Collectors of vintage mid-century modern furniture will find that the work of Italian designer Vittorio Dassi and Dassi Mobili Moderni is elegant and sculptural, brimming with all of the clean, angular lines and pleasing symmetry associated with the best of the era’s offerings.
While Dassi's name is less known to enthusiasts of the period’s furniture than the likes of Ico and Luisa Parisi, Franco Albini and other leading lights of mid-20th century Italian design, his case pieces, tables and seating will prove no less worthy of hunting down at today's flea markets and online marketplaces.
Wood was Dassi's preferred material — he favored rosewood, mahogany, walnut and other species for his covetable desks and wall units, which frequently featured decorative flourishes such as glass inlays, while a sideboard or buffet’s fronts might boast hand-carved geometric cutouts in lieu of brass door handles.
While little is known about Dassi's early life, it is believed that his career in furniture design began in 1940 at his family's company Dassi Mobili Moderni, in Lissone, Italy. Shortly thereafter, he took over managing the company from his father.
While Dassi produced dry bars and other case pieces during the 1950s that featured the motifs and ornament that are today attributed to the Art Deco movement, he created sumptuous mahogany nightstands topped with black glass and minimalist teak coffee tables that better represented the forward-looking spirit of mid-century modernism. His wall units of the era for Mobili Cantù are works of art — crafted in walnut and featuring birch veneers and high-gloss lacquer finishes as well as a single door front decorated with an abstract painting or otherwise provocative illustration, these structures would undoubtedly prove quite impressive to the likes of Poul Cadovius and George Nelson.
Dassi often collaborated with Italian architect, editor and furniture designer Gio Ponti. Ponti designed thousands of furnishings and products — from cabinets, mirrors and chairs to ceramics and coffeemakers — and his buildings, including the brawny Pirelli Tower (1956) in his native Milan, and the castle-like Denver Art Museum (1971), were erected in 14 countries. A collaboration between Dassi and Ponti of note is the pair’s work on the Hotel Royal in Naples — Ponti was commissioned to design the hotel and he partnered with Dassi to design the hotel's furnishings.
Today, Dassi Mobili Moderni S.R.L. is still in operation in Lissone.
Find vintage Dassi Mobili Moderni furniture by Fratelli Turri, Edmondo Palutari and other designers on 1stDibs.
$2,944Sale Price|30% Off
Minimal Italian Mid-Century Geometric Cabinet Bar Mahogany Dassi Milano
By Dassi Mobili Moderni
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Minimal Italian mid-century geometric cabinet bar mahogany Dassi Milano. In the center a large door with a bar compartment for spirits and glasses...
Laminate, Mahogany
Vittorio Dassi Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboard Bar Cabinet
By Vittorio Dassi
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
A 1950s Italian mid-century modern dry bar or cabinet designed by Vittorio Dassi. The top surface and outside bottom shelf are a very dark green glass. The doors and sides are rosew...
Brass
$5,196Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 36.25 in W 42 in D 21 in
Pair Mid-Century Modern Gilded Mahogany Buffets Cabinets, circa 1950
By Alberto Mastroianni
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This pair of Mid-Century Modern gilded mahogany buffets cabinets, circa 1950, perfectly embodies the bold yet elegant aesthetic of the era. Each cabinet is constructed with a rich ma...
Gold Leaf
$13,900
H 72.75 in W 51.5 in D 19 in
20th Century Black-White Italian Painted Pine Cabinet, Antique Tuscan Cupboard
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A black-white, grey Italian cabinet in the Arte Povera technique, made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, in good condition. The tall, rectangular Tuscan cupboard is composed with a s...
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Oval Bar Cabinet
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Mid-Century Modern-Style oval bar cabinet with a striking sandstone top. The elegant top is trimmed with crisscrossing gold finish handles. This bea...
Marble, Metal
18th Century Italian Cabinet Embellished w/Original Hand-Painting
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Italian hand-painted cabinet from the 18th century. This antique cabinets from Italy has a rectangular-shaped top which slightly overhangs the case below which is fitted with a si...
Wood
$19,500
H 32 in W 56 in D 19 in
Exceptional Mahogany Cabinet by Bert England for Widdicomb, circa 1965
By John Widdicomb
Located in Atlanta, GA
This magnificent cabinet is shipped as professionally photographed and described in the listing narrative: Meticulously professionally restored and completely installation ready A s...
Brass
$16,760 / item
H 31 in W 90 in D 19 in
GAULTIER CREDENZA - Modern geometric cabinet in white lacquer finish
By Susan Hornbeak-Ortiz
Located in Laguna Niguel, CA
GAULTIER CREDENZA - Modern geometric cabinet in white lacquer finish The Gaultier Buffet is a stylish and contemporary buffet cabinet designed to add a touch of elegance to any space. It is expertly crafted and made to order in California, ensuring high-quality craftsmanship and attention to detail. One of the standout features of the Gaultier Buffet is its sleek, lacquered finish. The lacquer not only adds a luxurious sheen to the surface but also provides a protective layer, enhancing the durability of the cabinet. The lacquer finish also makes cleaning and maintaining the buffet easier, ensuring its long-lasting beauty. The Gaultier Buffet offers ample storage space to organize and display your belongings. It features multiple compartments and shelves behind its doors, allowing you to store various items such as dinnerware, glassware, and other essentials. The interior configuration can be customized based on your specific needs and preferences, making it a highly versatile piece of furniture. With its modern design and attention to detail, the Gaultier Buffet serves...
Lacquer
$11,250
H 33.5 in W 80.5 in D 19.75 in
French Mid-Century Modern Palisander Cabinet with Blonde and Nickeled Accents
Located in New York City, NY
A gorgeous French Art Deco four-door sideboard featuring beautifully grained and bookmatched exotic palisander with blonde trim and parquetry detail, along with sleek nickeled bronze...
Nickel
Italian Cabinet or Bar Attributed to Vittorio Dassi
By Guglielmo Ulrich, Ico Parisi, Gio Ponti, Osvaldo Borsani, Dassi
Located in Houston, TX
Italian Cabinet or Bar Attributed to Vittorio Dassi. Italian Mid-Century Modern bar, cabinet, credenza, cupboard or bookcase featuring gorgeous sculpted wood doors divided...
Bronze
$6,248Sale Price|20% Off
H 59.85 in W 86.62 in D 17.33 in
Mid-Century Living Room Cabinet by Permanente Mobili Cantù
By La Permanente Mobili Cantù
Located in Milano, IT
Beautiful, high-quality living room furniture produced by Permanente Mobili of Cantù. The 1950s cabinet features excellent fine woodwork. Elegant grissinato inserts and extraordinary...
Brass
$62,916 / item
H 36 in W 80 in D 23 in
Amuneal's Blue Lacquer Bar Cabinet with Brass Countertop and Integral Sink
By Amuneal
Located in New York, NY
Amuneal's Blue Lacquer Bar Cabinet with Brass Countertop and Integral Sink features hand-polished lacquered cabinet doors and drawer faces inlayed with buffed brass and integral pulls to create a modern, tailored statement. The composition of the lower cabinet is set off against a polished and patinated brass counter, which brings a timeless nuance to this modern design. Amuneal’s collector's wall hung shelves...
Brass
$14,500
H 41 in W 37.5 in D 17.5 in
GENUINE Renaissance Walnut Cabinet Buffet, Italian, Early 17TH Century
Located in San Francisco, CA
A tall walnut cabinet buffet, having a plank top with dentil moulding above a single drawer. The recessed paneled doors with iron pulls, flanked by Doric columns sitting on multi-moi...
Walnut
Sold
H 80.71 in W 114.18 in D 19.69 in
Italian Midcentury Walnut Long Sideboard with Mirror by Vittorio Dassi, 1950s
By Vittorio Dassi, Dassi Mobili Moderni
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Stunning walnut long sideboard or buffet with mirror designed by Vittorio Dassi in the 1950s. It’s finished with two long shaped colored green g...
Mirror, Stained Glass, Maple, Walnut, Paint
Sold
H 46.86 in W 110.63 in D 22.05 in
Italian Rosewood Sideboard with Black Opaline Top by Vittorio Dassi, 1950s
By Dassi Mobili Moderni, Vittorio Dassi
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Important and very rare rosewood sideboard with glass top in black opaline, designed by Vittorio Dassi in the 1950s. The body is supported by two grooved solid curved mahogany wood e...
Marble