Louis XV Decorative Objects
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Metal
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Marble
20th Century French Louis XV Decorative Objects
Metal, Brass, Bronze, Enamel
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
1780s French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Louis XV Decorative Objects
Resin
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Silver Plate, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Gold, Enamel
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Late 20th Century Italian Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze, Zinc
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Decorative Objects
Metal
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Gold
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Spelter
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century Russian Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
1750s Dutch Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Mahogany
19th Century Swiss Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Gold
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-20th Century German Louis XV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1980s German Vintage Louis XV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1860s French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
1980s German Vintage Louis XV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Metal, Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
1890s French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century German Louis XV Decorative Objects
Marble, Metal, Ormolu
1890s French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Gesso, Wood, Giltwood
1850s French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Gold
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Gold
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Decorative Objects
Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XV Decorative Objects
Bronze