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Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

NAPOLEON III STYLE

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.

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Style: Napoleon III
Antique French Carrara Marble Mantelpiece
Located in Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Antique French statuary Carrara marble mantelpiece of large scale and great quality. This magnificent Napoleon III style mantelpiece is beautifully carved in the purest of white stat...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Carrara Marble

Napoleon III Gilt-Bronze Mounted Ebonised Pedestal
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Napoleon III gilt-bronze mounted Ebonised pedestal. The circular top above a guilloche band and a cylindrical body set with floral garlands, rai...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Ormolu

Antique French Gilt Bronze and Boulle Marquetry Jardinière
Located in London, GB
Antique French gilt bronze and Boulle marquetry jardinière French, Late 19th Century Height 38cm, width 78cm, depth 45cm This superb jardinière is crafted using several complex tec...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Brass, Ormolu

Pair of Ceramic Columns, Late 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of ceramic columns, late 19th century Pair of ceramic columns, imitation Griotte marble, late 19th century. H: 99 cm, d max: 45 cm, d min: 28.5 cm.  
Category

Late 19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Ceramic

Pair of Marble Obelisks, 20th Century, Napoleon III Style.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of marble obelisks, 20th century, Napoleon III style. Pair of grey marble obelisks, 20th century, Napoleon III style. H: 41cm, W: 9cm, D: 9cm
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble

Charles X Style Carrara Marble Mantel, circa 1880
Located in Honnelles, WHT
Charles X Style Carrara Marble Mantel, circa 1880
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble

19th Century Pietra Dura Pedestal
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very impressive and good quality 19th Century French ebonized Pietra dura inlaid pedestal with wonderful gilded ormolu scrolling foliate mounts, brass stringing. The central panel having carved precious...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Ormolu

Antique Large Doble Wooden Interior Door in White Patina Color
Located in Vulpellac, Girona
Antique large double wooden Interior door in white patina color. This pair of doors is adorned with molded panels of varying sizes and light hand...
Category

19th Century Spanish Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Wood, Hardwood

20th Century Massive Finely Engraved Bronze Pillar or Column, Gold
Located in Berlin, DE
Massive finely engraved bronze casting. With richly structured, strongly ornamented. Ending the pillar on four volute-shaped legs. Under the doubly stepped, finely chiseled cover pla...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III Fireplace In Carrara Marble Circa 1880
Located in Honnelles, WHT
Napoleon III fireplace in Carrara marble, hearth dimensions 76 x 112cm, repair following splinters on the bottom center of the lintel.
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble

Pair of large 19th Century green painted Napoleon III urns with handles
Located in Washington, DC
Pair of 19th Century French Napoleon III Garden Urns. This is an extra large pair of 19th century French cast iron with large decorative exaggerated handles. This pair would work w...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

Napoleon III Fireplace In Carrara Marble
Located in Honnelles, WHT
Carrara marble fireplace, circa 1880 fireplace dimensions 77 x 110 cm
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble

French Napoleon III 'Horse' Fireback / Backsplash, 19th Century
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th Century French Napoleon III period fireback with a horse. The fireback is made of cast iron and has a black / pewter patina. The condition is good, no cracks.   ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

19th Century French Napoleon III Clockwork Roasting Jack
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
Functional and beautiful 19th century French Napoleon III roasting jack made of cast iron, wrought iron, brass and copper. It is used for cooking in a kitchen fireplace. The set cons...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Brass, Copper, Iron, Wrought Iron

Porcelain Cache Pot Choisy Le Roi, circa 1880
Located in Austin, TX
Porcelain Cache Pot Choisy Le Roi, circa 1880.
Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Porcelain

Belgian Black Marble Mantel, 19th Century
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This beautiful antique Napoleon III style mantel was made in Belgium in the second half of the 19th century. It is a rare and strong piece because of its carved decoration in a very ...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble, Belgian Black Marble

