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.
$2,254 / item
Ita 2, Soapstone Vase by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Ita 2 - soapstone vase by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone, brass Dimensions: 25 (Ø) x 32 (H) Alva is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist...
Soapstone
$1,679 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 01 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Amorfo 01 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 17 x H 25 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist and designer, an...
Soapstone
Vintage Glazed Ceramic Potiche
Located in Rio De Janeiro, BR
Glazed ceramic potiche featuring a timeless silhouette and a refined finish that highlights the richness of the glaze. Its understated design allows it to function as both a decorati...
Ceramic
$1,937 / item
Brota 1, Soapstone Vase by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Brota 1 - Soapstone vase by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: 28 (Ø) x 19 (H) ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist ...
Soapstone
$1,600Sale Price|39% Off
1950s Midcentury Jacaranda Geometric Faceted Humidor Dispensary Apothecary Box
By Jean Gillon, Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Jens Quistgaard
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Heavy solid Brazilian rosewood lidded jar/box, weighing 1 lb. 11 oz. Possibly was designed as a humidor but does not smell of tobacco. Unmarked.
Rosewood
$335 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 03 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Soapstone Amorfo 03 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 30 x H 11 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist and design...
Soapstone
$1,327 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 04 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Soapstone Amorfo 04 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 35 x h 6 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist and des...
Soapstone
$594 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 06 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Soapstone Amorfo 06 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 30 x H 11 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist and de...
Soapstone
$180 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 08 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Soapstone Amorfo 08 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 20 x H 6 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist and designe...
Soapstone
$310 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 05 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Soapstone Amorfo 05 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 35 x H 6 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brother...
Soapstone
$1,244 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 07 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Soapstone Amorfo 07 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 40 x H 7 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist and des...
Soapstone
$1,679 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 01 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Amorfo 01 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 17 x H 25 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist and designer, and Ma...
Soapstone
$1,327 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 02 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Amorfo 02 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 25 x H 15 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos...
Soapstone
$2,019 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 10 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Soapstone Amorfo 10 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 30 x h 25 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Sus...
Soapstone
$1,679 / item
Soapstone Amorfo 09 by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Soapstone Amorfo 09 by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: Ø 18 x H 15 cm ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Sus...
Soapstone
$2,560 / item
Ita 1, Soapstone Vase by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Ita 1 - Soapstone vase by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone, brass Dimensions: 22 (Ø) x 32 (H) ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist...
Soapstone
$1,949 / item
Ita 3, Soapstone Vase by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Ita 3 - Soapstone vase by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone, solid wood, Dimensions: 24 (Ø) x 32 (H) ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, ...
Soapstone
$1,808 / item
Brota 3, Soapstone Vase by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Brota 3 - Soapstone vase by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: 15 (Ø) x 40 (H) ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist ...
Soapstone
$1,808 / item
Brota 2, Soapstone Vase by Alva Design
Located in Geneve, CH
Brota 2 - Soapstone vase by Alva Design Materials: Soapstone Dimensions: 20 (Ø) x 30 (H) ALVA is a furniture and objects design office, formed by brothers Susana Bastos, artist and ...
Soapstone
"Hsing" Vase Designed by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in New York, NY
"Hsing" vase designed by Ettore Sottsass for Alessio Sarri, Sesto Fiorentino. Red glazed ceramic. Marked: E. Sottsass, A. SARRI.
Ceramic
Vase Designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Finland, 1957
By Tapio Wirkkala
Located in Stockholm, SE
Vase designed by Tapio Wirkkala, Sweden, 1957. Sterling silver. Dimensions: H: 24 cm/ 9 3/8" W: 9 cm/ 3 1/2" D: 4 cm/ 1 1/2" Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) can be described as one of the icons of Finnish design and a symbol of the international success of post-war Finnish design. Tapio Wirkkala studied sculpture at the Helsinki Central School of Industrial Design from 1933 until 1936, but he was also a self-studied artist in many areas, including glass design. His success as a glass artist began in 1946 when he designed one of his most famous works, the Kantarelli vase, for Iittala. Wirkkala gained worldwide success in 1951 at the Milan Triennial, where he received three Grand Prix awards: for the exhibition architecture, glass design and wooden sculptures. Tapio Wirkkala felt a deep relationship with nature and his absolute favourite spot was located in Finland's deepest forests. From the beautiful landscape, Tapio Wirkkala could find inspiration for his works, often characterised by organic shapes. Leaves, birds, ice and water are recurring themes in his design. Tapio Wirkkala was also a furniture designer and a sculptor. He started his career as a sculptor in the 1930s but abandoned the traditional sculpture in the post-war years – in the early 1950s, alongside with other works, he started to develop an entirely new relationship with sculpture and a new technique to be used. The result was a series of unique plywood sculptures which combined form and movement in the vibrant, densely lineated surface of plywood. Wirkkala’s sculptures represented exceptional abstractism and gave Finnish sculpture...
