Neoclassical Tableware
Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. Neoclassical 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. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
As you can see from the furniture on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep neoclassicism fresh.
Find antique neoclassical furniture today on 1stDibs.
1940s German Vintage Neoclassical Tableware
Silver
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Silver
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Porcelain
20th Century French Neoclassical Tableware
Ceramic, Porcelain, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tableware
Fabric
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Silver
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Silver
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Marble, Carrara Marble
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Neoclassical Tableware
Porcelain
Early 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Silver
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Sheffield Plate, Copper
2010s American Neoclassical Tableware
Paint, Paper
2010s American Neoclassical Tableware
Paint, Paper
Early 1900s British Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Gold, Enamel
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Tableware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Tableware
Silver Plate
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tableware
Metal, Gold Plate
20th Century American Neoclassical Tableware
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Tableware
Metal, Gold Plate
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Tableware
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Japanese Neoclassical Tableware
Ceramic
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Sterling Silver
20th Century American Neoclassical Tableware
Metal
Early 1900s American Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Tableware
Gold
20th Century American Neoclassical Tableware
Shell
20th Century Portuguese Neoclassical Tableware
Ceramic
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Sterling Silver
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Ceramic
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Tableware
Silver Plate
1810s English Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Sterling Silver
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Sterling Silver
2010s Italian Neoclassical Tableware
Sterling Silver
1910s British Vintage Neoclassical Tableware
Gold, Enamel
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Sterling Silver
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Sterling Silver
1830s German Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Silver
1920s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Tableware
Blown Glass
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Tableware
Silver
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Silver
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Porcelain
18th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Copper
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Blown Glass, Cut Glass
20th Century Danish Neoclassical Tableware
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Neoclassical Tableware
Porcelain
Early 1900s British Antique Neoclassical Tableware
Enamel, Gold