Swedish Gustavian Bookcase
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Pine, Paint
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Glass, Oak, Pine, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Pine, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Pine, Paint
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Pine
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Glass, Wood, Paint
Recent Sales
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Antique 19th Century Bookcases
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Louis XV Bookcases
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary English Gustavian Bookcases
Teak
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Wood, Paint, Glass
Antique 19th Century Swedish Bookcases
Wood
Antique 19th Century American Neoclassical Bookcases
Brass
20th Century Italian Gustavian Bookcases
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Wood, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Pine, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Wood
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Bookcases
Paint
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Bookcases
Wood
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Pine, Paint
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Brass
Antique 1880s Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Pine
Antique 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Antique 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Pine
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Bookcases
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Oak, Paint
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Blown Glass, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Pine, Paint
Antique 1880s Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Vintage 1950s Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Wood
Vintage 1940s Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Country Bookcases
Glass, Pine, Paint
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Pine
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Bookcases
Wood
20th Century American Gustavian Secretaires
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Pine
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks
Oak, Pine
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Desks
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Pine
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Vitrines
Pine
Mid-20th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Brass
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Wood, Paint
Antique 19th Century European Gustavian Bookcases
Brass, Wire
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Paint, Wood
Antique 1890s Swedish Country Bookcases
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Oak, Paint, Pine
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Glass, Pine, Paint
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Bookcases
Blown Glass, Wood, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Vitrines
Pine, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Cupboards
Wood
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Pine
People Also Browsed
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Vases
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Hungarian Country Bookcases
Glass, Pine, Paint
Vintage 1920s Danish Art Deco Vases
Pewter
2010s Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Patio and Garden Furniture
Steel
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Cabinets
Mirror, Walnut
Antique 19th Century Rococo Cabinets
Mahogany
Antique Late 19th Century American Victorian Bookcases
Glass, Oak
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique 1820s Italian Charles X Dressers
Walnut
Antique 19th Century Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Console Tables
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Swedish Gustavian Bookcase For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Swedish Gustavian Bookcase?
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.
Finding the Right Bookcases for You
Whether you proudly shelve your books in regal mahogany or behind glass cabinet doors, an antique bookcase — or perhaps more than one — is essential to creating a cozy nook for any book lover.
As long as curious people have collected stories, we have needed a place to stow them away and preserve them. When auction houses and book dealers proliferated by the late 17th century, the bibliophile was born. And, of course, as with any treasured decorative objects or collectibles, a book lover’s volumes were suddenly worthy of a luxurious display — enter the bookcase.
Americans of means during the 19th century took to amassing art as well as rare books, and bookcases of the era — rife with hand-carved decorative accents and architectural motifs — were ideal for displaying their handsome leather-bound wares.
Although our favorite titles may change over the years, the functionality and beauty of their home within our home is timeless. Even those who don’t covet the perfect home library can benefit from an attractive display case, as bookcases can easily double as charming étagères.
Contemporary and customizable options make it easier for you to find the perfect bookcase for your style and stacks. If you don’t wish to fill your storage piece so that your collection is snug within its confines, incorporate extra space to allow for additional displays and decorative objects. And by introducing a striking dark wood Art Deco bookcase or low-profile mid-century modern design by Paul McCobb into your living room, your signed first editions won’t be the only items making a statement.
Find barrister bookcases, Globe Wernicke bookcases, bookcases with doors and other vintage and antique bookcases on 1stDibs now.