French Provincial Decorative Objects
FRENCH PROVINCIAL STYLE
Removed from the fashions of the court, French Provincial style developed in the provinces of the country, such as Provence, Normandy, the Loire Valley and Bordeaux. Dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, French Provincial furniture was not as ostentatious as the designs being produced for the royal palaces, but elegant S-shape cabriole legs and ornate carvings elevated the sturdy chairs, sofas, tables and bedroom furniture intended for everyday use.
Although it varies by region, antique French Provincial furniture is unified by solid construction and an artisanal attention to design. While this furniture often followed the metropolitan trends — including the Rococo or neoclassical aesthetics of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI — since it was produced in the French countryside it was more subdued with nods to its rustic settings.
Local materials like fruitwoods, oak, beech and walnut were used to construct large French Provincial armoires for storage and comfortable armchairs with rush-woven seats. Wrought-iron elements and carvings like floral details and scallop patterns were common as ornamentation. Furniture was frequently painted white or other muted colors that coordinated with gilt and would acquire a patina of age over time. Other wood was just stained with vibrant fabric such as toile de Jouy, which sometimes depicted pastoral scenes, adding color as upholstery.
The style arrived in the United States after World War I, with soldiers returning home wanting furniture like what they had seen in the rural homes and castles of France. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, designer John Widdicomb split from his family business, the Widdicomb Furniture Company, and had been focusing on Louis XV– and French Provincial–style furnishings since the early 1900s. Other American manufacturers such as Baker, Drexel, Henredon and Thomasville also responded to demand. Today antique French Provincial pieces and reproductions continue to be popular.
Find a collection of antique French Provincial dining tables, seating, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Style: French Provincial
19th Century French Small Olive Jar
Located in Ventura, CA
19th Century French Small Olive Jar
Discover the charm of rural French countryside with this 18th-century Small Olive Jar from Provence. Crafted from ...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Clay, Terracotta
A Pair of 19th Century Brass Candle Sticks with Dancing Cherubs
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Pair of 19th Century Brass Candle Sticks with Dancing Cherubs
The Candle sticks are decorative and are decorated with dancing cherubs, one has a tambourine
The Candle sticks a...
Category
19th Century Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Brass
19th Century Patinated Bronze Statue of Diana the Huntress by Jean-Antoin Houdo
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Spectacular French 19th century bronze statue of Diana the Huntress, signed by HOUDON. This wonderful statue is raised by a circular moulded bronze base. The nude Diana is absolutely...
Category
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Antique Terra Cotta Chalk-Painted Statue, Art Nouveau Period
Located in Dallas, TX
"Le Provencal Garcon"
Terra cotta painted statue is a whimsical depiction of a well-dressed young lad who is obviously amused. The method used to embellish it was "chalk painting"...
Category
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Terracotta
Large French Terracotta Turquoise Blue Garden Tree Planter
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Large French Terracotta Turquoise Blue Garden Tree Planter
This is a Large French Terracotta Turquoise Blue Garden Planter big enough for an Olive or other tree or just a very attr...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Earthenware
LALOUETTE Auguste Louis (French 1826 - 1883) "Children Couple" Bronze Sculptures
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, AR
Beautiful figures made in bronze that represent a couple of children, in what looks like a country scene. The proportions and details that define the figures is impressive.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
$1,200 Sale Price
20% Off
Early 20th Century Pair of Bronze Representing Young Woman by Jean Baffier
Located in Marseille, FR
Bronze and tin dated 1911 by Jean Baffier recognized for his work on the peasantry Berrichonne. This pair of empty pockets (differences in the headdresses...
Category
20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze, Tin
Turn of the Century French Patinated Ecritoire with Display Glass Top
Located in High Point, NC
A patinated ecritoire produced during the turn of the century in France, this desk organizer is as functional as remarkable. Featuring a slant-top case crowned by a unique glass disp...
Category
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Glass, Wood
Pair of Life Size French Patinated Bronze Male
Female Parrots on Branches
Located in Tarzana, CA
Life size pair of French patinated bronze male & female parrots on branches, circa 1950, standing 51” tall these fabulous cast parrots are as cha...
Category
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Pair French Bronze Cherub Candelabras Clodion
Located in Potters Bar, GB
You are viewing a gorgeous pair of antique French cherub candelabras
After Clodion, they are over two feet tall and cast from bronze and ormolu
Class...
