More often than not, vintage mid-century Brazilian furniture designs, with their gleaming wood, soft leathers and inviting shapes, share a sensuous, unique quality that distinguishes them from the more rectilinear output of American and Scandinavian makers of the same era.
Commencing in the 1940s and '50s, a group of architects and designers transformed the local cultural landscape in Brazil, merging the modernist vernacular popular in Europe and the United States with the South American country's traditional techniques and indigenous materials.
Key mid-century influencers on Brazilian furniture design include natives Oscar Niemeyer, Sergio Rodrigues and José Zanine Caldas as well as such European immigrants as Joaquim Tenreiro, Jean Gillon and Jorge Zalszupin. These creators frequently collaborated; for instance, Niemeyer, an internationally acclaimed architect, commissioned many of them to furnish his residential and institutional buildings.
The popularity of Brazilian modern furniture has made household names of these designers and other greats. Their particular brand of modernism is characterized by an émigré point of view (some were Lithuanian, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Portuguese, and Italian), a preference for highly figured indigenous Brazilian woods, a reverence for nature as an inspiration and an atelier or small-production mentality.
Hallmarks of Brazilian mid-century design include smooth, sculptural forms and the use of native woods like rosewood, jacaranda and pequi. The work of designers today exhibits many of the same qualities, though with a marked interest in exploring new materials (witness the Campana Brothers' stuffed-animal chairs) and an emphasis on looking inward rather than to other countries for inspiration.
Find a collection of vintage Brazilian furniture on 1stDibs that includes chairs, sofas, tables and more.
Brazilian Modern Lidded Tobacco Jar in Jacaranda by Jean Gillon, 1970s
By Jean Gillon
Located in Stockholm, SE
Sculptural lidded tobacco jar carved from solid Brazilian rosewood (jacaranda), designed by Jean Gillon and produced in Brazil during the 1970s. The piece exemplifies Gillon’s refine...
Jacaranda, Rosewood
1960s Jean Gillon Tobacco Jar for Italma Wood Art Brazil
By Jean Gillon
Located in London, GB
Cigar humidor or tobacco jar from the 1960s. This iconic piece from the Italma Wood Art collection was created by Brazilian designer Jean Gillon. Very well crafted from the finest st...
Wood
Dunhill Cork and Leather Tobacco Jar
By Dunhill
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Handsome cork and leather tobacco jar from London. Beautiful patina to the cork and leather. Jar can be used as a tobacco, weed, or stash jar. Cork is a clas...
Leather, Cork
19th Century Treenware Walnut Tobacco Jar
Located in High Point, NC
19th century hand turned treen tobacco box made from walnut. The lid is expertly turned and is topped with a finial over a fabulous hand turned base. The walnut is a handsome color...
Walnut
$4,783
H 7.88 in W 7.09 in D 5.52 in
Scandinavian, Stoneware Blue Lidded Jar, Jacob Bang, Own Studio, 1970s, Denmark
By Jacob Bang
Located in Odense, DK
A striking and rare studio piece by Danish ceramic artist Jacob Bang, this hand-crafted stoneware lidded jar embodies the sculptural sensibility and material depth that define Bang’s...
Stoneware
Dutch Tobacco Jar - 19th century
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Dutch Tobacco Jar Netherlands, 19th century 23 x 15 cm Georgian Dutch Tobacco Jar. Made from different woods, this ring turned Jars show a very nice patina.
Fruitwood
Italian Marble Lidded Box in Honey and Cream Tones, 1970s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful cylindrical lidded box hand-carved from natural marble, crafted in Italy in the 1970s. The stone displays warm honey, caramel, and cream veining throughout, creating an ele...
Marble
1960s Studio Art Walnut Wood Box Slide Open
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1960s Studio Art Walnut Wood Box Slide Open No label. George Nakashima inspired. Clean Modern Design 3.75 h x 11.5 w x 5.5 d Walnut wood Double dove tail joints Preowned original v...
Walnut
Jean Gillon. Set of 4 square trays, c. 1960
By Jean Gillon, Italma Wood Art
Located in PARIS, FR
Suite of four square trays designed by Jean Gillon, dating from about 1960. Each top is characterized by dimensions of 2 x 16 x 16 centimeters, offering a compact scale and a geometr...
Hardwood
1960s Brazilian Rosewood Humidor by Jean Gillon for Wood Art
By Jean Gillon
Located in Victoria, BC
We're thrilled to introduce the latest addition to our revered vintage Brazilian smalls collection: an iconic piece from the legendary designer Jean Gillon's Wood Art collection. Beh...
Rosewood
Great Turned Burl Wood Tobacco Jar by Artist R. Kaeser Mid Century Modern
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This beautifully hand-turned burl wood tobacco jar is a striking piece of Mid-Century Modern craftsmanship, signed by artist R. Kaeser. The jar features a domed lid with a rounded fi...
Wood
Dutch Tobacco Jar - 19th century
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Dutch Tobacco Jar Hollande, 19th century H 18 x diameter 12 cm Fine Georgian Dutch Tobacco Jar with beautiful patina.
Wood
Bänsteboa, Lidded Box, Wood, Sweden, 1970s
Located in High Point, NC
A handcrafted wooden lidded box designed and produced by Bänsteboa Slöjdcenter, Sweden, c. 1970s.
Wood
Tobacco Box from the 1970s Italian Design Solid Brass
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Tobacco box from the 1970s, Italian design. Measures: Height 7 cm, diameter 15 cm in golden brass.
Brass