Louis XIV., King of France, 1643–1715. Used adjectively to designate the styles in architecture, furniture, decorative art, etc., characteristic of his reign. So Louis Quinze, Louis XV., 1715–74. Louis Seize, Louis XVI., 1774–93. Louis Treize, Louis XIII., 1610–43. Hence rarely Louis as adj. to designate what was prevalent in two or more of the above-mentioned reigns.
1855. Ogilvie, Suppl., Louis-Quatorze Ornament … Louis Quinze Ornament.
1876. Pollen, Anc. & Mod. Furniture, x. 103. The broken shell-shaped woodwork, popularly known as Louis quinze work, began to be adopted for the frames of large glasses.
1878. Eastlake, Househ. Taste, ii. (ed. 4), 55. Their notions of the beautiful are … derived from traditions of the Louis Quatorze period.
1882. Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, 329. Louis Quinze Lace is formed of a braid known as Louis Treize.
1892. Litchfield, Hist. Furniture, 61. During the ‘Louis Treize’ period chairs became more comfortable. Ibid., 162. The familiar ‘Louis Seize’ riband surmounting the two oval Sêvres china plaques.
1901. Contemp. Rev., Sept., 381. Useful arts … are reduced to copies of the Louis styles.
