French Provincial Boxes
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.
Early 2000s French Provincial Boxes
Cedar
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Enamel
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Enamel, Gold Leaf
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Enamel
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Enamel, Gold Leaf
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
17th Century French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Iron
19th Century Antique French Provincial Boxes
Wood, Burl
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Porcelain
Late 20th Century European French Provincial Boxes
Metal
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Porcelain
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Porcelain
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Danish French Provincial Boxes
Tin
2010s French French Provincial Boxes
Paper
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Brass
1890s French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
1870s French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Walnut
1950s European Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
20th Century English French Provincial Boxes
Brass
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Porcelain
20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Metal
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Wood
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Porcelain
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Spanish French Provincial Boxes
Ebony, Amboyna
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Wood
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Steel
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Wrought Iron
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Metal
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Porcelain
19th Century English Antique French Provincial Boxes
Brass
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Wood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Wood, Ceramic
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Copper
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Walnut
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Wood
19th Century Antique French Provincial Boxes
Wood
Late 20th Century Japanese French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
Early 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Straw
20th Century English French Provincial Boxes
Wood
Early 20th Century French Provincial Boxes
Leather
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Wood
1960s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Art Glass
1880s French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Leather
19th Century English Antique French Provincial Boxes
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Boxes
Hardwood
Late 20th Century French Provincial Boxes
Porcelain
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Ceramic
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Boxes
Bronze
1970s French Vintage French Provincial Boxes
Brass