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Directoire Lighting

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
Pair of French 19th Century Chandeliers in the Directoire Style
Located in New Orleans, LA
Pair of French 19th century Directoire tole, iron and crystal chandeliers with crystal drapes hanging from plumes at top, and unusual square cut crystals around the center ring, with...
Category

19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Iron

Rare Pair of French 18th c. Tole Lamps
Located in Greenwich, CT
Rare pair of Directoire period Bouillotte tole lamps in original black and gilt lacquer paint, having swan handles, vasiform bodies and plinth base, now electrified (fitted to inside...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Tin

Set of Four Vintage French Brass Lyre Sconces
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This set of four, vintage 20th century French sconces are full of historic details referencing Directoire and Neoclassical themes. Cast in heavy, high-quality brass they are a beauti...
Category

20th Century French Directoire Lighting

Materials

Brass, Wire

Pair of Late 18th Century Gilt Bronze and Marble Candelabra
Located in Paris, FR
Pair of gilded and sculpted bronze candelabra with four branches each. The branches curve to form trumpets and foliated scrollwork on one end and sockets on the other end. The socket...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Pair of French Directoire Style Crystal Two-Light Sconces with Rosette Motifs
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of French Directoire style two-light wall sconces from the 20th century with bronze armature, crystal rosettes and obelisk motifs. This exquisite pair of French Directoire sty...
Category

20th Century French Directoire Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

Maison Jansen Style Brass Arrow Directoire Lamp
Located in Stamford, CT
1960s Maison Jansen style brass Directorie style lamp. Brass retains overall unpolished patina. No makers mark or signature. Newly rewired with brown silk braided cord. Original dou...
Category

1960s French Vintage Directoire Lighting

Materials

Brass

Directoire Style Lamp in Glass and Gilt Bronze, 1950s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Directoire style lamp in large candleholder shape in glass and gilt bronze. Fluted baluster shape shaft in polished transparent glass topped by a capital in braided basket shape. It ...
Category

1950s European Vintage Directoire Lighting

Materials

Glass

French 19th Century Green Painted Metal And Brass Table Lamp For Candlestick
Located in Copenhagen, K
French 19th Century Green Painted Metal And Brass Table Lamp With Candle Holder
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Metal, Brass

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 Lighting

Materials

Brass

Mid-19th Century Bouliotte Lamp, Three Socket Candle Cluster and Tole Shade
Located in San Francisco, CA
Mid-19th century French bouliotte lamp. Painted tole shade. Excellent scale and design, circa 1840-1860 in the Directoire style The open work basket form base was used to retain the...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze, Tin

Pair of French Directoire Style Brass Lyre Wall Sconces
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of French Directoire-style (20th century) brass wall sconces with three arms, lyre design, and eagle head details (priced as pair).     
Category

20th Century Directoire Lighting

Materials

Metal, Brass

Pair of David Duncan Studio Sage Boissy II Light Sconces
Located in New York, NY
A directoire-inspired hand-carved, diamond shaped backplate in mahogany available with wood, painted or guilt finishes. The eight point star-shaped backplate designed for single or d...
Category

2010s Directoire Lighting

Materials

Blown Glass, Wood

Maison Jansen, Pair of Directoire Style Wall Sconces Gilt and Silver Brass 1970s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Maison Jansen, in the taste of. Pair of Directoire style gilt and silver brass wall sconces with four arm lights. Chandelle shaft topped by an ancient covered vase and finished by...
Category

1970s European Vintage Directoire Lighting

Materials

Brass

20th Century French Directoire Style Crystal Chandelier
Located in Atlanta, GA
Refined and beautifully composed, this 20th-century French chandelier is a striking example of Directoire Revival style—where neoclassical clarity meets understated elegance. Its gra...
Category

20th Century French Directoire Lighting

Materials

Crystal

Pair of French 19th Century Directoire St. Limoges Porcelain and Ormolu Lamps
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A most elegant pair of French 19th century Directoire st. Limoges porcelain and ormolu lamps. Each lamp is raised by a fine square ormolu base with a lovely beaded wrap around band. ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Ormolu

1960s Montgolfier Tole Toleware Chandelier (Two Available)
Located in London, GB
1960s Montgolfier tole chandelier (two available). Gorgeous hand-painted, three-arm Italian ceiling light based on the Montgolfier Brothers' hot-air balloon design. Decorated in the...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Directoire Lighting