Column in Green Marble Veneer and Gilt Bronze Decoration, Empire Style
Located in Paris, FR
Sumptuous column sheath in Vert de Mer marble of square section. The front face is decorated with a flaming torch, entwined with ribbons and a crown of branches of thorns in gilded a...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Napoleon III Period Cast Iron Pan XXth century
Located in Beaune, FR
Very pretty cast iron stove richly decorated with characters and arabesques, opening with 2 doors and 1 drawer to collect the ashes. Beautiful work inspired by Napoleon III made in t...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

Pair of Napoleon III Urns with Original Polychromy
Located in New York, NY
Retaining their original polychromy in the neo-Gothic style, these pieces represent a trend typical of the Second Empire—large planters intended for exterior spaces with either intri...
Category

1870s Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

Large Set of Napoleon III French Antique Exterior Doors with Carved Panels
Located in Vulpellac, Girona
This magnificent set of large exterior double doors are French and from the Napoleon III period. Each panel has hand crafted structural detail of...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Wood, Hardwood, Oak

Antique 19th century Italian brass planter
Located in Cantù, IT
Antique 19th century Italian brass flower pot
Category

19th Century Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Brass

White Carrara Marble Fireplace Circa 1880
Located in Honnelles, WHT
Carrara marble fireplace fireplace dimensions 73.5 x 110.5cm
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble

Antique French Napoleon III Fireback / Backsplash, 19th Century
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th century French Napoleon III period fireback. The fireback is made of cast iron and has a black / pewter patina. The fireback is in a good condition and does not have cracks. ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

19th Century French Napoleon III Clockwork Roasting Jack
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
Functional and beautiful 19th century French Napoleon III roasting jack made of cast iron, wrought iron, brass and copper. It is used for cooking in a kitchen fireplace. The set cons...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Brass, Copper, Iron, Wrought Iron

19th C. French Napoleon III Period 'Vestal Virgin' Fireback / Backsplash
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
French Napoleon III Period 'Vestal Virgin' Fireback / Backsplash The fireback is made of cast iron. The patina is black/pewter colored. The fireback is in good condition and does ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

French Napoleon III 'Horses' Fireback / Backsplash, 19th Century
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th century French Napoleon III Period fireback with some horses. The fireback is made of cast iron. The patina is natural brown. Upon request it can be made black / pewter. The f...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

Napoleon III style Fleur de Pêcher marble mantel
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Napoleon III style Fleur de pêcher marble mantel. Fleur de Pêcher marble is a historic marble, used a lot during the 19th century to make exceptional works of art. For example the ex...
Category

19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble

19th Century French 'Fox and the Grapes' Fireback / Backsplash
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
Beautiful 19th century French fireback featuring the 'Fox and the Grapes' design. The 'Fox and the Grapes' theme is from a fable of Jean de la Fontaine. The fireback is from the Napo...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

Pair 19th Century French Napoleon III Period Iron Garden Urns
Located in Dallas, TX
Pair 19th Century French Napoleon III Period Iron Garden Urns still show the aged forest green painted finish that was popular during the era, along with a century and a half of pati...
Category

1860s French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

Bronze helmet spark arrester, 19th century
By Jean-François Théodore Gechter
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Bronze helmet spark arrester, 19th century This bronze spark arrester was made around 1880. Inside an architectural structure chiseled with volutes and leaves, a scalloped outline h...
Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Wrought Iron

Exceptional Napoleon III period mantel in veined Carrara marble
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Exceptional Napoleon III period mantel in veined Carrara marble, adorned with a rich décor of palmettes and arabesques. This fireplace is sold with a modern cast iron insert adapted...
Category

19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble, Carrara Marble

Antique French Napoleon III 'Hunter' Fireback / Backsplash, 19th Century
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th century French Napoleon III fireback with a hunting scene. The fireback is made of cast iron and has a black / pewter patina. It is in a good condition and does not have cracks.
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

Important Firewall in Golden Brozne of 19th Century, Epoque Napoleon III
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Important Firewall bronze golden 19th century, Napoleon III Period, large decoration Measures: H 94cm, W 75cm, P 22cm.
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Bronze

18th-19th Century French Napoleon III Clockwork Roasting Jack
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
Functional 18th - 19th century French Napoleon III roasting jack made of cast iron, wrought iron, brass and copper. It is used for cooking in a kitchen fireplace...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Brass, Copper, Iron, Wrought Iron

