One of the most enigmatic and polarizing figures to emerge in Italian design, Aldo Tura is an outlier in the world of mid-century furniture. The designer’s glamorous bar carts, coffee tables, cabinets and more resist categorization and draw inspiration from Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Baroque, Surrealist and modernist styles.
Tura moved through distinct phases in his career in terms of aesthetics, influences and finishes, rendering his life’s work exciting and diverse. Despite these phases, he held a singular devotion to one material: lacquered goatskin. Tura established a furniture production house in 1939 in Lombardy, and some of his early work focused on tables, decorative lamps and more. He later expanded to bar furnishings like rolling carts, cabinets and complementary barware accessories like ice buckets and cocktail shakers. The eccentric, gleaming and luxe surface of lacquered goatskin was a constant, along with eggshell, parchment and leather.
By the 1950s, Tura had begun to use hand-painted figural panels on the surface of cabinets, serveware (such as carafes) and other pieces. He even replicated famous works by artists like Monet and Bruegel the Elder and art from the Middle Ages, sometimes playfully embedding the paintings on cabinets shaped like oversize books. Even though he had a favored color palette of rich chocolate browns and deep emeralds, his style remained consistently hard to define.
Tura was unlike most of his Italian contemporaries but held a similar reverence for the nation’s traditional craftsmanship and artisanal techniques. He never followed the growing trend of mass-produced, industrial furniture and stuck to creating small, meticulously handcrafted collections. This principled choice means that today, a Tura piece is a rare and highly coveted collectible. The Tura firm continues to operate in Brianza, promoting Italian craftsmanship and the eclectic materials embraced by their namesake designer.
Find authentic vintage Aldo Tura furniture today on 1stDibs.
1950s Aldo Tura Green Serving Tray Lacquered Goatskin Milan
By Aldo Tura
Located in Chula Vista, CA
1950s Aldo Tura Green Serving Tray Lacquered Goatskin 22.25 w x 13 d x 2 Original vintage condition unrestored Refer to all images for details.
Brass
Barware Set Tray, Tongs and Corkscrew in Goatskin & Steel by Aldo Tura, Italy
By Aldo Tura
Located in Rome, IT
Barware set composed of a serving tray, tongs and corkscrew in white goatskin and steel details by the Italian designer Aldo Tura. Made in Italy in the 1950s. The original label i...
Steel
Aldo Tura for Macabo Wood and Brass Tray, Italy 1960s
By Macabo, Aldo Tura
Located in Naples, IT
A beautiful and elegant carved wooden and brass serving tray by Aldo Tura for Macabo. It is in excellent condition and is signed on the bottom.
Brass
Aldo Tura Cruet Stand Made from Crystal Glass and Varnished Leather
By Aldo Tura
Located in Vienna, AT
For sale is a beautiful and unique cruet stand by Italian creator Aldo Tura. It has a varnished brown leather foot with glowing brass hardware and cut glas...
Brass
Plexiglas Tray with Gold Handles design From Aldo Tura
By Aldo Tura
Located in Oirlo, LI
Plexiglas Tray With Gold Handles from Aldo Tura Additional information: Dimensions: 55 W x 37 H cm Period of Time: 1970 Condition: Good
Gold Plate
$933 / set
H 11.03 in W 9.06 in D 6.3 in
Aldo Tura Decorative Bar Set in Carved Wood and Brass, Macabo, Italy 1950s
By Aldo Tura, Macabo
Located in Roma, IT
Beautiful bar set in carved wood and brass. This lovely set was designed by Aldo Tura and produced by Macabo in Milano, Italy during the 1950s. The set consist of a pitcher, 6 glass...
Metal, Brass
Aldo Tura Square Goatskin Fruit Bowl
By Aldo Tura
Located in Munich, DE
Rare Fruit Bowl or Ashtray in chocolate brown goatskin with a metal inlay, from Aldo Tura, Milano, Italy 1978.
Goatskin
$318 / item
H 2.3 in W 8.2 in D 8.2 in
"Aldo" Riveted Square Leather Tray Designed by C. Bouchard for Oscar Maschera
By Oscar Maschera, Claude Bouchard
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Aldo" is a square leather tray, designed by Claude Bouchard and manufactured by Oscar Maschera. Genuine Italian leather vegetable tanned. Colors c...
