Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. Neoclassical furniture took its cues from the styles of ancient Rome and Athens: symmetrical, ordered, dignified forms with such details as tapered and fluted chair and table legs, backrest finials and scrolled arms.
Over a period of some 20 years, first in France and later in Britain, neoclassical design — also known as Louis XVI, or Louis Seize — would supersede the lithe and curvaceous Rococo or Louis XV style.
The first half of the 18th century had seen a rebirth of interest in classical antiquity. The "Grand Tour" of Europe, codified as a part of the proper education of a patrician gentleman, included an extended visit to Rome. Some ventured further, to sketch the ruins of ancient Greece. These drawings and others — particularly those derived from the surprising and rich archaeological discoveries in the 1730s and ’40s at the sites of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum — caused great excitement among intellectuals and aesthetes alike.
Neoclassical furniture is meant to reflect both grace and power. The overall appearance of neoclassical chairs, tables and cabinetry is strong and rectilinear. These pieces are, in effect, classical architecture in miniature: chair and table legs are shaped like columns; cabinets are constructed with elements that mirror friezes and pediments.
Yet neoclassicism is enlivened by gilt and silver leaf, marquetry, and carved and applied ornamental motifs based on Greek and Roman sculpture: acanthus leaves, garlands, laurel wreaths, sheaves of arrow, medallions and chair splats are carved in the shapes of lyres and urns. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
As you can see from the furniture on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep neoclassicism fresh.
Find antique neoclassical furniture today on 1stDibs.
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Stoneware
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Iron
19th Century Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
20th Century English Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Tôle
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Faience, Pottery
20th Century American Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Concrete
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Silver
Mid-20th Century Italian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Gold
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Pottery
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Delft
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Crystal
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Delft, Faience
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Delft
Late 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Slate, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Iron
20th Century English Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Stoneware
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Stoneware
Early 1900s German Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Metal
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Malachite, Ormolu
20th Century Italian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
20th Century Czech Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Crystal
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze, Enamel
1880s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Metal
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porphyry, Ormolu
20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Brass
Early 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Alabaster
Late 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Delft, Faience
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Alabaster
20th Century Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Aluminum
19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1990s American Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ceramic