Thanks to design lovers’ enthusiasm for Art Deco and mid-century modern furniture, and the increasingly competitive market for pieces by more famous creators, 20th-century Czech designers are making their way back onto the international stage. Foremost among these talents is Jindřich Halabala.
Halabala was one of the leading designers of a particularly rich period in Czech furniture history, when pieces were defined by Bauhaus functionalism as well as Art Deco influences. He was a cabinetmaker’s son whose training was almost wholly focused on woodwork, first at a state-run vocational school for woodworking in Valašské Meziříčí and later at UP Závody in Brno, where he ultimately became chief designer.
Halabala's alluring bentwood H chairs, such as the H269 and H237, and stylized ottomans have become classics, while his 1930s and 1940s sofas, tables and storage cabinets, with their sweeping curves, stylized geometry and dark, richly grained wood, embody the best of Art Deco furniture design, a style that was brought to worldwide attention at an exhibition in Paris in 1925.
Halabala's work, which was manufactured by the likes of Thonet and UP Závody, is seen by some as the segue between early 1900s Czech Cubism and the modern style that dominated the mid-century years.
Find a collection of vintage Jindřich Halabala furniture today on 1stDibs.
Set of Four Ebonized Art Deco Dining Chairs by Jindřich Halabala, 1930
By Jindřich Halabala
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A vintage Czech set of four black Art Deco dining room chairs made of hand crafted ebonized Wood designed Jindrich Halabala, in good condition. The side chairs are standing on four l...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Ebony
Set of Six Modern Ebonized Dining Armchairs in the Manner of T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbi
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome set of six contemporary dining armchairs featuring clean architectural lines and finely crafted ebonized wood frames. Each chair is designed with a fully upholstered back ...
Satin, Ebony
Set of Six 19th Century Biedermeier Chairs, from Germany
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A 19th century antique German set of six Biedermeier dining chairs, crafted from partly veneered walnut and finished in a hand-polished surface. The warm walnut tones highlight the n...
Walnut
Set of Five Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs by Paolo Buffa, 1950
By Paolo Buffa
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A green, vintage Mid-Century Modern Italian set of five green, stylish Italian chairs. Designed by Paolo Buffa in good condition. Original leather seat covers, dark shellac polished ...
Leather, Walnut
Set of Six Mid-Century Swedish Dining Chairs in Pearwood, Circa 1950
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A set of six black, vintage Mid-Century modern Swedish dining room chairs made of hand crafted Pearwood, in good condition. The seat, back rest of the Scandinavian side chairs are up...
Metal, Brass
Set of Four Vintage Norman Cherner Black Dining Chairs, Circa 1950
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A black, vintage Mid-Century modern America set of four Pretzel dining room chairs made of hand crafted polyurethane foam, designed by Norman Cherner and produced by Plycraft, in good condition. The seat backrest of the armchairs, side chairs are slightly arched with sculptural arms, standing on four tapered legs. Labeled underneath on one of the chairs. Minor fading, scratches due to age. Wear consistent with age and use. Circa 1950 - 1970, United States. Seat: 17.25" H x 20" W x 22" D Norman Cherner was an American furniture designer born in 1920, in Brooklyn, New York and passed away in 1987. Cherner studied and taught at the Columbia University of Fine Arts Department in New York City. In his early days of his career, he explored and researched the Bauhaus movement, to develop a low-cost design for pre-fabricated housing and affordable furniture...
Foam, Wood
Set of 8 Art Deco Dining Chairs, Black Lacquer, Creme Velour, France circa 1930
Located in Regensburg, DE
Set of 8 original french Art Deco 'High Back' Dining Room chairs from France about 1930. Solid hardwood construction. Black high-gloss piano lacquer. Elegant, slightly curved legs. ...
Velvet, Hardwood, Lacquer
6 Black Art Déco Dining Room Chairs Black-White Raydesign Colored Leather 1930s
Located in Salzburg, AT
Set of six elegant and comfortable French Art Deco dining room chairs, re-lacquered wooden frame with black shiny-gloss and completely re-upholstered with black and white colored lea...
Leather, Beech, Upholstery
Set of Six Art Deco Chairs, Black Lacquer, Grey Alcantara, France circa 1930
Located in Regensburg, DE
Elegant Set of Six original French Art Deco dining room chairs from around 1930. Black piano lacquer on wood, high-gloss polished. Grey Alcantara leather. Dimensions: H 92 cm / 3...
Fabric, Hardwood, Lacquer
Set of Six Art Deco High Back Dining Chairs, Black Lacquer, France, circa 1930
Located in Regensburg, DE
Set of Six Art Deco High Back Dining Chairs, Black Lacquer, France circa 1930 Beautiful set of 6 Art Deco so called "high-back" dinin...
Fabric, Hardwood, Beech, Lacquer
Set of 6 Italian Chairs, 1950s, Black Lacquered and Cream Velvet, attr. V. Dassi
By Vittorio Dassi
Located in Meda, MB
Elegant set of six Italian chairs from the 1950s, attributed to Vittorio Dassi, a refined expression of mid-century Italian design. The chairs feature a slender black lacquered woode...
Velvet
Six Art Deco Dining Chairs, High-Gloss Black with Macassar Veneer, France 1930s
Located in Ulm, DE
A set of six French Art Deco gondola chairs, finished in deep black high-gloss lacquer and featuring a striking back panel veneered in Macassar. The curved armrests form a continuous...
Beech, Fabric, Macassar, Lacquer
