Dining Chairs Swedish Set of 6 Empire Mahogany Gilded Sweden
Located in New York, NY
Dining chairs Swedish set of 6 Empire mahogany gilded Sweden. A set of six dining chairs made during the Empire / Karl Johan period in Sweden 1810-1830. Veneered in a beautiful dark ...
Pair of Russian Empire Side Chairs
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pair of Russian Empire Side Chairs - Original untouched finish newly reupholstered seat in Jim Thompson fabric.
Upholstery, Wood
Set of Four 19th Century French Empire Mahogany Armchairs
Located in Dallas, TX
A set of four French Empire fauteuils-armchairs in carved and veneered mahogany with beautiful carving and scale.
Mahogany
Unavailable
H 37.41 in W 15.75 in D 14.97 in
17th Century Italian Black Lacquered Herringbone Cane Seat Chiavari Chair
By Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi, Chiavari
Located in Stockholm, SE
Offered for your consideration is a solitary black lacquered Chiavari chair in beautiful vintage condition. Featuring turned legs and hand carved purple willow frame and backrest in ...
Cane, Hardwood
Unavailable
H 43.31 in W 22.84 in D 22.05 in
Empire Walnut and Gold Leaf Hand-Made Sitting Chair by Modenese Gastone Interior
By Modenese Gastone
Located in PADOVA, Italy
Have a seat on this wonderfully upholstered empire side chair by Modenese Gastone Interiors featuring a wood frame gold leaf applied in details, upholstered with a premium floreal sa...
Gold Leaf
Black and Gilt Empire Style Chairs with Cane Seats, a Pair
Located in Wichita, KS
Beautiful vintage Empire style chairs with caned seats. The Chairs are black with a beautiful gilt design of lion heads holding swags, surrounded by leaves. the chairs are comforta...
Cane, Wood
Armchairs French Empire 1790-1810 Mahogany Black France
Located in New York, NY
Armchairs French Empire 1790-1810 mahogany black France. A pair of armchairs made during 1790-1810 in France. Fram in dark brown mahogany with back and seat upholstered in a black le...
Mahogany
Empire Period Black Chairs with Gilding
Located in Wichita, KS
Beautiful set of 4 black painted chairs with gilding detail. 1930s empire style with new striped upholstery. The chairs are in great condition.
Wood, Giltwood
Sold
H 39.38 in W 27.56 in D 51.19 in
Antique Industrial Empire Openwork Adjustable Barber's Chair, 1900s
Located in Warsaw, PL
This Empire chair was manufactured in the beginning of 20th century. The frame is made from solid cast iron. The seat and backrest have been upholstered in genuine leather in chocola...
Metal
Sold
H 35.5 in W 22 in D 18.5 in
Armchairs Pair of Swedish Empire 19th Century Mahogany Gilded, Sweden
Located in New York, NY
A pair of armchairs made during the Empire / Karl Johan period in Sweden 1810-1830. Veneered in a beautiful dark brown mahogany and decorated with two gilded dolphins. Sabre back leg...
Armchairs French Empire Mahogany Brown Black Leather Upholstery France
Located in New York, NY
An assembled pair of French Empire armchairs made in mahogany and upholstered in a soft black leather decorated with nailheads. The chairs both comfortable and stylish.
Vintage Swedish Empire Side Chairs
By Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Hixson, TN
A fine pair of Swedish Empire style occasional chairs, very decorative space fillers. Beautifully flamed mahogany backs centered with an oval chocolate brown Ralph Lauren velvet. A d...
Sold
H 35.75 in W 17.38 in D 21 in
Set of Eight French Wrought Iron Chairs, Empire Style, Early 20th Century
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Set of eight French wrought iron chairs, circa 1920s Empire style. Great condition.
Iron
French Empire Style Iron and Velvet Chair
Located in Troy, MI
1920s French black iron frame armchair featuring brass accents, black brushed velvet upholstery, padded arms, and twisted metal stretchers. Seat is 19.5” high and 13.5” deep. Arms ar...
Brass, Wrought Iron
Adams Style Chairs
Located in Stamford, CT
Pair of 19th century, Adams style chairs with caned seats. Ebonized with gilt Grecian designs.
Cane
Pair of 19th Century French Giltwood and Black Velvet Armchairs
By François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter
Located in London, GB
A Pair of French Empire Period Gold Giltwood and Black Velvet Fauteuils. Firmly Attributed to François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter. Constructed in carved gilt wood, rising from s...
Upholstery, Giltwood
Exemplary French Empire Armchair
Located in Long Island City, NY
Exemplary French Empire dolphin-head armchair in mahogany. Back frame with gilt wood palmettes. Arms ending in sculpture gilt wood dolphin heads. Padded seat and seat back. Raised on...
Upholstery
Pair of Early 19th Century French Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Early 19th Century French Empire, Gilded Chairs
Giltwood
$2,860 / item
H 29.93 in W 23.63 in D 23.63 in
Ethnic Straw Armchair by +55design Brazilian Design with Indigenous Craft
By Neca Abrantes
Located in Jardim America, SP
This rotating armchair by Neca Abrantes is a striking fusion of contemporary Brazilian design and indigenous handcrafted traditions. Known for her deep passion for native craftsmansh...
