Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
As opposed to the styles that would follow from the other 18th-century French kings, Louis XV and Louis XVI, antique Louis XIV furniture is rigid and imposing. It expresses opulence — even its armchairs, with their upright backs, straight legs and lavish ornamentation, look like thrones. Authentic Louis XIV sofas, a then newly emerging iteration of seating, are fully upholstered and often feature decoratively carved frames of walnut, chestnut or oak.
When French King Louis XIV established his royal court at Versailles in 1682, he transformed what was once a hunting lodge into a palace that declared his wealth and power through its design. Until his death in 1715, he reigned with a spirit of excess and absolute political dominance. The “Sun King,” as he called himself, believed that France revolved around him as planets do the sun. Louis XIV adopted the sun as his emblem, decorating the grounds with symbols of the sun and Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. As he stated, “There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture.” He was a child when he became king in 1643, only shaping his style after he became absolute monarch in 1661.
Reflecting trends in French Baroque art, Louis XIV furniture characteristics included exuberant decoration. There were gilded bronze details including shells, suns, grotesques, lions and classical references like acanthus leaves. The years of growth in the country’s manufacturing, such as the tapestries and cabinets made at Gobelins, led to design innovations. The commode replaced the chest as a storage device, with drawers and a surface that could double as a desk.
The materials were luxurious, such as the popular tortoiseshell veneer technique that leading cabinetmaker Pierre Golle used in his designs. André-Charles Boulle, who became royal cabinetmaker in 1672, was a masterful artist of marquetry, using inlays of ebony, exotic woods and mother-of-pearl.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIV bedroom furniture, chairs, tables and other pieces on 1stDibs.
19th Century English Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze, Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
1970s Vintage Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut, Oak
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Fruitwood
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Kingwood
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
20th Century Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Ormolu
1780s French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Griotte Marble, Ormolu
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1870s French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
1740s French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Early 18th Century European Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Hardwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Late 20th Century Philippine Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Ormolu
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
1680s Italian Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
2010s British Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1720s French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut, Burl
1680s Italian Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Walnut
1680s Italian Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
1680s Italian Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany, Rosewood
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak