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.
$38,950Sale Price / set|48% Off
French 19th Century Louis XIV Style Figural Ormolu Clock Garniture, Raingo Frers
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine and palatial French 19th century Louis XIV style figural ormolu three-piece clock and candelabra garniture suite, comprising of a gilt-bronze clock and a pair of ten-ligh...
Bronze
French Louis XIV Style Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock After Andre-Charles Boulle
By A.D. Mougin
Located in New York, NY
Impressive antique (late 19th century) gilt bronze mantel clock in the Louis XIV style after the original model Andre-Charles Boulle (1643-1732), finely crafted by AD Mougin, circa 1...
Bronze
Large 19th Century Gilded Ormolu and Bronze Clock Set, by Deniere, Paris
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A large and impressive 19th century gilded ormolu and bronze Louis XVI style clock garniture, having a reclined classical lady reading, next to a white enamel clock face with an eigh...
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Louis XVI Boulle mantel clock, 19th Century.
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality 19th Century French Louis XVI style Boulle mantel clock, having Father Time perched above the brass inlaid dome, scrolling foliate ormolu mounts, white enamel Rom...
Brass
19th Century French Boulle Mantle Clock In The Louis XIV Style
Located in Dublin, IE
A fine 19th century Louis XIV style ormolu and brass Boulle style mantel clock, in the manner of Martinot of Paris, the eight day movement striking the half hours on a bell, with key...
Brass, Ormolu
French 19th Century Louis XIV St. Ormolu Clock
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome and high quality mid-19th century French Louis XIV st. ormolu clock. The clock is raised by four tapered fluted legs decorated with acanthus leaves. The scalloped shaped c...
Ormolu
French Louis XV Style Ormolu Bronze Mantel Clock
By A.D. Mougin
Located in New York, NY
Antique (19th century) ormolu bronze mantel clock in the Louis XV/XVI style, finely modeled and cast, depicting Roman goddess and cherub with garland, standing on circular platform s...
Bronze
Barbedienne French Mantel Clock, circa 1890
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A fine quality Louis XVI style French gilded ormolu mantel clock, signed Barbedienne. Having shield and foliate decoration to the top, white enamel roman numerals, a lyre shaped pend...
Ormolu
Important Boulle Marquetry Clock, 19th Century
By Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This exceptional cartel presents a remarkable work of bronze and an ornamentation resuming the Boulle marquetry that can be attributed to Alfred-Emmanuel Beurdeley (1847-1919), a great Parisian cabinetmaker of the second half of the 19th century. The mechanism of our astronomical clock...
Bronze
$19,960Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Revolving Mantel Clock
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A wonderful late 19th century French Annular Louis XVI style gilded ormolu revolving mantel clock, depicting putti representing the arts and music, either side of a rotating tole urn...
Ormolu
French 19th Century Louis XIV Style Ormolu Three-Piece Garniture Set
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An extraordinary and high quality French 19th century Louis XIV st. ormolu three piece clock and candelabras garniture set. Each raised by square tapered fluted feet with fine acanth...
Ormolu
$3,237
H 13.78 in W 12.21 in D 4.73 in
French 19th Century Louis XVI Gilded Bronze and Marble Mantel Clock
Located in Vilnius, LT
Antique 19th century French gilded bronze and white marble mantel clock of the period Louis XVI.
Marble, Enamel, Bronze
$9,113Sale Price|20% Off
H 23.23 in W 16.15 in D 7.88 in
Antique 19th Century French Gilded Bronze Mantel Clock
Located in Vilnius, LT
Large antique 19th century French gilded bronze mantel clock surmounted with two angels holding the dial. The enamel dial numerals are hand...
Bronze, Enamel
19th Century Louis XV Style Mantel Clock
Located in Belmont, MA
Unique French 19th century mantel clock. This exquisite mantel clock has a Sevres porcelain dial plate and other Sevres porcelain decorations. The movement with spring suspension. ...
Ormolu
$62,376
H 24.81 in W 10.44 in D 10.44 in
Antique French Gilt Bronze and Lapis Lazuli Mantel Clock after Falconet
Located in London, GB
French sculptor Etienne-Maurice Falconet (1716-1791) is the inspiration for this beautiful, sumptuous mantel clock. His clock, crafted in the late 18th Century and now on display at the Louvre Museum, caused such a stir when it was exhibited over 100 years later, at the Great Exhibition in Paris in 1900 that one reviewer claimed that it "attracted so much admiration from the crowds gathered around that the pressure was sufficient at times to endanger its safety." As well as this famed 'Three Graces...
Lapis Lazuli, Ormolu, Bronze
Table Clock, Ormolu, 19th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Table clock made of gilded bronze with a powerful base, enhanced with legs decorated with vegetal and architectural motifs of classicist inspiration and a series of details on the fr...
Bronze
French 19th Century Ormolu Cartel Wall Clock
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality 19th century French gilded ormolu wall clock, having Rococo influences to the scroll foliate decoration and cherubs above the eight day striking movement, circa 1880.
Ormolu
$59,700 / set
H 32 in W 16 in D 12 in
French 19th Century Louis XVI Style Rouge Griotte Marble and Ormolu Clock Set
Located in New York, NY
A Magnificent Large Antique French 19th Century Ormolu and Rouge Griotte marble clock set of exquisite craftsmanship. This spectacular clock set is comprising a pair of very large ni...
