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 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Ormolu
1960s French Vintage Louis XIV Tables
Hardwood
1930s French Vintage Louis XIV Tables
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Tables
Oak
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Oak
Late 20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Wood, Glass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Walnut
1870s French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood, Walnut
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Fruitwood
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Italian Louis XIV Tables
Giltwood, Corian
Mid-17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Brass
20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century Antique Louis XIV Tables
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble
1710s Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Leather, Walnut
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Oak
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Cherry
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble
1840s French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XIV Tables
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century Louis XIV Tables
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Brass
1870s French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Griotte Marble
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood
Mid-20th Century European Louis XIV Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Walnut
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Beech
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Oak
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Carrara Marble
20th Century Italian Louis XIV Tables
Glass, Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble
Mid-20th Century Louis XIV Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Ormolu
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Mahogany
19th Century Unknown Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Olive, Walnut
20th Century Louis XIV Tables
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Kingwood
20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Kingwood
20th Century French Louis XIV Tables
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Tables
Mahogany
17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Wood, Plaster
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Tables
Fruitwood, Giltwood
Early 18th Century German Antique Louis XIV Tables
Tin