Tommi Parzinger Brass Stud, Shell Pink Lacquer Credenza, Signed
About the Item
- Creator:Parzinger Originals (Cabinetmaker),Tommi Parzinger (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32 in (81.28 cm)Width: 66 in (167.64 cm)Depth: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Style:Hollywood Regency (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Mint Restored.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU831838011652
Tommi Parzinger
German furniture designer Tommi Parzinger brought high-style modernism to the forefront. Taking a vivid, stylized approach to mid-century furniture, many of his works feature boldly colored lacquers and offbeat finishes that make his pieces stand out among the works of his peers. Despite his uniquely progressive vision, Parzinger showed equal expertise in producing fine, traditional furnishings.
Born in Munich, Parzinger moved to New York City in 1932. He began his practice in the United States by designing for the Manhattan style trailblazer Rena Rosenthal. In 1939, he established his first company, which split its focus between handcrafted silver household items — such as tea sets and barware — and home furnishings, like dining tables and cabinets. In his first year in business, Parzinger exhibited several pieces of furniture at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
A master craftsman, Parzinger sought out the most exceptional materials for his furniture, employing the finest woods — like mahogany and walnut — as well as including custom brass hardware and pewter inlays.
His silver works presented an elevated level of style and grace. A November 1939 article in LIFE magazine described Parzinger as “the most creative original designer of silverware in the United States.”
While he was still running his own business — creating 12 to 30 new designs each year — Charak Furniture Company appointed Parzinger as its head of modern furniture design. He modernized Charak’s design approach from a more traditional form to a mid-century modern style.
In the mid-1960s, Parzinger stopped designing furniture, turning his company over to his friend Donald Cameron. He shifted his attention to paintings, which he created until his death in 1981.
On 1stDibs, find a broad selection of vintage Tommi Panzinger tables, lighting, storage pieces and more.
Parzinger Originals
When in the 1930s Tommi Parzinger won a trip to the United States through a poster design competition for a German steamship company, it led to him to become one of the country’s most influential mid-century modern furniture designers with his company, Parzinger Originals.
Born in 1903 in Munich, Germany, into an artistic family, Parzinger studied ceramics, painting and design at the Kunstgewerbeschule. In 1932, he entered and won a poster design contest for the Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship company. The grand prize was a voyage to the United States. By the time Parzinger returned to Germany, unrest leading to World War II was emerging, and he was pressured to join the Nazi party. Parzinger fled back to the United States and settled in New York City, where he pursued a career in interior design.
His first job in the country was with Manhattan trendsetter Rena Rosenthal, who employed him to design household silverware for her famed Madison Avenue store. Later, he became the lead designer for the Charak Furniture Company. In the 1940s, with the help of business and life partner Donald Cameron, Parzinger opened his showroom, Parzinger Originals, on East 57th Street in Manhattan.
Throughout his career, Parzinger produced up to 30 pieces a year for his namesake company. They included refined, elegant and meticulously designed end tables, side tables, consoles, floor lamps, table lamps, seating and mirrors. His signature creations were commodes and credenzas featuring beautifully ornamented hardware and lacquer finishes. His clients included Marilyn Monroe, Billy Baldwin and some of New York’s wealthiest families, like the DuPonts and Rockefellers.
Parzinger also collaborated with other furniture companies, including Salterini, Hofstatter, Lightolier, Reed & Barton and Dorlyn. In the last 15 years of his life, he shifted his focus from furniture to Expressionist painting.
When Parzinger died in 1981, Parzinger Originals was left to Donald Cameron, who fought to protect Parzinger’s design legacy from copycats and reproductions. Nevertheless, Parzinger Originals soon closed.
In recent years, Parzinger Originals furniture has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity among interior designers and collectors of mid-century modern and modern furniture. Pieces from Parzinger Originals are in the collections of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of Parzinger Originals case pieces and storage cabinets, tables, lighting and more.
You May Also Like
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Milk Glass, Wood
Early 2000s Hollywood Regency Credenzas
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Regency Credenzas
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Late 20th Century American Modern Credenzas
Nickel
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
More From This Seller
View All20th Century American Hollywood Regency Credenzas
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Candlesticks
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Ashtrays
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Candlesticks
Brass
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Buffets
Mahogany, Oak
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Brass