Metal
$1,120Sale Price|20% Off
H 5.12 in Dm 11.82 in
French Vallauris Majolica Ceramic Cheese Serving Tray, 1950s
By Vallauris
Located in Barcelona, ES
Cool round shaped woven motif ceramic platter for cheese of desserts, France, 1950s. This beautiful platter features a circular base with woven pattern. A handle at the central part ...
Bamboo, Ceramic, Pottery, Majolica
$975
H 2.25 in W 23.25 in D 11.25 in
Aldo Tura Serving Bar Tray -- Red Goatskin & Brass -- Mid Century Italian
By Aldo Tura
Located in Minneapolis, MN
Here is an impressively large and striking mid-century tray by Italian designer Aldo Tura. Because of the scale of this piece, it could be used for myriad purposes, from entertaining...
Brass
$618 / item
H 4.34 in Dm 11.82 in
Contemporary Modern, Kubbe Large Round Cake Stand, Varnished SilverNickel Plated
By DAY Studio
Located in İstanbul, İstanbul
Kubbe collection was designed with inspiration from the domes of the courtyards, shops and workshops of the Grand Bazaar, which has been the center of silver-smiting in Istanbul for ...
Brass, Nickel
Aldo Tura Brown Goatskin Brass Stand Ice Bucket, 1960s
By Aldo Tura
Located in Munich, DE
Wonderful ice bucket by Aldo Tura in brown parchment and a glass inlay, in excellent vintage condition. Along with artists like Piero Fornasetti and Carlo Bugatti, Aldo Tura (1909-19...
Brass
$933
H 13.78 in W 21.66 in D 1.19 in
1950s Mid-Century Modern Brown Painted Goatskin and Brass Tray by Aldo Tura
By Tura, Aldo Tura
Located in Aci Castello, IT
This exceptional 1950s Mid-Century Modern rectangular serving tray is a classic design by the renowned Italian designer Aldo Tura for his atelier in Milan, Italy. True to Tura's sign...
Brass
$1,204Sale Price|20% Off
H 1.78 in W 18.51 in D 7.09 in
Ceramic Fish Shaped Snack Cocktail Serving Tray / Wall Decoration, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Large glazed ceramic amber and black fish platter / wall plate, Spain, 1950s. The perfect serving piece for entertainment or party with four compartments. It can be hung on the wall ...
Ceramic, Majolica, Pottery
Aldo Tura Ice Bucket and Carafe
By Aldo Tura
Located in Hanover, MA
Aldo Tura footed ice server with lid and mercury glass lined carafe, both in tomato red dyed lacquered goatskin with gilt brass hardware and embellishments. Ice bucket is 8" high ...
Amber Glass Patisserie Stand
Located in Houston, TX
This antique glass cake patisserie stand sits on a glass pedestal base. Perfect for displaying your culinary confections, this piece’s simple, elegant...
Glass
Sold
H 2.37 in W 21.66 in D 13.78 in
Mid-century brass and cream parchment tray, Aldo Tura Italy 1960s
By Aldo Tura
Located in Firenze, IT
Midcentury brass and cream parchment tray Aldo Tura Italy 1960s brass and cream parchment H 6 cm 55 x 35 cm Label on the base Conditions: excellent consistent with age and use.
Brass
Sold
H 1.58 in W 13.39 in D 9.45 in
Aldo Tura Goatskin and Brass Small Serving Tray for Macabo Milano 1960
By Aldo Tura
Located in Paris, IDF
This is a beautiful barware serving tray designed by Aldo Tura for Macabo Cusano Milanino in Milan in the early 1960s. Rounded shape with a brass gallery and varnished goatskin parch...
Brass
Nut Bowl by Aldo Tura, Milano, 1960s
By Aldo Tura
Located in Greding, DE
Large nut bowl with smooth rim by Aldo Tura (1909-1963) with two nutcrackers and a stylized carved walnut. The bowl is covered in green tinted goatskin.
Goatskin, Wood
Nut Bowl by Aldo Tura, Milano, 1968
By Aldo Tura
Located in Greding, DE
Large brown wooden bowl with serrated rim by Aldo Tura (1909-1963) with two nutcrackers and a stylized carved walnut. On the bottom label of the company Tura Milano...
Goatskin, Wood
Aldo Tura Cocktail Set in Pristine Condition, Italy, 1970s
By Aldo Tura
Located in New York, NY
Set made of ice bucket, thermos bottle, jar with stirrer; walnut brown parchment with elegant nuances; matching tray available Thermos bottle size: 6" diameter, 12" high Jar: 5.5" ...
Brass