Neo Gothic Vitrine
20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Vitrines
Birdseye Maple, Mirror, Wood, Pine
20th Century German Biedermeier Vitrines
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century French Renaissance Revival Religious Items
Gold
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Vintage 1960s American Georgian Bookcases
Blown Glass, Satinwood
20th Century Biedermeier Secretaires
Pine, Wood, Birdseye Maple
Antique Late 19th Century British Victorian Vitrines
Glass, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Books
Paper
Antique Early 1600s German Renaissance Painted Furniture
Iron
Antique 19th Century European Renaissance Architectural Elements
Iron
Vintage 1920s Dutch Art Deco Vitrines
Oak
Antique 19th Century British Sports Equipment and Memorabilia
Silver
Early 20th Century Italian Art Deco Vitrines
Walnut
Antique 19th Century French Gothic Revival Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Spanish Baroque Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
Antique 1830s French Charles X Secretaires
Maple
Antique 17th Century Italian Baroque Cabinets
Walnut
Antique 17th Century French Renaissance Pillows and Throws
Gold, Silver
Vintage 1960s Italian Abstract Sculptures
Coral, Gold
Antique 1830s German Biedermeier Vitrines
Cherry
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Antique Late 18th Century Sicilian Gothic Revival Vitrines
Fruitwood, Lacquer
Antique 19th Century French Gothic Revival Vitrines
Glass, Oak
Antique 1830s Italian Gothic Revival Vitrines
Mahogany
20th Century Biedermeier Vitrines
Birdseye Maple, Wood, Pine
Antique 19th Century Swedish Vitrines
Finding the Right vitrines for You
Why not give your precious collectibles the case pieces they deserve? Antique and vintage vitrines can be used to safely store and display your most treasured objects.
While they were initially used to display relics in churches or to preserve specimens for scientific observation, vitrines are best known for their place in retail spaces and museums. The name for these glass display cases comes from the Latin word “vitrum,” meaning glass, as well as the Old French word “vitre,” which also refers to glass. Instead of simply showcasing collector’s items on shelves, you can bestow extra importance on them by displaying them in a vitrine for passers-by to observe and admire.
Not all vitrines are created equal. Over time, furniture makers have explored different shapes and sizes for vitrines. A display case you’ll find in a retail store will likely look drastically different from what you’ll see in a museum or art gallery. A vitrine in a shop is likely there to best market specific wares to the general public, while in museums there is usually a range of different vitrines intended to house and protect single objects or to display a grouping of artifacts.
Most of us have an antique, new or vintage case piece in our home. Though the terms “case pieces” and “case goods” may cause even the most decor-obsessed to stumble, these furnishings have been a vital part of the home for centuries. Any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — cabinets, dressers, buffets — may be properly termed a case piece.
Mirror-backed vitrines, which refer to cases that usually feature shelved and mirrored interiors, are a most appropriate home for your jewelry or decorative objects. Adding such items to a vitrine already suggests that there is an irreplaceable preciousness to the case’s contents, and the mirrors will emphasize as much as well as refract more light to render the display eye-catching.
On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of antique and vintage vitrines to protect and preserve your most prized items. The collection of mid-century modern vitrines and Art Deco vitrines is mostly inclusive of those built with a wooden frame, but there are many other types to choose from as well. It’s time to give your collectibles a good home!
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