For 18th-century young British noblemen, no education was complete without a year on the Grand Tour. Although it had no official route, the Grand Tour focused on places foundational to European art, literature and architecture, including sites in France, Germany, Switzerland and, most importantly, Italy. It was an opportunity not just to witness the roots of the classics they had studied but also to take some of it home. Grand Tour furniture was among the souvenirs.
Grand Tour furniture ranged from marble architectural models replicating ancient wonders to actual antiquities often taken illicitly, leaving a legacy of looting still being unraveled today. Other items reflected the artistic richness of the Renaissance cities and other destinations. In Italy, this included scagliola tables and pedestals mimicking marble as well as tabletops and wall panels embedded with pietra dura hard stone mosaics.
Furniture was also developed to display Grand Tour purchases in the owner’s home, presenting them as a cultivated and well-traveled person. Mahogany collector’s cabinets held objects like intaglio moldings of coins and seals while others had specialized drawers that framed pietra dura panels.
Many objects were specifically produced for Grand Tour collectors. Often accompanied by retinues on journeys lasting months or years, the elite travelers, the wealthiest of whom extended their trips to Egypt and the Holy Land, required artful personal mementos befitting the experience. For example, Grand Tour micromosaics — small artworks, most not more than two inches wide — arose from the entrepreneurial impulses of artisans who had trained in the Vatican’s workshops.
Grand Tour journeys would help inform a range of decorative styles such as neoclassical, Rococo and Adam style. (Architect and designer Robert Adam toured Italy and France for five years.) The Grand Tour flourished at a time of economic prosperity and political stability, but the French Revolution in 1789 brought it to an end. Yet as the tradition faded in popularity in England, the rising wealth of the United States led to an increase in tourism across the Atlantic and a similar passion for collecting to show one’s worldliness.
Find a collection of Grand Tour decorative objects, wall decorations, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
Museum Mounted Grand Tour Inca or Sipan Silver Official Necklace
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Museum mounted grand tour Inca or Sipan silver necklace, a 20th century copy of an original neckpiece worn by an "Oficia"l of Inca or Sipan decent. Unmarked. Removable from the stand...
Metal, Silver
Pair of 1820s Italian Touring Sterling Silver Candelabras
Located in North Miami, FL
Exquisite Pair of 1820s Italian Touring (Grand Tour) Sterling Silver Candelabras Crafted by skilled artisans, these magnificent candelabras hailing from 1820s Italy are a testament ...
Sterling Silver
$4,500 / set
H 11.07 in W 5.25 in D 5.25 in
Large Pair of Neoclassical Sterling Silver Column-Form Candlesticks
Located in New York, NY
Large pair of Neoclassical (made in the Victorian Period), sterling silver column-form candlesticks, Sheffield, England, year-hallmarked for 1898, Henry Wigful - maker. Each candlestick measures 11 1/6 inches high x 5 1/4 inches deep x 5 1/4 inches wide. Columns are swirled in design. The capital of each column is designed with acanthus leaves. The base of each candlestick is decorated with profiles of the Green Man (a good luck symbol...
Sterling Silver
Silvered Sea Shell Lister's Conch
Located in New York, NY
Lister's conch fully silvered shell 5". Creel and Gow has been working with the same atelier in Rome, Italy for over 20 years to make our signature silvered shells. Our workshop has ...
Sterling Silver
Silvered Sea Shell Cymbiola
Located in New York, NY
Cymbiola silvered shell 8". Creel and Gow has been working with the same atelier in Rome, Italy for over 20 years to make our signature silvered shells. Our workshop has been operate...
Sterling Silver
Silvered Sea Shell Scotch Bonnet
Located in New York, NY
Scotch Bonnet fully silvered 4". Creel and Gow has been working with the same atelier in Rome, Italy for over 20 years to make our signature silvered she...
Sterling Silver
Silvered Sea Shell Strombus Pugilis
Located in New York, NY
Strombus pugilis fully silvered shell. Creel and Gow has been working with the same atelier in Rome, Italy for over 20 years to make our signature silvered shells. Our workshop has b...
Sterling Silver
Pair of American Tiffany Sterling Silver Monkey Candlesticks
Located in Southampton, NY
Pair of American Tiffany sterling silver monkey candlesticks.
$1,060Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 10.5 in W 5.38 in D 4.25 in
Pair of American Edwardian Sterling Silver Candlesticks by Gorham
By Gorham Manufacturing Company
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Edwardian sterling silver candlesticks. Made by Gorham in Providence in 1905. Each: Ovoid, tapering, and fluted shaft with interlaced script monogram; stepped oval foot. Urn ...
Sterling Silver
$3,500 / set
H 11 in W 11.5 in D 3.75 in
NEWPORT - Pair of Sterling Silver Candelabra - Weighted - U.S.A. - 20th Century
Located in Chatham, ON
NEWPORT - Vintage pair of sterling silver candelabra - pattern number 16218 - weighted - classic traditional design - signed on the base - United States - mid 20th century. Good vin...
Sterling Silver
$1,275
H 2.75 in W 2.75 in D 2.5 in
Rare Art Deco Period Sterling Silver-Mounted Glass Owl-Form Match Striker
Located in New York, NY
Rare, Art Deco Period, sterling silver-mounted glass owl-form match striker (with original glass eyes), London, England, year-hallmarked for 1925. Excellent detail. Matches are stru...
Sterling Silver
Krupski & Matulewicz Russian Tsarist Silver Cigarette Case
By Krupski & Matulewicz
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Krupski & Matulewicz Russian/Polish Tsarist silver cigarette case. This case has the Russian 84 hallmark for silver. KiM stands for KRUPSKI I MATULEWICZ. The firm of Wladyslaw Krupski and Jan Matulewicz had there shop at ul. Leszczynska 12. Warszsawa. The Russian silver mark...
Silver
The Rhino Sterling Silver Lighter
Located in Milan, IT
Playful true-to-life silver rhinoceros that serves as a lighter other than being a decorative artwork in its own right. Expertly handcrafted by the F...
Sterling Silver
$1,450
H 3.25 in Dm 3.5 in
Edwardian Very Large Sterling Silver-Mounted Threaded Crystal Match Striker
Located in New York, NY
Edwardian, very large, sterling silver-mounted threaded crystal match striker, London, 1922. Measures: @3 1/4 inches high x @3 1/2inches diameter. Excellent condition.
Crystal, Sterling Silver