Georges Jacob On Sale

Georges Jacob became one of the finest Parisian maîtres ebénistes (master cabinetmakers) of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, despite his humble beginnings and lack of formal training. Renowned throughout Europe for his opulent Louis XVI designs and grand gilt work, Jacob attracted royals, nobiles and other wealthy clientele.

Jacob was born in 1739 to a peasant family in Cheny, Burgundy. At 16, he moved to Paris to become an apprentice to chairmaker Jean-Baptiste Lerouge. While working for Lerouge, Jacob met Louis Delanois, a young menuisier (carpenter) who specialized in seating. Delanois’s distinct Rococo style and neoclassical taste influenced Jacob, whose own talents for design led him to become a maître ebéniste, in 1765.

In 1767, Jacob opened his first furniture-making business, employing several gilders, carvers and joiners to handcraft his designs. His atelier ornately decorated beds, armchairs, benches, screens and center tables with giltwood motifs such as fluting, beading, ribbons and guilloches. Word spread of Jacob’s exceptional furniture among the European elite, capturing the attention of Queen Marie Antoinette, Sweden’s King Gustav III, the United Kingdom’s King George IV and several German princes.

However, in 1789, Jacob lost several of his aristocratic clients at the onset of the French Revolution. Despite his associations with French royalty and nobility, Jacob survived the revolution with the help of his friend, Republican painter Jacques-Louis David. 

In 1796, Jacob retired and left his business to his two sons, Georges and François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter, also known as Jacob Frères. Under the ownership of his sons, the workshop became a furniture supplier to Emperor Napoleon. 

Jacob’s pieces are held in the collections of several international museums and collections, including the Chateau de Chantilly and Chateau de Fontainebleau; the Louvre and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, in Paris; the Wallace Collection, in London; the Museum of Fine Arts Boston; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York.

On 1stDibs, find a selection of antique Georges Jacob seating, tables, case pieces and storage cabinets.

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.

Although traditionally used in the bedroom to store garments that would not be hung in a closet, an antique or vintage cabinet can easily find a purpose in rooms throughout your entire house.

The world's first storage cabinets, reportedly constructed in Renaissance-era Europe, were demonstrative of excellence in carpentry and the work of master carvers. These robust bureaus or sophisticated chests of drawers were typically built from common woods, such as oak or walnut. Although they were fairly uniform in structure and lacked the bright colors of modern-day furniture, case pieces and storage cabinets that date from the 18th century and earlier were often found in the homes of nobility.

Their intricate carvings and various embellishments — adornments made from ivory, ornate lacquer work and, later, glass shelvings — reflect the elegance with which these decorative furnishings were associated. Given its valuable purpose and the beauty of the early furnishings' designs, the storage cabinet is an investment that will never go out of style.

The practical design that defines the earliest storage cabinets has inspired the creation of household must-haves, like minimalist drink trolleys and marble wood bookcases. From hiding outdoor gear in the mudroom to decluttering your kitchen with a tall kitchen pantry cabinet, these versatile furnishings have now become available in enough sizes, styles and colors to accommodate any space. After all, these aren't your run-of-the-mill filing cabinets.

A sophisticated storage cabinet — wood storage cabinets with doors and shelves, for example — can serve as a room divider when necessary, while the right vintage wall unit or floor-to-ceiling cabinetry solutions can seamlessly become part of any space without disrupting the energy of the room. And although you may hide items away in its drawers, bookworms might prefer a storage cabinet with open shelving for displaying favorite books or other media.

One-of-a-kind solutions for the modern consumer abound, but enthusiasts of understated, classical beauty may turn to Baroque-style storage cabinets. Elsewhere, admirers of mid-century modernism looking to make a statement with their case pieces will warm to the dark woods and clean lines of vintage storage cabinets by Paul McCobb, Florence Knoll or Edward Wormley.

Sometimes the best renovation is a reorganization. If you're ready to organize and elevate your space, a luxury storage cabinet is the addition you need.

Find a variety of vintage and antique storage cabinets on 1stDibs, including unique Art Deco storage cabinets, chinoiserie cabinets and more.