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Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

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 legendary 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.

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
Recognized Seller Listings
Tri-Tone Pendent by Rotaflex
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A pendant lamp made from continuous plastic cords spun into a cone-shaped ceiling fixture. Off-white, yellow and orange cord provide a warm glow when light.
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Hans-Agne Jakobsson Ceiling Lamp in Brass and Glass
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Hans-Agne Jakobsson ceiling lamp in brass and glass. Produced by Hans-Agne Jakobsson in Markaryd, Sweden.
Category

1950s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Murano Alessandrite Glass Chandelier, Gabbiani
Located in Austin, TX
Twelve-branch Murano glass "Rezzonico" chandelier. This technique is characterized by the combination of small glass elements that stack together to form the upper frame and the bran...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Steel

Barovier et Toso Italian Venetian Murano Flaubert Dark Purple Glass Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
Italian Venetian Murano (1940's) "Flaubert" model 12 arm chandelier composed of dark purple & red-trimmed glass with large cups & bowls emanating from a segmented shaft & bottom fini...
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Murano Glass

Chinese Style Chandelier with Glass Shades
Located in New York, NY
Chinese style chandelier with three molded glass shades, American, 1960s. The drop of this chandelier can be customized with a different chai...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Chandelier in Blue Murano Glass by Gino Vistosi
Located in San Francisco, CA
A large-scale blue Murano glass chandelier with brass rod and canopy. Italy, circa 1960s.  
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Murano Poliedri Chandelier by Carlo Scarpa for Venini
Located in Montreal, QC
Beautiful vintage Murano glass Poliedri Chandelier by Carlo Scarpa for Venini . Italy c.1965
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Blown Glass

Large Venini Art Glass Chandelier
Located in Montreal, QC
Large and important clear and blue Italian round 30 light modernist Murano art glass chandelier by Venini. Provenance: Roberto Calvi, through his son Carlo. Calvi, known as "God'...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Italian Guglielmo Ulrich Etched Scroll and Lattice Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
Italian (1930s) chandelier with 2 "U" shaped arms supporting 4 lights and 4 glass panels with an etched scroll and lattice design (Attributed to GUGLIELMO ULRICH)
Category

1930s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Seguso Attributed Ceiling Light
Located in New York, NY
Rare and early ceiling light, attributed to Seguso. Beautiful Pulegoso glass in clear, white and aqua-marine swirl, with applied aqua-marine elements. This is a very unusual techniqu...
Category

1930s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Murano Glass Disc Chandelier
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An expressive and well-scaled chandelier having rows of floating translucent Murano milk glass discs cascading down from a round chromed steel ceiling plate.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Steel

J.T. Kalmar Pendant
Located in San Francisco, CA
A Kalmar Vienna three-tiered pendant lamp. Fits eight lights, handblown glass tiles. Presumable gold-plated brass.
Category

1960s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Metal

Molecular Chandelier by Kalmar
Located in Chicago, IL
Chandelier by Kalmar, intersecting rods joined to form sculptural sphere.
Category

1970s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Chrome

Very Chic brass and glass chandelier
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Huge chandelier with brass arms and seven grey pearl Murano glass. Each glass bowl is 30 cm diameter.
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Lightolier Chandelier
Located in Chicago, IL
16-light chandelier by Lightolier.
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Steel

Spiral Crystal Chandelier
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A crystal waterfall chandelier of reverse "Tower of Babel" form, comprised of hundreds of prismatic glass crystal sections with angled ends, hanging from a spiral armature.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Crystal, Steel

French Mid-Century Modernist Steel and Glass Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
French Mid-Century Modernist (1940's) steel 9 arm chandelier with 3 discs on top and glass disc form bobesch.
Category

1940s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Steel

Barovier et Toso Italian Murano Gold Dusted Bubble Glass Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
Italian (1940's) Murano chandelier with 6 swirl design gold dusted glass arms holding a large fluted clear bubble glass shade with scalloped top. (att: BAROVIER ET TOSO).  
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

1950s Crystal Chandelier by Marc Lalique
Located in Bridgewater, CT
"Monaco" chandelier designed by Marc Lalique in the 1950s, featuring an octopus-like shape created by multiple crystal elements.
Category

1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Glass

Stylish Chandelier in Iron & Bronze 1950s
Located in New York, NY
Chandelier in iron and bronze, Italian 1950's
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Bronze, Iron

Modernist Bronze Chandelier with Perforated Shades, France, 1950s
Located in New York, NY
Modernist three-light chandelier with perforated metal shades. Oxidized and polished bronze mounts. France, 1950s. Dimensions: 40 H x 27 Ø. Rewired for use in the US with 3 standard ...
Category

