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.
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Pottery
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Brass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Rope, Lucite, Wood
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Wood
1970s European Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Stoneware
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1960s American Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
17th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Pottery
Late 19th Century European Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Copper
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Art Glass
21st Century and Contemporary French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Metal
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Pottery
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Pottery, Terracotta
1970s European Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Pottery
1910s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Faience
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Terracotta
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Faience, Pottery
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Decorative Objects
Earthenware
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Pottery
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Wicker
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Decorative Objects
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Birdseye Maple, Walnut
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Griotte Marble
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Ceramic, Clay, Terracotta
Early 20th Century Danish French Provincial Decorative Objects
Tin
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Brass, Enamel
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Early 20th Century French Provincial Decorative Objects
Composition
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Brass, Bronze
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Pottery
19th Century English Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Metal, Copper
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Belgian Black Marble
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Earthenware
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Glass, Cork
Late 19th Century Italian Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Glass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Wood