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Neoclassical Ceramics

NEOCLASSICAL STYLE

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.

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Style: Neoclassical
Round Commemorative Plate of President Nixon 37th President
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A circular cream round commemorative plate of President Nixon. Reads Richard M. Nixon 37th President. Gold detail around the edges, with the image of P...
Category

20th Century North American Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Wedgood Rare Copper Dipped Jasperware Jug with Classical Figures
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A rare Wedgwood copper dipped jasperware jug with classical figures dating from the early to mid-19th century. The ceramic jug has a copper coating over...
Category

Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Bing & Grøndahl after Thorvaldsen, Antique Biscuit Wall Plaque with Putti
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Bing & Grøndahl after Thorvaldsen. Antique biscuit wall plaque with putti in relief, 1870s-1880s. Measure: Diameter 32.5 cm. In excellent conditi...
Category

1870s Danish Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

French Empress Joséphine Bonaparte Porcelain Floral Pink Serving Bowl
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Beautiful round figural and floral motif serving dish of Joséphine Bonaparte by famed porcelain maker PM & M Bavaria, Germany. Round in form, the d...
Category

19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Gold

White Porcelain Oyster Serving Plate in Brown and Gold, 1800s, Germany
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Pre 1900s porcelain ceramic oyster plate in crisp white, brown and gold. Beautiful serving piece with 5 inventions for serving oysters. Each divot is decorated a an oyster (or muscle...
Category

1890s German Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic, Porcelain

Navette, with Ladle, Wedgwood, C1790
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
An extraordinary navette, or cream boat, in black basalt with encaustic decoration. Complete with matching ladle: a rare find indeed.
Category

Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Stoneware

Limoges Tharaud “Cameo” Blue Plaque Stand
Located in Guaynabo, PR
This a Limoges Camille Tharaud pate sur pate blue ceramic plaque depicting a mythological figure-Sphinx who is sitting over a lion. She is holding with one hand a large cornucopia...
Category

Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Wedgwood, England, Three Bowls/Dishes and a Flowerpot, Early 20th C
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Wedgwood, England. Three bowls/dishes and a flowerpot in black, green and blue stoneware with classicist scenes in white. Early 20th century. The flower...
Category

Early 20th Century English Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Stoneware

Pair of Ceramic Planters, Attributed to Sarreguemines, France, Late 19th Century
Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Pair of ceramic planters. Attributed to Sarreguemines. France, late 19th century. Planters dimensions: 42 cm diameter, 36 cm height. Bases...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Italian Maiolica Pharmacy Flasks Felice Clerici, Milan Circa 1770-1780
Located in Milano, IT
Two maiolica pharmacy flasks Milan, Felice Clerici Manufacture, 1770-1780 They each measure 9.44 in (24 cm) in height x 6.10 in (15.5 cm) in diameter lb 4 (kg 1.8) State of conserva...
Category

1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Maiolica

Porcelain Paragon Tea Cup with Gold and Blue and Hidden Rose for Her Majesty
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Beautiful fine bone China teacup with gold detail, bold blue, and a hidden red rose inside the cup. This delicate ceramic piece is a lovely piece to ...
Category

20th Century English Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Gold

Pair of Early 20th Century Rudolfstadt Vases
Located in London, GB
A pair of Rudolfstadt Porcelain vases, very much in the Royal Worcester style, hand painted with floral subjects on a duck-egg background; the neck and foot of the vases decorated with bisque and gilt scrolls the necks enhanced by a gilt Florentine scroll.
Category

Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Porcelain

Royal Copenhagen Relief by Thorvaldsen, 'Day', Biscuit, Late 1800s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Royal Copenhagen relief by Thorvaldsen, 'day', biscuit. Late 1800s. Diameter: 26 cm. In perfect condition. 1st. factory quality.
Category

Late 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Pair of Deep Red Glaze and 24ct Gold Leaves Majolica Vases, Italy, 21st Century
Located in London, GB
Pair of vases by Antonietta Mazzotti Emaldi, 2018, Glazed earthenware (majolica) and 24ct gold, entirely handmade, unique pieces. Antonietta Mazzotti (Faenza, Italy 1950) attended the Istituto d’Arte per la Ceramica in Faenza and opened her first workshop in her hometown taking part in group and solo exhibitions at international level. In 1976 she has transformed the neo-gothic greenhouse of Villa Emaldi in her workshop. Antonietta Mazzotti has worked for some of the most important international museums and has received several important recognitions worldwide. Her works have been featured in major Italian magazines of interior design and she has acquired international visibility being featured in major international press publications, such as The New York Times. She still lives and works at Villa Emaldi in Faenza where she continues her research on historical decor...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Gold

Four Italian Ancient Dishes, Lodi, circa 1770-1780
Located in Milano, IT
Assortment of 4 dishes with braided rim Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, circa 1770-1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). Measures: 14 x 10 in (35.5 x 25.5 cm); 12.2 x 8.39 in (31 x 21.3 cm); 10.4 x 9.65 in (26.5 x 24.5 cm); 10.8 x 9.61 in (27.5 x 24.4 cm). Weight: 4.4 lb (1.998 kg) State of conservation: some chips due to use on the edges and on the parts in relief. The four different dishes have a foot with a low lip from which extends a wide, flat, slanted rim resembling a basket weave. The small handles are painted green: they resemble wickerwork in the two oval dishes and take the form of a sinuous branch in the round ones. The third fire decoration is inspired by the naturalistic floral botanical patterns on the ceramics produced by the Hannong family in Strasbourg. Here the pattern is defined by the rapidity and subtlety of the brushstrokes and the result is particularly tasteful, characterized by compositional intelligence and pictorial expertise. A main corolla, either a wild or garden rose, is set slightly off center in each well. From this extends a thin stem holding a small secondary bud and there are small field florets dotting the composition to lend volume to the delicate bunch of flowers. On the brim, small polychrome flowers add color to the weave, accompanied by lanceolate leaves of a very intense green. There exist few and very rare examples for comparison with this morphology: a round plate - entirely consistent with those in question - has been dated to around 1775 (S. Levy, Maioliche settecentesche lombarde e venete, Milano 1962, tav. 200). Two other dishes with a basket rim, but with parallel striped brim decoration, were exhibited in the 1995 exhibition on Lodi ceramics; the attribution to the Lombard town near Milan is therefore almost exclusively derived from the decoration called "alla rosa contornata" or "alla vecchia Lodi" and constitutes one of the most popular decorations during the eighteenth century. (M. L. Gelmini, in Maioliche lodigiane del '700 (cat. mostra Lodi), Milano 1995, pp. 31 p. 162-163 nn. 181-182). This decorative choice represented a strong point of the Lodi factory, which established itself thanks to the vivid nature of the colors made possible by the introduction of a new technique perfected by Paul Hannong in Strasbourg and which Antonio Ferretti introduced in Italy. This production process, called “piccolo fuoco” (third fire), allowed the use of a greater number of colors than in the past; in particular, the purple of Cassius, a red made from gold chloride, was introduced. Its use allowed for many more tones and shades, from pink to purple. The Ferretti family had started their Maiolica manufacturing business in Lodi in 1725. The forefather Simpliciano had started the business by purchasing an ancient furnace in 1725 and, indeed, we have evidence of the full activity of the furnaces from April of the same year (Novasconi-Ferrari-Corvi, 1964, p. 26 n. 4). Simpliciano had started a production of excellence also thanks to the ownership of clay quarries in Stradella, not far from Pavia. The production was so successful that in 1726 a decree of the Turin Chamber came to prohibit the importation of foreign ceramics, especially from Lodi, to protect internal production (G. Lise, La ceramica a Lodi, Lodi 1981, p. 59). In its initial stages, the manufacture produced maolicas painted with the “a gran fuoco” (double fire) technique, often in turquoise monochrome, with ornamentation derived from compositional modules in vogue in Rouen in France. This was also thanks to the collaboration of painters like Giorgio Giacinto Rossetti, who placed his name on the best specimens next to the initials of the factory. In 1748 Simpliciano made his will (Gelmini, 1995, p. 30) appointing his son Giuseppe Antonio (known as Antonio) as universal heir. After 1750, when Simpliciano passed away, Antonio was directly involved in the Maiolica factory, increasing its fortunes and achieving a reputation on a European level. Particularly important was the aforementioned introduction in 1760 of the innovative “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire) processing, which, expanding the ornamental repertoire with Saxon-inspired floral themes, could commercially compete with the German porcelains that had one of its most renowned offerings in the naturalistic Deutsche Blumen. Antonio Ferretti understood and promoted this technique and this decoration, proposing it in a fresher and more corrective version, less linked to botanical tables...
Category

1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Maiolica

Antique French Creamware Lions 18th Century
Located in Katonah, NY
We are thrilled to offer this exceptional pair of creamware lions, each elegantly resting on a tall base adorned with sumptuous swags of dark blue "curtains" with gleaming yellow tassels and trim. Crafted in France, these figures are unparalleled and truly a masterpiece of 18th-century creamware. They date back to the late 18th century, circa 1790. Each lion's head and mane is exquisitely painted with vibrant yellow and lined in striking midnight brown. Their mouths are painted in delicate pink, adding an extra touch of charm. Not only are these lions a sight to behold, but they will also bring a touch of humor to your home. Their jovial expressions make it impossible not to laugh along with them. Leisurely resting on cushions draped with rich fabric and tassels, these friendly lions exude a very French attitude, seamlessly blending formality and friendliness. Placed on a mantel, they would undoubtedly be the focal point of any room, commanding attention, and admiration from all who see them. These lions are genuinely a one-of-a-kind treasure that is not to be missed. Dimensions: 6.5 inches tall x 6.75 inches long x 4.5 inches wide Condition: Excellent Price: $3200 Background of creamware Creamware is the name given to a type of earthenware pottery initially made from white clays from Dorset and Devonshire combined with an amount of calcined flint. Creamware was first produced in England sometime before 1740. Foremost of the pioneers of creamware in the Staffordshire Potteries was Thomas Whieldon. The young Josiah Wedgwood partnered with Thomas Whieldon from 1754-1759. When Wedgwood left to set up his own business, he immediately directed his efforts to developing creamware. Around the same time, in the mid-18th century, French potters developed their creamware known in France as "Faience Fine...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Creamware

19th Century Porcelain Huqqa with Bird Paintings
Located in London, GB
This huqqa (or hookah) is a wonderful item which is crafted from porcelain and finely hand painted and parcel gilt. The huqqa was created in the late 19th century, most likely in Rus...
Category

Late 19th Century Russian Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Porcelain

Antique B&G "Bing & Grondahl" Bisque Plate after Thorvaldsen
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Antique B&G (Bing & Grondahl) bisque plate after Thorvaldsen. In perfect condition, 1st. factory quality. Measures: 32 cm. Late 19 century.
Category

19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Rare B&G 'Bing & Grondahl' Large Biscuit Plate by Thorvaldsen, 1880s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Rare B&G (Bing & Grondahl) large biscuit plate by Thorvaldsen, 1880s. In perfect condition, 1st. factory quality. Measures 29 cm.
Category

1880s Danish Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Villafeliche Jug, Aragon, Spain, 18th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Late Baroque pottery jug made and decorated with high temperature glazes over a white slip of tin. These motifs are combined with enameled decorations in relief obtained mold. The typology of the piece combines Italian jug with handle ovoid belly and vertical bow, with the peak jug typically Spanish, characterized by the outgoing peak of the mouth. Decorations reveal the oriental influence, with large floral bouquets arranged asymmetrically and complex landscapes with architecture and palm trees, which remove some figures, such as totally Western. The reasons appear pincelados in manganese black, and colored with ocher, blue, green and red, mainly enamels. Aragon ceramic least a century old will be characterized by a strong own, combined with the influences of personality Talavera and Catalonia. You will have three main centers: Teruel, Muel and Villafeliche, the first two with tradition since the 16th century, and the third created in the late 17th century. The Villafeliche will generally be very popular ceramics...
Category

18th Century Spanish Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Gold and Pink Floral Painted Ceramic Plate with Scalloped Edges
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Beautiful floral plate with scalloped edges. The piece features roses and other flora throughout and gold designs around the rim and in center. The bottom reads: Gold Castle made in Occupied Japan...
Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic, Porcelain

Creamware Pair of English Flower Holders, 18th Century circa 1780
Located in Katonah, NY
WHY WE LOVE IT: One of our absolute favorites! A pair of 18th-century creamware flower holders complete with stands and covers made in England by Neale & Co. was one of the finest 18...
Category

Late 18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Creamware

Pair of 19th Century Meissen Busts
Located in London, GB
A fine pair of Meissen porcelain busts modelled as fine ladies in Elizabethan and late 18 century costume, Marie Antoinette and Elisabeth I, circa 1870 (crossed sword in blue undergl...
Category

Mid-19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Sevres Style Trio Jardinieres
Located in London, GB
An unusual trio of jardinière and cache-pots, in the Sevres style, hand-painted with love scenes after Watteau on one side whilst the other side is decorated with flower panels. Each...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Materials

Porcelain

Antique B&G 'Bing & Grondahl' Rare Biscuit Figure, Late 19th Century
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Antique B&G (Bing & Grondahl) Rare biscuit figure. Measures: 20 cm. x 11 cm. 1st. factory quality, in perfect condition. Marked, late 19th century.
Category

Late 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

J. Bromley for B&G "American Drummer Boy, 1st Maryland, circa 1776"
Located in Copenhagen, DK
J. Bromley for B&G "American Drummer Boy, 1st Maryland, circa 1776". A B&G bisquit figurine. No. 698/750. Measures: Height 38 c...
Category

20th Century Danish Neoclassical Ceramics

B&G / Bing & Grondahl Bisque Figure after Thorvaldsen, circa 1870
Located in Copenhagen, DK
B&G / Bing & Grondahl Bisque figure after Thorvaldsen, circa 1870. In good condition. Stamped: B & G Eneret (indistinct) Measures: 19 x 15.5 cm.
Category

1870s Danish Antique Neoclassical Ceramics

Antique Large Biscuit Figure of Semi-Nude Woman in Classical Style
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Antique large biscuit figure of semi-nude woman in classical style. Measures: 37 x 11 cm. Unstamped. In very good condition.
Category

Early 20th Century Neoclassical Ceramics

Neoclassical ceramics for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Neoclassical ceramics for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 18th Century and Earlier, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage ceramics created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Neoclassical ceramics made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Spain pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for ceramics differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,945 and tops out at $2,973 while the average work can sell for $2,459.

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