Directoire Furniture
Formed in the wake of the Jacobin Reign of Terror’s bloody guillotine, the Directoire was established to lead France into order through the leadership of a five-member council of directors. It was brief, lasting only from 1795 to 1799, ending with Napoléon Bonaparte’s coup d’état, and was economically tumultuous. Yet it was an essential bridge between the era of Louis XVI and the elaborate Empire style that followed, with Directoire furniture and decorative arts shaped by a royal passion for classical design and an enthusiasm for postrevolutionary France.
Much of the country’s furniture production had halted during the French Revolution when the furniture guilds system was abolished, but during the Directoire period, the cabinetmakers restarted their businesses, such as François-Honoré-Georges and Jacob-Desmalter who established a new workshop called Jacob-Frères. Pieces made in walnut, elm, mahogany and other inexpensive materials incorporated influences ranging from Egypt to Pompeii, with popular forms including the curule armchair based on an ancient Roman design. The aesthetics of the transitional style were more austere than during the monarchy, with court cabinetmaker Jean-Baptiste Sené, for instance, reimagining his workshop’s neoclassical-style furniture with ungilded surfaces and a reduction of ornamentation.
Symbols referencing the revolutionary tenets of liberty, equality and fraternity were frequently carved into Directoire furnishings, such as the Phrygian cap, clasped hands and the fasces, which is an image of a bound bundle of sticks adopted from the Roman Republic, where it was seen as an emblem of strength through unity.
Elements of the French Directoire style continued through Empire style. Designers Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine are credited today as major proponents of both movements. The classically inspired furniture design is represented in pieces such as the boat-shaped daybed and the klismos chair, which endured in French interiors as well as in styles abroad, including American Directoire.
Find a collection of antique Directoire chairs, tables, daybeds, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Mohair, Wood
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Glass, Wood, Mahogany
20th Century Turkish Directoire Furniture
Wool
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Hardwood, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1960s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Chrome
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Ash
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
2010s American Directoire Furniture
Wood, Glass, Paint
19th Century European Antique Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood
18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Textile, Wood
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Brass
1990s Italian Directoire Furniture
Brass
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Gold Plate, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Breccia Marble, Statuary Marble
1890s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
1870s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Oak
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Ebony, Fruitwood, Walnut, Pine
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Cane, Wood
1860s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany, Satinwood
Early 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century European Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
1960s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Directoire Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
1930s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Metal, Brass, Bronze
1950s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
1940s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze
2010s American Directoire Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
1880s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Breccia Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble
1780s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood, Walnut
1910s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry
1930s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Wood
1910s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Satinwood, Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Leather, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
Mid-19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Silk, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze