Louis XIV Cupboards
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.
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Iron
1690s French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Brass
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Brass
17th Century Swiss Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Walnut
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Olive, Walnut, Pine, Yew
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Ormolu
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Walnut
Mid-17th Century Dutch Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Steel
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Cherry
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Paint, Pine
Early 19th Century Welsh Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Mother-of-Pearl, Oak
19th Century English Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Pine
1930s American Vintage Louis XIV Cupboards
Brass
Early 19th Century British Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Mahogany
1820s German Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Pine, Paint
1890s Austrian Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Fir
1930s British Vintage Louis XIV Cupboards
Pine
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Glass, Pine
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Glass, Oak, Paint
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Olive, Walnut, Pine, Yew
1910s French Vintage Louis XIV Cupboards
Brass
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Iron
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Walnut
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Iron
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Cupboards
Iron
1890s Belgian Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Glass, Oak
1920s French Vintage Louis XIV Cupboards
Iron
1920s French Vintage Louis XIV Cupboards
Marble, Ormolu
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Cupboards
Walnut