Rococo Furniture
Rococo was an aesthetic movement in the fine and decorative arts in the 18th century that found its inspiration in nature and fostered an overall lightness and delicacy of form, construction and ornament in interior design. Rococo furniture, while greatly influenced by trends in Italy and Germany, is often called Louis XV style — the movement having reached its best expression during that sybaritic French king’s reign.
The term “rococo” is thought to be a portmanteau of the French words rocaille and coquilles — “rock” and “shells” — organic motifs frequently used in architecture and design of the style.
When it comes to authentic Rococo furniture's characteristics, it is above all sensuous and social. The furniture of earlier eras in Europe had been heavy in every sense; the Rococo period saw the appearance of light-framed upholstered armchairs, side chairs and occasional tables that could easily be moved to form conversational circles.
The signal detail of Rococo furniture design is the gently curved cabriole, or S-shaped chair-, table-, and cabinet-leg. It imitates the bend of a tree limb or a flower stem. In a further reference to nature, furnishings were often asymmetrical and painted white, or in soft, pastel shades. Rococo has become a timeless style, and as the furniture pieces presented on 1stDibs demonstrate, its playful, sculptural forms can provide visual excitement to contemporary, clean-lined spaces.
18th Century European Antique Rococo Furniture
Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Indonesian Rococo Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Chinese Rococo Furniture
Lacquer
1920s Japanese Vintage Rococo Furniture
Softwood, Lacquer
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Rococo Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Chinese Rococo Furniture
Elm
18th Century Chinese Antique Rococo Furniture
Wood, Softwood
Late 18th Century Chinese Antique Rococo Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Chinese Rococo Furniture
Elm
Late 20th Century Chinese Rococo Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Rococo Furniture
Fruitwood, Mahogany
20th Century British Rococo Furniture
Hardwood
2010s Chinese Rococo Furniture
Onyx
Mid-20th Century Chinese Rococo Furniture
Wood
1990s Unknown Rococo Furniture
Fruitwood