Materials

Tôle

French 19th century Directorate st. patinated Bronze and Ormolu chandelier
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An elegant and most decorative French 19th century Directorate st. patinated Bronze and Ormolu chandelier. This beautiful six arm chandelier is centered by an Ormolu acorn bottom fin...
Category

19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Antique Italian Silver Gilt Metal Chandelier, 1920s
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique Italian silver gilt metal chandelier. It includes 4 lights with Austrian crystal bobeches and prisms. Additional information: Materials: crystal, lights, silver Color: s...
Category

20th Century Directoire Lighting

Materials

Metal

19th Century French Directoire Hand Painted Tole Table Lamp
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a table or a buffet with this elegant antique tole lamp. Crafted in France, circa 1870, Resting on a round base, the lamp showcases finely hand-painted scenes with charming ...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Tôle

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 Lighting

Materials

Steel

Pair of Gustavian Girandoles, 3 Lights, Faceted Blue Crystal. , Sweden 19th
Located in Paris, FR
Pair of Swedish Gustavian style girandoles with three lights. The large crystal dagger cut with scratches bears at its top an arrow surmounted by a very luminous lens. It rests on a...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

1900s Austrian Ceiling Chandelier 14 Lights, Burnished Bronze Swarovsky Crystal
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Important Austrian ceiling chandelier with 14 lights in burnished bronze and gilded, with original Swarovsky pendants, late 19th century.
Category

Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Directoire Style Crystal Chandelier
Located in Houston, TX
The 19th-century Directoire Style Crystal Chandelier is a masterpiece of elegance and opulence, epitomizing the design sensibilities of the era. Suspended from a gilded bronze canopy...
Category

19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Metal

Set of Four Late 18th Century Neoclassical Ormolu Wall Sconces
By François Rémond
Located in Essex, MA
Rare Set of Four Period French Directoire or Le Premier Empire Sconces. Two arm wall lights in the Late 18th Century Neoclassical form. Dull and Burnished Fire Gilding. Extreme de...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Ormolu

Pair of Directoire Lion Mask Sconces of Bronze
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Very fine pair of sconces, of gilt bronze and partial painted finish, each concave hexagonal backplate divided by a vertical arrow, and centered by a lion mask, its teeth holding two...
Category

Early 20th Century French Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

French Empire Style Bronze Chandelier With Arrows
Located in Houston, TX
French Empire Style Bronze Chandelier With Arrows. This stunning French Empire style or Directoire style gilt bronze and patinated bronze quive...
Category

1920s French Vintage Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

French Directoire Style Gilt and Patina Bronze Chandelier W/ Arrows, Early 20th
Located in Charleston, SC
Regal Directoire style chandelier was made in France in the Early 20th Century. The Classical Bronze Chandelier has an open work cylinder cage made out of eight two-tone Arrows with Patinated Shafts mounted with Gilt Quills and Arrowheads mounted to two Gilt Reeded Bronze Rings. There are eight two-tone S-curved Candelabra Arms mounted in between each Arrow. The S-curved two-tone Foliated Candelabra Arms are mounted to the lower gilt reeded ring...
Category

Early 20th Century French Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Fine Quality Bronze Brass Metal Tole Painted Bouillotte Table Lamp
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Measures 26.5 tall x 13 in diameter. Good used condition. No major issues. Dates to the 1920-30s era and is French.
Category

1930s French Vintage Directoire Lighting

Materials

Metal, Brass, Bronze

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 Lighting

Materials

Brass, Steel

Set of Four Cast Bronze Bows and Tassels Sconces, circa 1900
Located in Firenze, Toscana
Rare set of four. Housing two-light each, Will be rewired with certified UL US sockets for the USA, appropriate sockets for all other countries and ready to hang. Heavy bronze with g...
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Set of 4 French Mid-Century Brass Mirrored Two Arm Wall Sconces
Located in Queens, NY
Set of 4 French Directoire style (mid-20th Century) bronze wall sconces with fleur-de-lis motif, central circular mirror, and two electrified lights with bronze colored fabric and th...
Category

20th Century Unknown Directoire Lighting

Materials

Metal, Brass

French Directoire Style Iron and Crystal Chandelier with Blue Crystal Feathers
Located in Dallas, TX
A French Directoire style iron and crystal chandelier with blue feather shaped crystals. This chandelier is very decorative and a nice scale.
Category

20th Century French Directoire Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Iron

