Louis XIV Tables
As opposed to the styles that would follow from the other 18th-century French kings, Louis XV and Louis XVI, antique Louis XIV furniture is rigid and imposing. It expresses opulence — even its armchairs, with their upright backs, straight legs and lavish ornamentation, look like thrones. Authentic Louis XIV sofas, a then newly emerging iteration of seating, are fully upholstered and often feature decoratively carved frames of walnut, chestnut or oak.
When French King Louis XIV established his royal court at Versailles in 1682, he transformed what was once a hunting lodge into a palace that declared his wealth and power through its design. Until his death in 1715, he reigned with a spirit of excess and absolute political dominance. The “Sun King,” as he called himself, believed that France revolved around him as planets do the sun. Louis XIV adopted the sun as his emblem, decorating the grounds with symbols of the sun and Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. As he stated, “There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture.” He was a child when he became king in 1643, only shaping his style after he became absolute monarch in 1661.
Reflecting trends in French Baroque art, Louis XIV furniture characteristics included exuberant decoration. There were gilded bronze details including shells, suns, grotesques, lions and classical references like acanthus leaves. The years of growth in the country’s manufacturing, such as the tapestries and cabinets made at Gobelins, led to design innovations. The commode replaced the chest as a storage device, with drawers and a surface that could double as a desk.
The materials were luxurious, such as the popular tortoiseshell veneer technique that leading cabinetmaker Pierre Golle used in his designs. André-Charles Boulle, who became royal cabinetmaker in 1672, was a masterful artist of marquetry, using inlays of ebony, exotic woods and mother-of-pearl.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIV bedroom furniture, chairs, tables and other pieces on 1stDibs.
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Oak, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XIV Tables
Marble
1910s European Vintage Louis XIV Tables
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Oak
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Louis XIV Tables
Marble, Bronze
1720s French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Metal, Bronze
Late 20th Century European Louis XIV Tables
Mahogany, Paint
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble
19th Century European Antique Louis XIV Tables
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Wood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Oak
20th Century Louis XIV Tables
Marble, Ormolu
1710s Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Pine
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Brass, Ormolu
2010s English Louis XIV Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Louis XIV Tables
Mirror, Wood
20th Century Unknown Louis XIV Tables
Wood
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Rosewood, Felt
1970s Vintage Louis XIV Tables
Metal
Mid-17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Oak
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Tables
Oak
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble
1810s Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood, Paint
1930s French Vintage Louis XIV Tables
Ormolu
Early 20th Century European Louis XIV Tables
Wood, Rosewood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Chestnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Walnut
1680s Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Brass, Bronze
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Bronze, Pewter
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Tables
Oak
20th Century Louis XIV Tables
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Brass, Ormolu
1980s American Vintage Louis XIV Tables
Concrete
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Onyx, Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Carrara Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Steel
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Walnut
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Stone, Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XIV Tables
Marble, Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Stone
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood
17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble