Chinese Ruyi Scroll Bench, c. 1850

This elegant bench from China's Shanxi province follows the classic recessed-leg form, defined by legs that are inset from the top edge and slightly splayed for stability. Crafted of...

In most Qing dynasty homes, stools and chairs were the only form of elevated seating, and a bench such as this would have been found at a temple or public theater. This 19th century walnut bench has splayed legs linked by straight double stretchers and topped by finely beaded carved spandrels. Sourced from China’s Shanxi region, walnut was a prized material for Qing dynasty furniture...

Wide enough to seat three to four people, this ornate bench was likely made as shared seating for live performances, such as operas, plays, and ceremonies...

This 19th century monumental elmwood daybed from China's Shanxi province features an outward-curving apron with cusped edges and a tightly-woven rattan top. The daybed's abbreviated ...

This stunning rare carved gilt wood waterfall bench or coffee table is packed with personality! Outstanding design is exhibited throughout the monumental form. Just look at the gorge...

1960s organic bench. Solid walnut bench with dovetails. Can also be used as a coffee table.

This 1930s Italian bench is so over-scaled, and monumental in appearance, that it seems to have been made for the large room it was destined, rather than the comfort of a typical sitter. As such, it would function equally well as a low side table or a high cocktail table. We’ll allow the buyer to determine its use. The designer was Pierluigi Colli, and the fabricator Martinotti, the Turin furniture and interior decorating firm that was established in 1831, and exhibited at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition and the 1904 St Louis World’s Fair. Colli’s family owned a textile company that supplied Martinotti with upholstery fabrics, suggesting nepotism had something to do with his being hired as the firm's director in 1926. Nevertheless, he proved himself worthy as a designer and a businessman. Having studied in Paris at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs, he befriended leading French designers, and arranged for Martinotti to retail Lalique glass and Jean Perzel lighting. In addition, the quality of their work, and Colli’s dedication to the modern design movement, prompted Carlo Mollino, Gio Ponti, and Gino Levi-Montalcini, among others, to have Martinotti fabricate some of their furniture. Colli’s claim to fame, however, is his own work as a designer, and his ability to master the vocabularies of every trend from Art Deco to midcentury modern. During the Great Depression, when nearly every nation floundered economically, fascist Italy...

This striking bench was created in 1967 by an architect for a home he designed. The unique piece has a mahogany top with an edge of hammered copper that is supported by black iron legs.