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Directoire Floor Lamps

DIRECTOIRE STYLE

Formed in the wake of the Jacobin Reign of Terror’s bloody guillotine, the Directoire was established to lead France into order through the leadership of a five-member council of directors. It was brief, lasting only from 1795 to 1799, ending with Napoléon Bonaparte’s coup d’état, and was economically tumultuous. Yet it was an essential bridge between the era of Louis XVI and the elaborate Empire style that followed, with Directoire furniture and decorative arts shaped by a royal passion for classical design and an enthusiasm for postrevolutionary France.

Much of the country’s furniture production had halted during the French Revolution when the furniture guilds system was abolished, but during the Directoire period, the cabinetmakers restarted their businesses, such as François-Honoré-Georges and Jacob-Desmalter who established a new workshop called Jacob-Frères. Pieces made in walnut, elm, mahogany and other inexpensive materials incorporated influences ranging from Egypt to Pompeii, with popular forms including the curule armchair based on an ancient Roman design. The aesthetics of the transitional style were more austere than during the monarchy, with court cabinetmaker Jean-Baptiste Sené, for instance, reimagining his workshop’s neoclassical-style furniture with ungilded surfaces and a reduction of ornamentation.

Symbols referencing the revolutionary tenets of liberty, equality and fraternity were frequently carved into Directoire furnishings, such as the Phrygian cap, clasped hands and the fasces, which is an image of a bound bundle of sticks adopted from the Roman Republic, where it was seen as an emblem of strength through unity.

Elements of the French Directoire style continued through Empire style. Designers Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine are credited today as major proponents of both movements. The classically inspired furniture design is represented in pieces such as the boat-shaped daybed and the klismos chair, which endured in French interiors as well as in styles abroad, including American Directoire.

Find a collection of antique ​​Directoire chairs, tables, daybeds, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Directoire
French Vintage Directoire Steel Floor Lamp with Feather Shade
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Fantastic floor lamp having a sleek Directoire steel base on 3 elegant legs and a handmade one of a kind shade dreamily adorned with authentic brown a...
Category

1910s French Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

Materials

Steel

Pair of Maison Jansen Style Brass and Steel Floor Lamps
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is beautiful paid of steel and brass floor lamps in the style of Andre Arbus or Maison Janse with arrows and brass ormolu. Measures 66.75 tall x 21 x 21 and dates to the 1980s era.
Category

1980s European Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

Materials

Brass, Steel

French Directoire Mahogany and Brass Mounted Floor Lamp with Shelves
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a superb and very rare Directoire style brass mounted fluted floor lamp. The lamp is French and is in good antique condition. Measures 57.75 tall x 18.5 wide x 18.5 deep. Dat...
Category

1950s French Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

Materials

Brass

French Gilt Bronze Floor Lamp after Maison Charles
Located in New York, NY
French gilded bronze floor lamp after Maison Charles.
Category

1940s French Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

Materials

Bronze

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1970s Vintage Chrome "Eyeball" Shade Floor Lamp with 3 Shades
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Mid-20th Century American Directoire Floor Lamps

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A pair of gilt bronze floor lamps by Maison Bagues. France - 1950s
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
A pair of gilt bronze floor lamps by Maison Bagues, dating from the 1950s, featuring a magnificent "faux bamboo" design that illustrates the elegance and craftsmanship of this renown...
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1950s French Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

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French Mid-Century Brass and Wood Floor Lamp
Located in London, GB
A brass and wooden floor lamp, naturally patinated. France, c1950s. Heavy and good quality. Tripod feet. Natural patination which could be made shinier depending on t...
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Mid-20th Century European Directoire Floor Lamps

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French Mid-Century Brass and Wood Floor Lamp
French Mid-Century Brass and Wood Floor Lamp
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H 20.87 in W 13 in D 13 in
Brutalist Brass Palm Tree Floor Lamp 1970 Hollywood Regency Maison Jansen Style
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This extravagant brass palm tree floor lamp, imported from Spain, is a stunning and highly rare example of design at the meeting point of brutalism and Hollywood Regency opulence. Or...
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1970s Spanish Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

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A gilt bronze floor lamp by Maison Bagues. France - 1950s
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Pair of Maison Jansen Floor Lamps
Located in Miami, FL
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20th Century French Directoire Floor Lamps

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Pair of Maison Jansen Floor Lamps
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H 66 in Dm 17 in
French 1940s Brass and Bronze Floor Lamp with Hand Finished Patina
Located in Buchanan, NY
French 1940s Brass and Bronze Floor Lamp This elegant French floor lamp from the 1940s embodies timeless sophistication. Constructed from turned and cast bronze components, it featu...
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1940s French Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

Materials

Brass, Bronze

1940s French Neoclassical style brass floor lamp, Maison Jansen
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This very elegant neoclassical style floor lamp is made of brass with a fluted center part on a tripode base. This is a French work attributed to Maison Jansen. Circa 1940
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1940s French Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

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Brass

1940s French Neoclassical style brass floor lamp, Maison Jansen
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$2,328 Sale Price
30% Off
H 64.97 in Dm 21.66 in
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Located in Lisboa, PT
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1960s French Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

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French Sculptural Floor Lamp "Ruban" By Jacques Charles for Maison Charles
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Chrome and Brass French Floor Lamp Geometric Base
Located in Chicago, IL
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1970s Italian Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

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Chrome and Brass French Floor Lamp Geometric Base
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$1,440 Sale Price
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H 69.5 in W 11.5 in D 11.5 in
Art Deco, Mahogany, Bronze, Floor Lamp with Shelves, USA, 1940s
Located in Manhasset, NY
Art Deco, Mahogany, Bronze, Modern Floor Lamp with Shelves, USA, 1940s A modernist Art Deco style Mahogany and bronze floor lamp likely designed and produced in the United States c....
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1940s American Vintage Directoire Floor Lamps

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Bronze

Previously Available Items
Antique French Directoire Style Floor Lamp W/ Table And Candelabra
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is an antique French Directoire style floor lamp with side table. The wiring is new. The shade is included. The metal stem is adjustable. It is carved mahogany and in very good ...
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Early 20th Century French Directoire Floor Lamps

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Mid-20th Century, French Brass and Wood Floor Lamp on Paw Feet
Located in Dallas, TX
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Directoire floor lamps for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Directoire floor lamps for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage floor lamps created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Directoire floor lamps made in a specific country, there are Europe, and France 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 floor lamps differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,850 and tops out at $6,350 while the average work can sell for $4,100.

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