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 Dutch Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Steel
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Leather, Wood
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
1970s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble
1960s Italian Vintage Directoire Furniture
Tôle
Late 17th Century Antique Directoire Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century Unknown Antique Directoire Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century American Directoire Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Mirror, Pine
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1970s Unknown Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Directoire Furniture
Late 20th Century Unknown Directoire Furniture
Metal, Brass
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
1770s Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Maple, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Textile, Upholstery, Wood, Paint
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Crystal
1980s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Steel
2010s American Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak
1960s Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone
20th Century Directoire Furniture
Cherry
1920s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Directoire Furniture
Glass, Wood, Mahogany
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry
Early 20th Century Italian Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Metal
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Brass, Wire
Early 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Metal
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
Late 18th Century Caribbean Antique Directoire Furniture
Mahogany, Cedar
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Maple, Walnut
1890s Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Cherry
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass, Steel
1790s Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Porphyry
1940s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze, Stainless Steel
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Steel
1990s European Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
1790s Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Oak
1940s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
20th Century Directoire Furniture
Metal
1950s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
1960s Unknown Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
1940s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Ormolu
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Metal, Gold Leaf