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.
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Stoneware
1920s Vintage Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Crystal, Silver
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Quartz, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze, Metal, Copper
19th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Silver, Other
1890s English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Gold, Bronze
1910s Unknown Vintage Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Wood
Mid-19th Century Czech Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Glass
1870s French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Stoneware
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
Late 19th Century American Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Silver
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Lapis Lazuli, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century German Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Gold, Enamel
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
20th Century Russian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Granite, Bronze
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Metal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Terracotta
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Tôle
Early 20th Century American Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Earthenware
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ormolu
1820s Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Scagliola
20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Wrought Iron
1990s Philippine Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Other
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Slate, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Metal, Bronze
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Stone
Mid-20th Century Danish Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Porcelain
20th Century Indian Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Copper
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Leather
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Crystal, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
1890s French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Marble, Spelter
19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Lapis Lazuli, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Iron
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Metal
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Silver, Sterling Silver
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Terracotta
19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Vases and Vessels
Zinc, Other