Directoire Tables
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.
1790s Russian Antique Directoire Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Directoire Tables
Granite, Bronze
20th Century French Directoire Tables
Brass, Steel
1940s Vintage Directoire Tables
Onyx, Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Tables
Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Directoire Tables
Brass
1790s French Antique Directoire Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Directoire Tables
Bronze
20th Century Directoire Tables
Leather
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Tables
Mahogany
Late 20th Century Directoire Tables
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Tables
Wood, Paint
1990s French Directoire Tables
Steel
1950s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Bronze
Early 1800s French Antique Directoire Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Directoire Tables
Mahogany
1960s Vintage Directoire Tables
Chrome, Brass
1890s French Antique Directoire Tables
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Directoire Tables
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century French Antique Directoire Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Directoire Tables
Multi-gemstone, Marble, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Directoire Tables
Carrara Marble
1950s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Brass, Steel
1980s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Brass, Steel
1940s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Wood
1650s Swiss Antique Directoire Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Tables
Wood
1950s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Directoire Tables
1950s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Wrought Iron
1950s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Iron
Late 18th Century French Antique Directoire Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century French Directoire Tables
Bronze
2010s French Directoire Tables
Wood, Cherry
Early 1900s French Antique Directoire Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Directoire Tables
Hardwood, Lacquer
20th Century Directoire Tables
Marble, Brass
1960s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Marble, Brass
1950s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Carrara Marble, Brass, Bronze
1960s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Directoire Tables
Marble, Brass
2010s French Directoire Tables
Wood, Cherry
2010s French Directoire Tables
Wood, Cherry
Early 19th Century Antique Directoire Tables
Glass, Wood, Mahogany
2010s French Directoire Tables
Lacquer, Wood, Cherry, Oak
2010s French Directoire Tables
Leather, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
1890s French Antique Directoire Tables
Brass
19th Century Unknown Antique Directoire Tables
Ormolu
Late 20th Century French Directoire Tables
Brass
1950s French Vintage Directoire Tables
Brass
2010s French Directoire Tables
Brass
2010s French Directoire Tables
Wood, Cherry, Oak
19th Century French Antique Directoire Tables
Walnut
19th Century Italian Antique Directoire Tables
Early 20th Century French Directoire Tables
Brass
18th Century French Antique Directoire Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Directoire Tables
Ormolu