19th Century Pair of French Directoire Bronze Dore Bird and Arrow Wall Sconces
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of French Directoire-style (19th Century) bronze dore wall scoces with two arms, a double wreath design, and bird head and arrow details. (PRICED AS Pa...
Category

19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

French Directoire Style Brass Lyre Wall Sconces
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of French Directoire-style (20th Century) brass wall sconces with three arms, lyre design, and eagle head details (PRICED AS PAIR)
Category

Mid-20th Century Directoire Lighting

Materials

Brass

Late 18th Century French Metal Lamp
By Maison de L'Aluminium
Located in Copenhagen, K
Converted oil lamp from "Maison de Laluminium" in Paris. Very nice ornamented bronze, brass and metal lamp.
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Brass, Bronze, Metal

French 18th Century Ormolu and Crystal Chandelier
Located in Florence, Tuscany
Exquisite French Directoire period, chandelier dated to the end of 18th century. The lower Montgolfier is centered by a richly chased acorn finial amidst foliate. Main band, supporti...
Category

1790s French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Ormolu

Large Pair of French Gilt Dore Bronze Figural Bow Top Four-Light Wall Sconces
Located in Roslyn, NY
A palatial pair of French doré bronze four-light bow top and tassle wall sconces, newly wired.
Category

19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Ormolu

19th Century French Directoire Hand Painted Green and Black Tole Table Lamp
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a table with this elegant antique tole lamp. Crafted in France circa 1840, the light fixture with new wiring sits on a square base over a ta...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Tôle

A pair of large green Lanterns , Classic Baltic style crystal and gilt bronze
Located in Paris, FR
A pair of large Neo classical Lanterns in Baltic Directoire style, 4 lights, clear crystal bowl, overcome by a green crystal disc , gilt bronze fixings with foliage and grapes moti...
Category

1990s Baltic Directoire Lighting

Materials

Crystal

19th Century French Directoire Hand Painted Green and White Tole Table Lamp
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a table or a buffet with this elegant antique tole lamp; crafted in France, circa 1840, the lamp sits on a square base, and features hand pa...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Tôle

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 Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Large Neoclassic Chandelier in Ostankino Palace style, blue crystal , 18 lights
By Johann Zech
Located in Paris, FR
One of the most elegant exemple of Baltic-style large Palace Chandelier. Fountains crystal falls respond harmoniously to fire gilt bronze leaves and graceful cobalt blue central vase...
Category

1790s Baltic Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

Directoire Style Gilt Bronze Sconce by Gherardo degli Albizzi
Located in Florence, Tuscany
This French Directoire style sconce features top-quality chiselled bronze, with many vivid details. On the top of this sconce, there is a trident sided by two swan's wings. The body ...
Category

2010s Italian Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Directoire Style Gilt Bronze Three-Light Sconce by Gherardo degli Albizzi
Located in Florence, Tuscany
This French Directoire style sconce features top-quality chiselled bronze, with many vivid details typical of the end of the 18th century. At the top, there is a staple, a typical el...
Category

2010s Italian Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Directoire Style Gilt Bronze Two-Light Sconce by Gherardo degli Albizzi
Located in Florence, Tuscany
This French Directoire style sconce features top-quality chiselled bronze, with many vivid details typical of the end of the 18th century. At the top, there is a staple, a typical el...
Category

2010s Italian Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Pair of French 19th Century Tole Wall Jardinieres Wired as Wall Sconces
Located in Dallas, TX
A pair of French 19th century painted and parcel-gilt tole wall jardinieres wired as wall sconces.
Category

19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Tôle

Bronze Dore and Cobalt Chandelier
Located in Stamford, CT
A doré bronze and cobalt chandelier with a three-feather, circular design in the Russian or Directoire style.
Category

Late 20th Century European Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Early 19th Century Directoire Four-Light Sconces
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Superb Pair of Directoire Sconces, Early 19th century.
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Lighting

Materials

Bronze

French antique chandelier quinquet 5 lights painted tole 19th directoire empire
Located in Den Haag, NL
Antique French Empire Directoire green tole paint Four lights chandelier. Great color and detail with gold plated stencils. Dating from the middle of the 20th century
Category

1950s French Vintage Directoire Lighting

Materials

Sheet Metal

Directoire lighting for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Directoire lighting for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage lighting created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Directoire lighting made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original lighting, popular names associated with this style include Gherardo Degli Albizzi, Maison de L'Aluminium, and Philippe Barbier. 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 lighting differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $431 and tops out at $61,889 while the average work can sell for $3,850.

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