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Gustavian Tray Tables

GUSTAVIAN STYLE

With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.

Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.

Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.

While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.

Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Gustavian
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Freestanding Pinewood Tray Top Table
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A light-green, antique Swedish Gustavian freestanding tray top table made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, designed by an unknown master, carpenter in ...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Tray Tables

Materials

Pine

19th Century Swedish Country Gustavian Tray Table
Located in Forney, TX
Pale, elegant simplicity and classic design, is how we would describe this large, subtly beautiful, hand carved and painted pine antique tray style table. Handcrafted in Sweden in the late 1800s, decorated in a muted gray-blue paint color, typical of traditional Nordic Swedish County home interiors; pale, light and airy atmospheres, which counteract the low levels of natural light, especially during Scandinavian winters. This substantially sized rustic table blends a comfortable warmth with a clean-lined minimalism—uniting in a way that is functional, unfussy, and timeless. The perfect choice for bridging contemporary and traditional styles. Versatile. Ideal for use as an interesting side or center table, accent table, standing writing desk, work table, wine tasting stand or dry bar drinks table...
Category

19th Century Antique Gustavian Tray Tables

Materials

Pine, Paint

18th Century Swedish Gustavian Metal and Mahogany Tray Table
Located in Kastrup, DK
Elegant Gustavian metal tray table. Original oval metal tray decorated with a finely hand painted allegorical scene. Standing rim with pierced handle ...
Category

18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Tray Tables

Materials

Metal, Brass

Gustavian Tray Table
Located in Ljungby, SE
A Gustavian tray table from southern Sweden with a carved wooden monogram on both sides of the apron. The table is freestanding. It features carved decorative details, such as flutin...
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18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Tray Tables

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19th Century English Mahogany & Satinwood Etagere Tray Table
Located in London, GB
This is a truly exceptional antique English Edwardian mahogany and satinwood marquetry oval two tier 'etagere', in the manner of Edwards & Roberts, circa 1890 in date. Crafted from the best flame mahogany, note the wonderful grain to the wood and the beautifully inlaid decoration with musical trophies within scrolling foliage and kingwood crossbanding. Masterfully inlaid with Sheraton influences, this etagere has an elegant refined look. The removable glass bottomed tray can be used to serve drinks, etc. It is raised on elegant square section tapering outswept legs with a shaped cross stretcher. The craftsmanship and finish are second to none. THE BOTANICAL NAME FOR THE MAHOGANY THAT THIS ITEM IS MADE OF IS SWIETENIA MACROPHYLLA AND THIS TYPE OF MAHOGANY IS NOT SUBJECT TO CITES REGULATION AND DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY RESTRICTED MATERIALS. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 84 x Width 89 x Depth 55 Dimensions in inches: Height 33.1 x Width 35.0 x Depth 21.7 Edwards & Roberts was founded in 1845, and had premises at 21 Wardour Street London. By the 1892 they occupied more than a dozen buildings in Wardour Street, where they continued to trade until the end of the century. They became one of the leading London cabinet makers and retailers working in a variety of styles, both modern and revivalist. Their business also involved retailing, adapting and restoring the finest antique furniture and there are many examples of their earlier furniture with later embellishments bearing their stamp. Edwards & Roberts specialised in marquetry, inlay and ormolu. Marquetry is decorative artistry where pieces of material (such as wood, pewter, or brass silver) of different colours are inserted into surface wood veneer to form intricate patterns such as scrolls or flowers. The technique of veneered marquetry had its inspiration in 16th century Florence. Marquetry elaborated upon Florentine techniques of inlaying solid marble slabs with designs formed of fitted marbles, jaspers and semi-precious stones. This work, called opere di commessi, has medieval parallels in Central Italian "Cosmati"-work of inlaid marble floors, altars and columns. The technique is known in English as pietra dura, for the "hardstones" used: onyx, jasper, cornelian, lapis lazuli and colored marbles. In Florence, the Chapel of the Medici at San Lorenzo is completely covered in a colored marble facing using this demanding jig-sawn technique. Techniques of wood marquetry were developed in Antwerp and other Flemish centers of luxury cabinet-making during the early 16th century. The craft was imported full-blown to France after the mid-seventeenth century, to create furniture of unprecedented luxury being made at the royal manufactory of the Gobelins, charged with providing furnishings to decorate Versailles and the other royal residences of Louis XIV. Early masters of French marquetry were the Fleming Pierre Golle and his son-in-law, André-Charles Boulle, who founded a dynasty of royal and Parisian cabinet-makers (ébénistes) and gave his name to a technique of marquetry employing brass with pewter in arabesque or intricately foliate designs. Etagère is a piece of light furniture which was extensively made in France during the latter part of the 18th century. It consists of a series of stages or shelves for the reception of ornaments or other small articles. Like the what-not it was very often cornerwise in shape, and the best Louis XVI examples in exotic woods are exceedingly graceful and elegant. In modern usage, an étagère is often used to refer specifically to a long-legged shelf unit that fits over a bathroom toilet...
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Previously Available Items
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Tray Table
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H 29 in W 31 in D 22.8 in

Gustavian tray tables for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Gustavian tray 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 tray tables created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, pine and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Gustavian tray tables made in a specific country, there are Europe, Scandinavia, and Sweden 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 tray tables differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,400 and tops out at $9,100 while the average work can sell for $6,265.

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