At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal piece of napoleon iii gilt bronze for your home. Frequently made of
metal,
bronze and
stone, every item from our selection of napoleon iii gilt bronze was constructed with great care. There are 2034 variations of the antique or vintage choice in our collection of napoleon iii gilt bronze you’re looking for, while we also have 1 modern editions of this piece to choose from as well. Whether you’re looking for newer or older items, there are earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. An object in our assortment of napoleon iii gilt bronze, designed in the
Louis XVI,
louis xv or
Empire style, is generally a popular piece of furniture. You’ll likely find more than one option in this array of napoleon iii gilt bronze that is appealing in its simplicity, but
Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres,
Ferdinand Barbedienne and
Henri Picard produced versions that are worth a look.
Prices for a piece of napoleon iii gilt bronze can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $96 and can go as high as $1,250,000, while the average can fetch as much as $5,691.
Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.
Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”
Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.
Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)
Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.