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.
20th Century Directoire Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
1930s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Ash
1870s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Velvet, Cane, Walnut
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Gold Plate, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
1840s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1940s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble
1980s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cotton
Early 19th Century Antique Directoire Furniture
Glass, Wood, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Linen, Upholstery, Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass, Metal
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century Directoire Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Stone, Brass, Metal
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Cane, Wood
20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Brass
20th Century Directoire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass, Steel
Late 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Multi-gemstone, Marble, Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Mohair, Wood
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Metal
1890s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood, Paint
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mercury Glass, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Steel
1950s European Vintage Directoire Furniture
Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Faience
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Iron
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 2000s Unknown Directoire Furniture
Breccia Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Cherry
1980s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Beech, Velvet, Wood
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Velvet
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Directoire Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone, Marble
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Oak