Skip to main content

Brazilian Books

BRAZILIAN FURNITURE

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 NiemeyerSergio Rodrigues and José Zanine Caldas as well as such European immigrants as Joaquim TenreiroJean 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 rosewoodjacaranda 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 chairssofastables and more.

to
3
2
3
1
1
4
3
2
1
2
1
1
1
5
8,228
2,088
1,940
1,871
1,076
5
5
5
2
1
Place of Origin: Brazilian
Móvel Moderno Brasileiro, Brazilian Modern Design, Book
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
The Brazilian modern design book extensively classifies the work of 15 of the most representative Brazilian furniture designers in the mod...
Category

2010s Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Jorge Zalszupin Modern Design in Brazil Book by Maria Loschiavo dos Santos
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jorge Zalszupin Modern Design in Brazil book by Maria Cecilia Loschiavo dos Santos published in Brazil in 2014 in Portuguese and English. Never published i...
Category

2010s Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Magazine “Módulo – Especial Oscar Niemeyer”. Brazil, July 1983.
By Oscar Niemeyer
Located in Barcelona, ES
Magazine “Módulo – Especial Oscar Niemeyer”. Brazil, July 1983 Dimensions: 21 x 28 x 0.8cm Pages: 100 Language: Portuguese Building: Softback
Category

1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Magazine “Habitat”, nº15, by Lina Bo Bardi Pietro Maria Bardi. Brazil 1954
By Lina Bo Bardi
Located in Barcelona, ES
“Habitat – revista das artes no Brasil”, nº 15, March – April 1954 “Magazine of contemporary culture, dedicated to architecture, painting, sculpture, industrial design, graphic arts...
Category

1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Magazine “Módulo” nº53, by Oscar Niemeyer”. Brazil, 1979.
By Oscar Niemeyer
Located in Barcelona, ES
Magazine “Módulo – Revista de Arquitetura, Arte e Cultura”, nº53, by Oscar Niemeyer”, march - april 1979. Dimensions: 24 x 24 x 0.6cm Edited By: Avenir Pages: 100 Language: Portugue...
Category

1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Related Items
Mid Century sterling silver Hanukkiah or Menorah - Made in 1954 by Viners Ltd.
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in Sheffield in 1954 by Viner's Ltd., this handsome Elizabeth II period, Sterling Silver Menorah, is of traditional form. The menorah measures 9.75"(24.5m) tall, by 10.25"...
Category

1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Brazilian Books

Materials

Sterling Silver

Equestrian Book, Modern Practical Farriery
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
A large late Victorian first edition veterinarian book "Modern Practical Farriery, A Complete System Of The veterinary Art" edited by W.J. Miles and published by William Mackenzie, 69 Ludgate Hill, London. A very rare, sought after and important publication illustrated with numerous finely executed anatomical and other engravings, possessing high value on the score of utility as well as of ornament, many of which are executed in colour. Not ex-library. Well over five hundred pages, 47 full-page-plates in black and white and colour (all original lithographs and colourful chromolithograph plates) also several illustrations within the text. Large format hardback book, leather corners and spine, gilt title to spine 'Modern Farriery', all page edges marbled. Internally it is very clean and bright, cover rather worn, cloth cover to the rear with tear. Modern Practical Farriery, A Complete System Of The veterinary Art, as at present, Practised at The Royal veterinary College, London. A complete guide to the horse, its history, varieties, and uses - breaking, training, feeding, stabling, and grooming - how to buy...
Category

1890s Sporting Art Antique Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella Hardcover Photography book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
The Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella Hardcover Photography book. This book is a luxurious memento of the historic house of Sant...
Category

Late 20th Century Baroque Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Antique Map of Brazil by Levasseur 1875
Located in Langweer, NL
Antique map titled 'Carte du Brésil'. Large map of Brazil, with small fold out. This map originates from 'Atlas de Géographie Moderne Physique et Politiq...
Category

Late 19th Century Antique Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Antique Map of Brazil by Levasseur 
1875
Antique Map of Brazil by Levasseur 
1875
$383 Sale Price
20% Off
H 24.02 in W 22.05 in D 0.02 in
Antique Grand Tour Faux Book of Intaglios by Pietro Paoletti
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
An antique Grand Tour faux book of plaster intaglios by Pietro Paoletti (1801-1847). This intriguing book encloses thirty-eight classically themed Italian medallions...
Category

Early 19th Century Grand Tour Antique Brazilian Books

Materials

Plaster

Design 1935-1965: What Modern Was Edited by Martin Eidelberg (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
This book offers a unique perspective on the decorative arts of the mid-twentieth century. The first serious book on a period just beginning to be researched by scholars and little k...
Category

20th Century Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

American Arts Crafts Virtue in Design Book by Leslie Greene Bowman
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
American Arts & Crafts: Virtue in Design. soft cover. by Leslie Greene Bowman, Los Angeles County Museum of Art Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1990 - Design - 255 pages Influenced...
Category

Late 20th Century Arts and Crafts Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Red Thread Nordic Design Book
Located in New York, NY
An elegant exploration of the hugely influential simplicity, beauty, and functionality of Nordic design timeless, yet on trend From literature to food...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Red Thread Nordic Design Book
Red Thread Nordic Design Book
$80 / item
H 10.63 in W 8.13 in D 1.18 in
The Paris Review No. 87 Spring 1983
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Paris Review No. 87 Spring 1983 Stories by James Baker Hall, Joyce Carol Oates, and Paul West. Poems by Stanislaw Baranczak, Czeslaw Milosz, and C. K. Williams. Feature include Timothy Tung "Literary Happenings: China: An Interview with Dong Leshan, Part Two." Artwork reproductions after Jean Michel Basquiat...
Category

1980s Vintage Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

The Paris Review No. 87 Spring 1983
The Paris Review No. 87 Spring 1983
$160 Sale Price
20% Off
H 9 in W 5.5 in D 0.2 in
1946-1954 Country Life
Located in Bath, GB
A collection of eleven volumes of the Country Life magazine, uniformly bound in an attractive Sangorski and Sutcliffe signed quarter morocco. A sumptuous...
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

1946-1954 Country Life
1946-1954 Country Life
$6,138
H 13 in W 20 in D 9.5 in
Eileen Gray: Objects and Furniture Design (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
by Sandra Dachs, Patricia De Muga & Laura Garcia Hintzo Focuses on Eileen Gray, a breakaway designer in a world dominated by male-centric style schools Besides an introductory essay, each title in the By Architects series is compiled by key modern architects through sketches, drawings, photos of the original productions, and ambient shootings A design-orientated book for a design-orientated series, Eileen Gray boasts an innovative layout and a special binding Neglected for most of her career, Eileen Gray (1878-1976) is now regarded as one of the most important furniture designers and architects of the early twentieth century and the most influential woman in those fields. Her work inspired both modernism and Art Deco. Eileen Gray was to stand alone throughout her career, first as a lacquer artist, then a furniture designer, and finally as an architect. At a time when other leading designers were almost all male and mostly members of one movement or another - whether a loose grouping like De Stijl in the Netherlands, or a formal one such as the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne - Gray remained staunchly independent. Her design style was as distinctive as her way of working. Gray developed an opulent, luxuriant take on the geometric forms and industrially produced materials used by the International Style designers, such as Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Mies van der Rohe, who shared much of her ideology. Her voluptuous leather and tubular steel Bibendum Chair and clinically chic E-1027 glass and tubular steel table...
Category

20th Century Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Eileen Gray: Objects and Furniture Design (Book)
Eileen Gray: Objects and Furniture Design (Book)
$295
H 8.25 in W 6.5 in D 0.63 in
Brazilian Furniture Design editor Otavio Nazareth (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
The First in a series of Brazilian furniture design, this book abstains from discourse. The pieces have been chosen for the consistency of the work done by their creators and because...
Category

