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Neoclassical Period Collection

Neoclassical Furniture (FRANCE AND UNITED KINGDOM, CA. 1750)
Neoclassical Furniture (FRANCE AND UNITED KINGDOM, CA. 1750)

Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. Furniture took its cues from the styles of ancient Rome and Athens: symmetrical, ordered, dignified forms with such details as tapered and fluted chair and table legs, backrest finials and scrolled arms. Over a period of some 20 years, first in France and later in Britain, Neoclassical design — also known as Louis XVI, or Louis Seize — would supersede the lithe and curvaceous Rococo or Louis XV style.

The first half of the 18th century had seen a rebirth of interest in classical antiquity. The "Grand Tour" of Europe, codified as a part of the proper education of a patrician gentleman, included an extended visit to Rome. Some ventured further, to sketch the ruins of ancient Greece. These drawings and others — particularly those derived from the surprising and rich archaeological discoveries in the 1730s and ’40s at the sites of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum — caused great excitement among intellectuals and aesthetes alike.

Neoclassical furniture is meant to reflect both grace and power. The overall appearance of Neoclassical chairs, tables and cabinetry is strong and rectilinear. These pieces are, in effect, classical architecture in miniature: chair and table legs are shaped like columns; cabinets are constructed with elements that mirror friezes and pediments.

Yet neoclassicism is enlivened by gilt and silver leaf, marquetry, and carved and applied ornamental motifs based on Greek and Roman sculpture: acanthus leaves, garlands, laurel wreaths, sheaves of arrow, medallions and chair splats are carved in the shapes of lyres and urns. As you can see from the furniture shown on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep Neoclassicism fresh.

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Item Ships From: New York City
Pair of "Old Paris" Vases with Garlands of Bisquit Flowers
Located in New York, NY
French, circa 1820. Porcelain, painted and gilded, with applied bisquit flowers 8 13/16 in. high. Inscribed (with incised mark, under the base of each): 3.   
Category

1820s French Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Porcelain

French Porcelain Vase, Locre, circa 1815
Located in New York, NY
French porcelain vase, Locre, circa 1815.
Category

1810s French Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Wedgwood Figural Candlesticks of Pomona and Ceres, 19th Century
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Wedgwood figural candlesticks of Pomona and Ceres, 19th century.
Category

19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Pier Mirror in the Neoclassical Taste
Located in New York, NY
New York, circa 1815-1820. Wood, gessoed and gilded, with mirror plate. 75 1/2 in. high, 44 1/8 in. wide (at the cornice), 8 1/2 in. deep (at the cornice). Condition: Some restorati...
Category

19th Century American Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Mirror, Wood

Italian Porcelain Vase, Doccia, circa 1810
Located in New York, NY
Italian porcelain vase, Doccia, circa 1810.
Category

1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Porcelain

English Porcelain Vase, Chamberlain Worcester, circa 1820
By Chamberlains Worcester
Located in New York, NY
English porcelain vase, Chamberlain Worcester, circa 1820.
Category

Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Porcelain

Wedgwood Black and Gilt Basalt Covered Potpourri Vase, circa 1870
Located in New York, NY
A wedgwood black and gilt basalt covered Potpourri vase, circa 1870.
Category

1870s English Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

English Silver Gilt and Engraved Amphora-Form Vase
Located in New York, NY
London, 1869, Maker: S Smith.
Category

1860s English Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Silver

Wedgwood Rosso-Antico Vase, circa 1790
By Wedgwood
Located in New York, NY
Wedgwood Rosso-Antico Vase, Circa 1790
Category

1790s Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Ceramic

18th Century Breccia Marble Column Pedestal
Located in New York, NY
18th century Breccia marble column pedestal. With a white marble capital above an entastic column, resting on a square pedestal with a cavetto e...
Category

1780s Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Breccia Marble

Pair of “Old Paris” Porcelain Coolers, Yellow Bands, Floral Wreaths
By Darte Frères
Located in New York, NY
Darte Frères, Paris, made, circa 1820. Porcelain, partially painted and gilded. Measures: 14 1/4 in. high, 10 3/8 in. wide (through the handles), 7 3/4 in. deep. Signed (with stencil, in black, on the bottom of each): Darte. f. Recorded: cf. Régine de Plinval de Guillebon, Porcelain of Paris, 1770–1850 (New York: Walker and Company, 1972), p. 333 no. 79 illustrates the mark on these coolers. Some of the most beautiful porcelain produced in Paris during the Empire/Restauration periods was made or sold by the firm of Darte Frères. Although the Darte family, which came from Namur, then in The Netherlands, had set themselves up in the business of the manufacture of porcelain as early as 1794–95, by 1803 the three Darte brothers had decided, as Régine de Plinval de Guillebon notes (ibid., p. 231), that “each should have his own establishment,” and, indeed, by 1804 their prior business partnership had been “annulled,” and from that point forward there were two businesses using the name Darte. The Darte brothers, Louis Joseph and Jean François, began independent operation in 1804 at the Hôtel Montalembert, at 90, rue de la Roquette. Their business arrangements were only formalized in 1808, at which time they began to use the name “Darte Frères.” They remained in the business until 1825, when their partnership was dissolved. Darte Frères produced a large variety of porcelain, including vast dinner and...
Category

