Reflecting the final era of royal opulence before the upheaval of the French Revolution, antique Louis XVI furniture features more angular shapes than the Rococo curves of the Louis XV style, harkening back to the imposing grandeur of Louis XIV.
Dating between 1750 and 1800, an era that overlapped with the last king of France whose reign was cut short by the guillotine, Louis XVI furniture, known as the goût grec, is emblematic of the neoclassical revision that French furniture underwent during the second half of the 18th century.
Authentic Louis XVI furniture characteristics include clean lines and carved details such as scrolls and acanthus flourishes that were inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. This was informed by a burgeoning interest in antiquity in the 18th century, owing to new archaeological excavations at sites including Pompeii and Herculaneum. It largely eclipsed the more East Asian–influenced ornamentation of Louis XV for something more geometric and symmetrical.
The Louis XVI style was defined by what was being created for the palatial rooms at Versailles and Fontainebleau, particularly for the queen, with cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener being a favorite of Marie-Antoinette’s for his luxurious pieces accented with gilded bronze and marquetry. Furniture maker Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené was also a major designer of the period, with his pieces for the royal residences adorned with giltwood and neoclassical touches like tapered columns for chair legs and laurel leaf carvings. Cabinetmaker Adam Weisweiler occasionally incorporated into his furniture porcelain panels produced by Sèvres, a popular manufacturer of European ceramics that served the crown with serveware, vases and other decorative objects.
Find a collection of antique Louis XVI seating, tables, cabinets and other furniture on 1stDibs.
A 19th Century Russian Hand-Cut Crystal and Dore Bronze Encrier de Bureau
Located in New York, NY
An Incredible and Quite Rare Russian Cut Crystal and Gilt Bronze Encrier de Bureau with Double Headed Eagles, Griffin, and Imperial Style Mounts. ...
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century French Ormolu Mounted Rounded Globe Style Tantalus Liquor Set
Located in New York, NY
An Unusual 19th century French Ormolu Mounted Globe Style Tantalus liquor set. The round globe top which rests on an elongated ormolu base is not common to find. The crystal top is m...
Crystal, Ormolu
$12,400Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century French Tantalus Liquor Set
Located in Mérida, YU
Very rare French 19th Century Ormolu Tantalus-Liquor Set in the shape of a globe. The Crystal Globe is made on a extraordinary pattern. Comes with 3 hand cut Crystal bottles and 6 g...
Ormolu
PAIR OF 19th Century French CHENETS Louis XVI Style
Located in Madrid, ES
PAIR OF 19th Century French CHENETS Louis XVI style, in gilded metal. Dim.: 29 x 13 x 5 cm good conditions
Metal
Royal Blue Porcelain and Gilt Bronze Inkwell and Pen Tray in the Louis XVI Taste
Located in London, GB
An Ensemble de Bureau in the Louis XVI Taste Constructed using gilt bronze, and 'Sevres' style porcelain having 'Bleu de Roi' borders, and hand p...
Ormolu, Bronze
Marble and Gilt-Bronze Desk Set, France, second half of 19th century
Located in Rīga, LV
This French marble and gilt-bronze desk set is an elegant second half of the 19th-century writing set, made in richly veined red marble with finely detailed gilt-bronze mounts. The s...
Marble, Bronze
$7,840Sale Price|20% Off
Pair French Silvered Bronze Lions Mask Plinths w/ Hand-Carved Rock Crystal Orbs
Located in New York, NY
A Pair of Incredible French 19th Century Louis XVI Style Silvered Bronze Lions Mask Plinths with Hand-Carved and Hand-Polished Rock Crystal Orbs. Boasting sumptuous French Regency d...
Rock Crystal, Bronze
3-Piece Sevres Porcelain and Dore Bronze Mnt. Clock and Candelabra Garniture
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in New York, NY
A gorgeous and very unusual 19th century French dore bronze mounted Sevres white porcelain three-piece clock and three-light candelabra garniture set. The Lyre shaped clock and cande...
Bronze
A Champlevé Enamel Three Piece Desk Set, Attributed to Barbedienne
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Champlevé Enamel Three Piece Desk Set, Attributed to Barbedienne. Comprising a gilt-bronze pen tray and a pair of candleholders all finely decorated in Champlevé enamel. The pen...
