Willy Rizzo Midcentury Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Brass Magazine Rack, 1970
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Roma, IT
Midcentury magazine rack very rare tortoiseshell plexiglass with brass edges and handles. This
Brass
Pair of Willy Rizzo Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Brass Italian Coasters, 1970s
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Roma, IT
Pair of tortoiseshell plexiglass and brass coasters. This set was designed by Willy Rizzo in Italy
Brass
Vintage 1994 CHANEL Jumbo Logo Maltese Cross Tortoiseshell Necklace
By Chanel
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Features: - 100% Authentic CHANEL. - Lucite faux tortoiseshell chain and Maltese cross CC logo pendant
Gold Plate
Guzzini 1970s brass and lucite faux tortoise bar tray
By Guzzini
Located in Catania, IT
tortoiseshell-effect lucite with brass details, it is striking for its rich hues, where the interplay of light
Brass
1960s MId-Century Modern Lucite Oval Italian Table Lighter Lighter
Located in Aci Castello, IT
materials like amber and tortoiseshell. The Lucite in this lighter giving it a luxurious appearance The oval
Lucite
Collectors Item Karl Springer Lacquered Wood and Lucite Table Lamp
By Karl Springer
Located in Hopewell, NJ
like tortoiseshell, with cool Lucite cylinders in between. Chrome hardware. The height measures to the
Lucite, Wood
Willy Rizzo Style Tortoise Lucite and Chrome Coasters set with Holder
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Atlanta, GA
. Rounded shape with tortoiseshell (tortoise) translucent Lucite and chromed metal framing, note the framing
Metal, Chrome
Bowl Centerpiece Lucite Tortoise Shell & Brass Christian Dior Style, Italy 1970s
By Christian Dior
Located in Rome, IT
Bowl centerpiece in tortoiseshell-effect lucite with brass border in the style of Christian Dior
Metal, Brass
1980s Mid-Century Modern Fake Tortoise Lucite and Metal Rectangular Italian Tray
By Guzzini
Located in Aci Castello, IT
, combining fake tortoise lucite and chromed metal. The tray's surface showcases a simulated tortoise pattern
Metal, Chrome
1970s Dior Style Mid-Century Modern Fake Tortoise Lucite Brass Magazine Stand
By Christian Dior
Located in Aci Castello, IT
made of Lucite with a tortoiseshell pattern, which gives it a rich, amber-like translucency, the brass
Lucite
LB offers Vintage Lucite Cameo Buckle Turquoise slices carnelian SS Necklace
Located in Pittsburgh, PA
Lorraine’s Bijoux has on offer a one of a kind Handmade Necklace. A vintage Lucite Tortoiseshell
Turquoise, Carnelian, Sterling Silver
Dior Home Style Brass and Tortoise Lucite Photo Frame, Italy 1970s
By Dior Home
Located in Naples, IT
Dior Home style photo frame made of lucite with tortoiseshell motif and brass, Italy, circa 1970
Brass
Vintage umbrella stand for Home Collection by Maison Dior
By Christian Dior
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Umbrella stand made for the "Home Collection" of Maison Dior in the 1970s. Lucite with
Lucite
Sold|$595
Vintage Faux Tortoise Shell Lamp
Located in New York, NY
Faux tortoiseshell lamp with Lucite base. Rewired. Shade not included, circa mid-20th century.
Ceramic
Tortoiseshell Lucite Handkerchief Centerpiece Vase, Italy, 1970s
Located in Rome, IT
Tortoiseshell Lucite handkerchief centerpiece vase Italy, 1970s.
Acrylic, Lucite
Hollywood regency brass and tortoiseshell lucite tray, Italy 1970s
Located in Firenze, IT
Brass and tortoiseshell lucite tray Italy 1970s brass, lucite H 3 cm x 56 x 40 cm Conditions
Brass
Coffee Table in Faux Tortoiseshell Lucite, Christian Dior Style, France, 1970s
By Christian Dior
Located in Rome, IT
Squared coffee table entirely in faux tortoiseshell Lucite in Christian Dior Home style, 1970s
Plastic, Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
French Large Tortoiseshell Lucite & Brass Rim Octagon Serving Tray
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Just arrived, this wonderful large French Tortoiseshell Lucite & Brass Large Tray by Alpac
Brass
Faux Tortoiseshell Lucite and Brass Ice Bucket Christian Dior Style, Italy 1970s
By Christian Dior
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury amazing ice bucket in faux tortoiseshell lucite and brass in the style of Christian Dior
Metal, Gold Plate, Brass
Modernist Chrome and Tortoiseshell Lucite Desk Pad, France circa 1970
By Mercier Freres
Located in Atlanta, GA
a tortoise (tortoiseshell) Lucite insert. The desk accessory piece was crafted in France circa 1970
Metal, Chrome
Christian Dior Tortoiseshell Lucite and Chrome Italian Serving Tray, 1970s
By Willy Rizzo, Christian Dior
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful midcentury rectangular serving tray in a gorgeous tortoiseshell effect lucite with an
Metal, Chrome
Sold|$1,420
Italian Tortoiseshell Lucite Tray
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Large-scale square butler tray in Lucite with faux tortoiseshell (tortoise) pattern. Italy, 1950s.
