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Louis XIV Desks

LOUIS XIV STYLE

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.

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Style: Louis XIV
Late 19th Century Italian Walnut Burl Inlaid Louis XIV Secretary Drop Leaf Desk
Located in Encinitas, CA
Late 19th Century Italian Walnut Burl Inlaid Louis XIV Secretary Drop Leaf Desk. Trim three-drawer bureau chest featuring secretary drop lid with lock and key revealing small drawers and compartments. Beautiful walnut veneers and solids with rosewood inlaid detail. Handsome hardware, hinges and pulls. Lock and key. Due to the curved shape of the desk and components, some measures are a close approximation. Exterior measures of the desk: 39" W x 20.5" D x 40.75" H 99.1 cm W x 52 cm D x 103.5 cm H Opened drop lid desk...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Walnut

Louis XV Desk "Bureau De Pente" , Yellow Birch, 18Th Century.
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Just in, this French Louis XV Slope Desk "Bureau De Pente" ,in natural Yellow Birch, . This French Provençal desk, also called Secretaire Abattant or f...
Category

Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Wood

Large Gilded Bronze Clock with Louis XIV Figure, 18th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Large gilded bronze clock with Louis XIV figure. Mechanism working with a pendulum and original key End 18th century beginning 19th century...
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18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Bronze

French 19th Century Louis XIV Style Mahogany & Brass Inlay Secretary Boulle Desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A fine and rare French 19th century Louis XIV style mahogany and brass inlaid drop-front freestanding secretary desk in the manner of André-Charles Boulle. The slender mahogany body ...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Brass, Bronze

French Louis XIV Style Leather Top Desk with Brass Mounts
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Made in France. A Louis XV style desk with brown tooled leather shaped top and brass banded edge with shell form mounts on the corners. The dark wood frame with lighter wood for the ...
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Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Brass

French 19th Century Louis XIV St. Ebony, Ormolu, Pewter and Tortoiseshell Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A stunning and rare French 19th century Louis XIV St. ebony, ormolu, pewter, and tortoiseshell Boulle Bureau Mazarin desk. The seven drawers, one door d...
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19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Ormolu, Pewter

A Louis XIV Style Bureau Plat By Cueunières, Paris, After the Model by Cressent
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Louis XIV Style Gilt-Bronze Mounted Mahogany Bureau Plat, By Cueunières, Paris. After the Model by Charles Cressent. Stamped to underside 'L. CUEUNIERES JNE / ÉBÉNISTE' The orig...
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19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Ormolu

Diminutive French Louis XIV Style Walnut Writing Table Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Charming 19th century French writing table or desk made in a diminutive scale or ladies bureau plat size. Crafted in the grand Louis XIV taste from walnu...
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19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Brass

Italian 19th Century Louis XIV Style Ebony Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome Italian mid-19th century Louis XIV style ebony desk. The desk is raised by eight square tapered leg with mottled designs and bone inlays of winged figures above foliate designs. The legs are joined by a triple H designed stretcher with a central upholstered footrest...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Ebony

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Ebonized desk with compartments on either side. Central drawer decorated with a cherub. Marble inlay. Leather top.
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19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

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SALE 19th Century French Louis XVI Mahogany Inlaid Ladies Desk Brass Ornaments
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This is a beautiful antique French mahogany inlaid Ladies writing desk made circa 1890. The fall front opens to reveal an interior of leather writing surface, and bank of three drawe...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

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Mahogany

Georgian 18th Century Mahogany Bureau
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
An 18th Century Georgian Mahogany Bureau Having Well Figured Fall Flap Above Four Long Drawers With Original Water Gilt Handles Raised On Original Bracket Feet (Typical of the lat...
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Mid-18th Century English Antique Louis XIV Desks

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Mahogany

French 19th Century Walnut Secretary
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A wonderful walnut secretary desk. The desk can be separated into two bodies: the lower writing surface, and the upper glass-front cabinet. The writing surface is covered in beautifu...
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19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

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Walnut

French 19th Century Walnut Secretary
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H 71 in W 44.75 in D 24.75 in
18th Century walnut bureau
Located in Martlesham, GB
A lovely quality 18th Century walnut bureau, having a lovely figured fall which opens to reveal a wonderful fitted interior consisting of various drawers and compartments, a green le...
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1780s British Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Walnut

18th Century walnut bureau
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H 35 in W 27 in D 17.5 in
Early 19th Century French Empire Flame Mahogany Drop Front Secretary Desk
Located in Miami, FL
Classic antique Early 19th Century French Empire drop front secretary desk made with magnificent high quality flame mahogany adorned with bronze doré mounts and its original gray mar...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

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Bronze

French Louis XV Style Desk with Leather Writing Pad, Black with Brass Accents
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XV style desk, with leather writing pad top, from the 19th century. This antique table from France has been designed in the Louis XV...
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19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Leather, Wood

French 19th Century Louis XIII Style Desk
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This French hand carved desk has an angular shaped top over a single drawer in the apron. Four striking and stylized turned legs are connected by a similar stretcher. Cleaned and pol...
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19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Mahogany

Rococo 18th century Swedish yew and elm bureau desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Rococo 18th century yew and elm bureau desk circa 1750. Stunning swedish rococo period bombe shaped bureau.   Beautifully made from yew wood and elm, using various techniques such a...
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Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Elm, Yew

19th Century French Boulle Louis XVI Style Mazarin / Desk
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A fine quality 19th century French Boulle Mazarin desk, having wonderful classical scrolling decoration and subjects inlaid in brass and tortoiseshell t...
Category

19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Brass

18th Century French Louis XVI Writing Desk
Located in Bradenton, FL
Handsome late 18th Century French Louis XVI style writing desk with leather insert on top. Desk features a middle drawer, with three drawers on left and three drawers on right side. ...
Category

18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Wood

18th Century French Louis XVI Writing Desk
18th Century French Louis XVI Writing Desk
H 30.5 in W 51 in D 27.75 in
19th Century French Provincial Fruitwood Writing Table Desk
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Diminutive size 19th century French provincial writing table or desk. The table is constructed from fruitwood with a warm patina and lovely wood grain patterns. Fronted by a single s...
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19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Fruitwood

Previously Available Items
French Louis XIV Style Mahogany & Figural Ormolu Leather Top Three-Drawer Desk
Located in Big Flats, NY
***Reduced In-House Delivery Rates - Click on “Ask Seller” to Request a Quote*** French Louis XIV Style Rosewood Inlaid Mahogany & Figural Ormolu Leather Top Three-Drawer Desk 20thC...
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20th Century Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Ormolu

Antique Louis XIV Kingwood, Ormolu & Burl Ladies Desk with Rear Tower C1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
***Reduced In-House Delivery Rates - Click on “Ask Seller” to Request a Quote*** Antique Louis XIV Kingwood, Ormolu & Burl Ladies Desk with Rear Tower & Writing Slide-Out C1890 Mea...
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19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

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Ormolu

French 17th Century Desk
Located in Stockbridge, GA
Exceptional desk made of walnut with a wonderful carvings used by the age. The height from the floor to the base of the center drawer is 25''H.
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Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Walnut

French 17th Century Desk
French 17th Century Desk
H 31.5 in W 73.35 in D 29.5 in
Antique desk, Western Europe, around 1900.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique desk from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The furniture is in very good condition, after professional renovation. Dimensions: height 79 cm / width 131 cm / depth 7...
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Early 1900s German Antique Louis XIV Desks

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Walnut

Antique desk, Western Europe, around 1900.
Antique desk, Western Europe, around 1900.
H 31.11 in W 51.58 in D 30.71 in
Antique French Ebonized & Ormolu Ladies Desk with Porcelain Plaques, circa 1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique French ladies desk offers ebonized finish with upper ormolu gallery over double door case having painted porcelain plaque insets ...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

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Porcelain, Wood

Antique French Louis XIV Style Satinwood & Kingwood Writing Desk, Circa 1920
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique French Louis XIV style desk offers satinwood and kingwood construction with shaped top having gilt decorated leather writing surface an...
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Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Desks

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Kingwood, Satinwood

Antique French Louis XIV Ormolu & Inlaid Mahogany Ladies Desk 20th C
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique French Louis XIV ladies desk offers mahogany construction with floral and scrolled foliate satinwood marquetry top having a pierced bronze gallery and surmounting single d...
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20th Century French Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Ormolu

Mazarin Style Desk in Solid Wood and Floral Marquetry, F419
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Italian desk in the Mazarin style of the XXI century. Solid wood and veneer structure, gilded metal handles and brown leatherette desk pad. The desk is entirely covered with marquetr...
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1950s Italian Vintage Louis XIV Desks

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Wood

Louis XIV 17th Century Mazarin Marquetry Desk
Located in Dallas, TX
Louis XIV Marquetry Bureau Mazarin French, late 17th, early 18th century Circa 1690 - 1700 A knee hole desk with a single door flanked on each side by...
Category

1690s French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Wood

Antique French Louis XIV Vernis Martin Mahogany & Kingwood Ladies Desk, c 1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique French Louis XIV ladies desk offers mahogany and kingwood construction with tower cabinet having carved gadroon cartouche over single door with Vernis Martin painted court...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Metal

Antique French Louis XIV Style Satinwood Kidney Form Ladies Desk, circa 1930
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique French Louis XIV style ladies desk offers kidney form with satinwood marquetry case having floral inlaid writing surface with crossbanded framing, single drawer and painte...
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Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Desks

Materials

Giltwood, Mahogany, Satinwood

19th Century Louis XIV French Walnut Desk from Lyon
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century Louis XIV French walnut desk from Lyon was custom-crafted for an affluent Lyonnais financier in Lyon during the height of that city's prominence during the majority of t...
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1860s French Antique Louis XIV Desks

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Walnut

Louis Xiv desks for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Louis XIV desks for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage desks created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets, tables, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Louis XIV desks made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original desks, popular names associated with this style include Coduri of Lyon, France, and L. Cueunieres Ebeniste.. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for desks differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,320 and tops out at $88,500 while the average work can sell for $5,666.

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