Category
1880s Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
$6,166 / set
French Clock Set Marble Champleve Garniture Belle Epoque 1880
Located in Potters Bar, GB
Gorgeous French three-piece clock set embellished with marble and ormolu mounts together with champlevé enamel
Circa 1880
In full working order with mercury pendulum
Bought from a de...
Category
1880s Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Ormolu
Antique French Brass Pot with Lid
Located in High Point, NC
Made in 19th Century France, this wide pan is handmade from brass and iron. The sizeable surface has certainly seen its share of kitchen work through the years, the time touched pati...
Category
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Metal, Brass
Antique French Metal Book-Shaped Box
Located in High Point, NC
This unique treasure was created in 19th Century France. Whimsical and unique, this metal box shaped like a leather-bound book, painted with a faux-wood trompe-l'œil finish that meti...
Category
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Hand Painted Faience Vase Signed Henriot Quimper
Located in Beirut, LB
This beautiful faience piece features colorful hand painted decor. The painted elements include a framer dressed in traditional, historically accurate clothing with floral decor .
T...
Category
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Faience
French Gilt Waterfall Clock Henry Dasson 1843
Located in Potters Bar, GB
A rare French 'waterfall clock' with a silk suspension pendulum action
Has a unique waterfall feature with water spurting from the mouth of the lions mask
Intricately cast with gilt ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Vintage Boho Wrought Iron Urns - A Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Elevate your shelf, mantel, or garden vignette with this charming pair of vintage Boho-style wrought iron urns. Crafted with timeless classical lines and adorned with a raised vine m...
Category
Late 20th Century American French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Wrought Iron
$850 / set
1900s French Tin Figurine
Located in High Point, NC
This metal figure was made in France at the turn of the 20th century. Depicting a youthful figure in motion, holding a bird aloft, the miniature sculpture recalls the classical motif...
Category
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Tin
Pair of Louis Philippe French Bronze Candelabra with Snuffers
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Pair of 19th century Louis Philippe French bronze candelabra with snuffers
A tall and impressive pair of 19th century French bronze candelabra, the candelabra are set on triangula...
Category
1880s Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
Faux Bois Trough
Located in Bloomfield Hills, MI
Faux Bois was at its height during the Art Nouveau era in France between the 19th and 20th century. Now reimagined for a contemporary audience, this hand sculpted trough features cla...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Concrete
$3,400
Saint Nicholas of Bari Handcarved Sculpture with Gold Leaf, France, 19th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
French carving depicting Saint Nicholas of Bari. It is handcrafted in carved wood and polychromed in gold leaf. France, 19th century.
Category
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Wood
Late 19th Century Wooden Salt Box
Located in Vista, CA
Late 19th century salt box, with an intricate carved flower motif on the sliding door, resting on scroll feet with a top flower finial. 1880, 16.5" X4" X7".
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Walnut
Hand Carved Bronze Sculpture "Playing Boy", France, 20th Century.
Located in Madrid, ES
Sculpture of a boy playing, made of solid hand-carved bronze with a black patina and a circular green marble base. France, 20th century.
Category
20th Century French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Provincial Salt Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique 19th century French provincial salt box.
Category
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Wood
Ceramic Soliflore, Ksotanda, Vallauris, 1950s
Located in PARIS, FR
Brown and White Glazed Ceramic Soliflore, 1950s, Ksotanda, Vallauris.
Featuring bubble and crystallized patterns typical of Vallauris production in the 1950s. Slender form with a nar...
Category
Mid-20th Century European French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Ceramic
Gilt Bronze Candelabra
Located in Washington, DC
A gilt bronze candelabra decorated with Maddona lilies, roses, and chrysanthemums.
Category
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Bronze
$1,800
Parisian Marble Vase Small
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Parisian Stone Vase sourced by Martyn Lawrence Bullard from Paris, France
Suitable for outdoor use
Category
21st Century and Contemporary French French Provincial Decorative Objects
Materials
Marble
French Provincial decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique French Provincial decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage decorative objects created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, building and garden elements and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used French Provincial decorative objects made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative objects, popular names associated with this style include Limoges, Bavent, Fives-Lille, and Alfred Corneau. 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 decorative objects differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $51 and tops out at $125,000 while the average work can sell for $778.
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