Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Neoclassical design emerged in Europe in the 1750s, as the Age of Enlightenment reached full flower. Neoclassical furniture took its cues from the styles of ancient Rome and Athens: symmetrical, ordered, dignified forms with such details as tapered and fluted chair and table legs, backrest finials and scrolled arms.
Over a period of some 20 years, first in France and later in Britain, neoclassical design — also known as Louis XVI, or Louis Seize — would supersede the lithe and curvaceous Rococo or Louis XV style.
The first half of the 18th century had seen a rebirth of interest in classical antiquity. The "Grand Tour" of Europe, codified as a part of the proper education of a patrician gentleman, included an extended visit to Rome. Some ventured further, to sketch the ruins of ancient Greece. These drawings and others — particularly those derived from the surprising and rich archaeological discoveries in the 1730s and ’40s at the sites of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum — caused great excitement among intellectuals and aesthetes alike.
Neoclassical furniture is meant to reflect both grace and power. The overall appearance of neoclassical chairs, tables and cabinetry is strong and rectilinear. These pieces are, in effect, classical architecture in miniature: chair and table legs are shaped like columns; cabinets are constructed with elements that mirror friezes and pediments.
Yet neoclassicism is enlivened by gilt and silver leaf, marquetry, and carved and applied ornamental motifs based on Greek and Roman sculpture: acanthus leaves, garlands, laurel wreaths, sheaves of arrow, medallions and chair splats are carved in the shapes of lyres and urns. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
As you can see from the furniture on these pages, there is a bit of whimsy in such stately pieces — a touch of lightness that will always keep neoclassicism fresh.
Find antique neoclassical furniture today on 1stDibs.
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Cherry, Oak
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass, Bronze
1770s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fir
1980s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Plywood
Early 1900s French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1990s American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Gold Leaf
18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Stone
Early 1800s Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fir
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
1950s English Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1830s German Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
18th Century Belgian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
1810s Swedish Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1920s Hungarian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Pine
19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Wood
1890s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany, Oak
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry
Late 18th Century European Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Hardwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Poplar
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Sycamore, Wenge
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bone, Wood
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 20th Century European Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1790s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
1850s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bone, Ebony, Mahogany
1920s Swedish Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Satinwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass, Ormolu
Late 18th Century Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
Early 1800s German Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
1830s French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
1990s Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Rosewood
Late 19th Century French Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Stone, Other, Ormolu
Early 2000s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Palisander
Late 18th Century British Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1810s Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry
20th Century American Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Hardwood
2010s French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
1940s French Vintage Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
2010s Italian Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Mid-19th Century European Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
18th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Neoclassical Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood