Rococo Lighting
Rococo was an aesthetic movement in the fine and decorative arts in the 18th century that found its inspiration in nature and fostered an overall lightness and delicacy of form, construction and ornament in interior design. Rococo furniture, while greatly influenced by trends in Italy and Germany, is often called Louis XV style — the movement having reached its best expression during that sybaritic French king’s reign.
The term “rococo” is thought to be a portmanteau of the French words rocaille and coquilles — “rock” and “shells” — organic motifs frequently used in architecture and design of the style.
When it comes to authentic Rococo furniture's characteristics, it is above all sensuous and social. The furniture of earlier eras in Europe had been heavy in every sense; the Rococo period saw the appearance of light-framed upholstered armchairs, side chairs and occasional tables that could easily be moved to form conversational circles.
The signal detail of Rococo furniture design is the gently curved cabriole, or S-shaped chair-, table-, and cabinet-leg. It imitates the bend of a tree limb or a flower stem. In a further reference to nature, furnishings were often asymmetrical and painted white, or in soft, pastel shades. Rococo has become a timeless style, and as the furniture pieces presented on 1stDibs demonstrate, its playful, sculptural forms can provide visual excitement to contemporary, clean-lined spaces.
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Leaf, Metal
Late 18th Century Austrian Antique Rococo Lighting
Crystal, Iron
18th Century English Antique Rococo Lighting
Metal
Late 18th Century French Antique Rococo Lighting
Crystal, Bronze
1680s French Antique Rococo Lighting
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Wood
18th Century English Antique Rococo Lighting
Bronze
Mid-18th Century Austrian Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Plate
Mid-18th Century European Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Plate, Bronze
Mid-18th Century Antique Rococo Lighting
Crystal, Wrought Iron
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Metal, Silver Leaf
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Leaf
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Metal, Gold Leaf
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Leaf, Metal
18th Century French Antique Rococo Lighting
Brass
Mid-18th Century Antique Rococo Lighting
Crystal, Wrought Iron
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Giltwood
Mid-18th Century Antique Rococo Lighting
Crystal, Brass
1750s Austrian Antique Rococo Lighting
Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Leaf, Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Leaf
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Silver Leaf, Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Silver Plate, Metal
1780s Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Giltwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Silver, Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Leaf, Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Leaf, Metal
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Leaf, Metal
Late 18th Century French Antique Rococo Lighting
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Gold Leaf, Metal
18th Century Spanish Antique Rococo Lighting
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Tin
Late 18th Century German Antique Rococo Lighting
Ormolu, Bronze
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Wood
1750s Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Giltwood
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Wood, Paint
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Wood, Paint
18th Century French Antique Rococo Lighting
Goatskin, Wood
1760s French Antique Rococo Lighting
Other
18th Century and Earlier Dutch Antique Rococo Lighting
Faience
18th Century and Earlier European Antique Rococo Lighting
Brass
18th Century and Earlier Danish Antique Rococo Lighting
Brass
18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Crystal
18th Century French Antique Rococo Lighting
Giltwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Lighting
Silver Leaf