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
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Silk, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Tapestry, Wood
Early 20th Century Argentine Directoire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Directoire Furniture
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Lacquer
1790s Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Porphyry
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1790s Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Porphyry
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Multi-gemstone, Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1810s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Cherry
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
1790s European Antique Directoire Furniture
Mercury Glass, Wood
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
1960s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Linen, Upholstery, Giltwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Ormolu
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Copper
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 20th Century European Directoire Furniture
Upholstery, Cherry
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Iron
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Limestone
1940s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Wood
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
1920s Danish Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Zinc
1790s Russian Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1950s Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Chrome
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
1840s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1890s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
1890s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
1940s Vintage Directoire Furniture
Onyx, Bronze
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Brass
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Leather, Wood, Velvet
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Cherry