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Gustavian Half Moon

Recent Sales

Pair of Swedish Demilune End Tables
Located in Manhasset, NY
Pair of diminutive distress-painted demilune tables, in the style of Swedish Gustavian, the half
Category

Antique 19th Century Swedish Demi-lune Tables

Materials

Wood

Pair of Swedish Demilune End Tables
Pair of Swedish Demilune End Tables
H 26.5 in W 26 in D 13.5 in
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Gustavian Half Moon For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the gustavian half moon you’re looking for. A gustavian half moon — often made from wood, pine and softwood — can elevate any home. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer gustavian half moon, there are earlier versions available from the 19th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 20th Century.

How Much is a Gustavian Half Moon?

A gustavian half moon can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $5,950, while the lowest priced sells for $3,398 and the highest can go for as much as $6,500.

A Close Look at Gustavian Furniture

With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.

Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.

Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.

While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.

Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.