Empire Rugs and Carpets
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
Fine Continental Savonnerie Carpet
Located in London, GB
Savonnerie pieces are undoubtedly the most prestigious of all European knotted pile carpets; the Savonnerie manufactory was first established in 1615, by Pierre DuPont, in a disused ...
Category
Late 20th Century European Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool
19th Century Muted Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Late-19th Century Spanish Woolen Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Late-19th Century Spanish Woolen Rug 6'3'' x 4'10", made in Spain around late 19th century by villagers at the time
Category
1920s Vintage Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool
Late-19th Century Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
19th Century Authentic Oriental Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
19th Century Oriental Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
19th Century Antique European Portuguese Carpet
Located in Los Angeles, US
The durability of needlepoint makes it suitable for the creation of carpets and floor coverings. The tradition of creating needlepoint rugs in Portugal has a fascinating story that b...
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool
19th Century Muted Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
19th Century Tribal Muted Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Late-19th Century Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Late-19th Century Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool
Late-19th Century Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
19th Century Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and carpets for both interna...
Category
Early 1900s Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Late-19th Century Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Mid-19th Century European Aubusson Style Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Mid-19th Century European Aubusson Style Rug 5'7'' x 4'5'' , handmade and hand-knotted, empire traditional style
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool
Late-19th Century Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Late-19th Century Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Late-19th Century Khotan Samarkand
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Turkish Prayer Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
1900s Antique Turkish Prayer Rug, handmade and hand-knotted
Category
Late 19th Century Turkish Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
19th Century Authentic Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Early 1900s Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Mid-19th Century Authentic Khotan Samarkand
Located in Los Angeles, US
The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and carpets for both interna...
Category
Early 1900s Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool
1920 Antique Geometric Sumak Flat Weave Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Soumak rugs (also spelled Sumak) – This construction technique produces a flat-weave rug that is thick, strong and exceptionally durable. Unlike kilims, Soumak rugs are not reversibl...
Category
1920s Azerbaijani Vintage Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
19th Century Authentic Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Early 1900s Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
19th Century Authentic Khotan Samarkand Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...
Category
Early 1900s Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Antique Persian Bokhara Wool Rug-7'2'' X 4'10''
Located in Los Angeles, US
This is an Antique Persian Bokhara Woolen Rug
Category
Early 1900s Persian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Mid-19th Century Indian Amritzar Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Amritsar Rugs – The spectacular rugs of Amritsar capture the exotic style of India while incorporating a subtle colonial influence. This convergence of eastern and western st...
Category
Early 1900s Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1920s Antique Indian Agra Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Agra Rugs Agra has been a major center of area rug and carpet production since the great period of Mughal art in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. When the carpet indu...
Category
1920s Indian Vintage Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique European Rug 13′ × 16′3″
Located in Los Angeles, US
Savonnerie Carpets – During the early seventeenth century, a weaver named Pierre DuPont traveled to the Levant. Upon his return, he claimed to have discovered the technique of creati...
Category
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1920 Floral Yellow Needlepoint Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Needlepoint rugs were created using the traditional needlework weaving technique that is used to make everyday items from furniture to carpets and artwork. However, it has a fascinat...
Category
1920s Unknown Vintage Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1920s Antique European Portuguese Arriolos Rug 15'7'' X 12'1''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Arraiolos rugs represent the epitome of the Portuguese textile industry, but their origin dates back to a place far from their namesake. To understand what makes these sought-after r...
Category
1920s Vintage Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Textile
Antique Khotan Samarkand Rug-8'8'' X 5'8''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Up for sale is an antique Khotan Samarkand Rug with birds designs on a red background.
Category
Early 1900s Uzbek Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1990s Savonnerie Area Rug-10'0" X 8'0"
Located in Los Angeles, US
21th Century Authentic Savonnerie Area Rug 10'0" X 8'0", handmade and hand-knotted, wool on cotton foundation, reproduction
Category
Early 1900s Asian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Decorative Samarkand Rug-4'2" X 2'7"
Located in Los Angeles, US
Up for sale is an antique Samakhand rug. This is an Uzbek tribal design rug with a red design throughout the rug.
Category
Early 1900s Uzbek Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Khotan Samarkand Rug-2'5'' X 4'7''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Up for sale is an Antique Khotan Samarkand Small Rug
Category
Early 1900s Uzbek Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1920s Antique Indian Rug - 14'10'' X 11'7''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Indian Rugs – Not all the rugs that were woven in India are easy to categorize. That is why we created this antique Indian rugs section. Here you will find Indian rugs of whi...
Category
1920s Asian Vintage Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Mid-Century Turkish Hereke Rug 12'8'' X 8'10''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Hereke Rugs – Hereke rugs represent the ultimate in finesse and delicacy within the antique Turkish rug production of the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Insp...
Category
1920s Unknown Vintage Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1920’s Antique Swedish Flat Weave Killim Rug-9'6'' X 6'7''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique rugs that are called “Kilim rugs”, primarily refer to a type of flat weave rug that was produced without knotted pile. Because these antique rugs are found across the globe, each region has a different pronunciation and spelling of the name Kilim. Homers Iliad and Egyptian tomb paintings, from the same time period, depict weavers producing rugs and carpets of this kind.
Since this is one of the oldest methods of rug production, it is considered to be primitive...
