As opposed to the styles that would follow from the other 18th-century French kings, Louis XV and Louis XVI, antique Louis XIV furniture is rigid and imposing. It expresses opulence — even its armchairs, with their upright backs, straight legs and lavish ornamentation, look like thrones. Authentic Louis XIV sofas, a then newly emerging iteration of seating, are fully upholstered and often feature decoratively carved frames of walnut, chestnut or oak.
When French King Louis XIV established his royal court at Versailles in 1682, he transformed what was once a hunting lodge into a palace that declared his wealth and power through its design. Until his death in 1715, he reigned with a spirit of excess and absolute political dominance. The “Sun King,” as he called himself, believed that France revolved around him as planets do the sun. Louis XIV adopted the sun as his emblem, decorating the grounds with symbols of the sun and Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. As he stated, “There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture.” He was a child when he became king in 1643, only shaping his style after he became absolute monarch in 1661.
Reflecting trends in French Baroque art, Louis XIV furniture characteristics included exuberant decoration. There were gilded bronze details including shells, suns, grotesques, lions and classical references like acanthus leaves. The years of growth in the country’s manufacturing, such as the tapestries and cabinets made at Gobelins, led to design innovations. The commode replaced the chest as a storage device, with drawers and a surface that could double as a desk.
The materials were luxurious, such as the popular tortoiseshell veneer technique that leading cabinetmaker Pierre Golle used in his designs. André-Charles Boulle, who became royal cabinetmaker in 1672, was a masterful artist of marquetry, using inlays of ebony, exotic woods and mother-of-pearl.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIV bedroom furniture, chairs, tables and other pieces on 1stDibs.
$803Sale Price|20% Off
French Louis XIV Messenger Box - Leather Wrapped Wood - France - 17th 18th
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Magnificent Louis XIV period messenger box, late 17th early 18th century. This pretty box is made of leather-covered wood decorated with copper nails on the front and top of the box....
Leather, Wood
Pill Box shaped Louis XVI hand painted miniature Sterling Silver Salimbeni
By Franco Salimbeni, Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Elegant Pill Box in 925/1000 Sterling Silver Description:Elevate your collection with this exquisite shaped pill box, beautifully crafted from 925/1000 sterling silver and elegantly ...
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Secrets box in Marqueterie from the Louis XIV era early 18th century
Located in Pistoia, IT
Rare secret casket from the Louis XIV era, early 18th century. Richly inlaid in marqueterie with plant and animal figures on all faces. Beautiful parrot on the back face. Inside is a...
Wood
French 19th Century Louis XIV St. Boulle Boîte À Bijouax, Signed Tahan
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A spectacular and extremely high quality French 19th century Louis XIV st. Boulle Boîte à Bijoux, signed "Tahan - Fournisseur du Roi" (Royal cabinetmake...
Brass
$897Sale Price|20% Off
French Louis XIV Messenger Box in Leather Wrapped Wood - France - 17th 18th
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Wonderful messenger box from the Louis XIV period, late 17th early 18th century. This pretty box is made of leather-wrapped wood decorated with copper nails forming scrolls and flowe...
Leather, Wood
$897Sale Price|20% Off
French Louis XIV Messenger Box - Leather Wrapped Wood - France - 17th 18th
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Magnificent Louis XIV period messenger box, late 17th and early 18th centuries. This pretty box is made of leather-covered wood decorated with copper nails forming diamonds on the to...
Leather, Wood
$895Sale Price|20% Off
French Louis XIV Messenger Box Leather Wrapped Wood - France - 17th 18th
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Rare Louis XIV period messenger box, Late 17th Early 18th century, in wood sheathed in black-tinted leather with a radiant sun motif. This solar decoration is certainly a reference t...
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Carved Walnut Bombe Miniature Commode Chest
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a master bathroom counter with this miniature chest of drawers. Crafted in France, circa 1920, the petite fruitwood "Commode de Maitrise" (or masterwork created by a cabinetmaker's apprentice to prove mastery of his craft at the end of his apprenticeship), sits on four bun feet; the chest features three bombe drawers across the front decorated with intricate handles. The small antique cabinet...
Walnut
Russian Hand Painted Lacquerware Palekh Miniature Table Box
Located in Forney, TX
A rare and exceptional finely painted vintage Imperial Russian lacquerware box. Exquisitely hand-crafted in the Palekhsky District (Палех) of wes...
Lacquer
Sterling Silver Continental Pill or Patch Box
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a wonderful late 19th century sterling patch or pill box in the 17th/18th century style. The box is designed as an oval with a repousse lid depicting a farm yard vignette detailed with farm buildings, chickens and family life. The reverse is a simple polished sterling oval that has been hallmarked and bears the export mark "Germany". The box is in overall very good condition; the clasp is tight and no heavy wear is present. This silver piece would make an outstanding ring presentation box...
Sterling Silver
Louis XVI Hand Painted Wedding Box
Located in Essex, MA
Likely made in the Normandy area of France. Domed hinged top with wrought iron hasp and lock. Conforming case. With original painted surface.
