Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
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.
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Tôle
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Early 20th Century Spanish Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Walnut
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble, Serpentine
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Stone
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Agate
20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Siena Marble, Bronze
1870s English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
1830s Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Earthenware
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Stone
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1830s American Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Giltwood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Sterling Silver
1910s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Rock Crystal, Bronze
20th Century Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Granite, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble, Ormolu
1810s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porphyry
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Gold, Enamel
Mid-20th Century German Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Murano Glass
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Crystal
19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Stone, Cast Stone, Cement, Limestone
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Onyx
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Rock Crystal, Ormolu
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Rock Crystal
1970s British Vintage Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Pottery
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Silver Plate
1930s British Vintage Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Pottery
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Stoneware
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Pottery