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Directoire Industrial and Work Tables

DIRECTOIRE STYLE

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.

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Style: Directoire
A Directoire Marble Pastry Table - All Original
Located in Washington, DC
A Directoire Marble Pastry Table with bronze and cast iron base. Original Top.
Category

Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Industrial and Work Tables

Materials

Marble, Bronze, Iron

A Directoire Marble Pastry Table - All Original
A Directoire Marble Pastry Table - All Original

A Directoire Marble Pastry Table - All Original

18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Draper's Table with Marquetry Band
Located in Birmingham, AL
A grand 18th century French Directoire period table de drapier from a draper's atelier in Narbonne, a wealthy port city in Southern France in the Occitanie region, circa 1780s. Handc...
Category

1780s French Antique Directoire Industrial and Work Tables

Materials

Fruitwood, Walnut

18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Draper's Table with Marquetry Band
18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Draper's Table with Marquetry Band

18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Draper's Table with Marquetry Band

18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Work Table or Console Table
Located in Birmingham, AL
An exceptional 18th century French Directoire period work table, handcrafted from solid walnut in Lyon, the historic capital of France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, circa 1790s. Sit...
Category

18th Century French Antique Directoire Industrial and Work Tables

Materials

Walnut

18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Work Table or Console Table
18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Work Table or Console Table

18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Work Table or Console Table

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Located in Ongar, GB
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French 19th Century Rustic Work Table, Farm Table
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Early 1900s French Antique Directoire Industrial and Work Tables

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H 32.68 in W 89.38 in D 27.96 in
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French Vintage Industrial Work Table

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Located in Atlanta, GA
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Mid-19th Century Grand Scale Draper's Table
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Antique Industrial Shop Table Begging to Become a Kitchen Island Original Paint
Located in Chicago, IL
Whoever built this Industrial Work Table, almost begging to become a Kitchen Island, must have known that today’s Kitchen Islands would be 36” high, for that is almost exactly (36.88") what this 100-year-old Industrial Table measures. On top of getting the height spot-on, they had to have known how popular the Gustavian Grey or French Putty Grey would become 100-years later. This is an unrestored Industrial Work Table and because it measures exactly 36.88" high, we're going to guess it is from America. The hand-cut dove tails used to construct the drawers gives it an early 1900’s or possibly a late 1800’s build date. Our inhouse Old Plank workshop thoroughly cleaned the industrial Kitchen Island...
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Previously Available Items
18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Table de Drapier or Draper Table
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18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Table de Drapier or Draper Table

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French Early 19th Century Mahogany Adjustable Drafting Desk
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This specialized mahogany desk was made in France, circa 1810. Made in the Directoire style, this remarkable desk features a top that can be adjusted for sitting or standing. Used by...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Industrial and Work Tables

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Brass

French Early 19th Century Mahogany Adjustable Drafting Desk
French Early 19th Century Mahogany Adjustable Drafting Desk

French Early 19th Century Mahogany Adjustable Drafting Desk

H 29.88 in W 38.38 in D 22.25 in
Late 18th Century Mahogany Architect's Table, in the Manner of Canabas
Located in Berlin, DE
Late 18th century mahogany architect's table or 'Table a` la Tronchin' in the manner of Joseph Gengenbach, known as Canabas (maître in 1766). An elegant mechanical and transformation mahogany veneered table with a crank handle to lift the top. The top writing surface still with its original gilt-tooled green leather lined writing surface. A horizontal molding, on which reading, writing and drawing materials may be propped, is attached on the writing surface. A simple frieze drawer, an additional ink drawer and two candle slides complete the practical facilities. Closed, the architect's table gives little hint of its actual purpose - appearing as an elegant console table. Its elegantly modest design a reminder of English mahogany furniture...
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Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Industrial and Work Tables

Late 18th Century Mahogany Architect's Table, in the Manner of Canabas
Late 18th Century Mahogany Architect's Table, in the Manner of Canabas

Late 18th Century Mahogany Architect's Table, in the Manner of Canabas

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Fine French Mahogany and Brass Directoire Style Occasional or Dressing Table
Located in Benington, Herts
A very fine French mahogany and brass Directoire style occasional table (table a ouvrage – meaning work table), circa 1860 This fine quality table would have most probably been used...
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Mid-19th Century French Antique Directoire Industrial and Work Tables

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Brass

Fine French Mahogany and Brass Directoire Style Occasional or Dressing Table
Fine French Mahogany and Brass Directoire Style Occasional or Dressing Table

Fine French Mahogany and Brass Directoire Style Occasional or Dressing Table

H 29.14 in W 27.17 in D 16.34 in
Late 18th Century Mahogany Veneered Architect's Table, workshop of J.J. Chapuis
Located in Berlin, DE
A late 18th century Directoire mahogany architect's table, attributed to the workshop of Jean-Joseph Chapuis. A mechanical table with a double-hinged ratcheted top and a gilt-tooled green leather lined writing surface, veneered in beautifully flame-grained polished mahogany. A horizontal molding, on which reading, writing, and drawing materials may be propped, is attached on the writing surface and can be removed if desired. Below a long frieze drawer displaying the beauty of the mahogany veneer with a central small brass button above the central gilt bronze key-hole mount that enables the mechanism for adjusting the height and angle of the writing surface. The interior of the frieze drawer is fitted with a leather-covered writing slide above two compartments. Candle slides underneath the tabletop can be pulled outward to hold adjustable candlesticks. The square, tapering legs with a top molding, brass block feet and castors. Closed, the architect's table gives little hint of its actual purpose - appearing as an elegant console table. This architect's table is also known as a 'table à la Tronchin' after Théodore Tronchin (Genf 1709- Paris 1781), an unconventional but influential 18th-century Swiss physician who advised a sluggish aristocrat “to write at a raised desk...
Category

1790s French Antique Directoire Industrial and Work Tables

Materials

Bronze

Late 18th Century Mahogany Veneered Architect's Table, workshop of J.J. Chapuis
Late 18th Century Mahogany Veneered Architect's Table, workshop of J.J. Chapuis

Late 18th Century Mahogany Veneered Architect's Table, workshop of J.J. Chapuis

H 30.32 in W 35.04 in D 20.87 in
Exquisite Antique French Directoire Style Butcher's Table w/Marble
Located in Chicago, IL
Awesome antique French butcher's presentation table with old paint and classic Directoire styling. Use this killer table in the kitchen helping prepare family meals, in the foyer as ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Directoire Industrial and Work Tables

Exquisite Antique French Directoire Style Butcher's Table w/Marble
Exquisite Antique French Directoire Style Butcher's Table w/Marble

Exquisite Antique French Directoire Style Butcher's Table w/Marble

H 30.25 in W 63.5 in D 26.75 in

Directoire industrial and work tables for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Directoire industrial and work tables for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 19th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage industrial and work tables created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with bronze, fruitwood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Directoire industrial and work tables made in a specific country, there are Europe, and France pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for industrial and work tables differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $5,900 and tops out at $18,500 while the average work can sell for $12,200.

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