1950s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Bronze

Star Form Chandelier
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An expressive and well crafted star form brass chandelier, holding three bulbs.
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Modernist Chromed Chandelier
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A lively chromed chandelier having five radiating arms emanating from a cylindrical stem, each arm having a highly expressive shade fashioned of curved and slotted steel.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Chrome, Steel

Six Branch Murano Chandelier with Pulegoso Glass Shades, Italy, 1950s
Located in New York, NY
Modernist six branch Murano glass chandelier with blown Pulegoso glass shades, in the manner of Seguso. Polished brass mounts. Italy, 1950s. Dimensions: 29 W x 18 D x 42 H. Rewired f...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Oversized Glass Pendant Light
Located in Sagaponack, NY
An exquisite glass ceiling pendant of large size with a blown glass cone shape with a folded double wall design.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Aluminum

Three-Light Pendant
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful hanging light in polished brass. Three Horn-shaped arms, each holding one candelabra socket. Murano glass filigrana shades, and crown shaped caps.
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Italian Mid-Century Murano White Opaline Glass Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
Italian Mid-Century Venetian (1940s) Murano white opaline glass chandelier with a 2 tier feather design and applied pink glass edge trim with fini...
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Murano Glass

Mid-Century Austrian Chrome and Glass Kalmar Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
Austrian Mid-Century 2-tier chandelier with triangular tubular textured glass sections suspended from a chrome frame. (J.T. KALMAR)
Category

1960s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Chrome

Frosted and Clear Glass Lantern, France, 1930s
Located in New York, NY
France, 1930s A frosted and clear glass lantern, with silvered bronze mounts Rewired for use in the U.S. with four standard bulbs inside. May be ceiling mounted, or mounted on chain ...
Category

1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Bronze

Machine Age Chandelier
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A dramatic and well-scaled brass and aluminum ceiling fixture having sixteen up lights and a central down light.
Category

1930s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass, Aluminum

American Art Moderne 6-Tier Chrome Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
American Art Moderne (20th Century ) chrome 6 tier chandelier with fluted round bottom
Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Chrome

Fontana Arte Italian Mid-Century Brass and Glass Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
Italian (1960's) glass chandelier with a central brass rod supporting 6 staggered layers of beveled glass decorated with applied colored glass disks (att: FONTANA ARTE)
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

"Molecule" Hanging Light Fixture
Located in New York, NY
Great ten-light hanging fixture of chromed metal and white-painted metal inserts. The fixture has ten candelabra sockets, and all new wiring. Very good original condition. A strong...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Murano Glass Disc Chandelier
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A chandelier with rows of translucent Murano milk glass discs cascading with a round chromed canopy.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Steel

Glass Disc Chandelier by Mazzega
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A ceiling fixture with suspended glass discs.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Steel

Hans-Agne Jakobsson "T-955" Metal and Brass Hanging Lamp, Sweden 20th Century
Located in Utrecht, NL
The “T-995” hanging lamp is a stunning example of Swedish modern design. Hans-Agne Jakobsson was a prominent designer and lighting manufacturer, who played a crucial role in shaping ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Metal, Brass

Finnish Designer, Pendant Light, Brass, Fabric, Finland, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A brass and off-white fabric pendant light designed and produced in Finland, 1940s. Dimensions of canopy (inches): 4.05” H x 3.07” Diameter Socket takes standard E-26 bulbs. 3 socke...
Category

1940s Finnish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Swedish Designer, Chandelier, Brass, Oak, Glass, Sweden, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A brass, oak and opaline glass chandelier designed and produced in Sweden, c. 1950s. Dimensions of canopy (inches): 2.40” H x 3.88” Diameter Socket takes standard E-26 bulbs. 3 sock...
Category

1950s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Lightolier, Chandelier, Brass, Metal, Glass, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A brass and beige-lacquered metal and glass chandelier designed and produced by Lightolier, USA, 1950s. Dimensions of canopy (inches): N/A Socket takes standard E-26 & E-14 bulbs. 1...
Category

1950s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Metal, Brass

Italian Designer, Chandelier, Metal, Italy, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A white and green painted metal chandelier designed and produced in Italy, 1950s. Dimensions of canopy (inches): 2” H x 5”  Diameter Socket takes standard E-26 bulbs. 2 sockets. The...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Metal

Mid-Century Brass and Opal 'ER 68/6' Chandelier for Itsu, Finland ca 1950s
By Itsu
Located in Utrecht, NL
By the 1950s, Finland had firmly established itself as a force for innovation in design. The most distinctive qualities of Finnish light fixtures are their functionalist form that is...
Category

1950s Finnish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Opal, Brass

Five Arm Brass Ceiling Lamp with Fabric Shades by Luxus Vittsjö, Sweden 1960s
Located in Utrecht, NL
‎‎Swedish lighting manufacturer, Luxus gave form to some of the now iconic models that define the “Swedish mid-century style”. This brass five-light ceiling lamp was created in this ...
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Max Ingrand Ceiling Light
Located in New York, NY
Rare Pendant Model no. 1462 by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. Amber-colored glass, frosted glass, brass. 8 x E12, (candelabra) sockets.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Bent Karlby, Chandelier, Brass, Metal, Glass, Denmark, 1960s
Located in High Point, NC
A brass and blue-lacquered metal chandelier designed by Bent Karlby and produced by Lyfa, Denmark, 1960s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 19” H x 15” Diameter Bulb Specifications: E-26...
Category

1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Metal, Brass

Fog & Mørup, Chandelier, Brass, Glass, Denmark, 1960s
Located in High Point, NC
A five-armed brass and opaline glass chandelier designed and produced by  Fog & Mørup, Denmark, c. 1960s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 25.5” H x 19” Diameter Bulb Specifications: E-...
Category

1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

20th Century Stilnovo Pendant Lamp in White Opaline Glass and Brass Details, 50s
Located in Turin, Turin
Stilnovo is founded in Milan by Bruno Gatta in 1946. In December 1946 Stilnovo made its first appearance in Domus, where two table lamps and a brass tray were published. In 1949 Brun...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Midcentury Uchiwa Chandelier by Ingo Maurer for Design M, 1975
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Rare chandelier designed by Ingo Maurer for Design M, in 1975 in Germany. Poetic chandelier executed in bamboo and rice paper fans, from Uch...
Category

1970s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Bamboo, Paper

Caccia Dominioni for Azucena brass and glass pendant light , Italy 1950
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Rare brass and glass chandelier attributed to Caccia Dominioni for Azucena. The pendant presents the typical brass structure manufactured by Azucena. It comes from a private collec...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Itsu OY, Chandelier, Brass, Glass, Finland, 1950s
By Itsu
Located in High Point, NC
A brass and glass five-armed chandelier designed and produced by Itsu OY, Finland, 1950s. Canopy Dimensions (inches): 3 x 4 x 4 (H x W x D).
Category

1950s Finnish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Italian Designer, Pendant Light, Brass, Galvanized Steel, Glass, Italy, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A brass, galvanised steel and glass pendant light designed and produced by an Italian designer, Italy, 1940s. Dimensions of Canopy (inches) : 1.86 x 4.10 x 4.10 (Height x Width x ...
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass, Steel

Brass Multi-Lite Pendant by Louis Weisdorf for Lyfa, Denmark 1972
Located in Utrecht, NL
This Multi-Lite pendant was designed by Danish architect and designer Louis Weisdorf in 1972, and manufactured by the Danish lighting company Lyfa. It is one of the most recognisable...
Category

1970s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Pink Glass Venini Pendant
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Incredible glass pendant by Venini in a extremely elegant and beautiful tone of matte pink. The pendant in composed by a tubular stem holding a thin disk element, a cone and a rounded final knob. All elements are in pink glass.
Category

1940s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Blown Glass

Roberto Rida Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
"Pigne," unique eight-light chandelier by Roberto Giulio Rida. Elegant light of polished brass mounts with cut and polished clear glass, frosted glass ceiling cup and cone shades, a...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Sonneman Chandelier in Brushed Steel with Brass Fittings, 1970s
Located in New York, NY
Large architectural chandelier with interlocking geometric brushed-steel panels with brass fittings by Robert Sonneman, American 1970's. This chandelier is beautifully made and the c...
Category

1970s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass, Steel

"Ragnatela" Chandelier by Mazzega, Italy
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Stunning Murano glass chandelier by Mazzega. Metal frame and 31 glasses. Each glass is individually handblown. Four tiers and seven lights.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Rare Pair of Chandeliers by Venini
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Extraordinary pair of chandeliers signed Venini. Eight lights each.
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants

Mid-century Modern chandeliers and pendants for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern chandeliers and pendants 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 chandeliers and pendants created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern chandeliers and pendants made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Germany pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original chandeliers and pendants, popular names associated with this style include Fabio Ltd, J.T. Kalmar, Gaetano Sciolari, and Kalmar Lighting. 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.

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