The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
Large Set of French Louis XV Style Porcelain Tableware with Pink and Blue
By Limoges
Located in Dallas, TX
A large set of French porcelain tableware in the Louis XV style with a white ground with pink and blue floral and gilt edging. This set consist of 26 9" plates, 15 8.25"plates, 11 ...
Porcelain
$10,007 / set
Porcelain dinner service. Michelaud Frères. Limoges
By Limoges
Located in MADRID, ES
A 55 piece Limoges porcelain dinner service by Michelaud Frères manufactory decorated with floral bouquets in the center of each piece and small floral sprays around the borders. Lob...
Porcelain
$7,163Sale Price|35% Off
20th Century French Marly 110 Pieces Silver Plated Cutlery Set by Christofle
By Christofle
Located in Sofia, BG
20th Century silver-plated Marly set by Christofle house. Brand new in original boxes, all are hallmarked and stamped. Perfect condition and full set. A 110-piece silver-plated flatw...
Metal
Early 20th Century 68 Pc Royal Bayreuth Beverly Floral Rose Dinnerware China Set
Located in Dayton, OH
Early to mid 20th century 68 piece dinnerware set by Royal Bayreuth in the Beverly pattern. White porcelain with a cream and blue border accented with golden brown oak leaves and pin...
Porcelain
Joan of Arc by International Sterling Silver Flatware Set 8 Service 64 Pieces
Located in Big Bend, WI
Inspired by the designs of the court of Louis XV, this sterling silver flatware pattern is as heroic and feminine as its namesake. Its traditional curves and contours are restrained by a modern touch, emphasizing the tapered slenderness of the graceful handles. The flatware's rococo scrolls and sculptured shell motif are delicately executed, while its ornamentation is rich and deep on both sides of each exquisite piece. Huge Joan of Arc by International...
Sterling Silver
Rare Early 19th Century Paris Botanical Pink Porcelain Service for 24
By Rihouet Rue de la Paix No.7
Located in Vista, CA
Exquisite collectors item, 24 plates and 2 footed stands, signed Rihouet Paris, circa 1818-1825. Superbly hand-painted pink border with gold edge and gold...
Porcelain
Joan of Arc by International Sterling Silver Flatware Set 8 Service 42 Pieces
Located in Big Bend, WI
Inspired by the designs of the court of Louis XV, this sterling silver flatware pattern is as heroic and feminine as its namesake. Its traditional curves and contours are restrained ...
Sterling Silver
$1,300 / set
H 15.75 in W 12 in D 1.5 in
Collection of 37 Bernardaud French Porcelain Tableware Pieces
By Bernardaud
Located in Astoria, NY
Collection of 37 Bernardaud French Porcelain Tableware Pieces, all marked and comprising: 6 bowls in the "Louvre" pattern, 12 dessert plates, 10 dinner plates and 1 glazed white porc...
Porcelain
$1,450 / set
H 1 in Dm 9.5 in
Collection of Five Fornasetti Porcelain Musical Instrument Tableware Pieces
By Fornasetti
Located in Astoria, NY
Collection of Five Fornasetti Porcelain Musical Instrument Tableware Pieces, comprising: (2) two "Instrumenti Musicali", plate and small dish, marked "Fornasetti Milano / Made in Ita...
Porcelain
$1,500 / set
H 0.5 in W 0.75 in D 9.25 in
Twenty-Two Piece Set of Sterling Silver and Ebony "Contrast" Flatware by Lunt
By Lunt Silver
Located in San Diego, CA
Gorgeous twenty-two piece set of sterling silver and ebony nylon "Contrast" flatware by Lunt Silver Co.., circa 1950s. The set is in very good vintage condition and is stamped on the...
Sterling Silver
$1,196Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.75 in W 8.25 in D 1.75 in
Christian F. Hiese 18 Piece Danish Arts & Crafts Sterling Silver Flatware Set
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This eighteen piece set of flaware was made by the well known Christian F. Hiese of Denmark in approximately 1905 in the period Arts and Crafts style. This hand hammered set is compo...
Sterling Silver
$9,850
H 18 in W 24 in D 24 in
A Fine Early 20th Century 152 Piece Austrian Flatware Set by Berndorf Alpacca
By Berndorfer Metallwarenfabrik
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Fine Early 20th Century 152 Piece Austrian Dinnerware Flatware Set by Berndorfer Metallwaaren-Fabrik, stamped 'Berndorf Alpacca', The Neoclassical Revival style set of Alpacca flatware comprising of: 12 Fish knives 12 Salad forks 12 Salad knives 12 Pasta spoons 12 Dessert spoons 12 Coffee spoons 12 Tea spoons 12 Ice-cream spoons 1 Ice thong 1 Soup ladle 1 Serving spoon 1 Salad spoon 1 Sauce/Gravy ladle 1 Meat carving knife 1 Meat carving fork 1 Salad fork All inside its original lined wooden storage-traveling cabinet. (See all images). Circa: Vienna, 1900-1930. The Alpacca alloy was developed in 1823 by the German chemist Dr. Ernst August Geitner (1783-1852). It was very similar in its appearance to silver, therefore, this new alloy was first called "Argentan". It consisted of 20% nickel, 55% copper and 25% zinc. The new silver-imitating alloy soon became very popular. The Gebrueder Henninger (Henninger Bros.) proposed a similar alloy (5-30% nickel, 45-70% copper and 8-45% zinc with trace amounts of lead, tin and iron) which they called "Neusilber". Later both Argentan and Neusilber were used under the trade name of Alpacca (or Alpakka). The great advantage of the use of Alpacca alloy as the base metal for silver plating is that the appearance of the objects does not change significantly with the wearing away of the silver layer and, unlike sterling silver, it does not require frequent polishing or cleaning due to tarnishing. The earliest known Berndorf Alpacca mark (No.1) was introduced around 1880 and used until 1891. I found it on the bottom of a 30 cl teapot bearing the inscription KRIEAU, which corresponds to the "Wiener Krieau", the famous race course in Vienna. The mark No.1 represents an oval of 3.0 x 3.6 mm size bearing the lettering "BMF ALPACCA" (which means Berndorfer Metallwaaren Fabrik or Berndorf Metalware Factory) with the "M" and "F" letters being fused. Inside the oval there is a profile of a walking bear looking down. This mark is quite rare. BIBLIOGRAPHY - Ingrid Haslinger, Tafelkultur Marke Berndorf, Das Niederoesterreichische Erfolgsunternehmen Arthur Krupps (Ketterl Verlag, Wien, 1998), pp.1-174, (in German). - Dedo von Kerssenbrock-Krosigk and Claudia Kanowski, Modern Art of Metallwork (Berlin: Broehan Museum, 2001), 1-598. - Musterbuch ueber Tafelgeraete in Alpacca-Silber I, Alpacca-Silber II und Alpacca, Unversilbert (Berndorfer Haus, Berlin, 1928), pp.1-53, (in German). - Waltraud Neuwirth, Bluehender Jugendstil Oesterreich, Band 2: Firmen und Marken [Art Nouveau in Blossom - Austria, Vol. 2: Companies and Marks]. Vienna: Selbstverlag Dr. Waltraud Neuwirth, 1991, 1-288 (in German). - David N. Nikogosyan, 2008, Marks of Silverplated Hollowware...
Alpaca, Wood
Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Tableware Dinner Service, Denmark 1961
Located in Delft, NL
Royal Copenhagen porcelain tableware dinner service, Denmark 1961 A Royal Copenhagen porcelain dinner service with pattern number 595, the floral golden basket Flowers in the ce...
Porcelain
Victorian Limoges Porcelain Dinner Service, 37 Pieces, 19th Century
By Limoges
Located in Queens, NY
37 Piece French Victorian Limoges porcelain dinner service with yellow border and floral trim (PRICED AS SET)
Porcelain
$2,401 / set
H 7.29 in W 1.38 in D 0.99 in
19th Century French Silver Vermeil Flatware Dessert Set for Six, 18 Pieces
Located in Madrid, ES
This charming 19th century French 18-piece cased dessert silverware / flatware set, with its unique, slightly grotesque satyr mask motif and warm ve...
Vermeil, Silver
$2,994 / set
H 1 in W 1 in D 1 in
Dax by Christofle France Silver Plated Flatware Set Service, 42 Pieces
By Christofle
Located in Big Bend, WI
Modern clean lines make this pattern forever timeless. Dinner size Dax by Christofle France silver plated flatware set, 42 pieces. This s...
Sterling Silver
$3,800 / set
H 0.79 in W 3.94 in D 0.79 in
Set of 12 Fine French Art Deco Silver Plated "Gallia" Knife Rests by Christofle
By Christofle, Gallia, Marcel Eduoard Sandoz
Located in Long Island City, NY
Set of 12 fine French Art Deco silver plated knife rests designed by Edouard-Marcel Sandoz for the Gallia collection of Christofle. All 12 animals are different. Original case. Aver...
Silver Plate
Wedgwood Porcelain Tableware Dinner Service For 12 People
By Wedgwood
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Beautiful Wedgwood porcelain tableware dinner service for twelve people with coffee serving set with hand painted design details. The service is in great condition. Maker's mark undersigned. Include 87 pieces all-together. 12 dinner plate 10 3/4" D. 12 Salad plate...
Gold
$6,354 / set
H 12 in W 18 in D 18 in
Marly by Christofle France Silverplate Flatware Service 12 Set 90 pcs Dinner
By Christofle
Located in Big Bend, WI
Created in 1897, this pattern owes its name to the Marly Chateau built near Paris by Louis XIV. Marly is one of the most elaborately decorated patterns of the collection; the fine ch...
Silver Plate
Lomonosov imperial tulip cobalt porcelain teaset 22 items
By Lomonosov
Located in Zemst, BE
Lomonosov 22 pce teaset Imperial Russian manufacturer St-Petersburg In a high qaulity fine porcelain; handpainted and 22 kt gold gilded 1 tea pot 1 milk jug or creamer 1 sugar bo...
Porcelain
A 19th Century Silver Gilt Cutlery Box by Odiot Orfèvre du Roy Paris
By Odiot
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
A 19th Century Silver Gilt Dessert and Cheese Service by Odiot Orfèvre du Roy Paris A 19th Century Silver Gilt 96 pieces Dessert and Cheese Service Two trays composed of 24 spoons, 24 forks and 48 knives Louis XV Style Each stamped ODIOT with silver marks In original wooden fitted case signed Odiot Orfèvre du Roy Paris Monogrammed Weight 3 kilograms Forks 18 cm, Knives 19,5 cm, Spoons 18 cm Case opened Height 35 cm Founded in 1690, Odiot is dedicated to the sale of gold and silver tableware but does not produce any. The first member of the family to become a goldsmith was Jean Baptiste Gas-pard during the reign of Louis XV, he was received master in 1720 and was recognized as one of the best goldsmiths of his time. From father to son, Jean-Claude Odiot then Pierre Odiot took over and perpetuated the family tradition. It is to Jean-Baptiste Claude received master in 1785 that it will belong to establish the real fortune of the house. It is he who elaborates the empire style in goldsmith-ery and it is he who is responsible for making according to the drawings of Prud'hon, the toilet service offered to Marie-Louise at her wedding with Napoleon in 1856, he will execute with Thomire the cradle of the king of Rome. His son Charles succeeded him, he became the official supplier of King Louis-Philippe and the Orleans...
Silver
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H 0.1 in W 0.1 in D 0.1 in
Joan of Arc by International Sterling Silver Flatware Set eight Service
Located in Big Bend, WI
Eight knives, 9 1/4" Eight forks, 7 3/8" Eight salad forks, 6 1/8" Eight teaspoons, 5 7/8" Eight place soup spoons, 6 5/8" Eight hollow handle butter spreaders, 5 7/8" Storage chest...
