Louis XIV Furniture
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.
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass, Bronze
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut, Tapestry
1720s Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Poplar
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Belgian Louis XIV Furniture
Tapestry, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Marble
20th Century Italian Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1860s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Walnut
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Iron
1980s American Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Leather
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Glass, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Metal, Bronze
1740s French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
Late 17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wool, Silk
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
1950s Unknown Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Linen, Wood, Paper
18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood, Oak
17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wool, Silk
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
1930s Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
20th Century Louis XIV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1960s Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Cane, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Oak
1940s French Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Metal, Iron
16th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
1980s European Vintage Louis XIV Furniture
Crystal
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century English Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
18th Century Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Spanish Louis XIV Furniture
Crystal, Brass, Ormolu
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wool, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Porcelain
17th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Furniture
Upholstery, Oak
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Furniture
Giltwood





