Louis XIV furniture
It was based on the use of marquetry, the inlay of pieces of ebony and other rare woods, a technique first used in Florence in the 15th century, which was refined and developed by Boulle and others working for the King.
Furniture was inlaid with thin plaques of ebony, copper, mother of pearl, and exotic woods of different colors in elaborate designs.
Armchairs appeared with high backs, made with pieces of bois tourné, cut in a spiral form.
New and lighter decorative themes appeared that were often exotic and playful, notably putti or cherubs, and grotesques, arabesques and lace-like dentelle designs.
[4] The style of the last period was strongly influenced by the marquetry of the ebeniste André-Charles Boulle, who between 1675–80 greatly refined the classic techniques of applying thin plaques of ebony, exotic woods, copper, tortoise shell, and mother-of-pearl.
In the later period of the Louis XIV style, the amount of decoration on the frame diminished, and their form became more graceful and curving.
[5] The fauteuil à la reine, or queen's armchair, was introduced and became a popular form which continued to be made, with various modifications, throughout the reigns of Louis XV and XVI.
Another innovation was the fauteuil à os de mouton, which featured braces between the legs in the form of curving sheep bones.
[6] In the early years of the reign, the King demanded that all members of the court, no matter what their rank, remain standing, often for very long periods, while he was seated in a fauteuil, or armchair.
[5] The console was a particular type of table made to stand against a wall; it usually had a plaque of marble on top, and was richly ornamented, but only on side facing the room.
A particularly fine example is a table by André-Charles Boulle, from 1670–80, which features marquetry made with an assortment of woods, plus pewter, brass, copper, horn, and tortoiseshell; it is now in the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.
The ornate and heavy chests of Louis XIII gradually disappeared were replaced by a new item of furniture, the commode, which had a column of drawers.
André-Charles Boulle lightened the appearance of the commodes with marquetry of ivory, mother of pearl, tin, and brass.
A very elegant version of this desk was made by André-Charles Boulle, for Nicolas Fouquet, the King's minister of finance, for his château at Vaux-le-Vicomte.
