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
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21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Louis XVI Loveseats
Wood
Antique 1880s French Louis XIV Living Room Sets
Upholstery, Textile, Wood, Giltwood
Antique Mid-19th Century French Statues
Marble
Antique Early 1900s French Louis XVI Bergere Chairs
Ormolu
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XIV Fireplaces and Mantels
Breccia Marble, Bronze
Antique 19th Century American Beds and Bed Frames
Silk, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Planters, Cachepots and Jardini...
Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
Antique 19th Century German Rococo Wall Mirrors
Porcelain, Mirror
Antique 18th Century English George III Candlesticks
Sterling Silver
Antique Early 1900s Italian Aesthetic Movement Chairs
Walnut
Antique Early 19th Century English George II Armchairs
Giltwood
20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Living Room Sets
Upholstery, Giltwood
Antique 16th Century Spanish Renaissance Beds and Bed Frames
Wrought Iron
Antique 1730s French Louis XVI Chaise Longues
Oak
Antique Early 1900s French Belle Époque Table Clocks and Desk Clocks
Gold, Platinum, Silver, Enamel
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.