Régence
French Régence furniture — produced during the regency of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, between the deaths of Louis XIV (1715) and the majority of Louis XV (1723) — is the pivotal transitional style between the monumental Baroque of the Sun King and the elegant Rococo of his successor. It is not the same as English Regency furniture, which is a completely different style from a century later. Ormolu-mounted commodes, bureau plats, and case goods in the Régence manner appear regularly in Texas estate sales. Austin Auction Gallery has sold nearly 150 Régence and Régence-style lots.
What it's Worth
Quality Régence-style ormolu-mounted pieces — commodes, bureau plats, console tables — typically bring $1,500–$8,000 at auction depending on scale, condition, and the quality and originality of the ormolu. Pairs of console tables or pedestals in the Régence manner bring $2,000–$10,000 per pair. Exceptional pieces with fine original ormolu bring considerably more. Genuine period Régence pieces (pre-1723, with ébéniste stamps) are rare in American collections and would bring $8,000–$50,000+ at specialist auction. The condition of the ormolu mounts is the primary value driver: original unpolished mounts with warm fire-gilding add substantially; replated, polished, or replaced ormolu reduces value.
Régence-style ormolu pieces $1,500–$8,000; exceptional pairs $2,000–$10,000+
