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Federal Wall Decorations

FEDERAL STYLE

Following the Revolutionary War, the American republic referenced the Roman Republic in its designs to celebrate its independence and declare itself a powerful new country. Imbued with neoclassical elements like those being promoted by architect Robert Adam in Great Britain, antique Federal-style furniture was the first distinctly American style in its melding of ancient influences, European aesthetics and national pride.

Dating roughly from 1790 to 1830, the style featured angular furniture with saber legs and smooth surfaces that contrasted with the curvy Rococo style that was previously in fashion. Eagles were common ornamental motifs on Federal-period furniture, as were cornucopia, lyres, garlands and scrolls, adding subtle flair to pieces characterized by clean lines, geometric symmetry, balanced shapes and a sense of grandeur.

Instead of sculptural carvings, authentic Federal-style furniture was adorned with inlays and patterned veneers that showcased the rich character of different grains and types of wood. As social life tended to be informal in the young country, furniture was often lightweight, so it could be easily rearranged in a drawing room or bedroom. Pieces like dining tables with drop leaves and sideboards became popular, replacing larger chests of drawers.

The Federal style varied by region: Artisans in Charleston, South Carolina, decorated chairs with carved backs, for instance, while those in Baltimore, Maryland, preferred painted details. Its major proponents included father-and-son cabinetmakers John and Thomas Seymour in Boston, Duncan Phyfe and Charles-Honoré Lannuier in New York and Samuel McIntire in Salem, Massachusetts.

Find antique Federal tables, mirrors, storage cabinets and other Federal furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

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Style: Federal
Vintage Ferguson Bros Federal Curved Glass Mahogany Wall Hanging Curio Cabinet
Vintage Ferguson Bros Federal Curved Glass Mahogany Wall Hanging Curio Cabinet

Vintage Ferguson Bros Federal Curved Glass Mahogany Wall Hanging Curio Cabinet

Located in Germantown, MD

A Vintage wall hanging Federal style display cabinet with a rounded curved glass front, mirrored interior and three shelves, topped with a scrolled pediment and three trophy shaped f...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Mahogany

"Washington and His Generals" Engraving by A. H. Ritchie, circa 1870
"Washington and His Generals" Engraving by A. H. Ritchie, circa 1870

"Washington and His Generals" Engraving by A. H. Ritchie, circa 1870

By Alexander Hay Ritchie

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

This is a large, handsome engraving entitled Washington and His Generals by Alexander H. Ritchie, one of the best historical printmakers of the mid-nineteenth century. Ritchie is par...

Category

1870s American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Late 20th-C. Federal Style Gilt Composition Wall Brackets For Plates - Pair
Late 20th-C. Federal Style Gilt Composition Wall Brackets For Plates - Pair

Late 20th-C. Federal Style Gilt Composition Wall Brackets For Plates - Pair

Located in Kennesaw, GA

This is a pair of Federal style gilt composition wall brackets. They have an indentation for plates. They are unmarked and in very good condition.

Category

Late 20th Century American Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Composition

"Georgius Washington" Engraving by Giuseppe Longhi, 1817
"Georgius Washington" Engraving by Giuseppe Longhi, 1817

"Georgius Washington" Engraving by Giuseppe Longhi, 1817

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Presented is a handsome engraved portrait of George Washington by Italian artist Giuseppe Longhi. Titled “Georgius Washington” this engraving was published in Padua, Italy in 1817. The composition is based on a drawing by Longhi himself, but certainly influenced by the Gilbert Stuart and John Trumbull portraits. Washington is depicted in a head and shoulders pose, with his chest to the left but his head angled to the right. He wears a dark coat and vest and a white shirt and ruffled cravat. The father of our country, George Washington was the commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-83) and served two terms as the first United States president...

Category

1810s Italian Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

"G. Washington" Engraving by T. Johnson, after James Wright, 1890
"G. Washington" Engraving by T. Johnson, after James Wright, 1890

"G. Washington" Engraving by T. Johnson, after James Wright, 1890

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Presented is a handsome profile portrait of George Washington. Washington is depicted in a head and shoulders pose, looking to the right and body also depicted in profile. He wears h...

Category

1890s American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Alexander Hamilton Etching by Jacques Reich, published by G.P. Putnam, 1904
Alexander Hamilton Etching by Jacques Reich, published by G.P. Putnam, 1904

Alexander Hamilton Etching by Jacques Reich, published by G.P. Putnam, 1904

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Presented is a Jacques Reich etched head and shoulders portrait of Alexander Hamilton. Reich completed the portrait in 1904 and it was published by G.P. Putnam that same year. Jacqu...

Category

Early 1900s American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

"Liberty In the Form of the Goddess of Youth" Stipple Engraving, E. Savage, 1796
"Liberty In the Form of the Goddess of Youth" Stipple Engraving, E. Savage, 1796

"Liberty In the Form of the Goddess of Youth" Stipple Engraving, E. Savage, 1796

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Presented is a rare stipple engraving of “Liberty. In the form of the Goddess of Youth giving Support to the Bald Eagle.” This engraving was drawn, engraved, and published by Edward ...