20th Century Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Previously Available Items
“Tenreiro” book, 1998.
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Barcelona, ES
Publisher: Bolsa de Arte do Rio de Janeiro Edited By: Soraia Cals Building: Softback Dimensions: 29 x 24 cm, 2.5cm. Language: Portuguese Pages: 223
Category

1990s Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

“Tenreiro” book, 1998.
“Tenreiro” book, 1998.
H 0.99 in W 11.42 in D 9.45 in
Sergio Rodrigues Monograph Book
By Sergio Rodrigues
Located in San Diego, CA
Sergio Rodrigues monograph edited by Soraia Cals. This is the most extensive book on the Brazilian designer and architect. An incredible amount of photos on his furniture, architectu...
Category

Early 2000s Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Sergio Rodrigues Monograph Book
Sergio Rodrigues Monograph Book
H 10.5 in W 9.5 in D 1.5 in
Lina Bo Bardi Monograph
By Lina Bo Bardi
Located in New York, NY
Early monograph on the Italian/Brazilian architect, designer, writer, and editor Lina Bo Bardi, published by the Instituto Lina Bo e P.M. Bardi in Sao Paulo in 1993. According to the...
Category

1990s Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Lina Bo Bardi Monograph
Lina Bo Bardi Monograph
H 11 in W 11 in D 1 in
Jorge Zalszupin Monograph
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in New York, NY
"Jorge Zalszupin: Design Moderno No Brasil/Modern Design in Brazil," a 228 page hardcover monograph on the Polish-born Brazilian designer published by Olhares, Sao Paulo, in 2014. Pr...
Category

2010s Mid-Century Modern Brazilian Books

Materials

Paper

Jorge Zalszupin Monograph
Jorge Zalszupin Monograph
H 10.25 in W 8.75 in D 1 in
Móvel Moderno Brasileiro, Brazilian Modern Design, Book
By Alberto Vicente, Marcelo Vasconcellos
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
The Brazilian modern design book extensively classifies the work of 15 of the most representative Brazilian furniture designers in the mod...
Category

2010s Other Brazilian Books

Materials

Other

Pair of Sky Blue and White Vintage Geode Bookends
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful vintage pair of Sky Blue and White Geode Bookends with felt protective bottoms, polished fronts and it's natural rough edge in back. In addition to making beautiful booke...
Category

Mid-20th Century Brazilian Books

Materials

Rock Crystal

Read More

Pamela Shamshiri Shares the Secrets behind Her First-Ever Book and Its Effortlessly Cool Interiors

The sought-after designer worked with the team at Hoffman Creative to produce a monograph that beautifully showcases some of Studio Shamshiri's most inspiring projects.

Moroccan Artworks and Objects Take Center Stage in an Extraordinary Villa in Tangier

Italian writer and collector Umberto Pasti opens the doors to his remarkable cave of wonders in North Africa.

Montecito Has Drawn Royalty and Celebrities, and These Homes Are Proof of Its Allure

Hollywood A-listers, ex-pat aristocrats and art collectors and style setters of all stripes appreciate the allure of the coastal California hamlet — much on our minds after recent winter floods.

Whaam! Blam! Pow! — a New Book on Pop Art Packs a Punch

Publishing house Assouline and writer Julie Belcove have teamed up to trace the history of the genre, from Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Yayoi Kusama to Mickalene Thomas and Jeff Koons.

Tauba Auerbach’s Geometric Pop-Up Book Is Mighty Rare, Thanks to a Hurricane

This sculptural art book has an epic backstory of its own.

Step inside the Storied Mansions of Palm Beach’s Most Effervescent Architect

From Spanish-style courtyards to fanciful fountains, these acclaimed structures abound in surprising and elegant details.

A Heady Group of Industry Insiders Pick the World’s Top Interior Designers

With a vast range of styles and perspectives, this global roster of talents represents the best of design.

Why ‘Nest’ Was Best: The Rule-Breaking Interiors Mag Gets a Second Act

Designer Todd Oldham takes a loving look back at the shelter pub whose eclectic style and substance inspired so much about the way we live now.

Still Thinking About These?

All Recently Viewed