Neoclassical Vases
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-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Earthenware
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Stoneware
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Stoneware
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Silver, Sterling Silver
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases
Sterling Silver
18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Stoneware
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases
Bronze
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Pottery
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Vases
Alabaster
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases
Wood
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Vases
Majolica
Late 18th Century Antique Neoclassical Vases
Porphyry, Bronze
18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Vases
Glass
18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Vases
Marble, Stone, Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases
Earthenware
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases
Giltwood, Porcelain
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Stoneware
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Stoneware
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Creamware
Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases
Quartz, Ormolu
Early 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases
Limestone
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Neoclassical Vases
Porcelain
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases
Earthenware
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Stoneware
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases
Ormolu, Bronze
Early 1900s British Antique Neoclassical Vases
Ceramic
1910s British Vintage Neoclassical Vases
Porcelain
20th Century English Neoclassical Vases
Stoneware, Pottery
18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Vases
Delft
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases
Ormolu
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Creamware
Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Vases
Creamware
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Vases
Pottery
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Pearlware
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Creamware
19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases
Porcelain
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Stoneware
Late 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Vases
Ceramic, Earthenware, Pearlware
Early 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Stone, Enamel
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Pearlware
Mid-18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Vases
Gold
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Terracotta
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Porcelain
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Earthenware
Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Vases
Earthenware
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Vases
Carrara Marble