Sterling Silver
Meissen Early 19th Century Set of Six Gold-Plated Porcelain Dishes
Located in Brescia, IT
Set of six dessert dishes by Meissen manufacturer; everyone has a different hand-painted colored drawing; the richness of colors makes them modern and easy to combine with a set of c...
Porcelain
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H 0.1 in W 0.1 in D 0.1 in
Joan of Arc by International Sterling Silver Flatware Set Six Service 24 Pieces
Located in Big Bend, WI
Inspired by the designs of the court of Louis XV, this sterling silver flatware pattern is as heroic and feminine as its namesake. Its traditional curves and contours are restrained ...
Sterling Silver
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H 0.1 in W 0.1 in D 0.1 in
Joan of Arc by International Sterling Silver Flatware Service 8 Set 32 Pieces
Located in Big Bend, WI
Exuding strength and femininity like the heroine for whom it was named, this exceptional pattern is embellished with Rococo scrolls and a sculptured shell motif inspired by the court of Louis XV. Its traditional curves are restrained by a modern sensibility emphasized in the slender handles. The finely carved border gives way to a raised central panel for added dimension, and the ornamentation appears on both sides of each exquisite piece. Joan of Arc by International...
Sterling Silver
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H 0.1 in W 0.1 in D 0.1 in
Joan of Arc by International Sterling Silver Flatware Set eight Service
Located in Big Bend, WI
Eight knives, 9 1/4" Eight forks, 7 3/8" Eight salad forks, 6 1/8" Eight teaspoons, 5 7/8" Eight place soup spoons, 6 5/8" Eight hollow handle butter spreaders, 5 7/8" Storage chest...
Sterling Silver
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H 0.1 in W 0.1 in D 0.1 in
Joan of Arc by International Sterling Silver Flatware Set of 8 Service 40 Pieces
Located in Big Bend, WI
Eight knives, 9 1/8" Eight forks, 7 3/8" Eight salad forks, 6 1/8" Eight teaspoons, 5 7/8" Eight cream soup spoons, 6" Storage chest is not included. Excellent condition, not monog...
Sterling Silver
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H 0.1 in W 0.1 in D 0.1 in
Joan of Arc by International Sterling Silver Flatware Set 8 Service 42 Pieces
Located in Big Bend, WI
8 Knives 9 1/8", 8 Forks 7 3/8", 8 Salad forks 6 1/8", 8 Teaspoons 5 7/8", 8 Iced tea spoons 7 1/2", 1 Serving Spoon 8 3/8", 1 Flat Handle Master Butter 7" Includes Bonus br...
Sterling Silver
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H 0.1 in W 0.1 in D 0.1 in
Provence by Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Dinner Flatware Set 12 Service 67 Pcs
Located in Big Bend, WI
Provence (circa 1960). Provence was first made by Tiffany & Co. in 1960. Adapted from an eighteenth century French design, it is more restrained than most Louis XV patterns. Prov...
Sterling Silver
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H 0.1 in W 0.1 in D 0.1 in
Joan of Arc by International Sterling Silver Flatware Set of 12 Service
Located in Big Bend, WI
Inspired by the designs of the court of Louis XV, this sterling silver flatware pattern is as heroic and feminine as its namesake. Its traditional curves and contours are restrained by a modern touch, emphasizing the tapered slenderness of the graceful handles. The flatware's Rococo scrolls and sculptured shell motif are delicately executed, while its ornamentation is rich and deep on both sides of each exquisite piece. Joan of Arc by international...
Sterling Silver
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H 0.1 in W 0.1 in D 0.1 in
Joan of Arc by International Sterling Silver Dinner Size Set of 88 Pieces
Located in Big Bend, WI
Inspired by the designs of the court of Louis XV, this sterling silver flatware pattern is as heroic and feminine as its namesake. Its traditional curves and contours are restrained ...
Sterling Silver