Like France’s Empire style, Regency-style furniture was rooted in neoclassicism; the characteristics of its bedroom furniture, armchairs, dining room tables and other items include clean lines, angular shapes and elegant details.
Dating roughly from the 1790s to 1830s, antique Regency-style furniture gets its name from Prince George of Wales — formally King George IV — who became Prince Regent in 1811 after his father, George III, was declared unfit to rule. England’s Regency style is one of the styles represented in Georgian furniture.
George IV’s arts patronage significantly influenced the development of the Regency style, such as the architectural projects under John Nash, which included the renovation of Buckingham House into the formidable Buckingham Palace with a grand neoclassical facade. Celebrated designers of the period include Thomas Sheraton, Henry Holland and Thomas Hope. Like Nash, Hope instilled his work with classical influences, such as saber-legged chairs based on the ancient Greek klismos. He is credited with introducing the term “interior decoration” to English with the 1807 publishing of Household Furniture and Interior Decoration.
Although more subdued than previous styles like Rococo and Baroque, Regency interiors incorporated copious use of chintz fabrics and wallpaper adorned in chinoiserie-style art. Its furniture featured fine materials and luxurious embellishments. Furniture maker George Bullock, for instance, regularly used detailed wood marquetry and metal ornaments on his pieces.
Archaeological discoveries in Egypt and Greece informed Regency-era details, such as carved scrollwork, sphinxes and palmettes, as well as the shape of furniture. A Roman marble cinerary chest, for example, would be reinterpreted into a wooden cabinet. The Napoleonic Wars also inspired furniture, with martial designs like tented beds and camp-style chairs becoming popular. While the reddish-brown mahogany was prominent in this range of pieces, imported woods like zebrawood and ebony were increasingly in demand.
Find a collection of antique Regency tables, seating, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
English Regency Mahogany Wall Clock, Beveled Glass, Fluted Design, UK
Located in Queens, NY
English Regency mahogany parliamentary wall clock with fluted design case and round clock face with bevelled glass front. (Not working)
Glass
English Regency Chinoiserie Wall Clock, Red Lacquer, Circa 1890, UK
Located in Queens, NY
English Regency-style (19/20th Century) red lacquer Chinoiserie parliamentary wall clock. (Not working)
Lacquer
Regency Round Dial Wall Clock by Thwaites and Reed, London
Located in Norwich, GB
English round dial wall clock by Thwaites and Reed. Mahogany round dial wall clock with cast brass bezel opening to a painted twelve inch dial sign...
Mahogany
Regency Mahogany Drop Dial Wall Clock By Grant, Portsmouth
Located in Norwich, GB
Regency drop dial clock with brass inlay and cast brass bezel. Convex painted dial signed ‘H.Grant, Portsmouth’. With Roman numerals and original ‘bl...
Mahogany
Outstanding quality large antique Regency mahogany brass inlaid bracket clock
Located in Ipswich, GB
Outstanding quality large antique Regency mahogany brass inlaid bracket clock having an early 19th century Regency mahogany brass inlaid Gothic arched cased with a round dial with Ro...
Mahogany
Antique Italian Venetian Etched Mirror Wall Clock
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions: Height: 25 1/4 in Width: 25 1/4 in Depth: 2 1/2 in This antique Italian Venetian etched hanging wall mirrored clock is made of the highest quality and will bring a mass...
Metal
Regency English Coromandel Drop Dial Wall Clock by William Burch, Maidstone
By William Burch
Located in Norwich, GB
Regency drop dial wall clock, the Coromandel case is beautifully decorated with mother of pearl to the trunk and around the bezel, the ears featur...
Wood
Vintage Italian Postmodern Wall Clock from Junghans, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Italian Postmodern Wall Clock from Junghans, 1980s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989 This piece has an attribution mark.
Plastic
French Bronze Chinoiserie Clock, circa 1880
Located in New York, NY
French bronze chinoiserie clock, circa 1880.
Bronze
Wall Clock by Piero Fornasetti
Located in Vienna, AT
Piero Fornasetti wall clock created in 1990s. Glass clock face with printed woman face and digits with quartz clockwork. Measures: Ø 37 cm.
