Louis XV Boxes
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Gold, Enamel
19th Century German Antique Louis XV Boxes
Bronze
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Boxes
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Silver, Enamel
1850s French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Boxes
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Gold, Enamel
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Silver Plate, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Gold
19th Century Swiss Antique Louis XV Boxes
Gold
1750s French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Chestnut, Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Beech, Mahogany, Pine
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Gold
18th Century Russian Antique Louis XV Boxes
Bone, Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Gold
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Brass, Ormolu, Bronze
1880s French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Metal
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Walnut
1970s European Vintage Louis XV Boxes
Fruitwood
1750s French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Iron
1750s French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Gold
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Boxes
Silver Leaf
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Wood
Mid-18th Century German Antique Louis XV Boxes
Silver
1890s French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Onyx, Bronze
1750s French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Gold
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Gold
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Boxes
Gold
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Boxes
Crystal