Neoclassical Boxes
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 Boxes
Leather, Pine, Linen
1820s Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Other
Mid-20th Century German Neoclassical Boxes
Cut Glass
20th Century English Neoclassical Boxes
Ceramic, Stoneware
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Boxes
Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Iron
Early 20th Century Austrian Neoclassical Boxes
Ceramic
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Iron
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Maple, Rosewood
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Boxes
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Lead
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Boxes
Porcelain
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Sycamore
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Straw
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Boxes
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Boxes
Metal
1930s English Vintage Neoclassical Boxes
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Ormolu
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Boxes
Metal, Silver
Late 19th Century British Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Silver, Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Russian Neoclassical Boxes
Silver, Enamel
2010s American Neoclassical Boxes
Paint, Paper
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Boxes
Bronze
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Boxes
Leather
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Boxes
Ormolu
20th Century Belgian Neoclassical Boxes
Glass
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Silk, Wood
20th Century French Neoclassical Boxes
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Leather
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Silver, Sterling Silver
1890s Russian Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Silver, Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Boxes
Porcelain
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Serpentine
20th Century English Neoclassical Boxes
Porcelain
Early 1900s Russian Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Gold, Enamel
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Multi-gemstone, Silver, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Gold
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Poplar
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Boxes
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Silk, Wood
20th Century American Neoclassical Boxes
Shell
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Boxes
Bronze
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Metal, Ormolu
1790s French Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Gold
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Ash
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Crystal, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Neoclassical Boxes
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Neoclassical Boxes
Hardwood
Late 20th Century English Neoclassical Boxes
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Boxes
Metal
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Walnut
1930s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Boxes
Steel
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Boxes
Crystal, Bronze