Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. Neoclassical furniture took its cues from the styles of ancient Rome and Athens: symmetrical, ordered, dignified forms with such details as tapered and fluted chair and table legs, backrest finials and scrolled arms.
Over a period of some 20 years, first in France and later in Britain, neoclassical design — also known as Louis XVI, or Louis Seize — would supersede the lithe and curvaceous Rococo or Louis XV style.
The first half of the 18th century had seen a rebirth of interest in classical antiquity. The "Grand Tour" of Europe, codified as a part of the proper education of a patrician gentleman, included an extended visit to Rome. Some ventured further, to sketch the ruins of ancient Greece. These drawings and others — particularly those derived from the surprising and rich archaeological discoveries in the 1730s and ’40s at the sites of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum — caused great excitement among intellectuals and aesthetes alike.
Neoclassical furniture is meant to reflect both grace and power. The overall appearance of neoclassical chairs, tables and cabinetry is strong and rectilinear. These pieces are, in effect, classical architecture in miniature: chair and table legs are shaped like columns; cabinets are constructed with elements that mirror friezes and pediments.
Yet neoclassicism is enlivened by gilt and silver leaf, marquetry, and carved and applied ornamental motifs based on Greek and Roman sculpture: acanthus leaves, garlands, laurel wreaths, sheaves of arrow, medallions and chair splats are carved in the shapes of lyres and urns. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
As you can see from the furniture on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep neoclassicism fresh.
Find antique neoclassical furniture today on 1stDibs.
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Crystal, Brass
20th Century French Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Silk, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Metal, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Wood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Bronze
20th Century French Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Silk, Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
Late 20th Century English Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Stoneware
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Crystal, Bronze
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Malachite
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Carrara Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Onyx, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Burl
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Walnut
20th Century Unknown Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Silver, Enamel
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Stone, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Crystal, Bronze
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Crystal, Bronze
2010s Indian Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Stone
2010s Italian Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Precious Stone
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Crystal, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Velvet, Resin
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Lapis Lazuli
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Glass
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Silver Plate
Late 20th Century English Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Stoneware
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Stoneware
20th Century Swiss Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Burl
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Gold
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Wrought Iron
20th Century American Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Clay
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Fruitwood, Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Leather
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Jewelry Boxes
Leather