Category

1790s American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

George Washington Engraving by H. B. Hall, after William Birch
George Washington Engraving by H. B. Hall, after William Birch

George Washington Engraving by H. B. Hall, after William Birch

By William Birch

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Presented is a handsome engraved portrait of George Washington by artist H. B. Hall. This engraving was published in New York, in a limited edition of 125 impressions. The engraving is based on a painting by William Birch Gilbert Stuart, a small miniature in enamel, completed in 1796. Birch painted Washington from life in his office in Philadelphia, by the request of I. G. Van Staphorst, Esqr. of Amsterdam. In the small portrait, Washington is depicted in a head and shoulders pose, facing right. He wears a dark coat and vest and a white shirt and ruffled cravat. The father of our country, George Washington was the commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-83) and served two terms as the first United States president...

Category

19th Century American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Monumental Federal Eagle Themed Gilt Wall Bracket American Circa 1825
Monumental Federal Eagle Themed Gilt Wall Bracket American Circa 1825

Monumental Federal Eagle Themed Gilt Wall Bracket American Circa 1825

Located in Incline Village, NV

Top of the line carving to this highly detailed American eagle themed gold gilt Federal wall bracket; with acanthus leave side drops; a diamond shaped fretwork backdrop; the eagle re...

Category

1820s American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Giltwood

Duke of Wellington Portrait

Duke of Wellington Portrait

Located in Queens, NY

Copy of a portrait painting titled "Duke of Wellington" showing him in red military uniform

Category

Late 20th Century American Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

American Federal Silhouettes of Livingston Family Members
American Federal Silhouettes of Livingston Family Members

American Federal Silhouettes of Livingston Family Members

Located in New York, NY

Snipping a profile from paper with scissors, and mounting the result to a contrasting sheet of paper, became a popular diversion among the European and American upper classes in the ...

Category

1830s American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Brunschwig and Fils Boscobel Restoration Medford Inn 1804 Hand-Printed Wallpaper
Brunschwig and Fils Boscobel Restoration Medford Inn 1804 Hand-Printed Wallpaper

Brunschwig and Fils Boscobel Restoration Medford Inn 1804 Hand-Printed Wallpaper

By Brunschwig & Fils

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Brunschwig and Fils Boscobel Restoration Medford Inn 1804 hand-printed wallpaper. Very unusual paper - it is marked as custom hand-printed for the Boscobel Restoration, Inc. with a copyright date of 1977. The Boscobel Restoration is a rebuilt historic mansion (see images 9 and 10) in Garrison, NY using salvaged parts of an original Federal-period home that was demolished in the 1950s. This is a historic pattern, marked on the paper as "Medford Inn, 1804" and a registered design of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. The Medford Inn (see image 11) was built in 1804 and became known as a well-known hotel located on Main Street in Medford, Massachusetts. The design of the paper hearkens back to Roman tradition of wall decoration, with a trompe l’oleil effect that mimics ornate panelling and stone inlay. As per the this paper was also produced in a brown colorway and is part of the Digital Public Library of America and Historic New England...

Category

Mid-20th Century Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Early 19th Century Portrait of Naval Captain William Compton Bolton
Early 19th Century Portrait of Naval Captain William Compton Bolton

Early 19th Century Portrait of Naval Captain William Compton Bolton

Located in Nantucket, MA

Early 19th Century Portrait of Naval Captain William Compton Bolton (Anglo-American: 1799 - 1849), circa 1830s, an oil on canvas half-length portrait of a sea captain holding a spygl...

Category

1830s American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Canvas

"Facsimile of the Signatures to the Declaration of Independence" by A.H. Wray
"Facsimile of the Signatures to the Declaration of Independence" by A.H. Wray

"Facsimile of the Signatures to the Declaration of Independence" by A.H. Wray

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Presented is a handsome steel engraving, a patriotic composition of the facsimile signatures of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The engraving is from John H. Hinton’...

Category

1850s American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Robert Springfels American Victorian style Portrait of a Union Soldier, 1941
Robert Springfels American Victorian style Portrait of a Union Soldier, 1941

Robert Springfels American Victorian style Portrait of a Union Soldier, 1941

By Robert Springfels

Located in Queens, NY

American Victorian style oil painting portrait of an old Union Solider holding a cane with his arm crossed and a house in the background with smoke rising to the sky and a canon visi...

Category

20th Century American Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Mid-Century Federal American Eagle Giltwood Bracket
Mid-Century Federal American Eagle Giltwood Bracket

Mid-Century Federal American Eagle Giltwood Bracket

Located in Pearland, TX

A superb vintage mid-century Federal American giltwood and gesso eagle wall bracket. This regal eagle has fine details with outstretched wings and a lovely gilt patina. It's the perf...