Napoleon III Style Lamartine Yellow Marble Fireplace Circa 1880
Located in Honnelles, WHT
Impressive Napoleon III style Lamartine yellow marble fireplace Hearth dimensions: 78 x 98 cm
Category

Late 19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble

Napoleon III Fireplace In Black Belgian Or Black Mazy Marble, Circa 1880
Located in Honnelles, WHT
Napoleon III fireplace in black marble from Belgium or black marble from Mazy. Dimensions of the fireplace: 80 x 99 cm
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble

Bouhon Frères Fireplace Tool Set, Fire Tools, 19th Century
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th century French Napoleon III fireplace tool set - fire irons made of brass. Bouhon Frères were prominent French producers of fireplace tools in the 19th century. The firm partici...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Brass

French 'Religious Scene' Fireback / Backsplash, Napoleon III Style
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
20th century French Napoleon III style fireback with a religious scene. The fireback is made of cast iron and has a black patina. It is in a good condition and does not have cracks.
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

French 19th Century Pair of Pietra Dura Pedestals in the Manner of Befort Fils
Located in London, GB
A pair of pedestals in the manner of Befort Fils of Paris Constructed in bois noirci, dressed with gilt bronzes, and hardstone inlays; rising from incurved serpentine stepped bases, the inverted tapering columns having central hardstone panels...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Bronze

E. CLAVIER, Andirons with Owls, 1867 World's Fair
By E. Clavier
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This bronze andiron bar was presented at the 1867 Paris Exhibition in Paris and was crafted by the skilled bronzeworker E. Clavier. This piece is a testament to the artistry of E. C...
Category

1860s French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Bronze

4 Vintage French Garden Folding Dining Bistro Chairs
Located in Sheffield, MA
Say it with style with this set of 4 vintage French folding bistro style dining chairs. Leave them out or fold them up to save space. Great dinin...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

Pair of Napoléon III Brass & Wrought Iron Cherubs Andirons, France, c 1890
Located in Labrit, Landes
Pair of andirons of the period Napoleon III Wrought iron and brass. These andirons, created at the end of the 19th century, reflect the aesthetic style of the Louis XIV era, when the...
Category

Late 19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Brass, Wrought Iron

Napoleon Style Black Noir De Mazy Marble Black Antique Fireplace
Located in Oostvoorne, NL
A magnificent marble fireplace wrapped in black marble: “Noir de Mazy”. An elegant combination of craftsmanship and distinctive styles. Everything about this mantelpiece is right, th...
Category

Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Belgian Black Marble

Pair Of Napoleon III Andirons With Putti In Gilded Bronze
Located in BARSAC, FR
Beautiful pair of Napoleon III gilt and chiseled bronze andirons depicting putti in a rocaille decor and floral garlands. French work CIRCA 1850. Very good condition.
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Bronze

Ducel Foundry after Pierre Loison, Young Girl with a Conch, mid-19th century
By J.J. Ducel, Pierre Loison 1
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This statue, titled Young Girl with a Conch, was cast by the Ducel Foundry after a work by Pierre Loison in the mid-19th century. The sculptor Pierre Loison (or Loyson) (1816-1886) began his career as an apprentice to a clog maker. Noticed for his talent, he was able to study sculpture in the studio of David d’Angers and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He received numerous official commissions and exhibited in nearly every Salon from 1845 until 1886, the year of his death, as well as at the 1855 Universal Exhibition. The Ducel Foundry was founded in 1800 in Touraine. It was successively managed by three generations of the Ducel family: Jacques, Jean-Jacques, and Jacques-Gustave. The company had a store in Paris and gained recognition by participating in various international exhibitions held in the second half of the 19th century. It was purchased by the Val d’Osne Foundry in 1878. This sculpture depicts a young girl seated on a rock by the water’s edge. She may represent a naiad, a deity associated with rivers and springs. Her posture conveys movement, as if she is about to enter the water: her face and torso lean forward, she holds onto the rock with her left hand, and in her right hand, she grasps a conch shell, which could emit a jet of water. A drapery covers her waist, and both legs extend toward the water. The statue bears an inscription on the base indicating its origin: “JJ DUCEL...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

