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.
$60,509 / set
Pair of 18th Century Venetian Murano Glass Mirrors
Located in Benington, Herts
A Rare and Highly Significant Pair of 18th-Century Venetian Murano Girandole Mirrors Venice, circa 1730–1750 This exceptional pair of Venetian Murano girandole mirrors represents...
Murano Glass
Pair of 18th Century North Italian Rococo Giltwood Mirrors
Located in Berlin, DE
A pair of 18th century North Italian giltwood mirrors and former girandoles or sconces. Elaborately carved in symmetrical form with flowers, leaves, Ho Ho Birds, scrollwork and rocailles. A metal mount for the candle branches still attached at the bottom of the mirror. The mirror used...
Mirror, Giltwood
Pair of Italian Rococo Gray Painted and Silver Gilt Girandole Mirrors
Located in Essex, MA
Each with a double scroll crest with central opening with leaf, over a mirror plate within a carved frame, similarly carved base with three candle arms. Provenance; Henry Forbes Bige...
Other
Pair of 18th Century Venetian Giltwood Girandoles
Located in London, GB
A generously proportioned pair of 18th-century Venetian mirrors, each with a shaped mercury plate set within a carved and pierced giltwood frame, richly ornamented with scrolling aca...
Gesso, Mercury Glass, Giltwood
Pair of English Carved Rococo Cartouche Shaped Looking Glasses
Located in Greenwich, CT
A fine pair of English, carved rococo cartouche shaped looking glasses circa 1755 designed of c-scrolls and s-scrolls, crested with an acanthus spray, one scroll carved with egg and ...
Mercury Glass, Giltwood
$2,250 / set
Pair Of Italian Rococo Giltwood Mirrors
Located in Essex, MA
Each with original gilded surface. Originally had a single candle arm likely in brass.
Giltwood
Italian Rococo Style Giltwood Mirror
Located in Miami, FL
This exceptional antique Rococo style mirror of carved gilt wood is ornately framed and boasts floral motifs as well as a mischievous fores...
Mirror, Giltwood
$20,628 / set
Two Rococo Style Gilt and Silvered Metal Girandoles
Located in London, GB
These exquisite girandoles are designed in a graceful Rococo style. This style was fashionable in France in the 18th century, during the reign of Louis XV (1715-1774). Derived from t...
Metal
$3,400 / set
H 32 in W 18 in D 3.5 in
Pair of Louis XV Style Giltwood and Tole Girandoles Each with Two Candelabra
Located in Morristown, NJ
Late 19th c., shaped mirror glass framed by giltwood foliate scrolls. The particular shape with "Rocaille" friezes with floral motifs in Louis XV style is further embellished by the ...
Metal
$1,975 / item
H 31.25 in W 15.25 in D 7.5 in
19th C. French Baroque Carved Gilt Girandole Oval Sconce Mirror with Candelabra
Located in Doylestown, PA
Stunning antique carved gilt girandole mirror in the Baroque manner with two candelabra, France, ca. 1890. An oval form, beveled mirror framed by a robust and lavishly carved and mol...
Composition, Metal
Danish 18th Century Giltwood Rococo Mirror
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
The rectangular plate within a moulded frame carved with flower heads, surmounted by an elaborate pierced C-scroll cresting.
Wood
Pair of Georgian Carved "Stag" Giltwood Convex Mirrors, circa 1820
Located in Incline Village, NV
These are from the Thomas Devenish Collection (documented below; see provenance). This pair of mirrors represents the transition period of rococo to neoclassical aesthetic which cont...
Giltwood, Mirror
Pair of Italian 18th Century Rococo Style Giltwood Mirrors
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A very attractive pair of Italian 18th century Rococo st. giltwood mirrors. Each uniquely scaled mirror is set within a rectangular giltwood frame with ‘S’ scrolled draping floral ga...
Mirror, Giltwood
Pair Italian Baroque Girandoles or Mirrors
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a very unusual pair of late 17th or early 18th century Italian Baroque Girandoles. The girandoles feature a finely executed carved gilt wood frame that is surmounted by a fin...
Gold Leaf
19th Century English Giltwood Bullseye Mirror with Girandola arms
Located in Richmond, VA
Beautiful English convex mirror with girandole arms. Mirror i topped with a carved eagle and resting on leaf and floral carvings. Label on back indicating it was sold in Dover, E...
Mirror, Giltwood
$3,180 / set
H 31 in W 16 in D 5 in
Pair 19th C. French Rococo Style Silver Gilt Mirrors with Two Candlestick Arms
Located in Stamford, CT
Pair of French Rococo style girandoles, late 19th century, in fine silver-gilt, elegantly decorated with figural and scrolls, two candlestick-arms.
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century American Giltwood Convex Girandole Mirror
Located in Essex, MA
Period American Federal convex girandole mirror of monumental size. Giltwood with original gilding and mirror. New York.
Giltwood
$1,150 / set
H 22.5 in W 7.78 in D 3.13 in
Pair 19th Century Gilt Bronze Girandole Sconce Mirrors with Candelabra
Located in Doylestown, PA
Pair of narrow, rectangular gilt bronze girandoles with beveled mirror and twin candelabra, circa 1890. Ornately decorated frame with openwork of fleur-de-lis, renaissance architectu...
Bronze
$60,000 / set
H 38.5 in W 24.5 in D 8 in
Pair of American Eagle Gilt Carved Wood Girandole Mirrors, Circa 1800
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of American gilt carved wood girandole mirrors with flanking eagles on rock plinths perched to flee , upper and lower acanthus carved floral motif, ebonized reeded circular mold...
Bronze
Pair of Italian Rococo Giltwood Mirrors
Located in Essex, MA
With original gilding in cleaned restored retail condition. Arched open crest with scroll and flower decoration over a mirror plate set in a conforming frame with open carved ear...
Pine
A Pair of 19th Century Girondel Mirrors
Located in Shipston-On-Stour, GB
A pair of extremely attractive ornate wall sconces with mirrors in the Rococo style. The frames are highly decorative, featuring intricate floral and scroll motifs, gilded in a gold...
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique Gilt Gesso Girandole Mirror
Located in Bishop's Stortford, GB
A beautiful Antique Gilt Gesso Girandole Mirror in its original condition. Dating back to mid 19th Century. Foliate display around the frame and beaded edging each side with triple s...
Gesso, Giltwood
Pair, Italian Giltwood and Tole 3-Light Candle Sconce Mirrors
Located in Atlanta, GA
Italian, 20th century. A pair of vintage Italian made giltwood mirrors with a fine Rococo style frame, acanthus leaf carvings and three tole acanthus arms. Each arm is electrified w...
Giltwood
Pair of 19th Century 'Girandole' Italian Mirrored Wall Sconces
Located in Lincoln, GB
Pair of 19th century 'Girandole' Italian mirrored wall sconces Very beautiful brass 19th century Italian mirrored wall sconces in original condition with three arm candles. Bevelled mirrors A girandole from French, in turn from Italian girandola) is an ornamental branched candlestick or light fixture consisting of several lights, often resembling a small chandelier. Girandoles came into use about the second half of the 17th century, and were commonly made and used in pairs. A girandole has always been, comparatively speaking, a luxurious appliance for lighting, and in the great 18th-century period of French house decoration, the famous ciseleurs designed some exceedingly beautiful examples. A great variety of metals have been used for the purpose. Sometimes, as in the case of candlesticks, girandoles have been made in hardwoods. Gilded bronze has been a very frequent medium, but for table use silver is still the favorite material. Girandoles, or lighting devices, have also been attached to looking glasses and furniture. Some popular mirrors, especially the convex style, and some large dressing...
Brass
Sold
H 13.98 in W 8.47 in D 1.58 in
Pair of Antique French Rococo Cherub Brass Girandole Mirrors Candelabra Sconces
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this pair of signed CD Antique French Rococo Cherub Girandole wall light sconces A very good looking, decorative an...
Brass
Sold
H 32 in W 21.25 in D 3.5 in
Southern Italian, Calabria, Rococo Pair of Giltwood Mirrors, 1st half 18th cen.
Located in Atlanta, GA
this pair of elegant and decorative mirrors are finely carved of gilded wood, the carvings are leaf and vine forms, the bottoms of the mirrors having two original candle holder rest...
Giltwood
Sold
H 37.41 in W 20.08 in D 7.88 in
Antique Girandole Gilt Gesso Mirror, Wall, Vanity, Rococco, Late Georgian c.1800
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique girandole mirror dating to the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, circa 1800. A super example, this wall mirror is fra...
Gesso
Pair of Italian Rococo Giltwood Mirrors
Located in Essex, MA
Cartouche shape with leaf crest and mirror palate set in a carved frame with trellis and leaf decoration. Removed from a Bellevue Ave Newport estate occupied by the family for about ...
Wood
Rococo Girandole Meissen Mirror in Enameled Porcelain and Crushed Velvet
By Carl Teichert Meissen
Located in View Park, CA
Baroque / Rococo girandole mirror / candelaria combo in Meissen enameled porcelain and gray crushed velvet. My wild guess is that the mirror portion is ...
Gold Plate
Sold
H 29 in W 15.75 in D 3.5 in
Pair of 18th Century Italian Rococo Giltwood Mirrors with Original Glass
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of Louis XIV mirrors, each having a shield-form mirrorplate in a carved and gilded wood molded frame decorated with combing, C-scrolls, and rosettes, their pediments carved with...
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 18th Century Antique Girandole Gilt Gesso Mirror
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique girandole mirror dating to the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, circa 1800. A super example, this wall mirror is fra...
Gesso
Pair of Rococo Giltwood Girondoles
Located in Greenwich, CT
Fine pair of Georgian style carved and giltwood girondoles profusely carved with foliage and having shaped border plates, the two sconce arms with cast brass foliate candle sockets, ...
Brass