Louis Xiv Boulle Bureau Mazarin
Antique 19th Century French Louis XIV Desks
Ormolu, Pewter
Antique Late 17th Century French Louis XIV Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze, Pewter
Recent Sales
Antique Early 18th Century Louis XIV Desks
Antique 1690s French Louis XIV Desks and Writing Tables
Bronze, Copper
Antique Early 18th Century French Louis XIV Desks
Brass
Antique 1680s French Louis XIV Desks
Walnut
Antique 17th Century French Louis XIV Desks
Wood
Antique 18th Century and Earlier French Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
People Also Browsed
Vintage 1960s Italian Hollywood Regency Carts and Bar Carts
Brass, Iron
1990s French Chinoiserie Porcelain
Porcelain, Paint
Antique 19th Century Belgian Gothic Revival Architectural Elements
Art Glass, Stained Glass
Antique Late 19th Century Brazilian Romantic Chaise Longues
Wood
Antique Mid-18th Century French Cabinets
Metal, Iron
Antique Early 1900s French Louis XVI Bergere Chairs
Ormolu
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Planters, Cachepots and Jardini...
Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
Antique 16th Century Spanish Renaissance Beds and Bed Frames
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century English Charles II Settees
Tapestry, Velvet
Antique Mid-19th Century French Dry Bars
Crystal, Bronze, Brass
Antique 19th Century German Rococo Wall Mirrors
Porcelain, Mirror
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XIV Fireplaces and Mantels
Breccia Marble, Bronze
20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Living Room Sets
Upholstery, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Serving Pieces
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, House Paint
Antique 18th Century French Louis XV Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
A Close Look at Louis-xiv Furniture
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.