Glossy Black Carimate Carver Chairs By Vico Magistretti

By Vico Magistretti

Located in London, GB

and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. These timeless chairs feature green glossy painted wood

Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Beech

Kaare Klint Set of 12 'Red Chairs' Model KK39490, Nigerian Goatskin Upholstery
Kaare Klint Set of 12 'Red Chairs' Model KK39490, Nigerian Goatskin Upholstery

Kaare Klint Set of 12 'Red Chairs' Model KK39490, Nigerian Goatskin Upholstery

By Kaare Klint, Rud Rasmussen

Located in New York, NY

won the Grand Prix. Another variant was made for the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen. The chair was a

Category

Vintage 1920s Danish Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Brass

Set of Six Midcentury Dining Chairs by Andrew J Milne, for Heals, London
Set of Six Midcentury Dining Chairs by Andrew J Milne, for Heals, London

Set of Six Midcentury Dining Chairs by Andrew J Milne, for Heals, London

By Andrew Milne, Heal's

Located in Heathfield, East Sussex

& A Museum, London. The chairs demonstrate superb craftsmanship and the skills of the traditional

Category

Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Wool, Rosewood

Museum Würth Wrapped Chairs

Museum Würth Wrapped Chairs

By Javacheff Christo

Located in Tbilisi, GE

Original photograph, hand signed by Christo and by W Volz (Christo's photographer)

Category

20th Century Contemporary Prints and Multiples

Materials

Other Medium

Zuiderzee Stoel
Zuiderzee Stoel

Zuiderzee Stoel

Unavailable|$593

Zuiderzee Stoel

By Richard Hutten

Located in ROTTERDAM, ZH

Originally commissioned by the Zuiderzee Museum Enkhuizen, Hutten designed the Zuiderzee chair. He

Category

2010s Dutch Chairs

Materials

Wood

Pair of George II Mahogany Library Armchairs, circa 1755
Pair of George II Mahogany Library Armchairs, circa 1755

Pair of George II Mahogany Library Armchairs, circa 1755

Located in London, Middlesex

, fig. 62 (a settee from the suite).? Victoria and Albert Museum, English Chairs, 3rd Edition, London

Category

Antique 1750s English Chippendale Chairs

Materials

Mahogany

Screen Print for Museum Show Gerrit Rietveld Red and Blue Chair
Screen Print for Museum Show Gerrit Rietveld Red and Blue Chair

Screen Print for Museum Show Gerrit Rietveld Red and Blue Chair

By Catherine Waters

Located in Pittsburgh, PA

Limited edition screen print for a show at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 1980. Designed and

Category

Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Posters

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

Vitra Miniature LCM Chair in Black by Charles & Ray Eames
Vitra Miniature LCM Chair in Black by Charles & Ray Eames

Vitra Miniature LCM Chair in Black by Charles & Ray Eames

By Charles and Ray Eames, Vitra

Located in New York, NY

by the New York Museum of Modern Art. The chair did not go into production owing to a lack of

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Modern Models and Miniatures

Materials

Metal

Art Noveau Dining Table and Six Dining Chairs designed by Koloman Moser
Art Noveau Dining Table and Six Dining Chairs designed by Koloman Moser

Art Noveau Dining Table and Six Dining Chairs designed by Koloman Moser

By August Ungethüm, Koloman Moser

Located in Budapest, HU

The opening dining table and six chairs were designed by Koloman Moser. They are a part of the

Category

Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Dining Room Sets

Materials

Chrome

Four Mid-19th Century Exquisitely Carved Solid Ebony and Cane Side Chairs
Four Mid-19th Century Exquisitely Carved Solid Ebony and Cane Side Chairs

Four Mid-19th Century Exquisitely Carved Solid Ebony and Cane Side Chairs

Located in Houston, TX

It is the ebony and the magnificent craftsmanship make these chairs museum pieces. These were made

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Sri Lankan Anglo-Indian Furniture

Materials

Ebony

Three Legged Chair by John Makepeace and Ann Sutton 1970s Pop Art Sculpture
Three Legged Chair by John Makepeace and Ann Sutton 1970s Pop Art Sculpture

Three Legged Chair by John Makepeace and Ann Sutton 1970s Pop Art Sculpture

By John Makepeace, Ann Sutton

Located in London, GB

permanent collection of the V and A Museum. This chair is of historical significance in the field of

