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Louis XVI Religious Items

LOUIS XVI STYLE

Reflecting the final era of royal opulence before the upheaval of the French Revolution, antique Louis XVI furniture features more angular shapes than the Rococo curves of the Louis XV style, harkening back to the imposing grandeur of Louis XIV.

Dating between 1750 and 1800, an era that overlapped with the last king of France whose reign was cut short by the guillotine, Louis XVI furniture, known as the goût grec, is emblematic of the neoclassical revision that French furniture underwent during the second half of the 18th century.

Authentic Louis XVI furniture characteristics include clean lines and carved details such as scrolls and acanthus flourishes that were inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. This was informed by a burgeoning interest in antiquity in the 18th century, owing to new archaeological excavations at sites including Pompeii and Herculaneum. It largely eclipsed the more East Asian–influenced ornamentation of Louis XV for something more geometric and symmetrical.

The Louis XVI style was defined by what was being created for the palatial rooms at Versailles and Fontainebleau, particularly for the queen, with cabinetmaker Jean-Henri Riesener being a favorite of Marie-Antoinette’s for his luxurious pieces accented with gilded bronze and marquetry. Furniture maker Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené was also a major designer of the period, with his pieces for the royal residences adorned with giltwood and neoclassical touches like tapered columns for chair legs and laurel leaf carvings. Cabinetmaker Adam Weisweiler occasionally incorporated into his furniture porcelain panels produced by Sèvres, a popular manufacturer of European ceramics that served the crown with serveware, vases and other decorative objects.

Find a collection of antique Louis XVI seating, tables, cabinets and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Louis XVI
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 Louis XVI Religious Items

Materials

Wood

18th Century Carved & Painted Symbolic Christian Plaque
Located in Dallas, TX
18th century carved & painted symbolic Christian plaque will make a unique and special addition to your devotional display! Hand-carved from fruitwood around the time of the founding...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Religious Items

Materials

Fruitwood

18th Century Italian Carved Giltwood Church Torchère Converted to Floor Lamp
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Tall giltwood church torchère with deep foliate carvings, Italy late 18th century. This piece is finely hand carved in precise detail with deep foliate carvings decorated with acanth...
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Religious Items

Materials

Silk, Giltwood

18th Century French Fire-Gilded Bronze Electried Church Chandelier
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
A very fine, large fire-gilded bronze church chandelier in Louis XVI style, France, late 18th century. This wonderful piece is finely elaborate in precise detail decorated with elega...
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Religious Items

Materials

Bronze

18th Century Altar Modell, South Germany, with Original Painting, Wood
Located in Epfach, DE
18th century Altar Modell, South Germany, with original painting, wood A rare altar model with original painting, in the middle Jesus Christus and on the top God the father and two...
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Late 18th Century German Antique Louis XVI Religious Items

Materials

Wood

18th Century Italian Carved Giltwood Church Torchère Converted to Floor Lamp
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Tall giltwood church torchère with deep foliate carvings, Italy late 18th century. This piece is finely hand carved in precise detail with deep foliate carvings decorated with acanth...
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Religious Items

Materials

Silk, Giltwood

Pair of 18th Century Italian Altar Ornaments in Gold Silver Mecca Giltwood
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful pair of carved Italian church altar palm holders in mecca silver leaf from the last quarter of the 18th century and in the Luise XVI manner. Each palm holders measures 13.38 inches high 12 inches wide and 6 inches deep. They are gilded with the antique technique of "Mecca". A 17th century gilding technique of coloring the actual silver leaf with a gold varnish (Mecca) that makes it appear as gold leaf. As they were used in a church altar, the backs were never seen. Therefore, they are only gilded on the front. The use of these objects took place in the ecclesiastical sphere. These were sacred objects placed on the altars. Due to their beautiful craftsmanship and beauty, these palm holders are collected and used as decorative objects. Since ancient times the palm tree was a symbol of victory. With the spread of Christianity, the Church adopted the victory symbol of the palm frond as an attribution of the martyrs and the triumph of Jesus Christ over death. Additionally, the olive tree also appears in early Christian art...
Category

Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Religious Items

Materials

Wood

Pair of 18th Century Italian Church Altar Giltwood Palm Frond Holders
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful pair of Italian parcel-gilt palm frond holders form the last quarter of the 18th century and in the Louise XVI manner. Each palm holders measures: 14.17 inches high, 14.56 inches wide and 7.87 inches deep. As they were used in a church altar, the backs were never seen. Therefore, they are only gilded on the front. The use of these objects took place in the ecclesiastical sphere. These were sacred objects placed on the altars. Due to their beautiful craftsmanship and beauty, these palm holders are collected and used as decorative objects. Since ancient times the palm tree was a symbol of victory. With the spread of Christianity, the Church adopted the victory symbol of the palm frond as an attribution of the martyrs and the triumph of Jesus Christ over death. Additionally, the olive tree also appears in early Christian art...
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XVI Religious Items

Materials

Wood, Giltwood

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18th Century Louis XVI Giltwood Wall Barometer
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Black Forest Vintage Roe Deer Trophy on Carved Plaque
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18th Century Italian Carved Painted Wood Reliquary Altar Figure Bust Pair
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18th Century Italian Tabernacle Door Fragment
18th Century Italian Tabernacle Door Fragment
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18th Century Spanish Baroque Period Christ Crucified Altar Sculpture
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Previously Available Items
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Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Religious Items

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French, 18th Century, Marble Baroque Panel with Lamb of God
Located in Buisson, FR
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18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Religious Items

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Marble

Very Tall 19th Century French Louis XVI Style Giltwood Pricket Candlestick
Located in Fayetteville, AR
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18th Century Polychrome French Female Sculpture "Santa Rita"
Located in Valladolid, ES
Delicate S XVIII polychrome female sculpture or "Capipota". "Santa Rita" is the iconography. In golded and polichromed wood.
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19th Century French Walnut Louis XVI Prie Dieu, Prayer Kneeler
Located in Dallas, TX
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Located in Hastings, GB
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18th Century French Carved Walnut Oratoire Prayer Bench Cabinet from Burgundy
Located in Dallas, TX
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Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XVI Religious Items

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Louis Xvi religious items for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Louis XVI religious items 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 religious items created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include more furniture and collectibles, lighting, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, giltwood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Louis XVI religious items made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and France 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 religious items differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,584 and tops out at $7,380 while the average work can sell for $3,545.

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