Louis XV Vases and Vessels
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 Vases and Vessels
Bronze
1880s French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Marble, Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Tôle
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Wood
20th Century Unknown Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Crystal, Ormolu
Late 20th Century Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Malachite, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Faience
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
Late 20th Century Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Crystal, Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Faience
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Metal
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Faience
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Metal, Bronze
1980s German Vintage Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1980s German Vintage Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century German Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Gold
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Gold
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Iron
Early 20th Century German Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Marble, Metal, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Faience
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Marble, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Silver Plate, Bronze, Zinc
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Bronze, Ormolu
1870s French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Faience
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Metal
20th Century French Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 18th Century German Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Crystal, Silver Plate, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Faience
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Marble
1750s German Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Tin
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Vases and Vessels
Bronze