French Provincial Centerpieces
Removed from the fashions of the court, French Provincial style developed in the provinces of the country, such as Provence, Normandy, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. Dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, French Provincial furniture was not as ostentatious as the designs being produced for the royal palaces, but elegant S-shape cabriole legs and ornate carvings elevated the sturdy chairs, sofas, tables and bedroom furniture intended for everyday use.
Although it varies by region, antique French Provincial furniture is unified by solid construction and an artisanal attention to design. While this furniture often followed the metropolitan trends — including the Rococo or neoclassical aesthetics of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI — since it was produced in the French countryside it was more subdued with nods to its rustic settings.
Local materials like fruitwoods, oak, beech and walnut were used to construct large French Provincial armoires for storage and comfortable armchairs with rush-woven seats. Wrought-iron elements and carvings like floral details and scallop patterns were common as ornamentation. Furniture was frequently painted white or other muted colors that coordinated with gilt and would acquire a patina of age over time. Other wood was just stained with vibrant fabric such as toile de Jouy, which sometimes depicted pastoral scenes, adding color as upholstery.
The style arrived in the United States after World War I, with soldiers returning home wanting furniture like what they had seen in the rural homes and castles of France. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, designer John Widdicomb split from his family business, the Widdicomb Furniture Company, and had been focusing on Louis XV– and French Provincial–style furnishings since the early 1900s. Other American manufacturers such as Baker, Drexel, Henredon and Thomasville also responded to demand. Today antique French Provincial pieces and reproductions continue to be popular.
Find a collection of antique French Provincial dining tables, seating, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Centerpieces
Earthenware
20th Century French French Provincial Centerpieces
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Centerpieces
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Crystal, Ormolu
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Centerpieces
Earthenware
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Centerpieces
Ceramic
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Centerpieces
Earthenware
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Centerpieces
Ceramic, Earthenware
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Copper, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Copper
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Centerpieces
Ceramic, Earthenware
1880s French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Centerpieces
Gold Plate, Bronze
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Belgian Black Marble
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Centerpieces
Copper, Iron, Wrought Iron
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Metal
1790s English Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
20th Century American French Provincial Centerpieces
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Centerpieces
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Centerpieces
Ceramic, Faience
21st Century and Contemporary Italian French Provincial Centerpieces
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese French Provincial Centerpieces
Gold Plate, Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Centerpieces
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Centerpieces
Faience, Pottery
1970s American Vintage French Provincial Centerpieces
Blown Glass
20th Century French French Provincial Centerpieces
Porcelain
1930s German Vintage French Provincial Centerpieces
Metal
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Centerpieces
Ceramic
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Belgian Black Marble
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Centerpieces
Faience, Pottery
1890s French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Centerpieces
Faience
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Wood
19th Century European Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Copper
20th Century French French Provincial Centerpieces
Ceramic
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Centerpieces
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century French Antique French Provincial Centerpieces
Terracotta