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Tour Dargent

Bronze and Porphyry Clock by Julien Le Roy, 19th Century
By Julien Le Roy
Located in Cypress, CA
two reclining bronze cherubs playing a gilt harp. The movement made by Dargent Medallie Company with
Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Porphyry, Bronze, Ormolu

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French 18th Century Louis XV Period/Louis XVI Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Clock
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An elegant French 19th century Louis XVI st. ormolu nine light chandelier. The chandelier is centered by an outstanding bottom acorn inverted finial amidst richly chased acanthus lea...
Category

Antique 18th Century French Louis XV Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

French Gilt Bronze Ottoman Chinoiserie Mantel Clock
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A 19th century gilt bronze clock with a seated lady in Ottoman dress resting on cushions with her arm raised possibly originally holding a bird or similar. Raised on an ogee base wit...
Category

Antique Early 19th Century French Charles X Mantel Clocks

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Régence Style Marquetry Writing Desk
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A magnificent and very rare Régence style marquetry inlaid grand bureau plat or writing desk. Inscribed to the carcass 'Moreaux 72'. Dating from the second half of the nineteen...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ormolu

Régence Style Marquetry Writing Desk
Régence Style Marquetry Writing Desk
H 37.41 in W 87.8 in D 43.31 in
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A Close Look at louis-xvi Furniture

Reflecting the final era of royal opulence before the upheaval of the French Revolution, antique Louis XVI furniture features more angular shapes than the Rococo curves of the Louis XV style, harkening back to the imposing grandeur of Louis XIV.

Dating between 1750 and 1800, an era that overlapped with the last king of France whose reign was cut short by the guillotine, Louis XVI furniture, known as the goût grec, is emblematic of the neoclassical revision that French furniture underwent during the second half of the 18th century.

Authentic Louis XVI furniture characteristics include clean lines and carved details such as scrolls and acanthus flourishes that were inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. This was informed by a burgeoning interest in antiquity in the 18th century, owing to new archaeological excavations at sites including Pompeii and Herculaneum. It largely eclipsed the more East Asian–influenced ornamentation of Louis XV for something more geometric and symmetrical.

The Louis XVI style was defined by what was being created for the palatial rooms at Versailles and Fontainebleau, particularly for the queen, with cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener being a favorite of Marie-Antoinette’s for his luxurious pieces accented with gilded bronze and marquetry. Furniture maker Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené was also a major designer of the period, with his pieces for the royal residences adorned with giltwood and neoclassical touches like tapered columns for chair legs and laurel leaf carvings. Cabinetmaker Adam Weisweiler occasionally incorporated into his furniture porcelain panels produced by Sèvres, a popular manufacturer of European ceramics that served the crown with serveware, vases and other decorative objects.

Find a collection of antique Louis XVI seating, tables, cabinets and other furniture on 1stDibs.

Finding the Right mantel-clocks for You

Personal time-telling devices may have migrated from our pockets to our wrists and finally onto our phones, but despite the convenience of a handheld digital timekeeper, nothing can beat well-made vintage, new and antique mantel clocks.

Invented by clockmakers in France and popularized in the 18th and 19th centuries, these practical yet ornate pieces were typically displayed on top of fireplaces or desks. While the most common mantel clocks were created in the traditional tambour style, which features a wide base that flares into an upright drum- or camelback-shaped case, modern clockmakers and furniture designers have experimented with their own ideas for these decorative objects over the years, introducing different forms and working with unconventional materials. A collection of whimsical, monochromatic handmade mantel clocks crafted by Dutch designer Kiki van Eijk, called Floating Frames, for example, features minimalist frames of anodized wire and ceramic clockfaces.

When shopping for an antique, vintage or new mantel clock, don’t be afraid to branch out. Wood mantel clocks of any era will bring a classic, elegant allure to the shelving in your living room or the bookcase in your bedroom, while Empire-style mantel clocks will comparatively boast eye-catching gilt bronze and pronounced sculptural attributes. Some Art Deco mantel clocks will feature an integration of marble or glass and will likely be marked by the decorative embellishments associated with that particular furniture style.

There’s just something about cool clocks, right? Spend your time with an extraordinary collection of mantel clocks on 1stDibs today.