Empire Decorative Boxes
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
19th Century Jewelry Box in Leather with Diamond Pattern
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Small Rectangular Leather Jewelry Box on small brass balls with diamond pattern.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass
French Circa 1870 Bronze Brass Mounted Letters Box
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
French circa 1870 bronze brass mounted letters box. Period Second Empire. Patinated bronze with superb quality brass Egyptian & Greco-Roman motif mounts, raised on troupe feet. Mount...
Category
1870s French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Bronze
Egg Plum enamel with tripod Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Egg Plum enamel is in 925/1000 sterling silver.
Egg Plum enamel has fired enamels on guilloché has fired enamels on guilloché and design engraved by hand.
Egg Plum enamel is Russian...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold Plate, Enamel, Sterling Silver
Egg “music box” mechanism by the Swiss Maison Reuge Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Egg “music box” is in 925/1000 sterling silver.
Egg “music box” has fired enamels on guilloché and design engraved by hand.
Egg “music box”on smooth tripod containing a “music box”...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold Plate, Enamel, Sterling Silver
Egg Navy Blue enamel with tripod Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Egg Navy Blue enamel is in 925/1000 sterling silver.
Egg Navy Blue enamel has fired enamels on guilloché has fired enamels on guilloché and design engraved by hand.
Egg Navy Blue en...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Egg Russian Empire style enamel with tall tripod Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Egg Russian Empire is in 925/1000 sterling silver.
Egg Russian Empire has fired enamels on guilloché and design engraved by hand.
Egg Russian Empire is on...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold Plate, Enamel, Sterling Silver
Egg White with blue garlands in Russian Art Nouveau style Sterling Silver Salimb
Located in Firenze, FI
Egg White with blue garlands is in 925/1000 sterling silver.
Egg White with blue garlands has fired enamels on guilloché and design engraved by hand.
Egg White with blue garlands i...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Egg Purple Red enamel with tripod Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Egg Purple Red enamel is in 925/1000 sterling silver.
Egg Purple Red enamel has fired enamels on guilloché has fired enamels on guilloché and design engraved by hand.
Egg Purple Red...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Egg 4 Picture frames in Dark Red enamel with tripod Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Egg 4 Picture frames is in 925/1000 sterling silver.
Egg 4 Picture frames has fired enamels on guilloché has fired enamels on guilloché and design engraved by hand.
Egg 4 Picture fr...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
French Antique Etched and Faceted Crystal Lidded Boxes with Bronze Ormolu, Pair
Located in Doylestown, PA
Pair of French antique etched and faceted cut crystal lidded boxes with ormolu mounts, c. early 20th century.
Gorgeous gilt bronze mounted boxes with intricately etched crystal of f...
Category
Early 20th Century French Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
An Ormolu Mounted Swedish Porphyry Butter Tub, Early 19th Century
Located in Spencertown, NY
The delicately chamfered edges of the round tub and cover carved from Blyberg Porphyry with ormolu mounted acorn finial.
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Porphyry, Ormolu
Pocket Pill Box like Egg sea color Enamel Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Pocket pill box shaped like a small egg.
Pocket pill box like egg hinged opening.
Pocket pill box like egg in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated 24carats.
Pocket pill box like egg ...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold Plate, Enamel, Sterling Silver
Table Cigar Box two-tone stripes enamel Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
This superb Table Cigar Box two-tone stripes enamel is in 925/1000 sterling silver.
it has a rectangular shape with rounded sides Table Cigar Box has hand engraving, with orange and ...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold, Enamel, Sterling Silver, Gold Plate
Table Cigar Box two-tone stripes enamel Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
This divine Table Box is in 925/1000 sterling silver.
Table Box hand-painted miniature has a Rectangular shape with rounded corners.
On the cover there is a beautiful hand-engraved...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold, Enamel, Sterling Silver, Gold Plate
Swedish Love letter pocket in the shape of a book from the Empire period 1820s
Located in Knivsta, SE
Swedish Love letter pocket in the shape of a book from the Empire period 1820s. Made by bookbinder A.U. Hagman, Gothenburg Sweden during the 1820s. Includes a number of letters from ...