Category
1920s Swedish Vintage Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool
1900s Antique Indian Rug - 16'2'' X 12'0''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Agra Rugs Agra has been a major center of area rug and carpet production since the great period of Mughal art in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. When the carpet indu...
Category
Early 1900s Indian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Indian Agra Rug - 12'5'' X 11'10''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Agra Rugs Agra has been a major center of area rug and carpet production since the great period of Mughal art in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. When the carpet indu...
Category
Early 1900s Indian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Indian Agra Rug - 12'0'' X 8'9''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Agra Rugs Agra has been a major center of area rug and carpet production since the great period of Mughal art in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. When the carpet indu...
Category
Early 1900s Indian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Ca.1880 Antique Collectible Savonnerie Rug 6'1'' X 3'4''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Savonnerie Carpets – During the early seventeenth century, a weaver named Pierre DuPont traveled to the Levant. Upon his return, he claimed to have discovered the technique of creati...
Category
1880s Spanish Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Indian Amritsar Rug - 10'6'' X 7'9''
Located in Los Angeles, US
During the period of Colonial rule over India, Amritsar rugs began to reflect Western influences in their design. The craftspeople of Northern India took their chance to profit from ...
Category
Early 1900s Indian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Indian Amritsar Rug - 11'10'' X 9'6''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Amritsar Rugs – The spectacular rugs of Amritsar capture the exotic style of India while incorporating a subtle colonial influence. This convergence of eastern and western st...
Category
Early 1900s Indian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Samarkand Rug-4'7'' X 2'7''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Up For Sale Is An Antique Samarkand Uzbek Tribal Rug
Category
Early 1900s Uzbek Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Early 19th Century Antique Figural Pictorial Baloutch Rug 4'11'' X 3'0''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Baloutch Rug Made for a Noble Man 4'11'' X 3', handmade and hand-knotted, inspired by the story of beauty and the beast
Category
Early 19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Antique Turkish Oushak Floral Rug 10'x7'10''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Turkish Oushak Floral Design 10'x7'10''
Category
Early 1900s Turkish Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Antique Indian Agra Rug - 11'4'' X 9'0''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Agra Rugs Agra has been a major center of area rug and carpet production since the great period of Mughal art in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. When the carpet indu...
Category
Early 1900s Indian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Antique Chinese Floral Design Rug - 5'4'' X 7'11''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Chinese Rugs, as opposed to most of the antique rug productions, were woven almost exclusively for internal consumption. Since they were mostly sheltered from European and We...
Category
Early 1900s Chinese Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Samarkand Rug-4'5" X 2'8"
Located in Los Angeles, US
Up for sale is an antique Samakhand rug. This is an Uzbek tribal design rug with a lighter pink throughout the rug.
Category
Early 1900s Uzbek Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1920s Antique Baluch Sofre Traditional Design Rug 4'7''x2'6''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Ca.1920 Antique Baluch Sofre Rug Stylish Traditional Design
Category
1920s Unknown Vintage Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Early-19th Century Antique Uzbek Samarkand Rug-7'5'' X 4'6''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Early-19th Century Antique Uzbek Samarkand Rug from Uzbekistan
Category
Early 1900s Uzbek Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Antique Botanical Indian Amritsar Rug
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Amritsar Rugs – The spectacular rugs of Amritsar capture the exotic style of India while incorporating a subtle colonial influence. This convergence of eastern and western styles results in an exceptionally alluring appearance that has been beloved by western consumers historically and today. The outstanding old Amritsar carpets were created by influential exporters to fuel the demand for exotic rugs...
Category
Early 1900s Indian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Antique Persian Tabriz With Animal Print Rug-11'4'' X 9'1''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Persian Tabriz With Animal Print Rug 11'4'' X 9'1''
Category
Early 1900s Persian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Indian Rug - 14'8'' X 12'0''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique Indian Rugs – Not all the rugs that were woven in India are easy to categorize. That is why we created this antique Indian rugs section. Here you will find Indian rugs of whi...
Category
Early 1900s Indian Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1850s Antique Silk Turkish Floral Rug 12'x9'
Located in Los Angeles, US
Ca.1850 Antique Silk Turkish Rug Floral Design 12'x9'
Category
1850s Turkish Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
1900s Antique Mahal Floral Design Rug 11'5''x10'7''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Ca.1900 Antique Mahal Stylish Floral Design 11'5''x10'7''
Category
Early 1900s Unknown Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Antique Khotan Samarkand Rug-9'9'' X 5'5''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Up for sale is an antique Khotan Samarkand Rug, circa 1900s.
Category
Early 1900s Uzbek Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Antique Khotan Samarkand Rug-8'7'' X 4'10''
Located in Los Angeles, US
Circa 1900 Antique Khotan Samarkand Rug. This rug is a traditional style rug.
Category
Early 1900s Uzbek Antique Empire Rugs and Carpets
Materials
Wool, Cotton
Empire rugs and carpets for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire rugs and carpets for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage rugs and carpets created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include rugs and carpets, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with fabric, wool and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire rugs and carpets made in a specific country, there are Asia, West Asia, and India 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 rugs and carpets differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $250 and tops out at $52,500 while the average work can sell for $7,850.
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