Glass
Antique Edwardian Quality Brass Carriage Clock
Located in Suffolk, GB
Antique Edwardian quality brass carriage clock having a quality brass carriage clock with bevelled edge glass panels, 8 day movement and a shaped carrying handle to the top In good...
Brass
Antique Walnut Wall Clock
Located in Ipswich, GB
Antique Walnut Wall Clock, having a quality carved walnut case with original turned finials, reeded columns and solid walnut carvings and gla...
Brass
Antique French Wall Clock Japy Freres - Fully Working
By Japy Frères
Located in Belper, Derbyshire
A charming antique French wall clock by the famous maker Japy Freres. Beautifully modelled with leafy scrolls and flowers and painted with gold lacquer with the flowers picked out in...
Metal
Chinoiserie decorated Mantel clock circa 1930s
By Maple & Co.
Located in Dereham, GB
Chinoiserie decorated Mantel clock circa 1930s Cream in colour Top with Scroll shaped pediment Decoration With, Flowers, Foliage, Figure, Bridge & Building Circular enamel dial, Dom...
Lacquer
$45,000
H 104 in W 20.25 in D 9.75 in
English Georgian Chinoiserie Red Lacquer & Gilt Tall Case Clock, Fleetwood 1775
Located in Charleston, SC
English Georgian chinoiserie red lacquered and figural painted gilt tall case clock, Robert Fleetwood, 18th Century Tall case clock is in working condition.
Brass, Bronze
Large Antique Circular Wall Clock Trade Mark "S"
Located in Bridgeport, CT
With a deep carved and ribbed oak surround. The white dial with black painted Roman numerals and metal hands. Brass works. Condition: Please see detail photos. Lacking a key, chips...
Oak
$3,688
H 15.7 in W 9.1 in D 7.2 in
Dutch Modernist Design Hand Crafted Brass & Beveled Glass Table / Mantle Clock
Located in Lisse, NL
Unique design clock for the collectors of timeless antiques. Finding this unique Arts & Crafts Dutch desk / table clock truly felt like a blessing. The overall design is remarkable,...
Brass
Venetian Mirrored Obelisk, Compatible Pair Etched Glass Panels
Located in Stamford, CT
A Venetian mirrored obelisk. Having 12 Etched Glass Panels applied to four sides. The whole sitting on a wooden claw foot base. One of a compatible pair. Priced is for one only.
Mirror
Vintage Italian Postmodern Wall Clock from Junghans, 1980s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Vintage Italian Postmodern Wall Clock from Junghans, 1980s, in Very Good conditions. Designed 1980 to 1989 This piece has an attribution mark. Additional information: Materials: Pla...
Plastic
Regency Rosewood Brass Inlaid Wall Clock
Located in Altrincham, GB
Regency rosewood and brass inlaid wall clock, the octagonal case brass inlaid with three crowns and monogrammed GG, over a convex white enamel Roman dial a...
Brass
Vintage Italian Gold Gilt Draped Carved Wood Regency Style Wall Clock
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Italian Gold Gilt Draped Carved Wood Regency Style Wall Clock. Item features Carved wood case, stamped "Made in Italy," battery operated. Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurements...
Wood
An Impressive Fusee Dial Clock By Shore, London
Located in Amersham, GB
An impressive fusee timepiece by J.Shore. The high quality eight day four columnar pillar single chain fusee movement and thick brass plates is in excellent condition. Housed in a ca...
Brass, Steel
Regency Mahogany and Inlaid Barometer or Clock by P. Taroni, Jersey
Located in Essex, MA
Broken arch top over a hydrometer dial and thermometer, clock, barometer dial and level.
Other
Rare Very Large Inlaid Late Regency Rosewood Clock Barometer
By G. Rossi
Located in San Francisco, CA
A rare and large English late Regency period rosewood mother-of-pearl inlaid clock barometer signed G. Rossi, Norwich. This very large instrument is excep...
Mother-of-Pearl, Rosewood