19th Century Empire Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Porcelain

Regency Lantern
Located in New York, NY
English Regency lantern, circa 1800. Glass, blown, with gilt-brass fittings 27 in. high, 13 1/4 in. greatest diameter. In a market that is overwhelmed with reproduction lanterns of ...
Category

19th Century English Regency Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Brass

Sheffield Silver Plate Wire and Bristol Glass Epergne Centerpiece
Located in New York, NY
This English Sheffield plate wire-work epergne is distinguished by gracefully scrolled supports, which branch from a round footed base and suspend six baskets, with a large central basket at the top. Each of the baskets is shaped to hold a boat-shaped blue Bristol glass...
Category

1840s English Early Victorian Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Sheffield Plate

Set of 16 Klismos-Form Dining Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1820. Mahogany (secondary woods: Birch and maple; slip seats: Birch and pine) Measures: 33 1/4 in. high, 18 5/8 in. wide, 19 ¼ in. deep (overall). Ex Coll: Private collection, until 2004; to [Hirschl & Adler Galleries, 2004]; to private collection, 2004 until the present. Exhibited: Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, 1999–2000, Boston in the Age of Neoclassicism, 1810–1840, p. 57 no. 21D illus. in color // Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, 2001–2002, of the Newest Fashion: Masterpieces of American neoclassical Decorative Arts, pp. 93 cat. 26, 95 illus. in color two chairs from the set / Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, 2014-2015, very rich and handsome, p. 30 no. 5 illus. in color two chairs from the set. One of the signature forms of furniture of the neoclassical period in the United States is the klismos chair as interpreted by a group of Boston cabinetmakers in the period circa 1820 (see Page Talbott, “Seating Furniture in Boston, 1810–1835,” The Magazine Antiques CXXXIX [May 1991], pp. 966ff.). These chairs are usually characterized by sabre legs at the front and the back and curved crest rails typically enriched with flaming mahogany veneers, their ends often punctuated by stylized leaves, anthemia, or scrolls, and center splats decorated with leaves, drapery, lyres, etc. Just as it is easy to identify a New York or Philadelphia side, or dining, chair of the period, so Boston chairs have a certain “look” that sets them apart from chairs from all other American cabinetmaking centers in this period. The sumptuous nature of the lotus bud and tulip-carved swags which form the back splats of these chairs is offset by the simplicity of the crest rail, in which oval veneered panels are encircled by a raised molding, and by the reeded stiles which seamlessly sweep down to become first the side-rails and then the front legs of the chairs. Although the form of these chairs relates them to many comparable Boston examples of the period, none of these other chairs feature the paw feet that terminate the front legs of the present set of chairs, a feature that appears to be otherwise unknown on Boston side chairs...
Category

19th Century American Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Mahogany

Table Game French Directoire 19th Century Mahogany Leather Black France
Located in New York, NY
An extraordinary game table from the Directoire period made in France. Frame made of mahogany in a beautiful cognac brown shade. Apron divided into rectangular parts of brass and bra...
Category

Early 19th Century French Directoire Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Brass

Clock Mantle Gilt Bronze Neoclassical Empire French 19th Century France
Located in New York, NY
Clock Mantle Gilt Bronze Neoclassical Empire French 19th Century France. A French mantel clock in gilt bronze. Neoclassical symbols such Cup...
Category

Late 18th Century French Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Ormolu

Mahogany Console
Located in New York, NY
Long mahogany console table with rouge Violette Italian marble top. Features inlaid table apron with brass Greek key pattern, hidden drawer and ring...
Category

19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Clock Mantle Gilt Bronze Neoclassical Empire French 19th Century France
Located in New York, NY
Clock Mantle Gilt Bronze Neoclassical Empire French 19th Century France. A French mantle in gilt bronze decorated with neoclassical symbols ...
Category

19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Ormolu

Pair of French Porcelain Vases Mounted as Lamps, circa 1910
Located in New York, NY
Pair of French porcelain vases mounted as lamps, circa 1910.
Category

1910s French Vintage Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Framed Wedgwood Circular Plaques, circa 1875
By Wedgwood
Located in New York, NY
Pair of framed Wedgwood circular plaques, circa 1875.
Category

