French Provincial Decorative Objects
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.
1910s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Metal, Tin
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Decorative Objects
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan, Mirror
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Crystal
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Marble
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron, Copper
20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Stone
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Provincial Decorative Objects
Stone
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Faience
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Wrought Iron
1980s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Enamel
Late 19th Century Italian Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Clay
17th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron
20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Sandstone
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Late 20th Century Chinese French Provincial Decorative Objects
Brass
1890s French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Terracotta
1870s French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Faience
1910s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Faience
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Opaline Glass
19th Century English Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Rattan
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
20th Century French Provincial Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Decorative Objects
Brass
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron
Early 1900s Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron
20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Metal
Late 19th Century Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Marble, Spelter
1910s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Glass, Acrylic
1880s French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Plaster
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Canvas
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Glass
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Satin, Glass
Early 18th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron