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Mid-Century Modern Barware

MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE

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.

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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Six Midcentury Cera Glass "Ethyl Gasohol" Rocks Glasses with Temp & Fill Scales
Located in Nantucket, MA
Six vintage, Pop Art, 14oz rocks glasses in red, white, yellow and black enamel designed an "Ethyl Gasohol" drum. The front and backs decorated with label information and the sides w...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Vintage Retro Barware Bright Orange Pitcher by Joseph Magnin Italy, 1960s
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Midcentury vintage bright orange pitcher designed in the 1960s by Joseph Magnin. Vivid Italian pottery glazed orange retro barware pitcher with handle i...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Ceramic

Six Clear Whiskey Bourbon Scotch or Rocks Glasses
Located in Ferndale, MI
Set of six substantial base whiskey bourbon scotch drinking glasses. Rocks glasses. Priced as a set .
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Vintage Bartlett Collins Color Frosted and Gilt Chain Link Tom Collins Glasses
Located in Nantucket, MA
Mid-Century Modern set of eight Tom Collins glasses by Bartlett Collins, two each of four frosted colors with a clear central band with 22 karat go...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Eight Midcentury Highball Glasses W/Bands of Brightly Colored Lines
Located in Nantucket, MA
Eight highball glasses decorated with five bands of brightly colored enamel comprised of three lines each on clear glass.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

4 Mid-Century Modern, Cera Glass Daffodil Rocks Glasses
Located in Nantucket, MA
Set of 4 Mid-Century Modern rocks glasses by Cera Glassware with daffodils in green, yellow and white enamels.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Bruce Fox Square Aluminum Ashtray with Setter Dog
Located in Ferndale, MI
Handcrafted Bruce Fox cast aluminum ash tray. Setter dog decoration cast into center.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Aluminum

Glass Ice Bucket with a Metal Handle
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
Glass ice bucket. Glass ice bucket. Branded Ballantine's and Bell's, this is a collectible piece, ideal for whisky lovers and vintage advertising items...
Category

Mid-20th Century Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Metal

Bucket Brigade 1970 Mid-Century Modern White Leather & Lucite Lidded Ice Bucket
Located in Miami, FL
1970s off white Leather and Lucite ice bucket the inside is insulated and decorative lid. Keeps the ice cubes frozen for a long time as the lid sits tight on the bucket. Makers Mark ...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Acrylic, Leather, Lucite

Sculptural 20th Century Wine Rack
Located in Antwerp, BE
Two small brass wine racks suitable for counter top made for six bottles. Italy, 1970s. Measures: Height 41 cm, width 27 cm, depth 21 cm. Height 31 cm, width 37 cm, depth 21 cm.   
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Metallic Thread

Mid-20th Century Globe Champagne / Wine Cooler, Italy, circa 1970
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
A large mid-20th century globe champagne or wine cooler Italian, circa 1970. Perfect for a bar. This modernist piece is beautiful quality, the glass is surprisingly heavy and the col...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Metal

Set of 8 Vintage Cera Glassware Highball Glasses, Regimental Drum
By Cera
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Set of 8 Vintage Cera Glassware Highball Glasses in the Regimental Drum pattern. Mid-Century Modern highball glasses decorated as parade drums in teal and red enamel with 22 karat go...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Vintage West Virginia Glass, Owl Cocktail Shaker and Six Rocks Glasses
Located in Nantucket, MA
Mid-Century Modern cocktail Shaker set consisting of a cocktail Shaker and 6 rocks glasses in clear glass with a black enamel owl perched on a b...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Chrome

Antique Shell Ice Bucket in Silver
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
Shell ice bucket. With a slightly conical body, widening at the top and resting on a rounded, firm base. It has two discreetly integrated side handles, which facilitate handling. The...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Metal, Silver

Vintage Fred Press Nautical Themed Glass Serving Tray
Located in Nantucket, MA
Mid-Century modern Fred Press designed nautical themed, molded glass serving tray. The back with a pebbled surface and the front decorated in 22k gold and...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Royal Canadian Engineers Field Squadron Etched Cut Crystal & Sterling Decanters
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
These quite heavy and well executed bottle decanters are possibly hallmarked by an unknown maker, but presumed to have originated from Canada and date to approximately 1970 and done ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Canadian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Crystal, Sterling Silver

8 Vintage Highball Glasses with Cave Painting Scenes of Hunters & Horses
Located in Nantucket, MA
Eight Mid-Century Modern highball glasses decorated in black and white enamel with 22k gold, depicting a hunter with a bow among running horses and flying arrows.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Midcentury Glass Coctail Shaker, Czechoslovakia, 1960s
Located in Praha, CZ
-Glass and chrome -In good original condition -Fully functional.
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Chrome

Vintage Libbey, His, Hers, Whose, Bourbon, Rye, Scotch, Tom Collins Caddy Set
Located in Nantucket, MA
A very unusual set of 6 Tom Collins glasses by Libbey, in a bright pink plastic caddy with a white retractable carry handle. Frosted glasses each with a different word and graphic - ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass, Plastic

Pair of Heavy Crystal Bowl Vases by Orrefors
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Pair of fine crystal vases bowls by Orrefors of Sweden.
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Rope and Tassel Bottle Holder
Located in Queens, NY
Rope and tassel (20th century) design gilt metal swirl bottle holder.   
Category

20th Century Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Metal

American Midcentury Modern Sterling Silver Ice Bucket
Located in New York, NY
Mid-Century Modern sterling silver ice bucket. Urn with double-scroll side handles and stepped foot. Cover domed and reeded with finial. Insulated interior. Fully marked including Wo...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Sterling Silver

Vintage Highball Glasses With Egyptian Hieroglyphics Design
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Set of 6 Vintage Highball Glasses With Stylized Egyptian Hieroglyphics Design. Signed made in USA. All in excellent vintage condition.
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Vintage Highball Glasses Designed by Irene Pasinski w/"Woven" Non-Slip Surface
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Eight vintage glasses designed by Irene Pasinski for Washington Glass with a "woven" star pattern in a cane color with non-slip surface.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Fred Press Atomic Highball Glasses with Two-Tone Gold and Frosted White Columns
Located in Nantucket, MA
Set of 6 mis-century modern highball glasses designed by Fred Press in the Atomic style with two-tone pinwheel pattern dots at the top of white frosted vertical columns with two-tone...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Portugese White Opaline Glass Decanter With Solid Top
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Mid-Century Glass Opaline Decanter from Portugal. This piece is versatile on a bar cart as well as a shelf. Impressive wear can be seen throughout.
Category

Mid-20th Century Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Opaline Glass

Vintage Georges Briard 9 Piece Cocktail Set in the Ambrosia Pattern
Located in Nantucket, MA
Mid-Century Modern 9 piece pitcher and double old fashioned cocktail set in the Ambrosia pattern, also called Nectar of the Gods by Georges Briard. Clear glass with white spattered e...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Mort N. Marton Natural Organic Portuguese Cork Ice Bucket with Milk Glass Insert
Located in Ferndale, MI
Lidded Ice bucket formed from solid cork with cork lid and milk glass insert . Designed by Mort and Beryl Marton New York in 1963 . Museum of Modern Art does have one in permanent ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Milk Glass, Cork

Vintage Red, White and Blue Rocks Glasses by Bartrix
Located in Nantucket, MA
Six midcentury bar glasses marked Bartrix in red, white and blue. The top with a row of blue squares with white arrows above a white band and a...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

DDD Design Brass Ice Holder Mid 60's
Located in bari, IT
Ice container in brass and amber plexiglass, internal glass container. Production ddd design from the 1960s.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Brass

Pair of Teak and Brass Nutcrackers by Paol Knudsen
Located in Ferndale, MI
Beautifully made pair of teak wood with brass detail Danish nutcrackers.
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Brass

Midcentury Auböck Bottle Stopper Historical Coin Motive
Located in Vienna, AT
For sale is a beautiful bottle stopper with a historical coin motive. It was crafted from brass and cork and designed by the renowned workshops of Carl Auböck in Austria. It represen...
Category

Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Brass

Mid-Century Modern Mechanical Brass and Wood Corkscrew with Molded Owl Figure
Located in Nantucket, MA
Italian Mid-Century Modern mechanical corkscrew in wood and brass with a molded resin owl with glass eyes perched on a branch.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Brass, Steel

Vintage Federal Glass Tom Collins / Zombie Glasses with Gold & Black Stallions
Located in Nantucket, MA
Eight vintage Tom Collins glasses with a pair of rearing stallions shadowing each other one in 22k gold the other in black enamel with gold...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Six Vintage Federal Glassware Tumblers with Concentric Squares in Orange Enamel
Located in Nantucket, MA
Six Mid-Century Modern tumblers by Federal Glass with blocks of concentric squares in orange enamel, alternating blocks are made up if narrower or wide...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Vintage Georges Briard Glass Serving Tray in the Forbidden Fruit Pattern
Located in Nantucket, MA
Mid-Century Modern Pyrex glass platter with a Forbidden Fruit design by Georges Briard in 22k gold and orange enamel.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Fun Whimsical Cast Brass Bunny Whiskey Stir Stick
Located in Ferndale, MI
Nicely cast with a hammered type finish. Bunny or hare stir stick or swizzle stick.
Category

Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Brass

1960s Vintage Jacobsen Arne Design Years '67 for Stelton Denmark Original Set 3
Located in Biella, IT
Jacobsen Arne design years '67 for Stelton Denmark vintage original bar set cylinda line. Very good condition for this original bar set Measure of the three; 9 inches height ...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Metal

Set of Mid-Century Highball Glasses with Black Frosted Interiors & Gold Dancers
Located in Nantucket, MA
Vintage set of 8 highball glasses. Clear glass with black frosted interiors decorated on the exterior with stylized modern dancers in 22k gold.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Studio Pottery Barrel / Whiskey Nip with Cork Signed "Pollack 73"
Located in Brooklyn, NY
1973 Pollack studio stoneware whiskey nip / barrel with cork. Attractive partially metallic brown / taupe color combination with mottled surface. Includes a decorative leather tie an...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Stoneware

SMALL ONE PERSON ASPREY & CO 1964 STERLING SILVER PiNCH SPIRIT WINE DECANTER
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this sublime 1964 Asprey & Co LTD Pinch decanter with a lovely fully hallmarked Sterling Silver Collar desig...
Category

1960s English Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Sterling Silver

Four Georges Briard Rocks Glasses W/Raised, Textured Yellow Enamel Leafy Vines
Located in Nantucket, MA
Four vintage rocks glasses designed by Georges Briard, decorated with vines and heart shaped leaves in yellow raised textured enamel creating a "sugared" effect.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Arthur Umanoff Butcher Block Wine Rack
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Arthur Umanoff wine rack, c.1950s, USA. The rack features a wrought iron frame with leather strapping to store up to twelve wine bottles. The top of the rack is finished with a thick...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Iron

Six Vintage Rocks Glasses with Red, Green & Blue Owls on White Ground by Cera
Located in Nantucket, MA
Set of six mid-century modern rocks glasses with owls partly designed with flowers as feathers in red, blue and green on a white ground.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Vintage Georges Briard Highball Glasses with 22k Gold Pineapple and Pear Design
Located in Nantucket, MA
Set of 6 mid-century highball glasses designed by Georges Briard. Decorated in 22 karat gold with gloss and satin finish embossed with a large pineapple on one side and halved pear o...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Vintage Mid-Century Square Angled Lucite Ice Bucket
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Vintage mid-century square angled lucite ice bucket. Great angles on sides. Top has groves to stay snug on top. No scratches.
Category

Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Lucite

Vintage Couroc Phenolic Resin Serving Tray with Circus Train Inlay
Located in Nantucket, MA
Vintage mid-century modern rectangular serving tray made of black phenolic resin, inlaid with brass and colored resins. This tray depicts a brightly col...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Brass

Six Mid-Century Modern Rocks Glasses Decorated in a Silver Basketweave Pattern
Located in Nantucket, MA
Set of 6 vintage rocks glasses in smooth, shinny, silver basketweave pattern.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Four Vintage Rocks Glasses with Textured Colored Dots over Paneled Bases
Located in Nantucket, MA
Set of 4 vintage rocks glasses with paneled bases decorated with raised, textured enamel dots in green, yellow, blue and red.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Mid-Century Modern Silver Plated Footed Ice Bucket with Banded Ribbon Accents
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This sturdy and well made silver plated ice bucket is presumed to have been made in Italy in approximately 1965 in a Hollywood Regency style. This footed ice bucket has two ribbed an...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Silver Plate

Six Mid-Century Modern Highball Glasses with Pink and Gold Streamer Designs
Located in Nantucket, MA
Six Mid-Century Modern highball glasses in the atomic style decorated with 22k gold and pink enamel streamers.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Clear Glass Modernist Margarita Martini Cocktail Pitcher
Located in Ferndale, MI
Bulbous body drinks pitcher.
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Made in Sweden Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker
Located in Ferndale, MI
Nicely designed stainless steel cocktail shaker. Marked Gene stainless Sweden.
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Stainless Steel

Vintage Cera Old World Map, Book Form Cheese Board, World of Cheese
Located in Nantucket, MA
Mid-Century Modern cheese board in the form of a book titled "World of Cheese" Made as a companion to the Cera Glassware "Old World Map" pattern barware...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Stainless Steel

Rattan, Black lacquered Metal and Faux-leather Bottles Rack
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This bottles rack is made of rattan, black lacquered metal and faux-leather. This is a French work. Circa 1970
Category

1970s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Metal

Cocktail by OPI Milano for Cini & Nils
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A group of six (6) sculptural and superbly executed polished steel cocktail forks.
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Stainless Steel

Vintage Fred Press Rooster Tom Collins Glasses in 4 Colors on White Ground
Located in Nantucket, MA
Set of 8 Fred press designed tom Collins glasses with drawings of roosters on clear glass with white frosted interior. Each glass is decorated in one of four colors, two of each colo...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Glass

Italian Silver Ice Bucket/ Wine Cooler in Mid-Century Modern Style
By Eugenio Orefice
Located in New York, NY
Italian, continental silver ice bucket or wine cooler in Mid-Century Modern style, made in Milan in the Mid-20th Century, by Eugenio e Angelo Orefice, with a curvilinear, geometric d...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Silver

Lobed Ewer in Venetian Glass
Located in Astoria, NY
Ewer in clear Venetian glass produced in the 1950s, detailed with bubbles, flared rim and long neck above lobed body. Presence of age appropriate wear.  
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Blown Glass

Lobed Ewer in Venetian Glass
Lobed Ewer in Venetian Glass
$980 Sale Price
30% Off
Mid Century Marcello Fantoni for Raymor Stoppered Decanter
Located in Pymble, NSW
A superb Fantoni decanter with its original stopper, fully signed on the base and superbly decorated with 1 flute playing satyr and 2 dancing satyrs on a mottled purple background. T...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Barware

Materials

Ceramic

Mid-century Modern barware for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern barware for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage barware created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, decorative objects, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern barware made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original barware, popular names associated with this style include Werkstätte Carl Auböck, Culver Ltd., Georges Briard, and Aldo Tura. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for barware differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $29 and tops out at $295,000 while the average work can sell for $495.

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