Rococo Furniture
Rococo was an aesthetic movement in the fine and decorative arts in the 18th century that found its inspiration in nature and fostered an overall lightness and delicacy of form, construction and ornament in interior design. Rococo furniture, while greatly influenced by trends in Italy and Germany, is often called Louis XV style — the movement having reached its best expression during that sybaritic French king’s reign.
The term “rococo” is thought to be a portmanteau of the French words rocaille and coquilles — “rock” and “shells” — organic motifs frequently used in architecture and design of the style.
When it comes to authentic Rococo furniture's characteristics, it is above all sensuous and social. The furniture of earlier eras in Europe had been heavy in every sense; the Rococo period saw the appearance of light-framed upholstered armchairs, side chairs and occasional tables that could easily be moved to form conversational circles.
The signal detail of Rococo furniture design is the gently curved cabriole, or S-shaped chair-, table-, and cabinet-leg. It imitates the bend of a tree limb or a flower stem. In a further reference to nature, furnishings were often asymmetrical and painted white, or in soft, pastel shades. Rococo has become a timeless style, and as the furniture pieces presented on 1stDibs demonstrate, its playful, sculptural forms can provide visual excitement to contemporary, clean-lined spaces.
19th Century English Antique Rococo Furniture
Glass, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Rococo Furniture
Wood, Oak, Paint
Early 19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Wood
19th Century Antique Rococo Furniture
Giltwood
1850s German Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Rococo Furniture
Paint, Canvas
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Furniture
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Furniture
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Metallic Thread
1850s German Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century German Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain, Mirror, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Furniture
Wood
19th Century Japanese Antique Rococo Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Antique Rococo Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
1850s Italian Antique Rococo Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century German Antique Rococo Furniture
Giltwood, Gesso
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Rococo Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century German Antique Rococo Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Furniture
Wood
19th Century European Antique Rococo Furniture
Beech
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Furniture
Glass, Blown Glass, Mirror
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Rococo Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Furniture
Brass
1880s German Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Furniture
Majolica
1890s German Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century German Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Rococo Furniture
Silver
Early 19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Furniture
Wood, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Furniture
Brass, Iron
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Rococo Furniture
Giltwood
1890s French Antique Rococo Furniture
Metal
1850s German Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Rococo Furniture
Delft, Faience
1880s French Antique Rococo Furniture
Ormolu
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Late 19th Century German Antique Rococo Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Furniture
Wood
19th Century German Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century Spanish Antique Rococo Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1850s German Antique Rococo Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Rococo Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Rococo Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze