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Empire Books

EMPIRE STYLE

From 1804–15, Napoléon I reigned as the emperor of France, bringing the country into a new era of opulence after the fall of the monarchy and the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. He declared, “We must have very solid things, made to last 100 years.” Empire-style furniture followed suit, with imposing pieces constructed from mahogany and adorned with gilded ornaments. Expanding on the neoclassicism popularized in the previous century — such as in ​​Louis XVI style — Empire style borrowed from the great civilizations of antiquity, from Egypt to Greece and Rome, to connect this nascent empire to the power of the past.

Napoléon I believed the production of fine furniture would reflect the stature of the republic, with his official architects Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine leading the way with their work on his residences.

Luxurious materials, symmetrical shapes and bold colors characterize antique Empire-style bedroom furniture, armchairs, cabinets and other structures, with frequent motifs including mythological creatures, geometric designs, acanthus leaves, eagles, bees (the imperial emblem) and swans, a favorite of Empress Joséphine.

Flat surfaces, like marble tabletops, were accented with decadent details, such as the bronze furniture mounts made by sculptor Pierre-Philippe Thomire for the French palaces. Martin-Guillaume Biennais, who worked as the imperial goldsmith, crafted intricate luxury objects that mixed wood, fine metal, mother-of-pearl and ivory. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.

The style became popular abroad, influencing the American Empire style. Stately pieces carved with sprigs of olives by cabinetmaker Pierre-Antoine Bellange were acquired by American President James Monroe for the White House in 1817.

Find a collection of antique Empire tables, lighting, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Empire
Antique Swedish Leather-Bound Bible Book, 1810
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Swedish leather-bound Bible, with brass brackets decorated with two hearts and two anchors. According to the estate in Sweden where I purchased this book, it belonged to a Scandinavi...
Category

1810s Swedish Antique Empire Books

Materials

Brass

Le Style Empire, Décoratations, Extérieures Et Intérieures, Mobilier, Bronzes
Located in valatie, NY
Le Style Empire: Décoratations, Extérieures et Intérieures, Mobilier, Bronzes. Printed in Paris by Chez F. Contet. All volumes are 1st Ed's with the exception of volume 1 which is a ...
Category

Early 20th Century French Empire Books

Materials

Paper

Jacques-Louis David 1748-1825 Collection of 200 Prints Ltd Edition Produced 1953
Located in Chicago, IL
Jacques-Louis David 1748-1825 was a well-known French artist who was awarded with the Prix of Rome and the Commander of the Legion of Honor. The Book titled; The Birth of a Genius is...
Category

1950s French Vintage Empire Books

Materials

Paper

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Antique Book, Thoughts on Hunting by William Beckford, English, Georgian, 1810
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique book, Thoughts on Hunting by William Beckford. An English language hard bound compendium of sporting letters, dating to the Georgian period, published 1810. An En...
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Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Books

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Paper

Mobilier Moderniste: Palais du Maharaja d'Indore (Book)
Located in North Yorkshire, GB
This is a scarce copy of a Sotheby Parke Bernet sale catalogue (Sunday 25th May 1980) of the contents of the Maharaja of Indore's modernistic Madik Bagh palace which he had designed ...
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20th Century Empire Books

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Paper

Mobilier Moderniste: Palais du Maharaja d'Indore (Book)
Mobilier Moderniste: Palais du Maharaja d'Indore (Book)
Free Shipping
H 9.5 in W 7.25 in D 0.33 in
19th Century French Leather Bound and Gilt Book of The Virgin Mary
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a shelf or a library with this beautiful antique red book named "La Sainte Vierge"; crafted in Paris, France, circa 1877, the religious book dep...
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Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Books

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Gold Leaf

Antique Scandinavian Bible, Norway 1810
Located in Hønefoss, 30
A beautiful antique bible from Scandinavia in the year 1810. The cover are probably even older, possibly late 1700s. Works perfect as a Wabi Sabi decoration element to give the r...
Category

1810s Norwegian Antique Empire Books

Materials

Paper

Antique Scandinavian Bible, Norway 1810
Antique Scandinavian Bible, Norway 1810
H 3.94 in W 9.45 in D 8.27 in
19th Century English Embossed Brown Leather Bound and Gilt Holy Bible Dated 1847
Located in Dallas, TX
Listen to the word of God with this antique family Bible. Printed in London by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode in 1847, the Holy book is d...
Category

Mid-19th Century English Antique Empire Books

Materials

Leather

Midcentury French Leather Bound Two-Volume Holy Bible Dated 1953
Located in Dallas, TX
These two holy Bible books with brown leather covers were printed in Marseilles, France, dated 1953, each of the two books features the new and old testament translated by Robert Tam...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Empire Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

19th Century English Leather Bound and Gilt Holy Bible by John Brown Dated 1864
Located in Dallas, TX
This beautiful antique Holy Bible was printed in the United Kingdom by Blackie and Son dated 1864. Black leather bound, the bible flaunts an engraved and embossed gilt covering with a center medallion, and the spine is engraved with "Holy Bible". Entitled "Brown's Self-Interpreting Family Bible," with numerous additional notes by the Reverend Henry Cooke, the Holy book contains the Old and New Testaments, marginal references and illustrations, a summary of the several books,an analysis of each chapter, a paraphrase and evangelical reflections upon the most important passages, and numerous explanatory notes explanatory notes, and evangelical reflections by the famous Reverend John Brown. The first page contains a beautifully sketched medallion of Moses "Restoring the Tables of the Law". The early 19th century bible...
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Mid-19th Century British Antique Empire Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

Everyday Decorating
Located in New York, NY
Jeffrey Bilhuber, one of the most sought-after voices in interior design, offers practical advice and easy-to-follow tips that inspire and empower the reader to make enlightened design decisions. Jeffrey Bilhuber has created the ultimate decorating handbook for those who love to go to Instagram or Pinterest for inspiration and design knowledge. Kicking aside the standard interior decorator format of showcasing work house by house, the book is divided into chapters that illustrate how to make your home more comfortable, happy, colorful, personal, lighter and brighter, sexy, charming, and cozy. Using iconic images spanning the breadth of his illustrious career, each page sings with a practical takeaway that leaves the reader thinking, ""Well, I never thought of it like that."" Bilhuber's classically informed point of view mixed with his tell-it-like-it-is humor make for memorable tips that will prove valuable the next time you're shopping for a sofa, making a bed, or considering paint colors. From sleek city townhouses to rambling country manors, he's found that ultimately all clients have the same goals regardless of interests, budget, or location. Those clients have included bold-face names like Anna Wintour, Iman, Mariska Hargitay, and Elsa Peretti. And the same advice he shared with them, he now shares with you. About The Author Jeffrey Bilhuber founded his eponymous design business, Bilhuber and Associates, nearly 30 years ago. He is known for his uniquely American perspective that combines tradition and modern sensibilities. Since founding his firm, his work has been published in more than 200 design books, as well as every major national and international shelter magazine, including prominent features in Architectural Digest, where he has always been at the top of the AD 100 list. He is the author of four highly acclaimed books published by Rizzoli: Jeffrey Bilhuber's Design Basics, Defining Luxury: The Qualities of Life at Home, The Way Home: Reflections of American Beauty, and American Master: Notes on Style and Substance. He has collaborated on lines with several home goods manufacturers including Henredon, The Lacquer Co., de Gournay, Walters Wicker...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Books

Materials

Paper

Everyday Decorating
H 9.25 in W 9.25 in D 1.13 in
Complete bible bound in green leather morocco with silver clasps, 18th century
Located in DEVENTER, NL
La Sainte Bible qui contient le Vieux et le Nouveau Testament edited by: Z.CHatelain & Fils, Arkstee & Merkus, Marc Michel Rey. A.D. 1770. Subtitle: 'Le nouveau Testament, cést à di...
Category

18th Century European Antique Empire Books

Materials

Silver

Albert Engstrom Leather & Gilt Swedish Book Set, C. 1945
Located in Ross, CA
Set of 6, leather bound book set written by Albert Engstrom (1869-1940), published by Bonnier's in Stockholm in 1945. The Swedish language books are books are filled with the author...
Category

1940s Swedish Vintage Empire Books

Materials

Leather

French 1890s Empire Style Lit en Bateau Doll Bed with Out-Scrolling Accents
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Empire style wooden lit en bateau doll bed from the late 19th century, with out-scrolling accents. Created in France during the last quarter of ...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Books

Materials

Wood

Picasso Leather-Bound and Gilded Book Autographed by Ariana Huffington
Located in San Francisco, CA
Picasso Leather-Bound and Gilded Book Autographed by Ariana Huffington 9.5" x 6.5" x 2"
Category

20th Century Empire Books

Materials

Leather

Previously Available Items
Jacques-Louis David 1748-1825 Collection of 200 Prints Ltd Edition Produced 1953
Located in Chicago, IL
Jacques-Louis David 1748-1825 was a well-known French artist who was awarded with the Prix of Rome and the Commander of the Legion of Honor. The Book titled; The Birth of a Genius is...
Category

1950s French Vintage Empire Books

Materials

Paper

The World of Biedermeier by Linda Chase, Karl Kemp 2001 Hardcover Book
Located in North Hollywood, CA
The World of Biedermeier by Linda Chase, Karl Kemp 2001 Hardcover Book. Thames & Hudson, 2001 - Antiques & Collectibles - 416 pages 1st edition 2001 amazing ...
Category

Late 20th Century Empire Books

Materials

Paper

Set of 26 Swedish 20th Century Leather-Bound Books
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A collection of 26 Swedish decorative antique leather-bound library books. It is a collection containing works of the Famous Swedish author August Strindberg...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Empire Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

Set of 24 European 19th Century Leather-Bound Books
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A collection of 24 French and Swedish decorative antique leather-bound library books dated from 1822-1872. One book is dated 1929. In some of these books are included the original ma...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Books

Materials

Paper, Leather

Collection of 30 Swedish 20th Century Leather-Bound Books
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A collection of 30 Swedish decorative antique leather-bound library books. It is a collection of the works of the Famous Swedish author August Strindberg...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Empire Books

Materials

Leather, Paper

Capital of Three Empires Istanbul by lhan Aksit Hardcover Book
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Capital of Three Empires Istanbul by lhan Aksit Hardcover book in a slipcase covered Deluxe edition: presented in a slipcase covered. Istanbul - Constantinople Guide Ottoman archit...
Category

20th Century Turkish Empire Books

Materials

Paper

Empire books for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Empire books for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage books created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include more furniture and collectibles, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with paper, animal skin and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire books made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Scandinavia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for books differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $125 and tops out at $2,250 while the average work can sell for $1,038.

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