Scrying Orb
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Brazilian Natural Specimens
Quartz
People Also Browsed
Late 20th Century Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Gold Leaf
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Art Glass, Opaline Glass, Murano Glass, Blown Glass, Glass
2010s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass, Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Travertine, Steel
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Murano Glass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Animal Sculptures
Ceramic
19th Century Rococo Figurative Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Antique 15th Century and Earlier English Natural Specimens
Crystal, Metal
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Brazilian Natural Specimens
Quartz, Other
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Chinese Natural Specimens
Multi-gemstone
Vintage 1960s Italian Table Lamps
Gold Leaf, Brass
Antique 19th Century Italian Statues
Bronze
Antique Late 18th Century Italian Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Brazilian Natural Specimens
Quartz, Multi-gemstone
On the Origins of brazilian
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.
Finding the Right natural-specimens for You
Natural specimens turn things found in nature, such as rocks, crystals and timber, into art. Sometimes these specimens are hand-carved into sculptures. Other times, antique, new and vintage natural specimens themselves are best displayed in their most untouched state. These pieces range from Victorian-era objects to modern-day designs and include everything from sculptures made from animal horns to works in wood, either as sculptures or merely imposing and provocative chunks of driftwood.
Natural specimens serve as compelling decor in any collection or home. Just as any curious decorative object, such as an ancient scientific instrument or taxidermy mount, will draw attention to your carefully curated home library or mantel, natural specimens can spark interesting discussions about life and art. Whether it’s a piece of ancient pottery formed from natural clay, plants sculpted from metal, sculptures of animals or antique stone, they grant a window into all of nature’s wonders.
Natural specimen sculptures can complement many aesthetics. A rare geode makes a stunning centerpiece in a study or living room. Crystals and rock crystal spheres carved in the 1970s add a sense of etherealness and quiet beauty to any space.
Whatever your taste, the selection of antique, new and vintage natural specimens on 1stDibs includes precisely the right piece for your space.
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