Brazilian Chairs
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 Chairs
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Chairs
Wood
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Chairs
Wood, Linen
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Chairs
Steel
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Chairs
Nylon, Imbuia
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Chairs
Aluminum
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Chairs
Fabric, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Modern Brazilian Chairs
Metal
1960s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Chairs
Wood, Rosewood, Cane
21st Century and Contemporary Bohemian Brazilian Chairs
Wool, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Chairs
Wrought Iron
2010s Minimalist Brazilian Chairs
Steel
1960s International Style Vintage Brazilian Chairs
Iron
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Leather
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Leather
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Leather, Paint
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Metal
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Plywood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Post-Modern Brazilian Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Chairs
Iron
2010s Brazilian Chairs
Steel
2010s Modern Brazilian Chairs
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Chairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Chairs
Glass, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Chairs
Hardwood, Cane
Late 20th Century Brazilian Chairs
Wood
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Chairs
Leather, Plywood
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Chairs
Cane, Hardwood
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