Category

20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Steel

Pair of Three Legged Chairs by John Makepeace and Ann Sutton Pop Art Sculpture
Pair of Three Legged Chairs by John Makepeace and Ann Sutton Pop Art Sculpture

Pair of Three Legged Chairs by John Makepeace and Ann Sutton Pop Art Sculpture

By John Makepeace, Ann Sutton

Located in London, GB

permanent collection of the V and A Museum. These chairs are of historical significance in the field of

Category

20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Steel

Peter Ghyczy for Ghyczy Design, Garden Egg or Senftenberg Egg, 1968
Peter Ghyczy for Ghyczy Design, Garden Egg or Senftenberg Egg, 1968

Peter Ghyczy for Ghyczy Design, Garden Egg or Senftenberg Egg, 1968

By Peter Ghyczy

Located in Београд, RS

The Egg-shaped Garden Chair, designed by Peter Giché in 1968, is one of the most significant pieces

Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Peter Ghyczy for Ghyczy Design, Garden Egg or Senftenberg Egg, 1968
Peter Ghyczy for Ghyczy Design, Garden Egg or Senftenberg Egg, 1968

Peter Ghyczy for Ghyczy Design, Garden Egg or Senftenberg Egg, 1968

By Peter Ghyczy

Located in Београд, RS

The Garden Egg Chair, designed by Peter Ghyczy in 1968, is one of the most iconic pieces of

Category

Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

18th Century Superb Pair of Louis XVI Armchairs, C 1770
18th Century Superb Pair of Louis XVI Armchairs, C 1770

18th Century Superb Pair of Louis XVI Armchairs, C 1770

Located in Torino, IT

Pair of Louis XVI period armchairs c 1770, France. in very good restored condition these chairs are

Category

Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs

Materials

Walnut

China Trade Queen Anne Style Teak Wood Armchair, circa 1890
China Trade Queen Anne Style Teak Wood Armchair, circa 1890

China Trade Queen Anne Style Teak Wood Armchair, circa 1890

Located in Providence, RI

centuries been a very desirable form. This chair was deaccesssioned from the Henry Ford museum, as it no

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Queen Anne Armchairs

Materials

Teak

1975's Afra & Tobia Scarpa 'Artona' Coffee Table Edited by Maxalto
1975's Afra & Tobia Scarpa 'Artona' Coffee Table Edited by Maxalto

1975's Afra & Tobia Scarpa 'Artona' Coffee Table Edited by Maxalto

By Afra & Tobia Scarpa

Located in New York, NY

renowned museums worldwide, with the 'Libertà' chair finding its place of honor in the Louvre. Furthermore

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Beech, Birch, Fruitwood, Maple, Oak

One Postmodern Mastrangelo Museum Chair designed by Alessandro Mendini 1986
One Postmodern Mastrangelo Museum Chair designed by Alessandro Mendini 1986

One Postmodern Mastrangelo Museum Chair designed by Alessandro Mendini 1986

By Alessandro Mendini

Located in Offenburg, Baden Wurthemberg

Postmodern Museum chair by Alessandro Mendini, Sedile del'Museo Bagatti Valsecchi` - also known as

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Chairs

Materials

Wood, Paint

Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs, Set of 4
Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs, Set of 4

Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs, Set of 4

By Clifford Pascoe

Located in Burbank, CA

a pair of dining chairs as well. These are really solid and well made, and are definitely museum

Category

Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Metal

Italian Design Classic Woodline Lounge Chair by Zanuso for Arflex, 1960s
Italian Design Classic Woodline Lounge Chair by Zanuso for Arflex, 1960s

Italian Design Classic Woodline Lounge Chair by Zanuso for Arflex, 1960s

By Marco Zanuso, Arflex

Located in Renens, CH

the Triennale and the Museum chair, both of which are iconic designs that are still in production

Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs

Materials

Leather, Bentwood

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Museum Chair For Sale on 1stDibs

Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the museum chair you’re looking for at 1stDibs. Frequently made of wood, metal and animal skin, every museum chair was constructed with great care. If you’re shopping for a museum chair, we have 35 options in-stock, while there are 2 modern editions to choose from as well. Your living room may not be complete without a museum chair — find older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. A museum chair made by Mid-Century Modern designers — as well as those associated with Modern — is very popular. A well-made museum chair has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Adolf Loos, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe are consistently popular.

How Much is a Museum Chair?

Prices for a museum chair can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $441 and can go as high as $65,000, while the average can fetch as much as $3,858.

Finding the Right Seating for You

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.