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.
White alabaster vanity box by Romano Bianchi, Italy, 1970
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Superb white and black alabaster box designed and produced by romano bianchi in italy in the 1970s. Handcrafted alabaster box with chromed metal structure. Decorative object that wil...
Alabaster
Rectangular wooden box, France, 1970
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Rectangular wooden box, France, 1970s, characterized by a richly veined veneer, likely burl, offering a particularly expressive natural design. Its surface displays a warm palette of...
Wood
Yellow-green onyx box, France, 1970
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Rectangular box in yellow-green onyx, made in France around 1970. This piece showcases the natural beauty of the stone, with its translucent hues ranging from pale green to honey, tr...
Onyx
Astonishing Onyx Jewelry Box, Mid-Century Modern, Made in Italy, 1960s
Located in Milano, IT
1960s Astonishing box in onyx. Made in Italy. This box is amazing and in excellent condition. Dimension: 5,31 x 3,93 x 1,93 H inches 13,5 x 10 x 5 H cm
Onyx
1960s Mid-Century Modern Onyx Jewelry Box, Made in Italy, Excellent
Located in Milano, IT
1960s Astonishing box in onyx. Made in Italy. This box is amazing and in excellent condition. Dimension: 5,51 x 3,93 x 1,57 H inches 14 x 10 x 4 H cm
Onyx
FORNASETTI Playing Cards Box
By Fornasetti, Piero Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage poker playing cards box in walnut wood and metal case, it holds two packs of cards / designed by Piero Fornasetti, made in Italy in the 1970s Length: 5.5 inches / Width: 4 in...
Metal
Decorative metal box, France, 1970
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
A French decorative box from the 1970s, made of metal, both functional and ornamental. Its balanced and well-proportioned shape reflects the elegant, utilitarian design characteristic of decorative objects from this period. The metal surface has a natural patina, with slight signs of age that enhance its authenticity and vintage charm. Depending on the lighting, the metal reveals subtle reflections, adding depth and character to the object. Versatile, this box can be used as a catch-all, storage box, or purely decorative object. It integrates perfectly into a vintage, industrial, or contemporary interior, adding a graphic and timeless touch. Key features: Decorative metal box Made in France 1970s Functional and minimalist design Original patina Decorative and storage item Keywords: vintage metal box...
Metal
1970s Italian Silver Plate Lidded Metal Box Featuring a Minimal Curved Design
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautifully refined Silver Plate Box distinguished by its subtly curved, removable lid and elegantly restrained silhouette. The design is clean, minimalist, and quietly luxurious —...
Silver Plate
Dior Midcentury Brass, Lucite and Vienna Straw Decorative Oval Box, Italy 1970
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning Mid-Century decorative jewelry box made from a beautiful combination of lucite enriched with Vienna straw, brass, and tortoiseshell-effect lucite. This incredibly stylish pi...
Brass
Handcrafted Cherry Wood Lidded Box, 20th Century
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Handcrafted Cherry Wood Lidded Jewelry Box, 20th Century.
Cherry
Ostrich Egg with Brass Closures and Bone Feet in the Style of J Antony Redmile
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautifully hand-crafted Ostrich Egg made into a box featuring refined brass closure details, an elegant acorn-form finial lid, and distinctive bone-style feet (the bone may be res...
Brass
Carved Burl Maple and Mahogany Heart Puzzle Box, American Studio Craft
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage carved wood box features abstract heart form in striking choice of solid burl maple and mahogany woods. Asymmetrically sculpted box is covered with a sliding lid, held by a...
Birdseye Maple, Mahogany, Maple
“Cannabis” or “The World of Plants” by Line Vautrin, gilded bronze box, France
By Line Vautrin
Located in Uccle, BE
“Cannabis” or “The World of Plants” by Line Vautrin, gilded bronze box. “Finely chiseled gilt bronze box, the lid depicting a central plant whose leaves, veins, and roots radiate sym...
Bronze
Flavio Poli Murano Sommerso Smoked Grey Faceted Glass Box, Italy 1950
By Flavio Poli
Located in Barcelona, ES
Mid-Century Modern Sommerso faceted Murano lidded box in grey and clear glass. Attributed to Flavio Poli, Italy, 1950s. Rectangular faceted box in grey gla...
Glass, Sommerso, Murano Glass, Cut Glass, Art Glass
Aldo Londi Bitossi Box, Ceramic, Blue, Gold, Geometric, Signed
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in New York, NY
Bitossi Box, Ceramic, Blue, Gold, Geometric, Signed. Small scale lidded box with gold glazed geometric zig-zag pattern over a Rimini blue glaze. Signed on the underside 854.
Ceramic
Midcentury Bamboo, Rattan and Bakelite Box by Cesare Di Cesare, Italy 1970s
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful rectangular decorative box in bamboo, rattan and red bakelite by Cesare Di Cesare. Made in Italy in the 1970s. The original label is still attached as shown ...
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan, Bakelite
Burl Wood Decorative Box
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A beautifully grained burl wood box, likely designed originally to house playing cards, now elevated as a refined decorative object in its own right. The richly figured burl displays...
Maple, Burl
A square ceramic box, by Mithé Espelt. France, 1970
By Mithé Espelt
Located in Paris, Ile-de-France
Square ceramic lid box, model " Jupiter" by Mithé Espelt Embossed and glazed earthenware in green and crackle gold. Black painted wood box, Green felt lining. Including 23 patche...
Ceramic, Felt, Glass, Wood
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Sic Rimini Blu Glazed Ceramic Large Lidded Vessel / Box Bitossi Aldo Londi Style
By Aldo Londi, SIC Ceramiche Artistiche, Bitossi
Located in Barcelona, ES
Large Mid-Century Modern blue glazed ceramic (Rimini Blu) round lidded box , Manufactured by S.I.C Ceramiche Italy, 1950-1960s. It has reminiscences in those Rimini blue designs from Aldo Londi and Bitossi...
Ceramic, Pottery, Terracotta
Siberian Nephrite Jade Mid Century Decorative / Jewelry Box, Russia, c. 1970
Located in London, GB
A rare and beautiful quality mid century decorative box made of translucent Siberian green nephrite jade stone, made in Russia (Soviet Union at the time), c. 1970. The green of the ...
Jade, Onyx
$1,037Sale Price|65% Off
Wood Handcarved Decorative Box, Mid-Century Modern, France, After Noll
Located in Barcelona, ES
Wood handcarved box after Alexandre Noll Signed Tony to the underside. Late 20th century. In original condition, with minor wear consistent of age and use, preserving a be...
Wood
Christian Dior Midcentury Brass, Lucite, Vienna Straw Decorative Box, Italy 1970
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning Mid-Century decorative box in brass, clear lucite and Vienna straw. This incredibly elegant jewelry box was designed in Italy during 1970s and is attributed to a Christian ...
Brass
Los Castillo Taxco Mixed Stone Mosaic and Brass Box with Giraffe Motif, Mexico
By Los Castillo
Located in San Diego, CA
A striking mid-century modern decorative box by the renowned Los Castillo workshop of Taxco, Mexico. This finely crafted rectangular box features a warm patinated brass body topped w...
Malachite, Brass, Bronze
Sculptural Brass Decorative Jewelry Box Brutalist Mid Century Modern
By Line Vautrin
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
A heavy beautiful modernist round brass box
Brass
Gabriella Crespi brushed and polished brass box signed 1970
Located in Paris, IDF
Rare cylindrical box in brushed and polished brass, designed and signed by Gabriella Crespi in the 1970s. Likely intended as a cigarette case, its clean and perfectly proportioned fo...
Brass
Hand Painted Ceramic Decorative Oval Lidded Trinket Box by Hedwig Bollhagen
Located in Troy, MI
A decorative hand painted box by Hedwig Bollhagen Oval form in black glaze with hand painted blue modernist decoration to the inset lid Signed to underside 3 inch width 2 inch dept...
Ceramic
Paolo De Poli Mid-Century Wood and Enamel Box, circa 1950
Located in Atlanta, GA
Paolo De Poli Enamel Box – Attributed to Gio Ponti, Italy, Circa 1950 This exceptional Mid-Century lidded box is a rare and collectible work of Italian design, meticulously crafted b...
Metal, Copper, Enamel
Walter Bosse Austrian Lacquered Brass Cigarette Box
By Herta Baller
Located in New York, NY
Walter Bosse for Herta Baller polished cast brass square box with patinated stripe lid, Austria, circa 1950's.
Brass
Vintage Industrial Enameled Metal Utility Bins with Hinged Lids
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Medium-sized enameled metal utility bins showcase sturdy industrial construction with hinged lids and stackable design. Originally manufactured by Tolesco...
Metal
$1,200
FORNASETTI Butterfly Box
By Piero Fornasetti, Fornasetti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage decorative rectangular lacquered walnut wood box with butterfly motif / designed by Piero Fornasetti, made in Italy in the 1970s Original mark at the felt base Length: 9.5 in...
Wood
Vintage Gucci, Italy - Solid Sterling 800 Silver Box c.1968
By Gucci
Located in Bath, GB
A truly striking and very rare box by the iconic designer, Gucci, Italy. What makes this one so very special is that is made from solid 800/100 silver rather than the usual silver p...
Silver
Shirley Rosenthal Enamel & Walnut Box, New York, c.1970
By Shirley Rosenthal, Studio Del Campo
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Shirley Rosenthal Enamel & Walnut Box, New York, c.1970. Retains the original label to the bottom.
Enamel
Wonderful French Orange Opaline Glass Ormolu Brass Hinged Casket Jewelry Box
Located in Roslyn, NY
A Wonderful French Rare Color Orange Opaline Glass With Ormolu Brass Hinged Casket Jewelry Box
Ormolu
2 Blue Nesting Boxes in lacquered wood, France, 1970
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Set of two nesting lacquered wooden boxes, decorated with stylized motifs in shades of blue, turquoise, and multicolored accents. The finely crafted design evokes a floral or radiating pattern, typical of 1970s decorative aesthetics. These boxes can be nested inside each other for convenient storage or displayed separately as decorative objects. Ideal for storing jewelry, small items, or keepsakes, they combine functionality and elegance. Their glossy finish and graphic details make them true decorative pieces with vintage charm. Features Period: 1970s Origin: France Material: Lacquered wood Colors: Blue, turquoise, black with multicolored details Shape: Rectangular with lid Special feature: Nesting boxes Use: Storage, jewelry box, decoration Condition: Good vintage condition Style Vintage Decorative art 1970s Oriental influence Keywords vintage lacquered wood boxes blue nesting boxes french vintage decor lacquer box set 1970s decorative storage boxes asian style lacquer box vintage jewelry box set blue lacquer boxes...
Wood, Lacquer
$416Sale Price|32% Off
Small Rectangular Cut Glass Candis or Jewelry Box
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Small rectangular cut glass candis or jewelry box with hardware in brass.
Brass
$120Sale Price|20% Off
Carrara Marble Small Lidded Canister or Stash Box, Italy, 1960s
Located in San Diego, CA
Carrara marble small lidded canister or stash container. Italy, 1960s.
Carrara Marble
Mid-Century Modern Green Onyx Jewelry Box with Gilded Lion Feet
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
A handmade trinket or jewelry box, crafted with utmost care from exquisite onyx. Details in guilded metal such as the lion feet. This versatile box will work for your treasures, whil...
Onyx
$562Sale Price|25% Off
Salvador Teran Hand Wrought Mexican Brass & Mosaic Box, Chicken Motif, 1950s
Located in Minneapolis, MN
Here is a box from the 1950s by Salvador Teran (Mexican 1920-1974). This beautiful and charming hand-wrought brass box is decorated with chickens in small glass mosaic tiles featurin...
Brass
Music Play Box, Around 1960s, Made in Switzerland
Located in Wien, AT
Music play box, around 1960s, made in Switzerland. Wood inlays. Plays " Love story " Music Hight when open: 19cm.
Wood
$352Sale Price|36% Off
1960s Green Glass Turtle Trinket Box by Curt Schlevogt, Czechoslovakia
By Curt Schlevogt, Heinrich Hoffmann
Located in Glasgow, GB
A striking green glass turtle-shaped trinket box by Curt Schlevogt. Produced in Czechoslovakia in the 1960s. This sculptural container is a mid-century reissue of Art Deco malachite ...
Art Glass, Slag Glass
1970s Mid-Century Modern Italian Hand-Painted Ceramic Box with Fern
Located in New York, NY
Mid Century Italian bone white glazed ceramic cigarette box with a hand decorated lid featuring a stylized fern.
Ceramic
Silvered Bronze Box “Heureux Parmi la Foule” by Line Vautrin, France, circa 1945
By Line Vautrin
Located in Uccle, BE
“Heureux parmi la foule” (Happy among the crowd), silvered bronze box by Line Vautrin. Generously sized silvered bronze box. The lid carved with a decoration of a multitude of faces,...
Bronze
$150Sale Price|46% Off
Handcrafted Jewelry Box by Bay Area Artist Dean Santner c.1970
By Dean Santner
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT Original studio, handcrafted wood jewelry box by California woodworker, Dean Santner. Expertly crafted in walnut. Pull out center drawer lined in purple felt. CREATOR Dea...
Felt, Walnut
F.B. Rogers Gold Plate Walnut Shaped Trinket Box Keepsake, 1970, America
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage walnut box, trinket box, keepsake made in the USA by F.B. Rogers Silver Company, circa 1970. Made out of gold plate metal and left intentio...
Metal, Gold Plate
Decorative Malachite and Brass Hinged Box by Los Castillo of Mexico
By Los Castillo
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful inlaid detail of three swans in brass and bronze on a malachite and sodalite background adorn the top of this hinged box which was made by Los Castillo of Mexico, circa 196...
Malachite, Brass, Bronze
Maitland Smith (Attributed) Tessellated Pen Shell, Bone & Wood Hinged Box, 1970s
Located in Minneapolis, MN
This is a very stylish tessellated pen shell, bone and wood box most likely by Maitland Smith and made in the Philippines. This long, slender beauty measures 15 1/2" x 7 1/2" x 2.75"...
Bone, Shell, Wood
Italian Florentine Rectangular Gold Embossed Leather Box with Lock and Key
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
We are always on the hunt for these vintage Florentine boxes and rarely we come across one with a lock and a key. This Italian rectangular box, lined in yellow velvet, is prefect to ...
Leather, Velvet
Gabriella Crespi Tortoiseshell and Sterling Silver Box
Located in New York, NY
Gabriella Crespi tortoise and sterling silver box. Vintage Crespi cylindrical cigarette case with engraved Gabriella Crespi logo monogram and original ...
Sterling Silver
Antique Travelling Vanity Case, English, Leather, Silver, Dressing Table Box
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique travelling vanity case. An English, leather and silver dressing table box with fitted interior, dating to the early 20th ...
Leather
Dior Large Smoked "Frozen" Lucite Italian Decorative Jewelry Box, Italy 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful Mid-Century jewelry or decorative rectangular box, made in charming smoked brownish lucite with a "frozen effect." This elegant object was produced in Italy during the 1970...
Acrylic, Lucite, Plexiglass
Signed Alessandro Mandruzzato for Design Guild Murano Sommerso Faceted Glass Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Signed Alessandro Mandruzzato for Design Guild Murano Sommerso Faceted Glass Box, 1970s A striking sculptural Murano glass box signed “Mandruzzato for Design Guild,” showcasing the celebrated faceted-block technique perfected by the Mandruzzato family in the 1960s–80s. The heavy, optic-clear crystal form contains a dramatic sommerso core, rendered in deep black glass infused with shimmering micro-granulated 24k gold. The internal composition appears to float within the thick, architectural walls, magnified by the sharply cut and hand-polished geometric facets. The hinged lid opens to reveal a molded black-glass interior well, its glossy surface contrasting with the jewel-like radiance of the glass block. The original brass piano hinge and frame remain intact. This design was produced as a special commission for Design Guild, a luxury American importer, and is far scarcer than the unsigned Mandruzzato vases and blocks commonly encountered. A powerful example of Murano Brutalist...
Brass
Pair of Rosewood Dresser Boxes w/Lids, 1960
Located in Chicago, IL
Pair of Rosewood Dresser Boxes w/ lids, 1960’s. Beautiful condition. Large box measures 9.5” long 4” deep 2” tall. Small box measures 4” x 4” 2” tall.
Rosewood
Hand-Painted Porcelain Horse Box by Bitossi, Mid-Century Modern, Italy
By Bitossi
Located in New York, NY
Mid Century porcelain keepsake/cigarette box hand decorated with a water color effect glaze depicting a horse.
Porcelain
20th Century Handmade Silver Vase by Asian Artisans, Vintage
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Gorgeous vintage handmade silver Vase. Sorry we don't know anything about it, but its beautiful. It is marked with a sign of the silversmith. I am unsure of the age of this object an...
Silver
Mid-Century Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Dresser or Table Box
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine signed silver table box. By Tiffany & Co. In sterling silver. Marked to the base. Simply wonderful Tiffany design! Date: Mid-20th Century Overall Condition: It is ...
Sterling Silver
1980s Mid-Century Modern Faux Leopard Lucite Luxury Box Signed Dior Home
By Dior Home
Located in Aci Castello, IT
An exceptionally chic and collectible 1980s Christian Dior Home luxury storage box. This piece exemplifies the glamorous, maximalist flair of the era while maintaining a sophisticate...
Lucite
Sculptural Scandinavian Pine Wood Lidded Box in the Style of Uno Kristiansson
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This sculptural Scandinavian lidded box is crafted from solid pine wood and features a striking architectural form reminiscent of the work of Uno Kristiansson and other mid-century S...
Wood, Pine
Large Square Natural Malachite Jewelry or Vanity Box
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Large Malachite Jewelry or Vanity Box. Malachite is a green copper carbonate mineral. It is part of the monolithic crystal system and has a silky luster. The malachite for this box w...
Machiche
Vintage Italian Brass Letter Envelope Box 1960'S Pop Art Desk Accessory
Located in North Miami, FL
This ever so chic and obscure vintage Italian brass box is simply a pop art design of a form of an opened up envelope that is a box. it is from the lat...
Brass
Mithe Espelt Ceramic and Fused Glass Jewelry Box France c 1968
By Mithé Espelt
Located in Chicago, IL
Ceramic Jewelry Box by Mithé Espelt, France, 1960s Ceramic enamels in shades of green gold with fused glass with iconic blackened wood box. Literature: Mithé Espelt, le luxe discret...
Ceramic