Louis XIV Decorative Objects
As opposed to the styles that would follow from the other 18th-century French kings, Louis XV and Louis XVI, antique Louis XIV furniture is rigid and imposing. It expresses opulence — even its armchairs, with their upright backs, straight legs and lavish ornamentation, look like thrones. Authentic Louis XIV sofas, a then newly emerging iteration of seating, are fully upholstered and often feature decoratively carved frames of walnut, chestnut or oak.
When French King Louis XIV established his royal court at Versailles in 1682, he transformed what was once a hunting lodge into a palace that declared his wealth and power through its design. Until his death in 1715, he reigned with a spirit of excess and absolute political dominance. The “Sun King,” as he called himself, believed that France revolved around him as planets do the sun. Louis XIV adopted the sun as his emblem, decorating the grounds with symbols of the sun and Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. As he stated, “There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture.” He was a child when he became king in 1643, only shaping his style after he became absolute monarch in 1661.
Reflecting trends in French Baroque art, Louis XIV furniture characteristics included exuberant decoration. There were gilded bronze details including shells, suns, grotesques, lions and classical references like acanthus leaves. The years of growth in the country’s manufacturing, such as the tapestries and cabinets made at Gobelins, led to design innovations. The commode replaced the chest as a storage device, with drawers and a surface that could double as a desk.
The materials were luxurious, such as the popular tortoiseshell veneer technique that leading cabinetmaker Pierre Golle used in his designs. André-Charles Boulle, who became royal cabinetmaker in 1672, was a masterful artist of marquetry, using inlays of ebony, exotic woods and mother-of-pearl.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIV bedroom furniture, chairs, tables and other pieces on 1stDibs.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
20th Century Thai Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Stone, Malachite
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Wrought Iron
1950s French Vintage Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Brass
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Leather, Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Wood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-20th Century German Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Brass
20th Century Thai Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Stone, Malachite
20th Century French Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Silver Plate, Bronze, Tin
Early 1700s French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Mirror, Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Enamel, Ormolu
20th Century Italian Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Brass, Bronze
1850s French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu
16th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Brass, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Terracotta
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu, Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Terracotta
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Metal, Copper
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Ormolu
1870s French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Ebony, Mahogany
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Marine turtle
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Pewter
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Metal, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Brass, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
1690s French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Leather, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Breccia Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century German Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Leather, Porcelain
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Walnut
1870s French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century American Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Mirror, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century German Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Bronze
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Wrought Iron
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Decorative Objects
Wood