Straw
Set of 6 Gustavian Style Dining Chairs
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Set of six early 20th century Gustavian style dining chairs. Seats have recently been fully upholstered (including webbing, foam etc) and finished in calico. 1920. Seat height: 19.5...
Beech
Art Deco Italian Side Table in Burl Wood
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Art Deco side table, walnut burl, elm burl, Italy, 1940s This stunning Art Deco side table is an exquisite example of Italian craftsmanship from the 1940s. Its design features a cap...
Burl
$9,916 / item
H 39.38 in Dm 39.38 in
Luxury Rezzonico Chandelier 6+3 Arms italian handmade Murano Glass by Multiforme
By Multiforme
Located in Trebaseleghe, IT
The Murano glass chandelier in Rezzonico style is a romantic lighting work, inspired from the luxurious halls of the venetian buildings on the Canal Grande. The colors, the floral de...
Blown Glass, Art Glass, Murano Glass
English Axminster Rug, 1760
Located in New York, NY
English Axminster rug. Axminster, Devon, Great Britain, circa 1760 (George III). Provenance: Baron Guy de Rothschild.
Wool
Classic Set of 6 Regency Dining Chairs by Bethlehem Furniture
By John Widdicomb, Bethlehem Furniture
Located in Buffalo, NY
Classic set of 6 Regency dining chairs by Bethlehem Furniture Manufacturing Corp. Wonderful design, set retains 2 arm (captains) chairs 21" wide. And 4 side chairs, retain original g...
Leather, Walnut
$13,190Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 35.44 in W 18.12 in D 20.87 in
Set of 6 Biedermeier Shovel Chairs, Walnut and Burl Veneer, South Germany, 1840s
Located in Regensburg, DE
Beautiful Set of 6 Biedermeier shovel chairs (backrest in form of a shovel) from South Germany around 1845. Solid Walnut and walnut veneer with walnut roots inlays on the front of th...
Fabric, Walnut, Bouclé
$15,400 / set
H 34.5 in W 19.5 in D 18.5 in
19th Century German Set of Six Antique Biedermeier Walnut Dining Room Chairs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique German Biedermeier set of six dining room chairs made of hand crafted polished, partly veneered Walnut, in good condition. The side chairs have an open, detailed carved ba...
Fabric, Upholstery, Velvet, Walnut, Ebony
$29,700
H 30.5 in W 87.5 in D 47.25 in
Antique German Biedermeier Extendable Dining Table, Walnut, Circa 1820
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An early 19th Century, antique German Biedermeier extendable dining room table with two leaves, made of hand crafted shellac polished, partly veneered Walnut in good condition. The d...
Walnut
$22,500 / set
H 37 in W 24 in D 20 in
Set of Ten Louis XVI Style Beachwood Armchairs in the Manor of George Jacobq
By Georges Jacob
Located in Sheffield, MA
A fine set of ten Louis XVI style Beachwood armchairs In the Manor of George Jacob 19th century (Four more chairs can be offered with different upholstery ) Measures: Height 37 in....
Wood
Pair of Baker Neoclassical Style Chairs
Located in Houston, TX
A Classic and handsome pair of baker neoclassical style occasional chairs newly upholstered in a creamy white ecru velvet with black grosgrain detailing. These vintage baker ebonized...
Giltwood, Wood
$24,500
H 29 in W 59.25 in D 29.25 in
Pair of French Louis XVI Style Carved-Wood Cream-Lacquered Settees, Jansen Attr.
By Maison Jansen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Fine Pair of French Louis XVI Style Carved-wood Cream-Lacquered Settees, probably by Maison Jansen. The rectangular shaped Love Seats, each with scrolled carved armrests ending wit...
Fabric, Satin, Silk, Wood
Fabergé Silver Service
By Fabergé
Located in New Orleans, LA
This extraordinary 128-piece service by Fabergé is a rare treasure in more ways than one. Enclosed in its original oak chest, the exquisite service remains complete and in pristine c...
Silver
19th Century Italian Empire Giltwood Queen Bed, Frame Only
Located in Houston, TX
This listing is for bed frame only. Mattressm bedding and pillows not included and shown only for decorative purposes. A period Italian Empire queen bed beautifully carved with Neoc...
Mahogany
Wedgwood Dark Blue Jasper Fumigators
By Wedgwood
Located in New Orleans, LA
Timeless and elegant, this pair of Wedgwood fumigator jars is crafted of the firm’s signature jasperware. This pair of vessels showcases a striking deep blue hue, contrasting greatly...
Porcelain
$185,000 / set
H 12 in W 12 in D 10 in
A 200 Plus Set of 19 Century Imperial Russian Silver Flatware by Andrei Bragin
By Andrei Bragin
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
An exceptional and extremely rare set of a combination of silver and vermeil (gilded silver) flatware designed and crafted in St Petersburg Russia by Andrei Stepanovich Bragin d...
Silver, Vermeil
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.
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.