Like France’s Empire style, Regency-style furniture was rooted in neoclassicism; the characteristics of its bedroom furniture, armchairs, dining room tables and other items include clean lines, angular shapes and elegant details.
Dating roughly from the 1790s to 1830s, antique Regency-style furniture gets its name from Prince George of Wales — formally King George IV — who became Prince Regent in 1811 after his father, George III, was declared unfit to rule. England’s Regency style is one of the styles represented in Georgian furniture.
George IV’s arts patronage significantly influenced the development of the Regency style, such as the architectural projects under John Nash, which included the renovation of Buckingham House into the formidable Buckingham Palace with a grand neoclassical facade. Celebrated designers of the period include Thomas Sheraton, Henry Holland and Thomas Hope. Like Nash, Hope instilled his work with classical influences, such as saber-legged chairs based on the ancient Greek klismos. He is credited with introducing the term “interior decoration” to English with the 1807 publishing of Household Furniture and Interior Decoration.
Although more subdued than previous styles like Rococo and Baroque, Regency interiors incorporated copious use of chintz fabrics and wallpaper adorned in chinoiserie-style art. Its furniture featured fine materials and luxurious embellishments. Furniture maker George Bullock, for instance, regularly used detailed wood marquetry and metal ornaments on his pieces.
Archaeological discoveries in Egypt and Greece informed Regency-era details, such as carved scrollwork, sphinxes and palmettes, as well as the shape of furniture. A Roman marble cinerary chest, for example, would be reinterpreted into a wooden cabinet. The Napoleonic Wars also inspired furniture, with martial designs like tented beds and camp-style chairs becoming popular. While the reddish-brown mahogany was prominent in this range of pieces, imported woods like zebrawood and ebony were increasingly in demand.
Find a collection of antique Regency tables, seating, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
19th Century English Regency 3 Garniture Chestnut Urns tole Tea Urn Los Angeles
Located in West Hollywood, CA
19th Century English Regency 3 Garniture Chestnut Urns tole Tea Urn Los Angeles . Early 1800’s Garniture of 3 pieces . A pair of Regency period painted and parcel gilt chestnut urns, with a tea urn on a tripod stand . Tole pewter chestnut urns...
Tôle
Pair of Antique Spode Topographical Porcelain Cobalt Blue Border Shrimp Bowls
By Spode
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A very Fine pair of Spode porcelain shrimp bowls. With rich gilding, underglaze cobalt blue borders, and hand painted topographical scenes at their centers. One scene depicts f...
Porcelain
$5,248 / set
Pair of Regency Glass Cornucopia
Located in Altrincham, GB
Pair of Regency Glass Cornucopia - The hand blown blue glass is in excellent undamaged condition and sits on the original white statuary marble plinth ...
Marble, Ormolu
$1,065 / item
H 7.17 in Dm 6.7 in
Large Lomonosov 22K Gold, Cobalt Decor Porcelain Vase, USSR - 2 available
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Russian white porcelain vase manufactured in the 1950s by the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory (founded in 1744). Soft shaped organic Mid-Century Modern vase decorated by hand with large mineral...
Gold
19th Century English Regency Polished Steel Warwick Vase
Located in Stamford, CT
English Regency Warwick Vase in polished steel. A handsome rendition of the famous Roman original. After it's excavation from Hadrian's Villa in the late 18th century it caused a sen...
Steel
Regency Tole Hot Water Urn
Located in Essex, MA
Chinoiserie decorated with cover with ball finial over a cylindrical body with lions head rings , lower spigot and pierced square plinth and paw feet.
Tin
Pair of French Porcelain Cornucopia Vases, circa 1880
Located in New York, NY
Pair of French porcelain cornucopia vases, circa 1880.
Porcelain
$74,500 / set
H 41 in W 16 in D 14 in
Massive Pair of Fine Antique French Ormolu-Mounted Sèvres Style Porcelain Vases
Located in New York, NY
A massive pair of fine antique French ormolu-mounted Sèvres style porcelain covered vases. Each of baluster form, the cover with foliate finial and laurel band, the body finely paint...
Bronze
$1,179
H 9.65 in Dm 3.55 in
Zsolnay Hungarian Floral Reticulated Porcelain Vase with Cobalt Blue Panels
By Zsolnay
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A very fine and elegant Hungarian porcelain twin handled vase with floral reticulated designs and contrasting blue glazed panelling by renowned maker Zsolnay and dating from around 1...
Porcelain
19th Century Regency Rosewood Antique Table Urn Tazza
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
An Exceptional Quality Regency Period Rosewood Table Urn, Or Tazza, Having Crisply Carved Decoration To Moulded Edge And Turned Upright Support (This is a great example of the high quality objects which cabinet makers of early 19th century used to produce to compliment the furniture they had already created. This piece in particular clearly hails from a high end workshop evidenced by the exceptionally crisp carved decoration and high grade of rosewood used...
Rosewood
Electric Blue Porcelain Pillar Vase
By Erin Turkoglu
Located in Helsinki, FI
Pillar-vase takes inspiration from the ancient human-made rock formations. It references the ancient architecture and the human touch in carved stones. The sculptural vase displays f...
Porcelain
19th Century Paint Decorated Tole Urn
Located in Richmond, VA
19th Century English or French tole urn in original paint.
Metal
Pair of English Regency Tole Chestnut Urns, Circa 1810
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of English Regency tole chestnut urns with hand-painted floral decorative motif, removable lids with acorn finials, original lions head side ha...
Pair of Chinoiserie Decorated Tole Urns, Late 19th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of large late 19th century chinoiserie decorated black and gold tole urns with lids.
Metal
Pair of English Regency Ebony and Gilt 3 Leg Fernery
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of English Regency style (late 19th Century) black painted and gold trmmed carved fernery supported on a base of 3-scroll form legs connected on platform base.(PRICED AS PAIR)
Gold
Sold
H 8.75 in Dm 4.75 in
Pair of English Regency trumpet form glass garniture vases with lusters, c. 1830
Located in Kenilworth, IL
Pair of lime green Bohemian trumpet form garnitures vases in blown glass. The vases feature white enamel overlay rim leaflets with gilt striping, and hung with cut crystal lusters. ...
Blown Glass, Cut Glass
Pair of 19th Century Antique Bronze and Ormolu, Sienna Marble Tazzas
Located in London, GB
A pair of early 19th century Regency period bronze and ormolu tazzas, having acanthus scrolled handles above curved leaf stems raised on Sienna marble square plinth bases.
Siena Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Pair of 19th Century English Imari Palette Derby Porcelain Pastille Burners
By Bloor Derby
Located in Pittsburgh, PA
This pair of Imari pattern hand painted Derby porcelain 'potpourri', or incense burners, are beautifully hand-painted, and feature gilt highlights.
Porcelain
Set of Three Regency Pottery Urn Form Vases
Located in Essex, MA
Campagna form with blue royal ground and decorated with floral decoration. Gilt handles.
Other
Sold
H 17 in W 10.5 in D 14 in
Fine Pair of French Monumental Bronze Bow Ormolu-Mounted Marble Urn Casalettses
Located in Roslyn, NY
Very fine pair of French monumental bow and garland swag gilt bronze and ormolu-mounted caramel marble urn casalettses in the Louis XVI manner with fauns, stamped "Made In France".
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Five Piece Blue and White Porcelain Garniture Set
Located in Long Island City, NY
Five Piece Blue and White Porcelain Garniture Set. 20th Century
Porcelain