Bronze, Enamel
$556Sale Price|20% Off
H 1.5 in W 7.5 in D 7 in
Antique French Faience Quimper Inkwell Pen Tray, circa 1900
Located in Pearland, TX
A charming antique French faience Quimper double inkwell and pen tray desk set, circa 1900. This gorgeous inkwell is hand painted with a traditional Breton man surrounded by bagpipes...
Faience
19th Century Bronze Dore Napolean Ink Well, France.
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Encrier set with richly-veined Verde Antico marble base mounted with pair gilt-bronze inkwells flanked on either side of a Napolean bust. The marble base with pen tray rest on sh...
Marble, Bronze
$1,200 / set
H 7.75 in W 5.5 in D 2.75 in
Pair of French 19th Century Louis XVI Style Gilded Bronze Candelabra
Located in Hudson, NY
This lovely small pair of two-light candelabra are made in gilded bronze and were made in France around the turn of the century. Cast as a satyr holding up sinuous candle arms termin...
Marble, Bronze
$5,000
H 2.76 in W 9.85 in D 5.12 in
Enamel cloissoné and gilt bronze inkwell. France, late 19th century.
Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Enamel cloissoné and gilt bronze inkwell. France, late 19th century.
Bronze, Enamel
19th Century French Crystal and Bronze Inkwell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th century French Crystal and Bronze Mounumental Inkwell. Signed. Escalier de Cristal Paris.
Crystal, Bronze
$2,432Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 10.83 in W 14.77 in D 11.82 in
19th Century Walnut and Glazed Liquor Cabinet or Tantalus
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
Step into the elegance of 19th-century France with this magnificent antique liquor cabinet, likely crafted from fine walnut wood. Known for its ...
Crystal, Brass
$65Sale Price|20% Off
H 9.57 in W 6.5 in D 1.38 in
Set of Antique Bound Books Dating from the 19th Century, France
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Set of old religious books dating from the 19th century. From an old protestant library near Le Havre in France. These books are called "Commentaries". These beautiful books are perf...
Paper
Swiss Black Forest Carved Rabbit Inkwell and Pen Tray
By Black Forest
Located in Newark, England
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING WHIMSICAL BLACK FOREST DESK ACCESSORY WITH HAND-CARVED RABBIT, TREE PEN REST, AND HAT-LIDDED GLASS INKWELLS. From our Black Forest collection, we are delig...
Glass, Wood
French Pair of 19th Century Louis XVI Style Girandoles
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This dazzling pair of French girandoles are in wonderful antique condition. While technically they are candelabra for wax taper candles, the abundance of crystals draped and suspende...
Crystal, Brass
Napoleonic Tantalus Liquor Cabinet, 19th Century
Located in North Palm Beach, FL
Presenting an exquisite antique French Tantalus liquor cabinet that transports you back to the elegance of the mid to late 1800s. This remarkab...
Brass
$1,795
H 6 in W 15 in D 7.5 in
Early 20th-C. French Gilt Bronze And Malachite Desk Pen Inkwell / Inkstand
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is an early 20th century highly decorative French gilt bronze, malachite and faux malachite inkstand with dual inkwells. The base is a mix of faux malachite and malachite veneer...
Malachite, Bronze
$1,117
H 2.96 in W 5.12 in D 2.76 in
Empire Gilt Bronze Sphinx Paperweight on Marble Base, France, Early 19th Century
Located in Knivsta, SE
Empire Gilt Bronze Sphinx Paperweight on Marble Base, France, Early 19th Century A charming Empire-period paperweight featuring a finely cast gilt bronze sphinx resting on a rectan...
Marble, Bronze
Tiffany Studios New York Louis XVI Gilt Bronze Desk Set, Circa 1910
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Art Nouveau period Louis XVI style gilt bronze desk set. The two-piece set includes a notepad holder and a rocker blotter. By Tiffany Studios New York, USA, early 20th c...
Bronze
Sold
H 0.5 in W 4.75 in D 7.5 in
Tiffany Studios New York Louis XVI Gilt Bronze Notepad Holder, Circa 1910
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Art Nouveau period Louis XVI style gilt bronze notepad holder By Tiffany Studios New York, USA, early 20th century Measures: 4.75"W x 7.5"D x 0.5"H. Good original vint...
Bronze
Sold
H 2 in W 5.38 in D 3 in
Tiffany Studios New York Louis XVI Gilt Bronze Rocker Blotter, Circa 1910
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Art Nouveau period Louis XVI style gilt bronze rocker blotter By Tiffany Studios New York, USA, early 20th century Measures: 5.38"W x 3"D x 2"H. Good original vintage ...
Bronze