Louis XIV End Tables
As opposed to the styles that would follow from the other 18th-century French kings, Louis XV and Louis XVI, antique Louis XIV furniture is rigid and imposing. It expresses opulence — even its armchairs, with their upright backs, straight legs and lavish ornamentation, look like thrones. Authentic Louis XIV sofas, a then newly emerging iteration of seating, are fully upholstered and often feature decoratively carved frames of walnut, chestnut or oak.
When French King Louis XIV established his royal court at Versailles in 1682, he transformed what was once a hunting lodge into a palace that declared his wealth and power through its design. Until his death in 1715, he reigned with a spirit of excess and absolute political dominance. The “Sun King,” as he called himself, believed that France revolved around him as planets do the sun. Louis XIV adopted the sun as his emblem, decorating the grounds with symbols of the sun and Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. As he stated, “There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture.” He was a child when he became king in 1643, only shaping his style after he became absolute monarch in 1661.
Reflecting trends in French Baroque art, Louis XIV furniture characteristics included exuberant decoration. There were gilded bronze details including shells, suns, grotesques, lions and classical references like acanthus leaves. The years of growth in the country’s manufacturing, such as the tapestries and cabinets made at Gobelins, led to design innovations. The commode replaced the chest as a storage device, with drawers and a surface that could double as a desk.
The materials were luxurious, such as the popular tortoiseshell veneer technique that leading cabinetmaker Pierre Golle used in his designs. André-Charles Boulle, who became royal cabinetmaker in 1672, was a masterful artist of marquetry, using inlays of ebony, exotic woods and mother-of-pearl.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIV bedroom furniture, chairs, tables and other pieces on 1stDibs.
1710s French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut
Late 17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Wood, Nutwood
1890s French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Marble
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut
1790s French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary British Louis XIV End Tables
Marble, Gold, Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary British Louis XIV End Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Marble, Brass
1890s French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century American Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut, Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Mahogany
Late 20th Century French Louis XIV End Tables
Wood, Glass
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century American Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut, Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Wood, Plaster
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Kingwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut
2010s American Louis XIV End Tables
Carrara Marble, Marble
2010s American Louis XIV End Tables
Carrara Marble, Marble
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Marble, Steel
1930s Unknown Vintage Louis XIV End Tables
Marble, Brass
1980s American Vintage Louis XIV End Tables
Carrara Marble, Enamel, Steel
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Pine
Mid-18th Century Unknown Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century Chinese Louis XIV End Tables
Marble
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Wood
1780s French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV End Tables
Marble
1890s French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Marble
Early 1700s French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Marble
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV End Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Mahogany
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut
1930s French Vintage Louis XIV End Tables
Bronze
1930s European Vintage Louis XIV End Tables
Mahogany, Leather
Early 20th Century European Louis XIV End Tables
Belgian Black Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Bronze
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV End Tables
Walnut