Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
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.
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Earthenware
Late 20th Century Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Aluminum
20th Century European Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Silver
1850s American Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Gold, Sterling Silver
18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Silver, Sterling Silver
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Ceramic, Wood
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Sterling Silver
20th Century English Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Silver Plate
1970s American Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Hungarian Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Porcelain
Early 20th Century German Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Marble
1920s English Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Italian Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Sterling Silver
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Metal
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Crystal
1780s English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Sterling Silver
1780s Spanish Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Silver
1970s Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Brass
Late 18th Century Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Porcelain
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Pearlware, Pottery
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Earthenware
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Porcelain
1910s American Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Clay
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Porcelain
18th Century German Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Silver
Early 19th Century Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Pearlware, Pottery
1970s French Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Brass
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Pearlware, Pottery
Mid-19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Pearlware, Pottery
20th Century American Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Shell
Early 18th Century Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Pearlware, Pottery
Mid-20th Century American Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Art Glass
20th Century German Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Ceramic
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Pearlware, Pottery
1960s French Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Silver Plate
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Sterling Silver
Mid-18th Century English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Stoneware
1790s English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Pearlware, Pottery
1890s German Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Ceramic, Porcelain
1860s English Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Silver
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century French Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Sterling Silver
Late 18th Century Dutch Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Silver
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Sterling Silver
1940s American Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Sterling Silver
1950s German Vintage Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Porcelain
20th Century American Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Aluminum
18th Century Austrian Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Copper
19th Century Portuguese Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Silver
1770s French Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Silver
1820s French Antique Neoclassical Platters and Serveware
Bronze