Category

Mid-20th Century Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Gesso, Giltwood

Pair of American Federal Male and Female Portraits
Pair of American Federal Male and Female Portraits

Pair of American Federal Male and Female Portraits

Located in Queens, NY

PAIR of American 19th Century gilt framed oil painting portraits of lady holding book and man with white rolled up paper

Category

19th Century American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Hudson Valley 18th or 19th Century Wall Cabinet Original Paint Surface
Hudson Valley 18th or 19th Century Wall Cabinet Original Paint Surface

Hudson Valley 18th or 19th Century Wall Cabinet Original Paint Surface

Located in Hudson, NY

This is a little gem of a piece. Created Created in the in the Hudson valley, USA, circa 1790-1805. The beautiful raised panel doors We're completely hand carved Period The Chisel ma...

Category

Early 1800s American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Wood, Paint

Letter Fragment and Antique Coins in Burgundy Matting and a Gilt Frame
Letter Fragment and Antique Coins in Burgundy Matting and a Gilt Frame

Letter Fragment and Antique Coins in Burgundy Matting and a Gilt Frame

Located in Queens, NY

American (19th Cent) fragment of antique paper with handwritten script and numerical calculations framed in a burgundy mat above two copper coins in a blue mat mounted in a gold wood...

Category

19th Century American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Copper

American Print Of Two Soldiers with Green Uniform
American Print Of Two Soldiers with Green Uniform

American Print Of Two Soldiers with Green Uniform

Located in Queens, NY

American Mid-Century black framed print of two 18th Century soldiers in green uniform with on standing on a horse.\"Moylans Light Dragoons\" (similar to: NWL7295A, NWL7295C, NWL7295D)

Category

18th Century American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

English Country Diorama Clipper Ship Wall Plaque
English Country Diorama Clipper Ship Wall Plaque

English Country Diorama Clipper Ship Wall Plaque

Located in Queens, NY

American Country style (19th Century) painted diorama wall plaque with clipper ship and American ship painted on back in mahogany frame encased in a wood and glass case.

Category

19th Century American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Glass

Antique Letters with Central Oval Portrait in a Wooden Frame
Antique Letters with Central Oval Portrait in a Wooden Frame

Antique Letters with Central Oval Portrait in a Wooden Frame

Located in Queens, NY

American (19th Century) copy collection of two letters from the 1830s in a white mat with a central oval printed portrait of a gentleman (Otis Cafron) in a gold wooden frame.

Category

19th Century American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Gold

Americanl Framed Print of Two Soldiers Near A Cannon
Americanl Framed Print of Two Soldiers Near A Cannon

Americanl Framed Print of Two Soldiers Near A Cannon

Located in Queens, NY

American Mid-Century black framed print of two 18th Century soldiers in green uniform with on standing on a horse. \"Rhode Island Train of Artillary\" (similar to: NWL7295B, NWL7295A...

Category

18th Century American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Antique Arch Top Transom Window
Antique Arch Top Transom Window

Antique Arch Top Transom Window

Located in Greenwich, CT

Rescued from an estate outside of Boston, MA this antique arch top transom window adds an architectural feast to your space. The window has its original...

Category

18th Century American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Blown Glass, Wood

American Federal Framed Print of Two Soldiers and Tent in The Back
American Federal Framed Print of Two Soldiers and Tent in The Back

American Federal Framed Print of Two Soldiers and Tent in The Back

Located in Queens, NY

American Mid-Century black framed print of two 18th Century soldiers, one in a red military uniform holding a rifle, the other soldier wearing a tan uniform holding a drum \"2nd Cana...

Category

18th Century American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

American Framed Print of Two Soldiers Talking
American Framed Print of Two Soldiers Talking

American Framed Print of Two Soldiers Talking

Located in Queens, NY

American Mid-Century black framed print of a two 18th Century soldiers talking, one in a red jacket uniform and the other in a tan uniform in front of a gate of wooden spiked barrica...

Category

18th Century American Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Other

American Federal Side Portrait of an Officer
American Federal Side Portrait of an Officer

American Federal Side Portrait of an Officer

Located in Queens, NY

American Federal print portrait in silhouette of a gentleman in a distressed gold frame

Category

20th Century American Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paper

Portrait Puccini Painting

Portrait Puccini Painting

Located in Queens, NY

Copy of a portrait painting titled "Portrait Puccini" showing woman in black dress with white lace rummaging through jewelry chest

Category

Late 20th Century American Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Paint

Set of 3 Italian Neo-Classic Engraved Prints of Medals with White Carved Coin
Set of 3 Italian Neo-Classic Engraved Prints of Medals with White Carved Coin

Set of 3 Italian Neo-Classic Engraved Prints of Medals with White Carved Coin

Located in Queens, NY

SET of 3 Italian Neo-classic style (19th Century) engraved prints of metals over a single white pariu carved coin with a classical bust in a silver/gilt frame (Prov: Christies NY) (P...

Category

19th Century Italian Antique Federal Wall Decorations

Materials

Metal

Federal wall decorations for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Federal wall decorations for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage wall decorations created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, building and garden elements, folk art and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Federal wall decorations made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Europe pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original wall decorations, popular names associated with this style include Brunschwig & Fils, William Matthew Prior, and John Trumbull. 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 wall decorations differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $700 and tops out at $35,000 while the average work can sell for $3,550.