Architect and designer Cesare Lacca is renowned for the modernist furniture he created during the 1950s. Made with materials like teak, glass and brass, his work continues to command great interest from mid-century modern collectors. His pieces have recently found their way onto some of the 21st century’s most trendy television and movie sets.
Lacca was born in Naples, Italy, in 1929. Like many Italian designers in the 20th century, he moved to Milan after World War II to launch his career. At the age of 20, he was selected by a group of American curators for inclusion in the 1951 landmark exhibition “Italy at Work: Her Renaissance in Design Today” at the Art Institute of Chicago. It showcased Italian designers who had embraced modernist principles and rejuvenated traditional Italian crafts, like Carlo Mollino, Franco Albini and Gio Ponti.
Lacca designed a dizzying array of tea carts and serving trolleys across his career, including magazine racks and coffee tables. Lacca’s most well-known piece is a tea cart — most commonly used as a bar cart — that Cassina manufactured. It features beautifully sculpted beech, cedar, teak and walnut with brass details, a glass tabletop and a removable glass tray.
This Lacca cart was featured as Don Draper’s office bar in his Manhattan advertising agency on several episodes of the wildly popular television show Mad Men, reinvigorating the interest of collectors. Several other Lacca pieces have been part of the set decorations in the television series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and the movie Being the Ricardos.
On 1stDibs, find Cesare Lacca tables, racks and stands, seating and more.
Cesare Lacca, Floor Lamp, Brass, Walnut, Fabric, Italy 1950s
By Cesare Lacca
Located in High Point, NC
A walnut, brass and white fabric floor lamp, designed and produced by Cesare Lacca, Italy, 1950s Dimensions of Lamp (inches): 68.6" H x 16" Diameter Dimensions of Shade (inches): 1...
Brass
Organic Tea Trolley, Bar, Serving Cart by Cesare Lacca
By Cesare Lacca, Cassina
Located in Vienna, AT
Organic trolley from the 1950s, Italian design by Cesare Lacca for Cassina. Organically designed, mahogany finish, equipped with two loose glass-filled trays, brass mountings. Made i...
Brass
Cesare Toso Murano Glass Grape Vine Chandelier (x2)
Located in Hanover, MA
1960’s Italian chandelier by Cesare Toso in the form of grape vines with handmade colored glass grapes and leaves on a scaffold of green enameled iron and wire tendrils. Five bunches of grapes illuminated by a single E12 candelabra size lightbulb. We have two available. Price per chandelier. Acquired from the famous old restaurant in Boston's North End, Joe Tecce's. Every nook and cranny of Tecce's was decorated like a grotto with tile, shells and these glass grapes light fixtures...
Iron
$448Sale Price|71% Off
H 70.87 in W 25.2 in D 25.2 in
Midcentury Brass Floor Lamp Stilnovo Style Production Italy 1950s
By Stilnovo
Located in Palermo, IT
Beautiful brass floor lamp 1950s Stilnovo style with 4 lights. Wear consistent with age and use.
Brass
$3,826
H 21.66 in W 17.72 in D 5.12 in
Pair of 1950s Italian Mirrored Wall Lights attributed to Cesare Lacca
By Cesare Lacca
Located in London, GB
A pair of sculptural 1950s Italian brass & mirror wall lights. The whimsical design is attributed to Cesare Lacca (b. Italy, 1929). Good overall condition, the gilt brass frame...
Brass
Swedish Modern, Brass, Fabric, Floor Lamp, Sweden, 1950s
Located in Manhasset, NY
Swedish Mid-Century Modern, Brass, Fabric, Floor Lamp, Sweden, 1950s An organic form brass floor lamp designed and produced in Scandinavia in the middle for the 20th century. This e...
Brass
Organic Handwoven Pendant Light
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
This whimsical raffia like material is actually a basket weaving natural wood similar to splining. Because each piece is individually crafted allow some natural variation when orderi...
Organic Material
Organic Glass Ball & Wood Chandelier by Mazzega Italy, vintage 1960s
By Mazzega
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Large midcentury organic pattern glass ball fixture by Mazzega, Italy. The Fixture requires four European E14 / 110 Volt Candelabra bulbs, each bulb up to 60 watts. It is made of ebo...
Metal, Brass
Organic Ball Light Fixture by Mazzega Italy Ceiling Pendant
By Mazzega
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Large midcentury organic pattern glass ball fixture by Mazzega, Italy. The Fixture requires one European E27 Edison bulb, up to 100 watts. Glass ball only is approximate 12" high. Ca...
Metal, Brass
Luminator Brass Floor Lamp, Italy 1950s
By Marcello Piacentini
Located in Naples, IT
Beautiful Luminator floor lamp made entirely of brass, the top widens to a goblet or trumpet shape, allowing for indirect, warm and soft light. The base is rounded and stable to supp...
Brass
1950s Italian brass floor lamp
Located in London, GB
Circa 1950s Italian tall brass floor lamp. A good size and useful mid C20th Italian floor lamp. It sits on on round base and has an extendable and adjustable swing arm. Some genera...
Brass
Rare Floor Lamp, Italy, 1950s
By Stilnovo, Angelo Lelii
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
A rare floor lamp, in the style of Angelo Lelii, Italy, 950s. Marble, brass and glass. In good original vintage condition with some signs of usa and ag...
Aluminum, Brass
Floor lamp - Italy 1950s
By Stilnovo
Located in Paris, FR
STILNOVO 1950s floor lamp - Completely relacquered in an antique blue-green with brass details.
Brass
Murano Glass Organic Chandelier
Located in Austin, TX
Chandelier from the island of Murano outside of Venice, Italy. This fixture is composed of organic hand-blown glass components combining in the Sommerso technique of amber glass fus...
Murano Glass
1970's Cesare Lacca "Aliën" Table Lamp for Tre Ci Luce Vega
By Tre Ci Luce Vega, Cesare Lacca
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Striking, Italian, 1970s, Cesare Lacca designed, "Aliën" Table Lamp for Tre Ci Luce Vega. Designed with a black metal base and two elegant opaline glass pieces that join together to ...
Metal
Sold
H 13.78 in W 5.91 in D 5.52 in
1950s Cesare Lacca Set of two Mid-Century Modern Brass Wall Sconces
By Cesare Lacca, Oscar Torlasco
Located in Aci Castello, IT
Two wall sconces made in Italy by Cesare Lacca, solid brass has been cleaned, they work 110-240 volts and need regular e14 bulbs.
Brass
Sold
H 15.75 in W 12.21 in D 5.91 in
1950s Mid-Century Modern Italian Mirrored Wall Sconce by Cesare Lacca
By Fontana Arte, Cesare Lacca, Pietro Chiesa
Located in Aci Castello, IT
A single brass and mirror wall sconce in the style of Pietro Chiesa. Made in the Fifties, the brass is in original patina, it works 110-240 volts and need regular e14 bulbs.
Brass