Vitrines
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Vitrines
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1990s Italian Other Vitrines
Glass, Wood
19th Century British Victorian Antique Vitrines
Walnut
2010s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vitrines
Wood
19th Century Italian Baroque Revival Antique Vitrines
Walnut
Late 19th Century Art Nouveau Antique Vitrines
Maple
1910s German Art Nouveau Vintage Vitrines
Glass, Wood, Walnut, Burl
18th Century Italian Rococo Antique Vitrines
Glass, Wood
2010s Belgian Modern Vitrines
Brass
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Vitrines
Glass, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Vitrines
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Vitrines
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Vitrines
Wood
18th Century Danish Antique Vitrines
Wood, Walnut
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vitrines
Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Rococo Antique Vitrines
Giltwood, Wood
1950s Dutch Bauhaus Vintage Vitrines
Wire
2010s French Modern Vitrines
Oak, Lacquer
1830s German Biedermeier Antique Vitrines
Walnut
1960s Indian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vitrines
Glass, Teak
Late 19th Century Louis XIV Antique Vitrines
Glass, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Louis XV Antique Vitrines
Upholstery, Glass, Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Italian Louis XV Antique Vitrines
Bronze
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Vitrines
Glass, Wood
1940s Art Deco Vintage Vitrines
Amboyna
1910s Belgian Louis XV Vintage Vitrines
Tortoise Shell, Giltwood
Early 1900s French Louis XV Antique Vitrines
Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Vitrines
Glass, Resin, Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Vitrines
Cherry
Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vitrines
Ormolu
1930s French Directoire Vintage Vitrines
Carrara Marble
1950s French Louis XV Vintage Vitrines
Fabric, Glass, Wood
1930s Argentine Vintage Vitrines
Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Vitrines
Brass
Early 2000s American Baroque Vitrines
Glass, Wood
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Vitrines
Lapis Lazuli, Belgian Black Marble, Brass, Ormolu, Pewter
19th Century French Louis Philippe Antique Vitrines
Wood
1920s Belgian Art Deco Vintage Vitrines
Glass, Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vitrines
Crystal
1970s Hungarian Industrial Vintage Vitrines
Iron
2010s Italian Empire Vitrines
Gold Leaf
20th Century French Louis XVI Vitrines
Malachite, Bronze
19th Century French Victorian Antique Vitrines
Rosewood, Walnut
1960s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Vitrines
Aluminum
1970s German Space Age Vintage Vitrines
Glass, Wood
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Vitrines
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century North American Art Nouveau Vitrines
Brass
Late 19th Century German Belle Époque Antique Vitrines
Brass
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Vitrines
Glass, Oak
Early 20th Century Italian Rococo Vitrines
Mahogany, Walnut
Early 1800s English George III Antique Vitrines
Mahogany
1920s Argentine Vintage Vitrines
Chrome, Iron
1920s Dutch Art Deco Vintage Vitrines
Glass, Oak
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Vitrines
Marble
Mid-20th Century European Vitrines
Brass
2010s American Vitrines
Metal
1920s French Gothic Revival Vintage Vitrines
Glass, Oak
Antique and Vintage Vitrines
Why not give your precious collectibles the case pieces they deserve? Antique and vintage vitrines can be used to safely store and display your most treasured objects.
While they were initially used to display relics in churches or to preserve specimens for scientific observation, vitrines are best known for their place in retail spaces and museums. The name for these glass display cases comes from the Latin word “vitrum,” meaning glass, as well as the Old French word “vitre,” which also refers to glass. Instead of simply showcasing collector’s items on shelves, you can bestow extra importance on them by displaying them in a vitrine for passers-by to observe and admire.
Not all vitrines are created equal. Over time, furniture makers have explored different shapes and sizes for vitrines. A display case you’ll find in a retail store will likely look drastically different from what you’ll see in a museum or art gallery. A vitrine in a shop is likely there to best market specific wares to the general public, while in museums there is usually a range of different vitrines intended to house and protect single objects or to display a grouping of artifacts.
Most of us have an antique, new or vintage case piece in our home. Though the terms “case pieces” and “case goods” may cause even the most decor-obsessed to stumble, these furnishings have been a vital part of the home for centuries. Any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — cabinets, dressers, buffets — may be properly termed a case piece.
Mirror-backed vitrines, which refer to cases that usually feature shelved and mirrored interiors, are a most appropriate home for your jewelry or decorative objects. Adding such items to a vitrine already suggests that there is an irreplaceable preciousness to the case’s contents, and the mirrors will emphasize as much as well as refract more light to render the display eye-catching.
On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of antique and vintage vitrines to protect and preserve your most prized items. The collection of mid-century modern vitrines and Art Deco vitrines is mostly inclusive of those built with a wooden frame, but there are many other types to choose from as well. It’s time to give your collectibles a good home!