Empire Bowls and Baskets
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
French White and Gold Pierced Porcelain Compote Basket Tazza
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful French oval white and gold pierced Paris Porcelain compote basket tazza bowl in the Empire style, circa late 19th century, France...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Porcelain
Mid Century Cut Crystal & Metal Delphin Dolphin Centerpiece Compote Bowls 10"
Located in Dayton, OH
Pair of rare mid 20th century French Empire / Neoclassical compote bowls featuring cast metal pedestal bases in the shape of delphins / dolphins / fish, painted in off white, balanci...
Category
Mid-20th Century Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Crystal, Metal
Pair of Russian Empire Malachite, French Bronze Centrepiece/Tazzas by Thomier
Located in New York, NY
A magnificent pair of Russian Empire Period malachite, French doré bronze and cut crystal Tazzas, signed THOMIRE A PARIS. The square malachite bowls are...
Category
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Crystal, Malachite, Bronze
Large European Low Cut Crystal Glass Centerpiece Bowl
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Most likely an English bowl with floral decorations and unbeatable wear. Very versatile piece that is both form and function, standing alone on a coffee table or used as fruit bowl o...
Category
Mid-20th Century English Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Crystal
Wonderful French Empire Gilt Doré Bronze & Cut Crystal Round Centerpiece Bowl
Located in Roslyn, NY
A Wonderful French empire gilt doré bronze & cut crystal round centerpiece bowl raised on paw feet
Category
20th Century French Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century Paris Porcelain Basket Vase
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
A stunning openwork corbeille, or basket vase, dating from the early 19th century Empire Period, beautifully crafted from Old Paris Porcelain and richly gilded all over its delicatel...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Porcelain
Crystal and Gilt Bronze Vase by Boin-Taburet
By Boin-Taburet
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
A classic and opulent crystal and gilt bronze Louis XVI-style vase, its goblet-shaped heavy crystal bowl diamond cut and fluted to refract the light...
Category
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
French Empire Period Wastepaper Basket
Located in Stockbridge, GA
French Empire period wastepaper basket.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Brass
19th Century French Empire Malachite and Gilt Bronze Centerpiece
Located in Dallas, TX
Fine 19th century French Empire malachite and gilt bronze centerpiece. Cut crystal top bowl .Fine mercury gilt bronze sphinx's.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Malachite
20th Century Sterling Silver Empire Style Centerpiece, Italy, 1990
Located in Cagliari, IT
Wonderful oval Empire style centerpiece with foot made in sterling silver by Ilario Pradella for Bellezza Cagliari. New, never used
Pradella Iario, founded in 1920, was the greatest Italian silversmith of the second half of the 20th century, famous for his collaboration with Buccellati. We have had the honor and privilege of collaborating with them for over fifty years until its closure.
With silversmith marks for Pradella Ilario...
Category
1990s Italian Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Sterling Silver
Beautiful Pair of Russian Imperial Glass and Ormolu Mounted Tazza Centerpieces
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful pair of Russian Empire Imperial Glass Manufactury and ormolu mounted white opalescent tazza centrepieces, each white opaline bowl beautifully hand cut and hand polished in flutted design with ribbed border; the Ormolu very finely hand chisseled and finished in two tome dore bronze gold...
Category
1830s Russian Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Bronze
French Empire Style Bronze Dore Egyptian Compote
Located in Queens, NY
French Empire-style (19th Century) bronze dore compote with 3 Egyptian ebonized figures and crystal bowl.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
Paris Porcelain Gilt Banded Hunting Service
Located in New York, NY
Paris porcelain gilt banded hunting service. Set of sixteen complementary serving dishes with hunt paintings attributed to Jacques Francois Joseph Swebach-Desfontaines, a painter for Serves porcelain as well as Royal Russian Porcelain manufactory; his work found at The Met, Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon and Marseille. Scenes include red and blue coated hunters riding to the hounds, running stag, wild boars, foxes and groupings of hounds. Each scene bordered in thick gilt band on white ground with filigree border and further gilt banding. Sweet meat dishes...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Porcelain
Transparent Amphora in Bronze and Crystal by Modenese Luxury Interiors
Located in PADOVA, Italy
Splendid transparent amphora by Modenese Luxury Interiors. Let your house shine with the bright glares coming from this precious item, which ...
Category
2010s Italian Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Crystal, Bronze, Gold Leaf
French Empire Centerpiece Perfume Burner in Gilt Bronze and Marble
Located in Paris, FR
Ormolu perfume burner or potpourri holder that serves as a striking table centerpiece. The openwork lid is adorned with palmettes, foliage, small flower...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Enameled Bread Basket, Denmark
Located in Copenhagen, K
Amazing 19th century enamel bowl or bread basket.
Category
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Enamel
Sterling Silver Salt Cellar Lion Head and Paw Feet
Located in New York, NY
A sterling silver salt cellar with Lion head and paw feet detail, in the Empire style, circa early-20th century. Piece is a salt or pepper cellar vessel. A great piece for a dining t...
Category
Early 20th Century English Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century Italian Black Toleware Bucket Bin Container
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Elegant and versatile black metal container featuring an image of a French carriage. This sturdy piece with two handles looks wonderful standing alone or functional holding newspaper...
