French Provincial Lanterns
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.
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Copper, Iron
1920s Mexican Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Brass
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Iron
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Bronze
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary European French Provincial Lanterns
Copper
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Copper, Iron
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Copper, Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Metal
18th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Metal
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Copper, Iron
19th Century Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Brass
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Copper, Iron
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Copper, Iron
1920s Mexican Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown French Provincial Lanterns
Giltwood
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Copper, Iron
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Metal
1890s French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Brass, Iron, Tin
21st Century and Contemporary European French Provincial Lanterns
Copper
Early 19th Century European Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Metal
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Steel, Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Iron, Tin
19th Century English Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Metal, Copper
1920s Mexican Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Brass, Iron, Steel
20th Century Unknown French Provincial Lanterns
Tôle
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Iron
19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Metal
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Steel, Iron
1920s Mexican Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Brass
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Brass, Steel, Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique French Provincial Lanterns
Iron
1950s French Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Bronze
1920s French Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Blown Glass, Opaline Glass
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Brass
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Glass
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Iron
1910s Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Brass
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Glass
1940s French Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Iron
Late 20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Metal, Steel
1990s American French Provincial Lanterns
Metal
20th Century French Provincial Lanterns
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Lanterns
Wrought Iron
1930s French Vintage French Provincial Lanterns
Wrought Iron