Brazilian Armchairs
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.
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Faux Leather, Hardwood
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Velvet, Wood
2010s Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Metal
1950s Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Metal
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Armchairs
Wood, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Iron
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Cowhide, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Leather, Hardwood
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Armchairs
Fur, Synthetic, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Iron
2010s Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Wood
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Linen, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Upholstery
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Faux Leather, Cane, Hardwood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Hardwood, Leather, Bouclé
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Cane, Rosewood
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Plywood, Faux Leather
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Iron
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Leather, Wood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Metal, Brass
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Leather, Textile, Upholstery, Faux Leather, Cane, Hardwood, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Metal
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Leather, Hardwood
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Armchairs
Fabric, Nylon, Wood
2010s Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Metal
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Cowhide, Leather, Jacaranda, Rosewood
1940s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Fabric, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Minimalist Brazilian Armchairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Aluminum
1970s Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Leather, Plywood
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Iron
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Fabric, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Leather, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Rosewood
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Brass
2010s Brazilian Armchairs
Metal
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Metal
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Linen, Hardwood
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Iron
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Aluminum
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Iron
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Faux Leather, Hardwood
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Iron
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Straw, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Other
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Armchairs
2010s Industrial Brazilian Armchairs
Metal
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Iron
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Hardwood, Cane
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Armchairs
Leather, Rosewood
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood, Fabric