The decadence of the Baroque style, in which ornate furnishings were layered against paneled walls, painted ceilings, stately chandeliers and, above all, gilding, expressed the power of the church and monarchy through design that celebrated excess. And its influence was omnipresent — antique Baroque furniture was created in the first design style that truly had a global impact.
Theatrical and lavish, Baroque was prevalent across Europe from the 17th to mid-18th century and spread around the world through colonialism, including in Asia, Africa and the Americas. While Baroque originated in Italy and achieved some of its most fantastic forms in the late-period Roman Baroque, it was adapted to meet the tastes and materials in each region. French Baroque furniture informed Louis XIV style and added drama to Versailles. In Spain, the Baroque movement influenced the elaborate Churrigueresque style in which architecture was dripping with ornamental details. In South German Baroque, furniture was made with bold geometric patterns.
Compared to Renaissance furniture, which was more subdued in its proportions, Baroque furniture was extravagant in all aspects, from its shape to its materials.
Allegorical and mythical figures were often sculpted in the wood, along with motifs like scrolling floral forms and acanthus leaves that gave the impression of tangles of dense foliage. Novel techniques and materials such as marquetry, gesso and lacquer — which were used with exotic woods and were employed by cabinetmakers such as André-Charles Boulle, Gerrit Jensen and James Moore — reflected the growth of international trade. Baroque furniture characteristics include a range of decorative elements — a single furnishing could feature everything from carved gilded wood to gilt bronze, lending chairs, mirrors, console tables and other pieces a sense of motion.
Find a collection of authentic antique Baroque tables, lighting, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
A 1700s Norwegian Lion Tankard
Located in Skien, NO
A rare and exquisite primitive tankard from Norway, crafted from birch wood / hardwood with remarkable hand-carved details. This exceptional piece features a lion figurine elegantly ...
Birch, Nutwood, Wood
Voltaire - La Henriade and Épitres, Stances et Odes - Two-Volume Set - Paris, 18
Located in Milano, IT
Two-volume set of works by Voltaire, printed in Paris by Pierre Didot l'Aîné and Firmin Didot using the stereotyping process. Volume I: La Henriade, poem by Voltaire, including note...
Parchment Paper
Georg Wolfgang Wedel Aphorisms Aphorismorum 1695 Jena Medical
Located in Milano, IT
Georgius Wolfgangus Wedel, Aphorismi Aphorismorum, id est Aphorismi Hippocratis in Porismata resoluti. Jena (Ienae), Sumptibus Johannis Bielkii, 1695. Late 17th century medical work...
Other
Traité de Physiologie Tome II Lyon 1763 Dufieu
Located in Milano, IT
Traité de Physiologie. Tome Second. Par Mr. Jean Ferapie Dufieu. Lyon: Chez Claude Jacquenod fils, 1763. 18th century French medical treatise by Jean Ferapie Dufieu, Doctor of Medic...
Parchment Paper
The Christ Child Holding The Orb
Located in Kingsbridge, GB
Polychrome Carving of the Christ Child holding the Orb. Very rare carving (probably in Limewood). Totally original paint and condition throughout. The glass globe is later in date...
Wood
Tusculanes de Ciceron Volume III Amsterdam 1739
Located in Milano, IT
Tusculanes de Ciceron. Traduction par Messieurs Bouhier & d'Olivet. Tome Troisième. Amsterdam, 1739. 18th century French translation of Cicero's Tusculan Disputations, printed in Am...
Parchment Paper
Dated 1846 Norwegian Antique Rosemaling Bucket From Telemark
Located in Skien, NO
Rustic antique butter bucket / amber / ambar, hand-crafted from pine wood with original rosemaling / rose painting from Telemark, Norway. Dated 1846 on one side of the handle, and in...
Bentwood, Pine
A 1800s Birch Wood Baroque Tankard, Hand-crafted, Primitive Antique, Norway
Located in Skien, NO
Norwegian Primitive Baroque Tankard, Late 19th Century A superb example of late-19th century Norwegian folk art, this handcrafted tankard embodies the rustic elegance of the Scandin...
Wood, Birch, Nutwood
Quinault - Oeuvres Choisies - Tome Second - Paris, 1801 - Didot Edition - Leathe
Located in Milano, IT
Second volume only of Oeuvres Choisies de Quinault. Printed in Paris in 1801 by P. Didot l'Aîné and Firmin Didot, stereotype edition produced using the Didot typographic process. B...
Parchment Paper
Antique Belgian Brass Bedpan, 17th Century
Located in Meulebeke, BE
A superb example of early domestic craftsmanship, this hand‑forged brass and copper bedpan from Belgium, circa 1600–1700, combines utility with ornate artistry. The pierced lid featu...
Brass
A 1700s Norwegian Wooden Tankard, Primitive Antique, Richly Hand Carved
Located in Skien, NO
A Rare Large Early 18th Century Norwegian Primitive Tankard in Birchwood This museum-quality Scandinavian folk art tankard, dating to the early 1700s, is a remarkable example of ear...
Wood, Birch, Nutwood
Large Frame with Floral Motifs and Acanthus
Located in Benalmadena, ES
Beautiful frame with elaborate acanthus leaves and intertwined floral motifs in golden tones. Dimensions: 91 cm x 80 cm x 12 cm Inside: 60 cm x 49 cm
Wood
Quinault - Le Théâtre de M. Quinault - Tome Second - Amsterdam, 1715 - Illustrat
Located in Milano, IT
Second volume of Le Théâtre de M. Quinault, printed in Amsterdam in 1715 by David Mortier. This edition is described on the title page as "Nouvelle édition augmentée, & enrichie de ...
Parchment Paper
Lodovico Ariosto - Works - Complete 4 Volume Set - Bassano, 1792
Located in Milano, IT
Works of Lodovico Ariosto, complete in four volumes. Printed in Bassano in 1792 (MDCCXCII), at the Remondini press. Italian-language edition containing the literary works of Lodovic...
Parchment Paper
Protojournal 1788 Venice Bettinelli 18th Century Leather Binding
Located in Milano, IT
Protojournal for the Year 1788. Printed in Venice by Giuseppe Bettinelli. Small-format 18th century Venetian almanac issued for the leap year 1788, intended for administrative and c...
Other
Montesquieu - Lettres Persanes - Complete Set - Paris, 1803 - Pierre & Firmin Di
Located in Milano, IT
Complete four-volume set of Lettres Persanes by Montesquieu. Printed in Paris in 1803 (An XI), from the Imprimerie et Fonderie Stéréotypes of Pierre Didot l'Aîné and Firmin Didot. ...
Parchment Paper
Francesco Albergati Capecelatro - Novelle Veneziane, Venice 1779
Located in Milano, IT
Novelle by Francesco Albergati Capecelatro. Venice (Venezia), printed by Gaspare Storti, 1779 (MDCCLXXIX). Eighteenth-century Italian literary volume containing the short prose work...
Parchment Paper
Scribonius Largus De Compositione Medicamentorum Basel 1529
Located in Milano, IT
Scribonii Largi - De Compositione Medicamentorum. Basel (Basileae), apud Andream Cratandrum, 1529. Early 16th-century Latin medical volume printed in Basel by Andreas Cratander in 1...
Parchment Paper
Dated 1932 Norwegian hand-crafted birch wood jug / tankard, Baroque style
Located in Skien, NO
Primitive antique/semi-antique tankard in birchwood from Norway. Handcrafted in 1932 with a unique pattern, intricately decorated around the entire body and lid with hand-carved Ba...
Birch, Nutwood
Œuvres de Madame et de Mademoiselle Deshoulières - Two Volumes Paris, 1764
Located in Milano, IT
Two-volume 18th-century French edition of: Œuvres de Madame et de Mademoiselle Deshoulières Nouvelle Édition Paris: Chez les Libraires Associés, 1764 (With Royal approval and privil...
