Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
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.
Mid-19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Silver
19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Sterling Silver
Early 2000s Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Brass, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Metal
Early 2000s Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Wood
1990s Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Wood
Early 2000s Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Metal
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Bronze, Iron
1920s North American Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Sterling Silver, Silver
1870s German Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Wicker
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Marble
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Wood, Wicker
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Metal
1880s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Bronze
Late 20th Century North American Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Wicker, Paint
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Porcelain
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Metal, Iron
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Iron, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Metal
1880s Baltic Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Brass
1880s French Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Metal, Silver Plate
20th Century American Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Wicker, Paint
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Maiolica
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Sterling Silver
1770s English Antique Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Sterling Silver
1950s Dutch Vintage Neoclassical Decorative Baskets
Wood