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Centerpiece Tortoiseshell Effect and Brass by Team Guzzini, Italy, 1970s
Centerpiece Tortoiseshell Effect and Brass by Team Guzzini, Italy, 1970s

Centerpiece Tortoiseshell Effect and Brass by Team Guzzini, Italy, 1970s

By Team Guzzini

Located in Rome, IT

Round centerpiece in tortoiseshell-effect lucite with brass details and decoration by Team Guzzini

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Centerpieces

Materials

Metal, Brass

Serving Tray Faux Tortoiseshell & Brass Christian Dior Style, Italy 1970s
Serving Tray Faux Tortoiseshell & Brass Christian Dior Style, Italy 1970s

Serving Tray Faux Tortoiseshell & Brass Christian Dior Style, Italy 1970s

By Christian Dior

Located in Rome, IT

Midcentury amazing octagonal serving tray or vide-poche in tortoiseshell effect Lucite and brass

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces

Materials

Metal, Brass

Alpac Midcentury Faux Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Brass Magazine Rack, 1970s
Alpac Midcentury Faux Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Brass Magazine Rack, 1970s

Alpac Midcentury Faux Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Brass Magazine Rack, 1970s

By Christian Dior

Located in Roma, IT

Wonderful faux tortoiseshell plexiglass magazine rack with brass edges. This fantastic piece was

Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands

Materials

Brass

Serving Tray Faux Tortoiseshell and Brass Christian Dior Style, Italy 1970s
Serving Tray Faux Tortoiseshell and Brass Christian Dior Style, Italy 1970s

Serving Tray Faux Tortoiseshell and Brass Christian Dior Style, Italy 1970s

By Christian Dior

Located in Rome, IT

Amazing large octagonal serving tray or vide-poche in tortoiseshell effect Lucite and brass borders

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware

Materials

Metal, Brass

Set of 6 Willy Rizzo Coasters Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Chrome, Italy, 1970s
Set of 6 Willy Rizzo Coasters Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Chrome, Italy, 1970s

Set of 6 Willy Rizzo Coasters Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Chrome, Italy, 1970s

By Willy Rizzo

Located in Roma, IT

Set of 6 Willy Rizzo coasters. Tortoiseshell plexiglass and chrome metal, 1970s, Italy.  

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Tortoise Shell, Lucite, Plexiglass

1970s Modernist Chrome and Tortoise Lucite Box
1970s Modernist Chrome and Tortoise Lucite Box

1970s Modernist Chrome and Tortoise Lucite Box

Located in Atlanta, GA

Lucite in tortoiseshell textured pattern. Impressive quality, lovely translucent changing pattern

Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes

Materials

Chrome

Willy Rizzo Italian-Style Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Brass Tray
Willy Rizzo Italian-Style Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Brass Tray

Willy Rizzo Italian-Style Tortoiseshell Plexiglass and Brass Tray

By Willy Rizzo

Located in Prato, Tuscany

finished with brushed brass bars. The tortoiseshell effect on plexiglass (Lucite) is achieved through a

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Tableware

Materials

Brass

Christian Dior 1970s Tortoise Lucite Magazine Rack Holder
Christian Dior 1970s Tortoise Lucite Magazine Rack Holder

Christian Dior 1970s Tortoise Lucite Magazine Rack Holder

By Dior Home, Christian Dior

Located in Atlanta, GA

geometric shape with polished brass trim gallery and faux tortoiseshell textured pattern Lucite. Great

Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands

Materials

Brass

Willy Rizzo Style Tortoise Lucite Chrome Coaster, 6 pieces
Willy Rizzo Style Tortoise Lucite Chrome Coaster, 6 pieces

Willy Rizzo Style Tortoise Lucite Chrome Coaster, 6 pieces

By Willy Rizzo

Located in Atlanta, GA

with tortoiseshell translucent Lucite and chromed metal framing. Measurements: 3.94 in. diameter (10 cm

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Chrome, Metal

Serving Tray Faux Tortoise Shell Lucite and Brass, Italy, 1970s
Serving Tray Faux Tortoise Shell Lucite and Brass, Italy, 1970s

Serving Tray Faux Tortoise Shell Lucite and Brass, Italy, 1970s

Located in Rome, IT

Oval serving tray in faux tortoiseshell-effect Lucite featuring brass handles and borders. Made

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces

Materials

Metal, Brass

Christian Dior Midcentury Lucite Serving Tray after Willy Rizzo, 1970s
Christian Dior Midcentury Lucite Serving Tray after Willy Rizzo, 1970s