Parchment Paper
Publii Ovidii Nasonis Venice 1773 Latin Edition
Located in Milano, IT
Publii Ovidii Nasonis. Fastorum Libri VI; Tristium Libri V; De Ponto Libri IV. Venetiis, 1773. 18th century Venetian Latin edition of selected works by Ovid, printed in 1773 with of...
Parchment Paper
Les Moeurs des Chrétiens 1700 Brussels Fleury Vellum Binding
Located in Milano, IT
Les Moeurs des Chrétiens by Claude Fleury. Brussels: Eugène Henri Fricx, 1700. Late 17th century theological work examining the moral life and practices of early Christians. Printed...
Other
Of the Poems of Angiolo Berlendis - Complete in Three Volumes Turin, 1764
Located in Milano, IT
Complete three-volume 18th-century Italian edition of Delle Poesie di Angiolo Berlendis, printed in Turin (Torino) in 1764. The set includes: • Volume I • Volume II • Volume III ...
Parchment Paper
Journées Physiques Tome Premier Lyon 1761
Located in Milano, IT
Journées Physiques. Tome Premier. Lyon: Chez Jean De Ville, 1761. French 18th century scientific work printed in Lyon and dated 1761 on the title page, issued with royal privilege a...
Other
Barocke Prozessionslaterne Metall, bemalt, 110cm, um 1700
Located in Aachen, DE
Guter originaler Zustand, Höhe ca. 110cm, dreieckiger Querschnitt, eine verriegelbare Türe, Reste einer ehemaligen Elektrifizierung. Im Kopfbereich alle 3 Seiten figürlich bemalt. D...
Iron
$22,000
H 3.15 in W 3.08 in D 0.71 in
Ancient Egyptian Green-Blue Faience Fragment from the ‘Bowl of the Traitor’
Located in London, GB
Named the ‘Bowl of the Traitor’ by German Egyptologist Hermann Schlögl, this finely inscribed fragment from a ritual vessel is believed to have belonged to Udjahorresnet, one of the ...
Faience
Small Antique Spanish Colonial Chest, Late 1700’s
By NONO
Located in Guadalajra, Jal
Small Antique Spanish Colonial Chest, Late 1700’s Small colonial chest made of mesquite wood with remnants of paint. Assembled with dovetail joints and featuring impressive wrought i...
Wood
$2,500
H 68.75 in W 23.5 in D 2 in
1886 White's Physiological Manikin Antique Anatomy Medical Chart Lifesize
Located in Lake Worth, FL
White's Physiological Manikin dated 1886 is a rare and valuable antique medical chart in the form of a life-size manikin created by James T White & Co in the United States. This ...
Paper
$24,562
H 13 in W 6.3 in D 4.73 in
Attic Red-Figure Neck Amphora, by the Painter Of The Louvre Centauromachy
Located in London, GB
The Classical Greek amphora with glossy black glaze and elegantly twisted handles. Depicting on one side an Athenian youth resting on a staff and wearing a himation with his right a...
Pottery
$350 / set
H 5.5 in Dm 1 in
18th Century Italian Speckled Gold and Silver Leaf Tassel Ornaments 'Set of 5'
By Interi
Located in Columbia, SC
18th Century Italian hand-carved speckled gold and silver leaf tassel ornaments. The tassels originally came from an Italian church in Tuscany and were used during feast days. These tassels were commonly used to adorn 18th and 19th century French and Italian chandeliers...
Metal, Gold Leaf
$13,500
H 1.26 in W 1.26 in D 0.2 in
Medallic Ancient Silver Coin (Tetradrachm) of Alexander the Great
Located in London, GB
A medallic and beautifully preserved ancient silver tetradrachm, bearing a particularly fine portrait of one of the greatest heroes from antiquity - Heracles. On the obverse, the hea...
Silver
$19,500
H 0.97 in W 1 in D 0.21 in
Medallic Ancient Greek Silver Coin, Tetradrachm of Philip II, c. 432-337 BC
Located in London, GB
A magnificent high-relief silver tetradrachm, issued under King Philip II of Macedon at the famed Pella mint, circa 342 - 337 BC. The obverse with a powerful portrait of Zeus, th...
Silver
19thc Stoneware Two Gallon Decorated Crock
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19Thc Original decorated stoneware crock with handles in fine condition.This crock was found in Pennsylvania.Wonderful blue glaze decoration.
Pottery
$5,600
H 26.5 in W 26.5 in D 42 in
Antique Hand Painted Carretto Siciliano - Smaller Working Child’s Cart
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A Sicilian cart, also known as a Caretto Siciliano, which is a traditional, ornate goat or donkey-drawn cart from Sicily. The hand-crafted, wooden market cart dating back to the 19th...
Iron
Ancient Egyptian Green Faience Aegis of Amun-Re, Late Period
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
This exquisite faience amulet is an Aegis featuring the head of Amun-Re. The god is seen here taking on the form of a ram, wearing a striated tripartite wig and sun disc fronted by ...
Faience
Ancient Egyptian Wooden Dummy Canopic Jar, 1069 BC to 664 BC
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
This beautifully rendered 'dummy' canopic jar is In the form of the human-headed Son of Horus, Imsety. It features an incised line indicating the division between the jar and the lid...
Wood
$45,000
H 43.71 in W 19.69 in D 0.79 in
Rare Decorative Leaded-Glass Window Picturing The Queen of the East, ca. 1899
Located in Langweer, NL
Original Antique Leaded-glass window depicting "Batavia, Queen of the East' & the Coat of Arms of Batavia, in wooden door, execution Atelier van Gebrand Glas 't Prinsenhof - Jan ...
Lead
Byzantine Mosaic Panel of Hermes, of the Classical Roman Type
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
This brilliant and large mosaic panel is composed of multicoloured tesserae on a cream ground, depicting the seated god Hermes. Dynamically rendered, he wears his winged cap, a toga...
Marble
$175,000
H 33.5 in W 18 in D 2.5 in
Large Egyptian Limestone Round-Topped Stele for INKU and ISIS-EN-EM-HET
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
This magnificent and large Late Period round-topped stele is deftly carved in shallow sunk relief. Below the arching top we find a winged solar-disk flanked by two uraei, and two sym...
Limestone
$13,700
H 13.47 in W 4.81 in D 6.23 in
Cypriot Terracotta Figure Playing the Harp - with 1937 Export Licence
Located in London, GB
This charming figure is iconic of the early, multicultural art of Cypro-Archaic Cyprus (c.750-480 BC). Crafted and placed in a sanctuary in lieu of the worshipper, it was a particula...
Terracotta
Sold
H 41.34 in W 31.5 in D 0.79 in
Oil Painting of Jesus Christ Carrying The Cross, Italy Early 18th Century
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A Religious oil painting on canvas of Jesus Christ carrying the cross on the way to his crucifixion. This European piece of art is probably 17th-18th Century. This art piece was disc...
Canvas, Wood
Pair of early 18th century Italian cherubs in polychrome wood
Located in Oostende, BE
This pair of cherubs comes from a noble family in Milan (Italy). Wear consistent with age and use. They are sold as a pair, not separately.
Wood
Early 20th Century Musical Birds Automaton
Located in Middleburg, VA
Early 20th Century Musical Birds Automaton. Two automated singing birds with strong voices amidst foliage in a “baroque” style gilded brass cage. The Birds take turns singing to each...
Brass
Pair of early 18th century Italian cherubs in polychrome wood
Located in Oostende, BE
This pair of cherubs comes from a noble family in Milan (Italy). Wear consistent with age and use. They are sold as a pair, not separately.
Wood
Sold
H 16.15 in W 9.85 in D 3.94 in
Late 17th Century Pair of Baroque Hand-Crafted Wood Italian Fragments
Located in Aci Castello, IT
Two antiques wood decorations depicting vases with flames in original conditions. They are made in late 17th century in Siclly, the blue, gold and red colors are in original conditions.
Fruitwood