Griotte Marble, Bronze
French 19th Century Mantle Clock
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality French late 19th century gilded ormolu and champleve enamel mantel (fireplace) clock. Having urns and a cherub above the eight day clock that chimes...
Enamel, Ormolu
19th Century French Bronze and Ormolu Clock
By Claude Galle
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
19th Century French Bronze and Ormolu Clock. circa 1810 clock Napoleonic Empire Bronze Dore. La Liseuse" clock after Reiche, by Claude Galle & Grand Girad. Signed in Paris
Bronze
19th Century French Boulle Longcase Clock
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality late 19th Century French boulle inlaid longcase clock, having wonderful scrolling gilded ormolu mounts, an ebonised case wit...
Brass
Antique French Gilt Bronze Rococo Clock
By A.D. Mougin
Located in Belper, Derbyshire
A large, superb and very decorative original antique French clock by the famous maker A.D. Mougin. It is boldly modelled in the Rococo style in finely gilded bronze. Asymmetric waisted case, decorated profusely with sweeping acanthus leaves, 'C' scrolls and floral swags. To the top is a large elaborate final of a stylised flaming lamp...
Bronze
$21,585Sale Price|25% Off
H 22.45 in W 14.57 in D 8.27 in
19th Century Louis XVI Style Mantel Clock of a Lion Signed Festeau Le Jeune
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
The clock is signed by the Clockmaker Festeau Le Jeune. The case after a design of François Vion in form of a lion supporting a cylindrical case draped with ribbon tied laurel swags ...
Bronze
LeRolle Regence Style Brass Pedestal Clock
Located in Astoria, NY
Regence Style Brass Pedestal Clock, by LaRolle Fres, Paris, 19th century, the repousse dial with enamel chapter ring, signed "LaRolle Fres, Paris", movement strikes on gong, surmount...
Brass, Enamel
Gilt Bronze Fireplace Trim Signed G.philippe Palais Royal In Paris
By G. Philippe
Located in BARSAC, FR
Beautiful gilded and chiseled bronze fireplace set in the Louis XIV / Regency style composed of two candelabra with six light arms and a large clock. Beautiful model richly decorated...
Bronze
19th Century French Rouge Marble & Ormolu Clock Garniture
Located in Dublin, IE
A fine 19th Century French Clock Garniture, the Clock with bronze solider surmounted on a domed top with urn finials on four rouge marble pillars, over pierced decorated base on a sh...
Griotte Marble, Ormolu
Sold
H 22.45 in W 11.42 in D 8.67 in
Large 19th Century French Gilt Bronze, Sevres Mounted Four - Glass Mantle Clock
Located in Dublin, IE
A fine large and impressive 19th century gilt bronze mantle clock, surmounted by a Sevres porcelain hand painted plaque finial, above a dome shaped structure, with a dome shaped beve...
Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
Sold
H 15.75 in W 7.49 in D 5.52 in
Louis XIV Clock & Candelabra In Gilt Bronze Signed Emile Colin & Cie Paris
By Colin, Paris
Located in BARSAC, FR
Superb set in very finely chiseled gilded bronze composed of a clock and two candelabras. Set very richly decorated with motifs inspired by Louis XIV and the Regency, signed on the ...
Bronze
Sold
H 41.5 in W 24.5 in D 10 in
Vintage Le Ore Italian Louis XIV Boulle Style MOP Marquetry Mantel Clock 41"
Located in Dayton, OH
Stunning Italian Boulle style mantel clock by Le Ore New Art International. Le Ore is a small Italian family manufacturer that specializes in intricate and colorful wood inlay. Featu...
Gold Plate, Brass
Sold
H 41 in W 25 in D 10 in
Vintage Le Ore Italian Louis XIV Boulle Style Walnut Marquetry Mantel Clock 41"
Located in Dayton, OH
Stunning Italian Boulle style mantel clock by Le Ore New Art International. Le Ore is a small Italian family manufacturer that specializes in intricate and colorful wood inlay. Featu...
Brass
Miniature French Inlaid Religieuse Clock
By Dent
Located in Amersham, GB
Miniature Ebonised Religieuse or Bracket Clock originally sold by Dent. With engraved bone inlay, brass finials and balustrading. In the manner of a 17th century baroque clock with b...
Silver, Brass
Monumental Louis XIV Boulle Style Mantel Clock
By Franz Hermle
Located in New York, NY
This very large mantel clock by Franz Hermle is an extraordinary reproduction of the original Louis XIV period design by Andre-Charles Boulle (1642-1732), with wooden frame decorated...
Bronze
French Silvered Bronze Garniture Clock Set
Located in Kingston, NY
A French Louis XIV three (3) piece silver over bronze mantel clock and garnitures set. A clock in silver over bronze accompanied with a pair of candlestick garnitures. Produced in an...
Bronze
Sold
H 19.25 in W 24.5 in D 6.75 in
Antique French Louis XIV Neoclassical Figural Gilt Bronze Mantle Clock 19th C
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique French Louis XI Neoclassical mantel clock offers gilt cast bronze construction with central urn having flanking putti over oblong ...
Bronze
Antique French Louis XIV Style Silvered Bronze Bracket Clock
By Samuel Marti
Located in Belper, Derbyshire
A rare and spectacular antique French bracket clock. Finely modelled in the Louis XIV style in silver plated bronze. Beautifully proportioned with...
Bronze