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.
Antique French 2 Piece Blue Opaline and Bronze Ormolu Perfume Bottle
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions- H: 6 1/2in W: 6in D: 6in This French Turn of the Century blue opaline and bronze ormolu 2 piece perfume bottle is made of the highest quality! If you look closely at th...
Bronze, Ormolu
Opaline Perfume Bottle by Jean-Baptiste Desvignes
Located in Paris, FR
Small perfume bottle in white opaline with a ball-shaped stopper. Golden stripes, gold, and a dark blue wreath of roses, anemones, and forget-me-...
Opaline Glass
French Perfume Bottle Guerlain Paris
Located in New York, NY
An iconic French perfume bottle, perfume Shalimar, by Guerlain Pairs, known as the Flacon Chauve Souris (The Bat), born 1924, Paris, France. Shown, the iconic beautiful French urn ...
Crystal
French Porcelain Perfume Bottle
By Jacob Petit
Located in New Orleans, LA
A bird in flight adorns this charming perfume bottle attributed to famed French porcelain maker Jacob Petit. It is exemplary of the opulent artistry for which Petit is renowned, from...
Porcelain
Vintage French Glass Perfume Bottle
Located in Queens, NY
Vintage French low, wide glass perfume bottle with pleated body and tall teardrop-shaped stopper
Glass
Rare 24K Gold Ormolu & Crystal Perfume Bottle
Located in Portsmouth, VA
There is a quiet, unmistakable glamour to mid-century Matson pieces—one that feels collected rather than styled. This perfume bottle is a refined example, defined by its faceted cut ...
Crystal
Antique French Opaline Ormolu Mounted Violet Glass Vases
Located in Newark, England
BELLE EPOQUE CIRCA 1890 From our Glassware collection, we are delighted to offer this beautiful pair Antique French Opaline Glass Vases. The Antique French Vases with splayed feet u...
Bronze, Ormolu
French Victorian Porcelain Perfume Bottle
Located in Queens, NY
French Victorian white porcelain square perfume bottle (top as is)
French Victorian Bronze and Crystal Perfume Bottle Set
Located in Queens, NY
French Victorian bronze and crystal 5 piece set of perfume bottles on stand
Bronze
Pair of French Green Opaline Perfume Bottles with Gilt Star Decoration
By Baccarat
Located in Atlanta, GA
A vivid pair of late 19th- to early 20th-century European perfume bottles, each blown in uranium-charged green opaline glass of exceptional luminosity, displaying a bright citron ton...
Opaline Glass
$1,195 / set
H 7.25 in Dm 3.75 in
Antique Pair French Blue Opaline Gilded Enamel Glass Perfume Bottles Flacon 1850
Located in Portland, OR
A very elegant pair of antique French Napoleon III blue enameled & gilded Opaline glass glass scent bottles or falcons, circa 1850. This lovely pair of blue Opaline glass scent bottl...
Enamel
Art Deco Blue And Clear Glass Perfume Bottle
Located in Devon, England
For your consideration is this stylish 1930s Art Deco blue and clear glass perfume bottle. Lovely item with no damage, just minor signs of use. The stopper has an embossed rose in re...
Glass
$1,720
H 8.27 in W 3.15 in D 1.78 in
Antique French Cobalt Blue Gilded Crystal Glass Perfume Bottle, 19th Century
Located in Rostock, MV
Antique perfume bottle with metal lid and glass stopper in cobalt blue crystal glass rectangular body with gilded borders and hand-painted gilding ...
Metal
Mid-19th Century Limoges Enamel Flask
By Limoges
Located in Paris, FR
Small flask in Limoges enamel and silver mounts with its original stopper. All of its surfaces are decorated with figures set in a gallant landscape. On the body, a couple of young l...
Silver, Enamel