With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$9,550
Josef Ekberg, 1908
By Gustavsberg
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a handmade vase, this is a very rare 2 tone green. The only one of its kind. Signed and dated, J-Ekberg 1908. A Swedish Artist that started working for the Gustavsberg Cerami...
Ceramic
Antique German Paktong Tumbler Cup, 17th Century
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
This fine antique tumbler cup has a plain circular form. Made from the rare and highly prized metal Paktong. Similar in shape to silver examples of ...
Other
Erik Ernander 'Worked ca. 1755', Silver Beaker, Origin: Sweden, Dated 1788
By Eric Ernander
Located in New York, NY
Swedish Gustavian 18th century silver beaker by Erik Ernander (Worked ca. 1755 in Uppsala, Sweden), Origin: Sweden, stamped: artist's stamp, Swedish triple crown...
Silver
Tri-Handle Large White Ceramic Jug / Vase / Pottery
Located in Stamford, CT
Tri-Handle Large White Ceramic Jug / Vase / Pottery A large and impressive decorative glazed pottery jug or vase having twin handles depicting lion maned busts. 20 H x 15 DIA hxa
Ceramic
Gustavsberg vases by Josef Ekberg, Sweden 1930
By Gustavsberg
Located in Bronx, NY
Green ceramic vases By Josef Ekberg Gustavsberg, Sweden 1930 in excellent condition quartz colored with gold ornament surround the top of the rim and the ...
Ceramic
Art Deco Large Vase Gustavsberg Sgraffito Josef Ekberg, Sweden, 1922
Located in Hillringsberg, SE
Art Deco Sgraffito vase decorated with a floral motif, by Josef Ekberg for Gustavsberg. Sgraffito is a way of combining two layers into a pattern, the second layer is scraped of and ...
Ceramic
$1,087Sale Price|30% Off
H 8.27 in Dm 7.88 in
Art Deco Vase Gustavsberg Sgraffito Josef Ekberg, Sweden, 1922
Located in Hillringsberg, SE
Art Deco Sgraffito vase decorated with a floral motif, by Josef Ekberg for Gustavsberg. Sgraffito is a way of combining two layers into a pattern, the second layer is scraped of and ...
Ceramic
20th Italian Sterling Silver Vase
Located in VALENZA, IT
Elegant and refined sterling silver vase. Entirely handcrafted and embossed with a torchon motif, the vase has been finely hammered all over the body. The mouth of the vase is shap...
Sterling Silver
$895
H 9.06 in Dm 4.53 in
Green & Gold Art Deco Lustre Vase by Josef Ekberg for Gustavsberg, Sweden, 1920s
By Wilhelm Kage, Gustavsberg, Josef Ekberg
Located in Malmö, SE
A beautiful vase with lustre glaze and amazing hand painted gold details. Scandinavian Grace / Art Deco. Made by Josef Ekberg at Gustavsberg, Sweden, 1920s. Good condition. Some we...
Ceramic
Japanese Antique Shigaraki ware 17th Century / Pottery Vase Wabisabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is an old pottery pot made in Japan. It is a very old pot believed to have been made in the 17th century, early Edo period, and is called Koshigaraki in Japan. Koshigaraki refe...
Pottery
$2,500
H 28.35 in W 23.23 in D 22.05 in
Japanese Antique Large Pottery Vase late 16th–early 17th century / Wabi Sabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is a large antique ceramic jar from Tokoname, Japan. Its dignified mass and softly curved form create a quiet yet powerful presence within any space. The beautifully balanced si...
Pottery
$1,800
H 19.3 in W 18.51 in D 17.72 in
Japanese Antique Pottery Jar 17th-18th Century/ Wabi-Sabi /Tokoname
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is an antique ceramic jar produced in Tokoname, Japan, dating from the 17th to 18th century. Having endured centuries of time, it carries a quiet yet powerful presence. Tokonam...
Pottery
Japanese Antique Pottery Jar 16th-17th Century/ Wabi-Sabi Vase/Tokoname
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Tokoname is a region located in Aichi Prefecture. It is a pottery production center with a very old history in Japan (around the 12th century). These jars were probably fired during...
Pottery
19C Anglo Indian Silver Perfume Bottle Case
Located in Dallas, TX
19C Anglo Indian solid silver perfume bottle case. Lovely 19th century Anglo-Indian solid silver perfume bottle case with profuse repousse work. Not hallmarked because it was m...
Sterling Silver
1920 Sgraffito Vase by Josef Ekberg
By Josef Ekberg
Located in New York, NY
Sgraffito vase from 1920 by Josef Ekberg for Gustavsberg, Sweden. Flower motif in Swedish Jugend (or Art Nouveau) style decorates the vase in blue shades. Designer signature with the...
Ceramic
$1,842
H 20.87 in W 15.75 in D 17.33 in
Japanese Antique Pottery Jar 17th-18th Century/ Wabi-Sabi /Tokoname
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Tokoname is a region in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, renowned as one of the country's oldest pottery centers, with a history dating back to the 12th century. This jar, despite cracking ...
Pottery
Danish Soholm Ceramic Vase by Noomi Backhausen
By Soholm Pottery, Noomi Backhausen
Located in Waddinxveen, ZH
Nice quality vase by the Soholm Pottery. Marked at the bottom.
Earthenware
Gustavian Silver Beaker, Pehr Zethelius, Stockholm, 1809
By Pehr Zethelius
Located in Stockholm, SE
Gustavian silver beaker, Pehr Zethelius (1740-1810), Stockholm, 1809.
Silver
Swedish 19th Century Glass Vase
Located in New York, NY
Swedish 19th Century glass vase.
Glass
Swedish 19th Century Glass Vase
Located in New York, NY
A Swedish glass vase made during the early 19th Century.
Glass