Category
Early 20th Century Italian Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Metal
Tripod Cachepot Brass Bowl
Located in Sheffield, MA
Charmingly elegant antique Empire style brass bowl centerpiece on tripod hoofed feet and decorative handles in an 'abstract' animal form. Lovely aged brass patina all-over, can easil...
Category
19th Century European Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Brass
Empire Cut Crystal Bread Basket With Sterling Silver Handle Voneche Baccarat
Located in Wommelgem, VAN
ntique large crystal bread basket with silver handle
Made of Regency cut crystal
The handle is made & marked jean Francois Warnots
Origin Flanders 1832 - 1838
Condition good
...
Category
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Crystal, Sterling Silver
Hercules And Omphale, Glass And Silverplated Metal Bowl , Late 19th Early 20th
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Blue glass Bowl, set in a silver-plated metal frame: the decoration represents Hercules and Omphale on one side: Hercules spins wool and Omphale has taken on the attributes of the li...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Metal
19th century silver plate centerpiece
Located in Vigonza, Padua
19th century table centerpiece or double bowl in finely chiseled silver plated
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Silver Plate
Pair of French Tole Verrieres
Located in Essex, MA
Each painted green with gilt rinceaux decoration. Oval form with loop handles.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Tin
Early 19th Century Pewter Bowl Planter With Handle, Denmark
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Charming Danish Pewter Bowl or Planter With Handle and Makers Mark Circa 1800. This handmade piece would look wonderful sitting on a window sill holding ...
Category
Early 1800s Danish Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Pewter
Blue Marbleized Empire Wastebasket
Located in New York, NY
Blue marbleized empire wastebasket. Faux marble painted empire style wastebasket on gilt paw feet. France, 20th century
Dimensions: 9" L x 9" W x 9.88" H.
Category
20th Century French Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Metal
19th Century Old Paris Porcelain Reticulated Cherub Compote
Located in Houston, TX
19th Century Old Paris Porcelain: a reticulated gilt glazed compote featuring a kneeling cherub .
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Porcelain
Empire German Ormolu Mntd Mahogany Turtle Feet Jardiniere, Klinkerfuss & Münch
By Johannes Klinkerfuss
Located in New York, NY
A Fantastic and Very Important Empire Period German Ormolu-Mounted Mahogany Jardiniere Mounted on Dore Bronze Turtle Feet, In The Manner Of Johannes Klinkerfuss And Casimir Münch. This is truly a masterpiece jardiniere and was crafted by two of the greatest cabinet-makers of all time Johannes Klinkerfuss and Casimir Münch. This piece has an octagonal form with foliate and swan-decorated dore bronze hand-chiseled and two-tone matted gold gallery above a molded top. The gorgeous mahogany wood glistens beside the dore bronze mounts. Each inch of this piece is crafted of the finest quality. The upper mahogany jardiniere is mounted on eight gorgeously life-like top-quality dore bronze turtles, each hand-chiseled, chased and matted with two-tone gold.
Stuttgart, Circa: 1815.
Provenance: The Tony Ingrao...
Category
1810s German Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Paris porcelain standing baskets, Empire-period
Located in Paris, FR
Important pair of openwork baskets in white hard porcelain with gold decoration. The body, of flared circular shape, features a regular openwork design with ogive motifs, enhanced by...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Porcelain
19th Century French Gilt Bronze Empire Figural Basket
Located in Atlanta, GA
First quarter 19th century, in the manner of Pierre-Philippe Thomire (French, 1751–1843), gilt bronze and marble, figural basket, possibly Nike, holding aloft a flared, reticulated b...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Bronze
Large Russian Empire Porcelain Gold-Ground and White Bisque Figural Centrepiece
Located in New York, NY
A magnificent and large Russian Empire porcelain gold ground and white bisque figural reticulated centrepiece. A large filigree basket supported by three a...
Category
1820s Russian Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Gold
Empire Bowl w Winged Lady's and Dolphins Base Gold Finish
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A rare find of this centerpiece bowl in a golden Dore' finish. With two winged nude Angles for handles. All supported by four Dolphins in a bronze patina finish. Still has the Origin...
Category
1890s French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Bronze
Early 19th Century Gilt Bronze Cut-Glass Centerpiece
Located in New York, NY
Cut-glass centerpiece with gilt bronze mounts. Hair line crack in bowl.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Bronze
Amber Amphora in Bronze and Crystal by Modenese Gastone Luxury Interiors
Located in PADOVA, Italy
Splendid amber amphora by Modenese Luxury Interiors. Let your house shine with the bright glares coming from this precious item, which is delicately hand blown by skillful artisans c...
Category
2010s Italian Empire Bowls and Baskets
Materials
Crystal, Bronze, Gold Leaf
Empire bowls and baskets for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire bowls and baskets 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 bowls and baskets created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire bowls and baskets made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original bowls and baskets, popular names associated with this style include Modenese Gastone, Alexandre Vossion, Boin-Taburet, and Ilario Pradella. 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 bowls and baskets differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $420 and tops out at $42,050 while the average work can sell for $4,125.