Antique French furniture has been the love of antique furniture lovers around the world. This furniture is known to add warmth and depth to the living environment. During its origins, the French Country Style was called Provincial-Style furniture. It attained its origins from within the countryside or rural regions of France. In fact, it was a rural interpretation of the more lavish styles found in the city Paris. Historically, French Country style is a true blend of provincial style with farmhouse styles found within different regions of France. This is not a period specific style. Locating Antique French country furniture is difficult even to lovers of antiques. Within the design of French Country Style there are elements of the following periods: a) the Medieval Period; b) the Restoration Period, and c) the Neoclassical Period. But these elements are blended to such a degree you probably will not recognize each element of style individually. The style becomes original in that you are now left with French Country Style. The style represents the farming life of the peasants of France. It later became popular with the middle income earners. In summing up French Country Style furniture, you may say it is a blending of furniture designs from various eras. The lines are much more simplistic, the wood more durable and the overall color is lighter. It is a moot point why peasantry life be romanticized in furniture. This romanticizing French country antiques with peasantry life style were introduced by philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau. His concepts included lesser restrictions of societal influences and the peasants represented these thoughts. Within this thinking the style of the peasants took hold. Upper-crust French women, as a result, made an attempt to incorporate the peasant way of life within their households. French Country furniture was one of the side-effects. Antique French Country furniture may be considered a good option. It is an assemblage of many antique styles, has an interesting history, and is ideal for family life. Tables for the kitchen, hutches, and armoires are classic French Country items. Due to its history and broad family appeal, French Country style is a popular choice amongst persons seeking home-style antique furniture. Antique French furniture of the 17th century gained the most popularity during Napoleon Bonaparte's regime. This unlike French country antique furniture, made use of metal decorative motifs, often symbols taken from ancient Egypt, such as winged lions, falcons or sphinx. These motifs, known as ormolu are quintessentially French empire style furniture and the best way of identifying empire style from other types of French furniture. One easy way to spot a table done in the French empire style is the use of a carved animal, often a sphinx, as a tale leg. Also many pieces of French empire style furniture have the letter carved N in them. N, which stands for Napoleon, is further evidence of the nationalistic fervor that inspired much French empire style furniture. French empire style furniture also relies on size to communicate its grand intentions, and in comparison to preceding French furniture styles like Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI involve very little wood carving but rely more heavily on high sheen veneers.
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