One of the most enigmatic and polarizing figures to emerge in Italian design, Aldo Tura is an outlier in the world of mid-century furniture. The designer’s glamorous bar carts, coffee tables, cabinets and more resist categorization and draw inspiration from Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Baroque, Surrealist and modernist styles.
Tura moved through distinct phases in his career in terms of aesthetics, influences and finishes, rendering his life’s work exciting and diverse. Despite these phases, he held a singular devotion to one material: lacquered goatskin. Tura established a furniture production house in 1939 in Lombardy, and some of his early work focused on tables, decorative lamps and more. He later expanded to bar furnishings like rolling carts, cabinets and complementary barware accessories like ice buckets and cocktail shakers. The eccentric, gleaming and luxe surface of lacquered goatskin was a constant, along with eggshell, parchment and leather.
By the 1950s, Tura had begun to use hand-painted figural panels on the surface of cabinets, serveware (such as carafes) and other pieces. He even replicated famous works by artists like Monet and Bruegel the Elder and art from the Middle Ages, sometimes playfully embedding the paintings on cabinets shaped like oversize books. Even though he had a favored color palette of rich chocolate browns and deep emeralds, his style remained consistently hard to define.
Tura was unlike most of his Italian contemporaries but held a similar reverence for the nation’s traditional craftsmanship and artisanal techniques. He never followed the growing trend of mass-produced, industrial furniture and stuck to creating small, meticulously handcrafted collections. This principled choice means that today, a Tura piece is a rare and highly coveted collectible. The Tura firm continues to operate in Brianza, promoting Italian craftsmanship and the eclectic materials embraced by their namesake designer.
Find authentic vintage Aldo Tura furniture today on 1stDibs.
Aldo Tura Italian Brown Parchment Veneer Desk
By Aldo Tura
Located in Queens, NY
Italian 1940/1950s brown parchment veneer desk with brass trimmed edge and 4 drawers supported on 2 rectangular pedestals with a vanity panel. (ALDO TU...
Brass
Italian NeoClassic Oak Parquetry Desk, Natural
Located in Westwood, NJ
An Italian NeoClassic style starburst pattern parquetry desk with tapered legs. It has one center drawer flanked by two smaller drawers with Verde Bronze finished handles. Shown in ...
Wood
$467Sale Price|50% Off
H 28.35 in W 31.5 in D 17.72 in
Lady’s Desk or Vanity in Mahogany, Czechoslovakia, 1970s
By Up Závody
Located in Zohor, SK
Beautiful midcentury desk, originally used as a desk for a lady, or vanity in the bedroom. The table is elegant combination of lighter birch wood on the sides and mahogany wood on to...
Birch, Mahogany
$8,000 / item
H 55.91 in W 53.15 in D 19.69 in
21st Century American Walnut Veneer Vanity Desk with Mirror and Carrara Marble
By Merve Kahraman
Located in Istanbul, TR
"La Nouvelle Vanité" is a make up desk made of American walnut veneer with an arc shaped mirror behind, designed by Merve Kahraman design studio. This work/makeup desk...
Wood
Danish Modern Floating-Top Teak Desk with Bookcase by Dyrlund
By Dyrlund
Located in Miami, FL
A stylish and modern teak executive desk with floating top designed and made in Denmark by Dyrlund. The Scandinavian writing table features three drawers on the left, an open filing ...
Teak
$5,475
H 31.5 in W 41.34 in D 23.63 in
Mid Century Italian Rattan and Bamboo Desk / Vanity Table Vivai del Sud C.1970
By Vivai del Sud
Located in London, GB
A Vivai del Sud pedestal table Rome, Italy, C.1970. Constructed in in rattan, bamboo and cane. Ideal as a small desk or vanity. The Knee hole width measures 39cm. In excellent condi...
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
$3,837
H 29.14 in W 43.31 in D 19.69 in
1963 Danish Writing Desk and Mirrored Vanity, Wood, Oestergaard
By Harry Østergaard
Located in Arosio, IT
A Mid-Century Modern small desk that can also be used as mirrored vanity. It has one tilt mirror (still bearing the original label) and one drawer. Legs are in hardwood and the top i...
Brass
Low Table in Varnished Parchment Veneer Attributed Aldo Tura
By Aldo Tura
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Low coffee table in varnished parchment veneer attributed Aldo Tura, in excellent condition.
Wood, Parchment Paper
$8,000 / item
H 55.91 in W 53.15 in D 19.69 in
21st Century American Walnut Veneer Vanity Desk with Mirror
By Merve Kahraman
Located in Istanbul, TR
"La Nouvelle Vanité" is a make up desk made of American walnut veneer with an arc shaped mirror behind, designed by Merve Kahraman design studio. This work/makeup desk...
Wood
Italian NeoClassic Oak Parquetry Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
An Italian Neo-Classic style oak parquetry desk with a starburst patterned oak parquetry top to bottom. It has a central drawer flanked by two further additions. It rests on tapered ...
Wood
$12,305 / item
H 29.53 in W 19.69 in D 39.38 in
Parchment Vanity with Bronze-Patina Brass Details by R & Y Augousti
By R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by skilled artisans, ultimately making each piece unique, designed in Paris and produced in the Philippines. The melting vanity table...
Brass
$19,870
H 31.5 in W 33.5 in D 17.75 in
French Mid-Century Style Parchment Covered Vanity/ Desk, Jean-Michel Frank Style
Located in New York, NY
Elegant and Sober French Mid-Century Modern Style parchment covered vanity / desk / console with a lacquered steel frame and utilizing squares of light parchment covering wood. the a...
Mirrored Flip-Top Vanity Desk
By Venfield
Located in New York, NY
Mirrored flip-top vanity desk with three drawers. Customization is available in different sizes, finish and hardware.
Mirror, Wood
Incredible Parchment Vanity by Aldo Tura
By Aldo Tura
Located in Bois-Colombes, FR
Beautiful goatskin vanity, circa 1970s.