Skip to main content

Gustavian Nautical Objects

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.

to
1
1
93
49
29
19
18
14
10
9
8
5
4
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Style: Gustavian
Swedish Royal 18th Century Wash stand with Chinese Water Cistern.
By Per Ljungs Art
Located in Stockholm, SE
A historically important 18th century piece of interior from the Swedish King Gustav III:s yacht Amphion built in 1777-1778. One of the last pieces in private hands to have survive...
Category

1770s Swedish Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Porcelain, Mahogany

Swedish Royal 18th Century Wash stand with Chinese Water Cistern.
Swedish Royal 18th Century Wash stand with Chinese Water Cistern.

Swedish Royal 18th Century Wash stand with Chinese Water Cistern.

$49,704 / set
Related Items
18Th Century Water Gilded Sunburst Around Clouds
Located in Hastings, GB
An incredible and very rare late 18th century Italian water gilded sunburst, with a formation of clouds surrounded by sunrays, in beautiful time worn condition, one ray has been lost...
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Pine

18Th Century Water Gilded Sunburst Around Clouds
18Th Century Water Gilded Sunburst Around Clouds

18Th Century Water Gilded Sunburst Around Clouds

$1,631
H 23.23 in W 11.03 in D 1.58 in
18th Century Spanish Silver Holy Water Font, Baroque Style with Gilt Virgin Mary
Located in Madrid, ES
This highly decorative silver holy water font or stoup, is stamped with hallmarks placing its manufacture in Aspiazu, Bilbao, Spain during the l...
Category

Late 18th Century Spanish Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Silver

18th Century Spanish Silver Holy Water Font, Baroque Style with Gilt Virgin Mary
18th Century Spanish Silver Holy Water Font, Baroque Style with Gilt Virgin Mary

18th Century Spanish Silver Holy Water Font, Baroque Style with Gilt Virgin Mary

$1,775 / set
H 14.18 in W 9.45 in D 2.96 in
Bronze Weight, 18th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Weight of the 18th century. Bronze. Bronze weight, incomplete, with the container glass and two of the smallest, all decorated in cold with incised and...
Category

18th Century European Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Bronze

Bronze Weight, 18th Century
Bronze Weight, 18th Century

Bronze Weight, 18th Century

$887
H 4.73 in W 4.73 in D 4.34 in
18th Century George III Wash or Wig Stand
Located in Dublin 8, IE
18th century George III mahogany wash or wig stand, the moulded top of circular form with porcelain bowl raised over three curved supports above moulded shelf of triangular form with two drawers with ornate pulls...
Category

18th Century Irish Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Mahogany

18th Century George III Wash or Wig Stand
18th Century George III Wash or Wig Stand

18th Century George III Wash or Wig Stand

$1,775
H 32.5 in Dm 23 in
18th Century Portuguese Altar
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
An exquisite work of 18th century Portuguese craftsmanship, this carved, painted, and gilded wood tabletop altar-niche would have been used to stage religious artifacts or statuary f...
Category

18th Century Portuguese Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Gold

18th Century Portuguese Altar
18th Century Portuguese Altar

18th Century Portuguese Altar

$2,650
H 34.25 in W 18.75 in D 9.88 in
18th Century Portuguese Altar
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A fantastic oratory or tabletop altar from 18th century Portugal, made of carved, painted, and gilded wood taking the form of a small cabinet (where religious statuary would be displ...
Category

18th Century Portuguese Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Gold

18th Century Portuguese Altar
18th Century Portuguese Altar

18th Century Portuguese Altar

$2,650
H 23.88 in W 18.38 in D 9.5 in
18th Century Spanish Santos
Located in Dallas, TX
Hand carved Santos in original condition. Beautiful old patina.
Category

16th Century Spanish Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Wood

18th Century Spanish Santos
18th Century Spanish Santos

18th Century Spanish Santos

$6,127
H 42 in W 16 in D 12 in
18th Century Snuff Box With Secret Erotic Motive
Located in Copenhagen, K
Very funny little snuff box with a text about Etimologie; the true learning or real learning, on the lids outside and a hidden erotic motive on the inside of the lid.
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Wood, Paper

18th Century Snuff Box With Secret Erotic Motive
18th Century Snuff Box With Secret Erotic Motive

18th Century Snuff Box With Secret Erotic Motive

$1,450
H 0.79 in Dm 3.15 in
Christ with angel. Oil on canvas. 18th century.
Located in Madrid, ES
Christ with angel. Oil on canvas. 18th century. The painting depicts Christ, dressed, supported by the shoulders or back by an angel, both figures situated in an indeterminate space...
Category

18th Century Spanish Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Other

Christ with angel. Oil on canvas. 18th century.
Christ with angel. Oil on canvas. 18th century.

Christ with angel. Oil on canvas. 18th century.

$3,550
H 49.22 in W 40.16 in D 3.15 in
Late 19th Century Antique Chinese Water Pipe
Located in Pomona, CA
This antique Chinese water pipe, from the late 19th century and originating from Canton, China. This water pipe designed for smoking tobacco, often mistaken for an opium pipe due to ...
Category

Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Copper

Late 19th Century Antique Chinese Water Pipe
Late 19th Century Antique Chinese Water Pipe

Late 19th Century Antique Chinese Water Pipe

$416 Sale Price
30% Off
H 10 in W 3 in D 1 in
Christ , 18th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Christ , 18th century. Crucifix, Christ, beautiful carved and gilded wood frame, 18th century. Dimensions: H: 61cm, W: 39cm, D: 7cm.
Category

18th Century French Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Wood

Christ , 18th Century
Christ , 18th Century

Christ , 18th Century

$2,721
H 24.02 in W 15.36 in D 2.76 in
18th Century Italian Hand-made Polychrome GIlt Wood Holy Water with Engraving
Located in Milano, MI
From Italy, Marche central region, a polychrome carved holy water font mid-18th century, a shaped panel with carved and gilt scrolls and acanthus leaf details. A green edge decoratio...
Category

Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Poplar

18th Century Italian Hand-made Polychrome GIlt Wood Holy Water with Engraving
18th Century Italian Hand-made Polychrome GIlt Wood Holy Water with Engraving

18th Century Italian Hand-made Polychrome GIlt Wood Holy Water with Engraving

$2,366
H 14.97 in W 10.63 in D 1.97 in
Previously Available Items
Gustavian Compass with Sundial in Brass, Late 18th/Early 19th Century Sweden
Located in Knivsta, SE
Gustavian Compass with Sundial in Brass and Iron, Late 18th Century Sweden, Stylized Floral Decorative Element A beautiful compass with a sundial...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass, Iron

Gustavian Compass with Sundial in Brass, Late 18th/Early 19th Century Sweden
Gustavian Compass with Sundial in Brass, Late 18th/Early 19th Century Sweden

Gustavian Compass with Sundial in Brass, Late 18th/Early 19th Century Sweden

H 0.79 in Dm 2.17 in

Gustavian nautical objects for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Gustavian nautical objects for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 18th Century and Earlier, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage nautical objects created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, mahogany and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Gustavian nautical objects made in a specific country, there are Europe, Scandinavia, and Sweden pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original nautical objects, popular names associated with this style include and Per Ljungs Art. 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 nautical objects differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $39,651 and tops out at $39,651 while the average work can sell for $39,651.