French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Removed from the fashions of the court, French Provincial style developed in the provinces of the country, such as Provence, Normandy, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. Dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, French Provincial furniture was not as ostentatious as the designs being produced for the royal palaces, but elegant S-shape cabriole legs and ornate carvings elevated the sturdy chairs, sofas, tables and bedroom furniture intended for everyday use.
Although it varies by region, antique French Provincial furniture is unified by solid construction and an artisanal attention to design. While this furniture often followed the metropolitan trends — including the Rococo or neoclassical aesthetics of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI — since it was produced in the French countryside it was more subdued with nods to its rustic settings.
Local materials like fruitwoods, oak, beech and walnut were used to construct large French Provincial armoires for storage and comfortable armchairs with rush-woven seats. Wrought-iron elements and carvings like floral details and scallop patterns were common as ornamentation. Furniture was frequently painted white or other muted colors that coordinated with gilt and would acquire a patina of age over time. Other wood was just stained with vibrant fabric such as toile de Jouy, which sometimes depicted pastoral scenes, adding color as upholstery.
The style arrived in the United States after World War I, with soldiers returning home wanting furniture like what they had seen in the rural homes and castles of France. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, designer John Widdicomb split from his family business, the Widdicomb Furniture Company, and had been focusing on Louis XV– and French Provincial–style furnishings since the early 1900s. Other American manufacturers such as Baker, Drexel, Henredon and Thomasville also responded to demand. Today antique French Provincial pieces and reproductions continue to be popular.
Find a collection of antique French Provincial dining tables, seating, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Brass, Copper
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Brass, Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Metal, Brass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Stone
1850s French Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Iron
Late 19th Century Asian Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Brass, Copper
19th Century American Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Brass
Early 20th Century American French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Brass, Iron
Late 19th Century English Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Steel, Iron, Metallic Thread
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Marble, Iron
19th Century Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Iron
Late 19th Century Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Coral
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Brass, Iron
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Iron
Early 1900s Belgian Antique French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Metal, Bronze
1960s Belgian Vintage French Provincial Mobiles and Kinetic Sculptures
Concrete, Metal