1870s English Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Berlin Blue and Gold Vase Mounted as Lamp, circa 1820
Located in New York, NY
Berlin blue and gold vase mounted as lamp, circa 1820.
Category

1820s German Neoclassical Antique Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Porcelain

French Walnut and Mahogany Neoclassical Mirror
Located in New York, NY
A rectangular mirror created of mahogany and French walnut panels with original glass.
Category

1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Mahogany, Walnut

3 Mid-Century Modern Neoclassical Slipper / Lounge Chairs, Pierre Lottier, 1940
By Pierre Lottier
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Slipper, Fireplace or Lounge Chairs in dark green leather by French / Spanish designer, Pierre Lottier.The chairs are in a neoclasslical X frame form in wood with leather cov...
Category

Mid-20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Leather, Wood

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Pair of Neoclassical Paris Porcelain Vases in Royal French Blue, Early 1800s
Located in Dallas, TX
This pair of Paris porcelain neoclassical style vases from the early 1800s have stunning details and rich coloration. Old Paris porcelain, or Vieux Paris, is the term given to the elaborate hard-paste porcelain products created in Paris from the mid-1700s through the late 1800s. Vieux Paris is a generic term, as there were more than 30 factories that produced porcelain during this period. Sometimes these factories would sell “blank”, unpainted pieces to outside artisans, so it is quite possible to see identically shaped pieces with different paint styles. Because of this, a fair majority of Vieux Paris is unattributed – meaning there are typically no production marks. The trumpet necks of these vases are a lustrous gilded porcelain, flanked on two sides by bright white stylized sphinx busts with acanthus leaf headpieces. The slightly obovate bodies are painted in a matte azure color. This color, known as “Bleu de France”, has been a staple of the heraldry of the French monarchy since the 12th century. The body of each vase is where most of the minute details can be found. Situated on either side and slightly below the base of the sphinxes are gilt cherubs. Each vase has its own unique set of cherubs, depicting different activities. One vase has a cherub with butterfly on a string, while the one on the opposite side is holding a pair of trumpets. The other vase has a cherub flying with a wreath, while the one on the opposite side is holding a pair of torches. Even though the figures are very small in stature, you can still see the details of their faces. Beneath the cherubs are large bisque...
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Pair of French Old Paris Decorative Vases. Circa 1850
Located in Hollywood, SC
Pair of French Old Paris vases with painted, gilt, and figural floral decorative scenes.
Category

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Located in Dallas, TX
Early 19th century old Paris porcelain vase, hand-painted floral detailing and gilt gold design details on a white base. Measures: 8.5" H x...
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Early 19th Century Old Paris Porcelain Vase
Early 19th Century Old Paris Porcelain Vase
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H 8.5 in W 6 in D 6 in
Ginori Doccia Porcelain Refresher Vase Galli Rossi Series 1950s
By Richard Ginori
Located in Milano, MI
Refreshed porcelain vase by Ginori Doccia, Galli Rossi collection, made in the 1950s Ø cm 25 h cm 17 Ginori Doccia is a type of Italian porcelain produced in the town of Doccia, ne...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Neoclassical Period Collection

Materials

Porcelain

Japanese Blue Purple Porcelain Vase, circa 1935
Located in Takarazuka, JP
Japanese mid 20th century signed decorative porcelain vase (circa 1935,) from Showa period (1926 to 1985). It depicts an attractive safflower motif, an elegant scene hand-painted in purple and underglaze blue on a pure white background, on a beautifully shaped porcelain body. The artist's signature appears at the reverse side of the vase. This exquisite vase is in excellent condition. The late father of the collector of this exquisite pair, who operated one of the leading kilns in Imari-Arita region of Japan, travelled extensively to Europe in the early 1960s with a mission that he led, to purchase and bring back to Japan antique ceramics...
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Wedgwood Slip Decorated Creamware Vase Made England Circa 1810
By Wedgwood
Located in Katonah, NY
This early 19th century Wedgwood slip decorated vase has an elegant design. It is decorated with ochre-colored slip on the outside and features unpainted white grooved columns that r...
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Materials

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Pair of 19th Century English Candlesticks
Located in High Point, NC
Pair of wonderfully decorative hand turned candlesticks made from oak. The candle cups are replaced with hand turned brass candle cups, which ...
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Ceramic Vase, Italy, circa 1950s
By Giovanni de Simone
Located in San Diego, CA
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Claydon Pier Mirrors
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Located in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset
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Chamberlain Worcester Porcelain Orange-Ground Botanical Campana-Form Vase
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Located in Downingtown, PA
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Pair of 19th Century English Candlesticks
Located in High Point, NC
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Antique Old Paris or Vieux Paris Porcelain Fan Shaped Vase
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Located in Philadelphia, PA
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