Sevres Porcelain Side Table
These sevres porcelain side table pieces combine glazed ceramic plaques with rich cabinet woods and gilded metal mounts for an ornate French look.
Sevres Porcelain Side Table
A sevres porcelain side table brings together fine glazed ceramic inserts and decorative timber framing, often taking the form of a small occasional surface, a writing desk, or a centre table. The examples available here span the eighteenth century through to the nineteenth century, reflecting periods such as the Louis XV Revival, Louis XVI Style, and the French Second Empire.
Most items you encounter on this page date from the nineteenth century, including specific decades like the eighteen-eighties and eighteen-seventies, alongside earlier eighteenth-century origins. Makers and cabinetmakers adopted traditional French forms like writing tables, occasional tables, and side tables, mounting hand-painted porcelain plaques directly into timber structures.
Beyond standard side surfaces, related forms appearing in this category include plant stands, small cabinets, table lamps, and desk-top cartonnurs. Each piece relies on the contrast between polished timber and decorative ceramic elements to create a distinct visual centrepiece.
How they were made
Craftsmen built the underlying framework of a sevres porcelain side table using cabinet timbers such as kingwood, burr walnut, satinwood, rosewood, and ebonised wood. These woods were chosen for their rich grain patterns and durability, providing a sturdy chassis to support heavy ceramic inserts.
Ornate metalwork played a structural and decorative role, utilising ormolu, gilt bronze, and brass for mounts, edgings, and cast legs. Hand-painted porcelain plaques were then set into the timber and secured with these cast metal mounts, complemented occasionally by fabric details.
Sevres Porcelain Side Table Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for sevres porcelain side table among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Current listings feature furniture and lighting from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, spanning the seventeen-eighties to nineteen-hundred.
What varies in quality
The finesse of the hand-painted porcelain plaques dictates much of the visual standard, with superior examples showing detailed brushwork, rich blue or polychrome glazes, and crisp figural or floral scenes. Lesser pieces often feature simpler decoration or transfer-printed designs rather than careful hand painting.
Cabinetwork construction and mount casting also define the grade of a piece. Finely chased ormolu and dense, well-figured kingwood or burr walnut indicate higher workshop standards, whereas simpler timber frames and plain brass mounts represent more commercial production.
The Sevres Porcelain Side Table Glossary
- Ormolu
- Gilded bronze or brass applied to furniture mounts and decorative hardware. It provides a bright metallic contrast against dark cabinet woods and porcelain plaques.
- Kingwood
- A dense, richly figured timber imported from Brazil, prized for its distinct dark violet and brown striping. Cabinetmakers used it extensively for high-end French decorative tables.
- Cartonnur
- A desk-top cabinet or stand designed specifically to hold papers, documents, or cartons. They often incorporate decorative plaques and metal mounts to match surrounding furniture.
- Jardiniere
- A decorative stand or container intended to hold plants or floral arrangements. In nineteenth-century French pieces, these often feature porcelain inserts and ormolu framing.
- Louis XVI Style
- A neoclassical design movement characterised by straight lines, symmetrical geometry, and classical motifs. It appeared strongly in nineteenth-century revivals of French furniture.
Sevres Porcelain Side Table: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a sevres porcelain side table?
A sevres porcelain side table is a small decorative French table inset with hand-painted ceramic plaques and mounted in ormolu.
These pieces typically date from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, spanning various revival styles.
How do I care for my table?
Keep the wood conditioned with appropriate furniture wax and dust the ormolu mounts gently with a dry cloth.
Avoid using harsh chemical cleaners on the porcelain plaques or the gilded metal surfaces.
Are these tables French in origin?
The designs and manufacturing techniques follow traditional French cabinetmaking styles from periods like the Louis XV and Louis XVI revivals.
Many pieces from the nineteenth century specifically emulate earlier royal French workshop aesthetics.
What woods were used?
Cabinetmakers utilised exotic and decorative timbers such as kingwood, burr walnut, satinwood, and rosewood.
These woods provided strong foundations and rich background colours for the mounted porcelain plaques.
How do I date a piece?
Dating relies on assessing the timber construction methods, the style of the cast ormolu mounts, and the characteristics of the porcelain glaze.
Nineteenth-century revival pieces often replicate eighteenth-century forms but show distinct structural traits from their actual period of manufacture.