Christian Dior Midcentury Lucite Serving Tray after Willy Rizzo, 1970s

By Christian Dior, Willy Rizzo

Located in Roma, IT

Wonderful midcentury Lucite serving tray with a tortoiseshell-like effect. This fantastic piece was

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware

Materials

Metal, Brass, Chrome

Tortoise Shell Effect Lucite and Wood Serving Tray Centerpiece, Italy, 1970s
Tortoise Shell Effect Lucite and Wood Serving Tray Centerpiece, Italy, 1970s

Tortoise Shell Effect Lucite and Wood Serving Tray Centerpiece, Italy, 1970s

By Christian Dior

Located in Rome, IT

Vintage rectangular serving tray or centerpiece in tortoiseshell-effet lucite and raised handles in

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces

Materials

Lucite, Plexiglass, Wood

Christian Dior Home Collection Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Brass
Christian Dior Home Collection Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Brass

Christian Dior Home Collection Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Brass

By Christian Dior

Located in Rome, IT

. Large rectangular shape with Lucite in faux tortoiseshell pattern and color and brass metal border.

Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware

Materials

Brass

Tortoise Lucite Magazine Rack Holder for Christian Dior Home Collection, 1970s
Tortoise Lucite Magazine Rack Holder for Christian Dior Home Collection, 1970s

Tortoise Lucite Magazine Rack Holder for Christian Dior Home Collection, 1970s

By Christian Dior

Located in Atlanta, GA

Stunning Mid-Century Modern magazine rack, holder, stand made of Lucite and chrome designed for

Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands

Materials

Chrome

Christian Dior Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Brass, France, 1970s
Christian Dior Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Brass, France, 1970s

Christian Dior Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Brass, France, 1970s

By Christian Dior

Located in Rome, IT

Rectangular serving tray by Christian Dior in tortoiseshell effect Lucite and brass borders. France

Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware

Materials

Metal, Brass

Tortoise Shell Effect Lucite and Brass Bowl Centerpiece, Italy, 1970s
Tortoise Shell Effect Lucite and Brass Bowl Centerpiece, Italy, 1970s

Tortoise Shell Effect Lucite and Brass Bowl Centerpiece, Italy, 1970s

By Christian Dior

Located in Rome, IT

Bowl centerpiece in tortoiseshell-effect lucite with brass border in Christian Dior style made in

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Baskets

Materials

Metal, Brass

Christian Dior Home Collection Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Chrome
Christian Dior Home Collection Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Chrome

Christian Dior Home Collection Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Chrome

By Christian Dior

Located in Rome, IT

. Large rectangular shape with Lucite in faux tortoiseshell pattern and color and chromed metal border.

Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Christian Dior Home Collection Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Chrome
Christian Dior Home Collection Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Chrome

Christian Dior Home Collection Barware Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite and Chrome

By Christian Dior

Located in Atlanta, GA

. Large rectangular shape with Lucite in faux tortoiseshell pattern and color and chromed metal border

Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Chrome

Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite & Silver Plate For Christian Dior Home Collection
Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite & Silver Plate For Christian Dior Home Collection

Serving Tray Tortoise Lucite & Silver Plate For Christian Dior Home Collection

By Christian Dior

Located in Atlanta, GA

1970s. Large rectangular shape with Lucite in faux tortoiseshell pattern and color and silver plate

Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Silver Plate

Christian Dior Home Collection 1970s Tortoise Lucite Magazine Rack Holder
Christian Dior Home Collection 1970s Tortoise Lucite Magazine Rack Holder

Christian Dior Home Collection 1970s Tortoise Lucite Magazine Rack Holder

By Dior Home, Christian Dior

Located in Atlanta, GA

the 1970s. Geometric shape with polished brass trim gallery and accents and faux tortoiseshell

Category

Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands

Materials

Brass, Metal

Willy Rizzo Style Tortoise Lucite Chrome Coasters set of 9 pieces
Willy Rizzo Style Tortoise Lucite Chrome Coasters set of 9 pieces

Willy Rizzo Style Tortoise Lucite Chrome Coasters set of 9 pieces

By Willy Rizzo

Located in Atlanta, GA

shape with tortoiseshell (tortoise) translucent Lucite and chromed metal framing. Measurements: 4.32 in

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Ice Bucket in Tortoise Shell Effect Lucite Attributed to Guzzini, Italy, 1970s
Ice Bucket in Tortoise Shell Effect Lucite Attributed to Guzzini, Italy, 1970s

Ice Bucket in Tortoise Shell Effect Lucite Attributed to Guzzini, Italy, 1970s

By Guzzini

Located in Rome, IT

Ice bucket in tortoiseshell-effect lucite attributed to Guzzini. Made in Italy in the 1970s.

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass

Midcentury Lucite and Brass Cubic Magazine Rack in Rizzo Style, 1970s
Midcentury Lucite and Brass Cubic Magazine Rack in Rizzo Style, 1970s

Midcentury Lucite and Brass Cubic Magazine Rack in Rizzo Style, 1970s

By Willy Rizzo

Located in Roma, IT

Elegant magazine rack made of tortoiseshell effect Lucite with a brass top finish. The item was

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Magazine Racks and Stands

Materials

Brass

Set of Barware Coaster and Placemats Lucite & Chrome Christian Dior, Italy 1970s
Set of Barware Coaster and Placemats Lucite & Chrome Christian Dior, Italy 1970s

Set of Barware Coaster and Placemats Lucite & Chrome Christian Dior, Italy 1970s

By Christian Dior, Willy Rizzo

Located in Rome, IT

Set of barware coaster and placemats in tortoiseshell effect lucite framed by chrome in the style

Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Christian Dior Midcentury Lucite and Chome Serving Tray after Willy Rizzo, 1970s
Christian Dior Midcentury Lucite and Chome Serving Tray after Willy Rizzo, 1970s

Christian Dior Midcentury Lucite and Chome Serving Tray after Willy Rizzo, 1970s

By Christian Dior, Willy Rizzo

Located in Roma, IT

. It is an iconic tray or serving plate with tortoiseshell effect Lucite with chrome-plated brass edges

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware

Materials

Metal, Brass, Chrome

Willy Rizzo MidCentury Lucite, Brass Large Serving Tray for Christian Dior 1970s
Willy Rizzo MidCentury Lucite, Brass Large Serving Tray for Christian Dior 1970s

Willy Rizzo MidCentury Lucite, Brass Large Serving Tray for Christian Dior 1970s

By Willy Rizzo, Christian Dior

Located in Roma, IT

iconic square serving piece in lucite with a tortoiseshell effect and an elegant brass frame, with clear

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware

Materials

Metal, Brass

Willy Rizzo Midcentury Lucite and Brass Serving Tray for Christian Dior, 1970s
Willy Rizzo Midcentury Lucite and Brass Serving Tray for Christian Dior, 1970s

Willy Rizzo Midcentury Lucite and Brass Serving Tray for Christian Dior, 1970s

By Willy Rizzo, Christian Dior

Located in Roma, IT

iconic square serving piece in lucite with a tortoiseshell effect and an elegant brass frame, with clear

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware

Materials

Metal, Brass

Midcentury Willy Rizzo Brass and Lucite Italian Trolley with Service Tray, 1980s
Midcentury Willy Rizzo Brass and Lucite Italian Trolley with Service Tray, 1980s

Midcentury Willy Rizzo Brass and Lucite Italian Trolley with Service Tray, 1980s

By Willy Rizzo

Located in Roma, IT

Elegant golden brass and Lucite tortoiseshell trolley. This item is attributed to Willy Rizzo and

Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts

Materials

Brass

Mid-Century Modern Tortoiseshell Pattern Ice Bucket with Lucite Handle
Mid-Century Modern Tortoiseshell Pattern Ice Bucket with Lucite Handle

Mid-Century Modern Tortoiseshell Pattern Ice Bucket with Lucite Handle

Located in Houston, TX

Offered is an exquisite faux Mid-Century Modern tortoiseshell Lucite ice bucket with a clear Lucite

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Lucite

S/S 1996 Prada by Miuccia Prada Orange Tweed Skirt Set
S/S 1996 Prada by Miuccia Prada Orange Tweed Skirt Set

S/S 1996 Prada by Miuccia Prada Orange Tweed Skirt Set

By Miuccia Prada, Prada

Located in North Hollywood, CA

concealed button closure. Features circular tortoiseshell lucite brown closure at side. As seen on the

Category

1990s Suits, Outfits and Ensembles

Italian Faux Tortoiseshell Box, 1940
Italian Faux Tortoiseshell Box, 1940

Italian Faux Tortoiseshell Box, 1940

Located in London, GB

An Italian faux tortoiseshell box with brass inlay perspex, circa 1940.

Category

Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes

Materials

Brass

Faux Tortoiseshell and Bronze Mirror
Faux Tortoiseshell and Bronze Mirror

Faux Tortoiseshell and Bronze Mirror

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

faux (lucite) tortoiseshell panels.

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Wall Mirrors

Materials

Bronze

Faux Tortoiseshell Tray with Brass Handles
Faux Tortoiseshell Tray with Brass Handles

Faux Tortoiseshell Tray with Brass Handles

Located in Houston, TX

Offered is a gorgeous faux tortoise Shell tray made from Lucite and fabulous built in brass handles

Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware

Materials

Brass

Lorin Jackson for Grosfeld House Cabinet
Lorin Jackson for Grosfeld House Cabinet

Lorin Jackson for Grosfeld House Cabinet

By Grosfeld House

Located in Los Angeles, CA

tortoiseshell, surrounding oxidized mirror and lucite fretwork. Amazing. Labelled "Grosfeld House-New York"

Category

Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets

Louis Vuitton Sac Ambre Handbag Monogram Vinyl MM
Louis Vuitton Sac Ambre Handbag Monogram Vinyl MM

Louis Vuitton Sac Ambre Handbag Monogram Vinyl MM

By Louis Vuitton

Located in NY, NY

tortoiseshell-patterned lucite straps, protective base studs, and gold-tone hardware. It opens to a brown

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags

Louis Vuitton Sac Ambre Handbag Monogram Vinyl MM
Louis Vuitton Sac Ambre Handbag Monogram Vinyl MM

Louis Vuitton Sac Ambre Handbag Monogram Vinyl MM

By Louis Vuitton

Located in NY, NY

tortoiseshell-patterned lucite straps, protective base studs, and acrylic and gold-tone hardware accents. Its

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Tote Bags

German Art Deco Tortoiseshell Bakelite and Lucite Mechanical Mantel Clock
German Art Deco Tortoiseshell Bakelite and Lucite Mechanical Mantel Clock

German Art Deco Tortoiseshell Bakelite and Lucite Mechanical Mantel Clock

By Emes

Located in Port Hope, ON

tortoiseshell Lucite. This is supported by blocks of opaque tortoise shell Bakelite and mounted to an oblong

Category

Vintage 1930s German Art Deco Mantel Clocks

Materials

Chrome

Lote of Three Trays Midcentury Lucite and Brass, Italy, 1970s
Lote of Three Trays Midcentury Lucite and Brass, Italy, 1970s

Lote of Three Trays Midcentury Lucite and Brass, Italy, 1970s

Located in Mombuey, Zamora

Lote of three trays midcentury tortoiseshell Lucite (acrylic) and brass in serving tray, Italy.   

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces

Materials

Brass

Trays with Display Midcentury Lucite and Brass, Italy, 1970s, Pair
Trays with Display Midcentury Lucite and Brass, Italy, 1970s, Pair

Trays with Display Midcentury Lucite and Brass, Italy, 1970s, Pair

Located in Mombuey, Zamora

Lote of 2 trays with display midcentury tortoiseshell Lucite (acrylic) and brass in serving tray

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces

Materials

Brass

Midcentury Tray and Ice Bucket Green Tortoise Shell Lucite
Midcentury Tray and Ice Bucket Green Tortoise Shell Lucite

Midcentury Tray and Ice Bucket Green Tortoise Shell Lucite

Located in Mombuey, Zamora

a thermos but as a jug.    Midcentury ice bucket and tray (thermos is free) tortoiseshell Lucite

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces

Materials

Brass

Midcentury Ice Bucket, Napkin Holder, Thermos and Coaster  & Tray Lucite
Midcentury Ice Bucket, Napkin Holder, Thermos and Coaster  & Tray Lucite

Midcentury Ice Bucket, Napkin Holder, Thermos and Coaster & Tray Lucite

Located in Mombuey, Zamora

elegant set. Midcentury ice bucket, napkin holder, thermos and coaster tortoiseshell Lucite and brass

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Serving Pieces

Materials

Brass

Large Brass and Faux Carey Pear Ice Bucket Italian Modern Manetti Style
Large Brass and Faux Carey Pear Ice Bucket Italian Modern Manetti Style

Large Brass and Faux Carey Pear Ice Bucket Italian Modern Manetti Style

By Mauro Manetti

Located in Escalona, Toledo

an ice container is made of lucite with a tortoiseshell appearance on the outside, its interior is

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Metal, Aluminum, Brass

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Tortoiseshell Lucite For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the tortoiseshell lucite you’re looking for. Frequently made of lucite, plastic and metal, every tortoiseshell lucite was constructed with great care. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer tortoiseshell lucite, there are earlier versions available from the 20th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century. A tortoiseshell lucite made by Mid-Century Modern designers — as well as those associated with Art Deco — is very popular. Many designers have produced at least one well-made tortoiseshell lucite over the years, but those crafted by Christian Dior, Guzzini and Dior Home are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

How Much is a Tortoiseshell Lucite?

A tortoiseshell lucite can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $736, while the lowest priced sells for $235 and the highest can go for as much as $5,764.

A Close Look at Mid-century-modern Furniture

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.

Materials: Plastic Furniture

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.