Rococo Seating
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 and Earlier Italian Antique Rococo Seating
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Seating
Silk, Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Rococo Seating
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Seating
Linen, Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Rococo Seating
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century French Rococo Seating
Upholstery, Oak
1940s French Vintage Rococo Seating
Upholstery, Giltwood
Late 18th Century Portuguese Antique Rococo Seating
Upholstery, Oak
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Seating
Linen, Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Seating
Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Seating
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Seating
Beech
Late 20th Century Italian Rococo Seating
Cane, Wood, Wicker, Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Rococo Seating
Wood
1920s French Vintage Rococo Seating
Birch, Upholstery