Pair of Napoleon III Style Centaur Andirons/Chenets 19th/20th Century
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
Napoleon III Style Centaur Andirons 19th / 20th century, Patinated pair of Napoleon III style andirons Mythological centaurs holding a spheres, on ped...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

Three Pairs of 19th Century Double-Doors Painted in Imitation of Marquetry
Located in Paris, FR
Three pairs of double doors in solid oak, painted in imitation of marquetry (walnut burl, rosewood, sycamore burl). The reserves are surrounded by a gilded wood molding, Two of the...
Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

Regence Style Fireplace in Breccia Nouvelle Marble
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This large Regence style fireplace was made of Breccia Nouvelle marble in the late 19th century. Its entablature adorned with spandrels is underlined with an oblong moulding. It lay...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble, Breccia Marble

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Style Fireplace Tool Set
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
Beautiful early 20th century French Napoleon III Style fireside companion set. The tool set consists of tongs, shovel and stand. The tools and stand are made of brass. The set is in ...
Category

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Brass, Wrought Iron

Napoleon III Marble Fireplace with Caryatids, Unique Creation, 1880
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This beautiful and original fireplace was made in the second half of the 19th century in Carrara marble. Originally put in an appartement in Tarare, near Lyon in France, it is very ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Marble, Carrara Marble

19th Century French 'Grandy Fils' Fireplace Tools or Fire Tools
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th century French Napoleon III fireplace tool set, fire irons made of brass. The toolset is signed 'Grandy Fils'. The condition is good.
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Brass

Antique Dutch Napoleon III Log Basket, 19th Century
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th century Dutch Napoleon III firewood basket holder. The log holder is made copper. Also called 'Frisian nail bucket'. Was used for the transport o...
Category

19th Century Dutch Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Copper

20th Century French Napoleon III Style Andirons or Firedogs
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
20th century French Napoleon III Style andirons made of wrought iron. The condition is good.
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Wrought Iron

French Napoleon III Period Blow Poker, 19th Century
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th century, French Napoleon III Period blow poker. The blow poke is made of wrought iron. It is in a good working condition.
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Wrought Iron

19th Century French Wrought Iron & Brass Star Door Knocker
Located in Ross, CA
19th century rustic wrought iron door knocker with a cast brass star attachment and door plate made in France.
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Wrought Iron, Brass

19th Century Pair of Wrought Iron and Bronze Railing Feet
Located in Marseille, FR
19th century pair of foot of banister of staircase in wrought iron, the pines were in silvered bronze unfortunately they were patinated in green, on the other hand can easily find th...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Wrought Iron

French Napoleon III Fireplace Fender
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
Late 19th or early 20th century French Napoleon III fire fender. The fender is made of brass and wrought iron. The condition is good.  
Category

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Brass, Wrought Iron

19th Century French Napoleon III Fireback / Backsplash
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th century French fireback, Napoleon III period, with two women. The fireback has a black patina. It is in a good condition and does not have cracks.
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron

French Napoleon III Fireplace Tools, 19th Century
Located in Amerongen, Amerongen
19th century French fireplace tool set. The tool set consists of tongs, shovel, poker and a stand. The tools are made of wrought iron and the stand of cast iron. The set is in a good...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Iron, Wrought Iron

Beautiful Neoclassical Noir De Mazy Black Marble Antique Front Fireplace
Located in Oostvoorne, NL
Elegance personified, the Neoclassical Noir De Mazy black marble antique front fireplace is a true masterpiece that commands attention. Crafted with meticulous precision, this statel...
Category

Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Napoleon III Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Belgian Black Marble

Napoleon Iii building and garden elements for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III building and garden elements 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 building and garden elements created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include building and garden elements, decorative objects, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, iron and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III building and garden elements made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Netherlands pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original building and garden elements, popular names associated with this style include Bouhon Frères, Alfred Corneau, Corneau Freres, and Antoine Durenne Foundry. 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 building and garden elements differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $111 and tops out at $1,886,228 while the average work can sell for $716.

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