Pine
Early 18th Century Dutch Chest 'Box '
Located in Madrid, ES
Dutch chest in fruit wood and carved bone applications, 18th Century Dutch school. Measurements: 20 X 29 X 18cm Very good condition.
Wood
$1,535
H 4.53 in W 7.09 in D 5.71 in
Charming Swedish Baroque Box in Elm and Fruitwood, Early 18th Century
Located in Knivsta, SE
Swedish Baroque Box in Elm and Fruitwood, Early 18th Century A rare and charming Swedish baroque box dating from the first half of the 18th century, crafted in elm and fruitwood wi...
Elm, Fruitwood
19th Century French Wooden Box
Located in High Point, NC
This 19th century French wood box is a beautifully understated example of utilitarian craftsmanship elevated by age and material quality. Constructed from solid wood with a warm, nat...
Wood
18th Century Snuff Box With Secret Erotic Motive
Located in Copenhagen, K
Very funny little snuff box with a text about Etimologie; the true learning or real learning, on the lids outside and a hidden erotic motive on the inside of the lid.
Wood, Paper
Late 17th Century Leather And Brass Travelling Box
Located in Benington, Herts
A very fine and interesting late 17th century English work box or travelling case English Circa 1680 Of conventional form with slightly domed lid, this piece has acquired a magnifi...
Brass
19th Century French Louis XV Style Bronze Box.
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Houston, TX
19th Century French Louis XV Style Bronze Box. This stunning antique French bronze box with a hinged lid, decorated with cupids surrounded with Sèvres-style porcelain floral and figurative plaques...
Bronze
Dutch silver pill box, 1863
Located in Delft, NL
Dutch silver pill box, 1863 A Dutch silver small cartouche-shaped pill box with engraved floral decor on the lid. The silver box has a hinged lid. The box is Dutch silver hallmarked...
Silver
Late 17th Century French Leather Box with Crowns
Located in Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Late 17th Century box covered in leather. With decorative metal crowns the symbol of a Count in France. Circa 1680.
Leather
17th Century Italian Leather Box
Located in Chicago, IL
A stunning 17th century Italian leather covered wood trunk covered in brass nail heads, some spelling out a word on top, and with iron strap hinges a...
Leather, Wood
19th Century French Boulle Box
Located in Pittsburgh, PA
This beautiful inlaid brass and shell Boulle-work lidded box is in very good condition. It retains its original velvet lining and key.
Brass
Vintage Limoges French Porcelain Table Box
By Limoges
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
This exquisite vintage French Limoges porcelain box, meticulously handmade and hand painted, showcases a charming floral design. Inspired by the Queen Marie Antoinette de Sevres styl...
Porcelain
Sold
H 4.25 in W 9 in D 5.875 in
Vintage Maitland Smith Tessellated Stone, Brass, Malachite & Amethyst Box
Located in Atlanta, GA
A vintage light brown tessellated stone box mounted with brass banding. The front hinge is adorned by a rectangular piece of carved malachite, and a finial with a deep amethyst color...
Stone, Malachite
Tiffany & Co. Limoges France American Garden Round Porcelain Collectible Box
By Tiffany & Co., Limoges
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Tiffany & Co. Limoges France American Garden Round Porcelain Pill Box. TIFFANY & CO. “American Garden” Round Collectible Porcelain Box made in Limoges, France. Vintage Tiffany & Co. ...
Porcelain
Embossed Leather and Brass Letter Box
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A hand tooled, embossed leather letter box with brass handle, corners and lock surround.
Brass
Sold
H 5.91 in W 14.18 in D 9.85 in
Louis XIV Style Jewelry Boulle Marquetry Box, France, 19th Century
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous and big dimension gorgeous Louis XIV style model rectangular jewelry box, blackened wood veneer with Boulle style Marquetry in all sides , brass inlays on blackened wood wit...
Brass, Bronze
Louis XIV Jewelry Decorative Marquetry Box, France, 1860
Located in Paris, FR
Beautiful jewelry decorative box Louis XIV style Boulle Marquetry in all facades, this large box, in doucine. Marquetry all faces in brass on blackened wood background, many ingot mo...
Brass, Bronze
Tyrolean Shaped and Painted 4-Drawer Box, 18th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
The box with original painted and decoration having brass finials and a larger wooden finial that is the locking mechanism for all of the drawers, the ochre colored paint further decorated with scrolls, foliage, and shells, raised on small brass feet, likely from far Northern Italy (Provincia autonoma di Bolzano – Alto Adige).
Sold
H 7.5 in W 12 in D 7.5 in
Wonderful French Casket With Bronze Ormulo Mounts & Handpainted Sevres Plaque
Located in Roslyn, NY
This French Casket with Ormulo Mounts and a beautiful hand painted Sevres Plaque on top is in wonderful condition. The Sevres plaque has a blue frame, wi...
Bronze
Boulle Decorated Satinwood and Ebony Bookstand
Located in Greenwich, CT
Fine mid-19th century bookstand, the top a plank of satinwood bordered by ebony framing having pewter line inlay, on ratcheted stand, the sides with ormo...
Bronze, Pewter