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.
Late 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Hardwood, Lacquer
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Brass
1840s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Late 20th Century Directoire Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Leather, Wood
1790s Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century English Directoire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Olive
20th Century Directoire Furniture
Onyx, Bronze
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry
Mid-20th Century Directoire Furniture
Brass
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Beech
1940s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut
20th Century Turkish Directoire Furniture
Wool
1950s European Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Unknown Antique Directoire Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Crystal
1790s French Antique Directoire Furniture
Gold Plate, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Ormolu
1970s Unknown Vintage Directoire Furniture
Metal
1980s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass, Steel
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Ormolu
1980s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Cotton, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Oak
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Oak, Lacquer
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood
20th Century Directoire Furniture
Cherry
1960s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
1950s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
1970s Unknown Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Maple, Walnut
1940s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Wood, Paint, Canvas, Mirror
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry
1950s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Wrought Iron
1850s Russian Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Stone
1960s American Vintage Directoire Furniture
Wood
20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Granite, Bronze
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Brass
1930s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Directoire Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s European Directoire Furniture
Marble, Metal
19th Century French Antique Directoire Furniture
Metal, Iron
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Wood, Cherry
1960s Unknown Vintage Directoire Furniture
Walnut
1970s French Vintage Directoire Furniture
Brass
2010s French Directoire Furniture
Cherry, Oak
Mid-20th Century French Directoire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Directoire Furniture
Walnut