Lucite
Sold|$850
1970s Tortoiseshell Lucite Box
Located in Atlanta, GA
Stylish French 1970s modernist lidded box. Crystal clear and faux tortoiseshell color Lucite or
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
1970s French Tortoiseshell Lucite Box
Located in Atlanta, GA
Stylish French 1970s modernist lidded box. Crystal clear and faux tortoiseshell (tortoise) color
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
1980s Christian Dior Style Fake Tortoiseshell Lucite and Brass Picture Frame
By Dior Home
Located in Aci Castello, IT
bold and sophisticated aesthetic. The frame is crafted from faux tortoiseshell Lucite, featuring rich
Brass
Tortoiseshell Lucite Picture Frame, 1970s
By Studio Italia Design
Located in Atlanta, GA
an "L"-shaped thick Lucite slab in a tortoiseshell (tortoise) textured pattern with glass photograph
Lucite, Plexiglass
1980s Modernist Fake Tortoiseshell Lucite Italian Tray by Ulderico Cavinato
By Dior Home
Located in Aci Castello, IT
eye for modernist principles and luxury. The tray's fake tortoiseshell Lucite construction lend an air
Silver Plate
Dior Home Style Folding Tray Table, Faux Bamboo Brass and Tortoiseshell Lucite
By Christian Dior
Located in Barcelona, ES
, 1960s. Dior Home style brass faux bamboo folding X-base stand holding a tortoiseshell Lucite removable
Brass
1970s Tortoiseshell Lucite Paper Waste Basket
Located in Atlanta, GA
Stunning 1970s modernist tortoise Lucite paper waste basket. Tall rectangular shape extra thick
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Italian Tortoiseshell Lucite Picture Frame, 1970s
By Studio Italia Design
Located in Atlanta, GA
"L" shape thick Lucite slab in a tortoiseshell (tortoise) textured pattern with acrylic glass
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Tortoiseshell Lucite Picture Frame, Italy 1970s
Located in Atlanta, GA
Lucite slab in a tortoiseshell (tortoise) textured pattern. The photograph is protected between two
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Christian Dior Tortoiseshell Lucite Magazine Rack Holder
By Christian Dior, Dior Home
Located in Atlanta, GA
crafted from semi-transparent Lucite or acrylic, it boasts a fashionable tortoiseshell texture pattern
Acrylic, Lucite
Christian Dior Tortoiseshell Lucite Magazine Rack Holder
By Christian Dior, Dior Home
Located in Atlanta, GA
. Geometric "U" shape with large rounded holes for the handles. Semi-transparent Lucite or acrylic with a
Acrylic, Lucite
Christian Dior Tortoiseshell Lucite Magazine Rack Holder
By Christian Dior, Dior Home
Located in Atlanta, GA
. Geometric "U" shape with large rounded holes for the handles. Semi-transparent Lucite or acrylic with a
Acrylic, Lucite
Chrome and Tortoiseshell Lucite Box, circa 1970
By Mercier Freres
Located in Atlanta, GA
is reminiscent of Maison Mercier, Paris work. The chrome-plated framing is complimented with Lucite
Metal, Chrome
Italian Tortoiseshell Lucite Barware Folding Tray Table
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pretty Italian Lucite and brass serving tray. Oversized rectangular shape barware butler folding
Brass, Chrome
1970s Tortoiseshell Lucite and Chrome Picture Frame
Located in Atlanta, GA
Italian 1970s modernist picture photo frame featuring "L" shape thick Lucite slab in tortoiseshell
Chrome, Metal
Willy Rizzo Mid-Century Tortoiseshell Lucite & Brass Italian Serving Tray 1970s
By Willy Rizzo, Christian Dior
Located in Roma, IT
Astonishing large mid-century tray in tortoiseshell lucite and brass. This incredible piece was
Brass
Christian Dior Modernist Tortoiseshell Lucite Magazine Holder, Rack
By Christian Dior, Dior Home
Located in Atlanta, GA
in the 1970s. The impressive geometric "W" shape with large rounded holes for the handles. The Lucite
Lucite, Plexiglass, Acrylic
Mid-Century Modern Tortoiseshell Lucite Box, Italy, 1970s
Located in Rome, IT
Stunning Lucite box with faux tortoise center band, chrome details. The transparent Lucite on top
Lucite
Christian Dior Tortoiseshell Lucite Picture Frame, France 1970s
By Christian Dior, Dior Home
Located in Atlanta, GA
frame features a rounded shape with transparent and tortoiseshell (tortoise) pattern Lucite framing. The
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Italian Tortoiseshell Lucite and Chrome Picture Frame, 1970s
Located in Atlanta, GA
geometric square shape featuring a thick Lucite slab in a tortoiseshell textured pattern with chromed metal
Chrome, Metal
Tortoiseshell Lucite and Chrome Picture Frame, Italy 1970s
By Design Editions Italy
Located in Atlanta, GA
. The stunning easel-type table photo holder features a tortoise (tortoiseshell) textured pattern Lucite
Metal, Chrome
Willy Rizzo Midcentury Tortoiseshell Lucite and Brass Italian Serving Tray 1970s
By Christian Dior, Willy Rizzo
Located in Roma, IT
Astonishing midcentury tortoiseshell Lucite and brass serving tray. This incredible piece was
Brass
Willy Rizzo Midcentury Tortoiseshell Lucite and Brass Italian Serving Tray 1970s
By Willy Rizzo, Christian Dior
Located in Roma, IT
Astonishing midcentury tortoiseshell Lucite and brass serving tray. This incredible piece was
Brass
Willy Rizzo Mid-Century Tortoiseshell Lucite & Chrome Italian Serving Tray 1970s
By Willy Rizzo, Christian Dior
Located in Roma, IT
Astonishing mid-century tortoiseshell Lucite and chrome serving tray. This incredible piece was
Brass, Chrome
Tortoiseshell Lucite Serving Tray Attributed to Guzzini, Italy, 1970s
By Guzzini
Located in Rome, IT
Rectangular serving tray in tortoiseshell-effect lucite attributed to Guzzini. Made in Italy in
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Midcentury Guzzini Tortoiseshell Lucite Italian "Napkin" Centerpiece Bowl, 1980s
By Guzzini
Located in Roma, IT
Magnificent centrepieces in tortoiseshell with Lucite effect. This amazing item was produced in
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Tray Tortoiseshell Lucite and Chrome Christian Dior, France, 1970s
By Christian Dior
Located in Rome, IT
Rectangular serving tray by Christian Dior in tortoiseshell effect Lucite and chrome borders
Metal, Chrome
Barware Serving Tray Tortoiseshell Lucite and Brass, Italy 1970s
By Studio Italia Design
Located in Atlanta, GA
1970. The large rectangular shape boasts a raised Lucite insert with a faux tortoiseshell (tortoise
Metal, Brass
Christian Dior Tortoiseshell Lucite Magazine Holder Rack, circa 1970
By Dior Home, Christian Dior
Located in Atlanta, GA
striking visual appeal. The semi-transparent Lucite construction enhances its refined aesthetic, while the
Acrylic, Lucite, Resin
Tortoiseshell Lucite Picture Frame Midcentury Design Italy 1970s Rectangular
Located in Palermo, IT
home.The stunning table photo holder features a tortoise textured pattern Lucite, giving it a classic
Acrylic, Lucite
Tortoiseshell Lucite and Chrome Picture Photo Frame, circa 1970s
Located in Atlanta, GA
Lucite with chromed metal framing. Back and easel in brown velvet. Excellent vintage condition
Chrome
Tortoiseshell Lucite Serving Tray Centerpiece, Willy Rizzo Style, Italy, 1970s
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Rome, IT
Serving tray centerpiece in tortoiseshell effect Lucite in the style of the Italian designer Willy
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Guzzini Round Centerpiece Plate Faux Tortoiseshell Lucite & Brass, Italy, 1970s
By Guzzini
Located in Rome, IT
Round centerpiece plate in tortoiseshell effect Lucite and brass by Guzzini (original label still
Metal, Brass
Tray Centrepiece Tortoiseshell Lucite and Chrome Christian Dior, France, 1970s
By Christian Dior
Located in Rome, IT
Rectangular serving tray attributed to Christian Dior in tortoiseshell effect Lucite and chrome
Metal, Chrome
Christian Dior Tortoiseshell Lucite Square Italian Decorative Jewelry Box, 1970s
By Christian Dior
Located in Roma, IT
the tortoiseshell effect lucite is incredibly elegant and makes this box unique. The way this item
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.
From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.
When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.
Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.
Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more on 1stDibs.
Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.
With its grid-like doors and wavy trim, the 1940s design feels as fresh as ever.
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Prehistoric motifs give the mid-century Italian fireplace an elemental feel.
Their charming solid-oak pieces offer homes utility and comfort.
It's hard to resist the allure of a beautiful pool. So, go ahead and daydream about whiling away your summer in paradise.
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Designer Susan Yeley turned to 1stDibs to outfit an Indiana home with standout pieces that complement its modernist style.