Sterling Silver
1960s Mughal Style Indian Brass Cigarette Holder / Trinket Box
Located in New York, NY
Indian brass lidded cigarette holder / trinket box, with hand engraved Mughal floral designs all around. Completely hand wrought piece with exquisite detail. Hand crafted in India, c...
Brass
Beautiful Glass Apothecary Jar - price per piece
Located in Brussels, BE
Cut-glass top and blown glass jar beautiful quality. Multiple available
Blown Glass, Cut Glass
Contemporary 'Balloon Vase 01 Raw White' by Louise Roe
By Louise Roe
Located in Paris, IDF
Balloon Vase 01 Raw White Handmade ceramic vase made by Danish artist Louise Roe. Ø6.5-22.5 - H25 CM About the artist: LOUISE ROE is a Copenhagen based interior design brand,...
Ceramic
Italian Genuine Leather Double Playing Card Box, 1950s
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage Italian playing card box features all-leather construction with outer layer of soft, supple tan or cognac leather decorated with embossed gold bands and 2 enameled playing c...
Gold, Enamel
"Hsing" Vase Designed by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in New York, NY
"Hsing" vase designed by Ettore Sottsass for Alessio Sarri, Sesto Fiorentino. Green glazed ceramic.
Ceramic
"Hsing" Vase Designed by Ettore Sottsass
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in New York, NY
'Hsing' vase designed by Ettore Sottsass for Alessio Sarri , Sesto Fiorentino. White glazed ceramic. Marked: E. Sottsass, A. SARRI.
Ceramic
$495Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.54 in W 11.82 in D 3.15 in
Three-Dimensional Anatomical Midcentury Wall Plaster Sculpture, Germany, 1950s
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Midcentury three-dimensional anatomical plaster painting representing human respiratory system, provenance Hygiene Museum Dresden with museum sticker ...
Plaster, Wood
$120
H 4.25 in W 3.75 in D 2 in
Crystal Square Flower Bud Vase by Tizo Modern Design, Crystal 1980s Post-Modern
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a modernist crystal block bud vase, highly recognizable by its thick, clear rectangular frame and offset cylindrical core. This architectural, heavy glass des...
Crystal
$995
H 9 in W 7.5 in D 5.5 in
Antique Hand-Carved Black Forest Tobacco Jar or Humidor & Ashtray with Bears
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This antique tobacco jar or humidor is unsigned, but presumed to have originated from Austria and date to approximately 1900 and done in the perio...
Walnut
Handmade Contemporary Mercury Vases by Furthur Design, 2026
By Furthur Design
Located in New York, NY
The Mercury Series is comprised of blown glass vessels with a mirrored interior. Meant to mimic the different stages of a drop of mercury separating, the set of handmade vessels is c...
Blown Glass, Mirror
Antique Brazilian Coffee Tin
Located in San Francisco, CA
On offer is a piece of antique Brazilian advertising memorabilia for Tesouro brand coffee, produced by the firm Fernandes & Thomé. Tesouro translates as "Treasure" in Portuguese....
Metal
19th Century Antique Terracotta Pot
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Decorative Pieces A beautiful 19th century terracotta pot, acquired by previous owner and collector while in Brazil in 1950s. Sculptural shape and beautiful deep patina with c...
Clay
19th Century Antique Terracotta Pot
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Decorative Pieces A beautiful large 19th century terracotta pot, acquired by previous owner and collector while in Brazil in 1950s. Sculptural shape and beautiful deep patina ...
Clay
19th Century Antique Terracotta Pot
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Decorative Pieces A beautiful 19th century (or older) terracotta pot, acquired by previous owner and collector while in Brazil in 1950s. Sculptural shape and beautiful deep pa...
Clay
Sold
H 28.75 in Dm 3.55 in
Contemporary Set of Three Tall Ânfora Vases by Domingos Tótora, Brazil, 2009
By Domingos Tótora
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Contemporary set of three Tall Ânfora vases by Domingos Tótora, Brazil, 2009 Set of three Ânfora vases with spouts by the Brazilian artist Domingos Tótora in varied sizes. These m...
Paper
Pair of Early 20th Century Brazilian Glazed Terracotta Jars on Stands
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of Brazilian terracotta jars from the early 20th century on iron stands. This pair of antique glazed clay vessels, each having a rounded shape and being more bulbous just beneath their lips, with more flattened bottoms, and are raised and presented upon custom black iron tripod footed bases. The smaller jar has a small spout opening visible just above the waist, where it is supported by the iron stand (please see additional images for better detail). This pair of antique jars...
Iron
Jean Gillon Jacaranda Rosewood Ice Bucket for Italma
By Jean Gillon
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designer: Jean Gillon. Manufacturer: Italma Wood Art. Period/Style: Mid-Century Modern. Country: Brazil. Date: 1960s. Dimensions: 11″ H x 8.25″ W. Materials: Jacaranda Rosewo...
Jacaranda, Rosewood