Category
1820s Swedish Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Leather, Paper
19th Century French Playing Card Box Rosewood
Located in Münster, DE
Large casket, rosewood solid and veneered, France circa 1860/70, brass handle embedded in the lid, brass inlays, nice division inside (originally for tokens and cards), restored cond...
Category
1860s French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass
First Empire Grand Tour Gilt Bronze Mounted Box with Apollo in His Chariot
Located in Nashville, TN
The box a trinket or bon-bon box , adorned with bronze lid and Apollo in his sunburst adorned chariot , the sides with griffins , floral urns .
Most likely and expensive gift or souvenir at the time of creation it is in original unaltered , unrestored condition . Quite a little gem.
6 inches long x 2 inches tall x 3.25 deep (front to back )
France circa 1810
In legend, the ancient Greek deity...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Bronze
Brass Wall Utensil Holder, Empire, Early 19th C, with Roman Goddess with Putti
Located in Knivsta, SE
Brass Wall Utensil Holder, Empire, Early 19th C, with Roman Goddess with Putti
This highly ornate utensil holder is made in repoussé brass. It features a scene of a Roman Goddess in...
Category
Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass
Large Sewing Box Lacquer Work with Pastoral Scenes, Early 19th Century
Located in Knivsta, SE
A large and intricately decorated Empire lacquer work sewing box. Early 19th century Europe.
The box is decorated with pastoral scenes and an intricate pattern on the edges. The ins...
Category
Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Lacquer, Beech
Egg on Tripod with folding frame for 6 photos Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Egg on tripod with folding photo frame for 6 photos, inside, in 925/1000 sterling Silver gold plated, with translucent fired enamels on guillochè. ...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
Small Danish Empire Veneered and Brass Trinket Box, Circa 1825
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Small Rectangular Period Empire Trinket Box in Veneered Mahogany and Brass Panels on the Edges, Denmark Circa 1825.
Category
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass
Empire Style Crystal Box with Classical Gilt Ormulo Mounts
Located in London, GB
A French late 19th century Empire style crystal box with classical gilt bronze mounts.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Ormolu
Old Wooden Cigar Box, Empire Style, Probably Swedish
Located in Stockholm, SE
A lovely empire style wooden box probably produced in Sweden. The box is 14 x 14 cm (5.6" x 5,6") in diameter and 23.5 cm (9.4") high. It is in excellent condition except from that t...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Glass, Wood
C 20th Empire Style Malachite Box
Located in London, GB
A Very Fine Empire Style ormolu Mounted Box
Lovely Quality and very fine Ormolu mounted
This Box Stands at 40cm in Height and is truly Magnificent
Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Malachite
Snuff Box Light Blue Ornament in Relief, Empire Style Sterling Silver Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Rectangular pocket snuff box with oval section in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel on guillochè, with laurel ornament in relief in Empire style. Wit...
Category
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Table Box “The Great Odalisque” Fired Enamel on Guilloche Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
table box in sterling silver 925/1000 gold plated with edges with fire - enamelled stripes and upper frame with insertion of paillons in pure gold and beautRectangular iful fire-enam...
Category
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Gold Plate, Enamel, Sterling Silver
Empire-Style Crystal and Brass 'Bonbonnière', or Sweet Box
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
A very decorative Empire-style crystal sweet box, or Bonbonnière, intricately clad in a gilt-brass frame, with elaborately worked gilt metal mounts of the ar...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Crystal, Brass
19th Century Brown-Black German Small Empire Iron Coffer, Antique Table Decor
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A dark-brown, black antique German coffer made of hand crafted iron, particularized with griffins, torchères and tendril motifs on the wall and pinecone mode on the lid, in good condition. The small detailed decor piece represents the Empire time period...
Category
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Metal, Iron
Empire Travel Sewing & Writing Set, France, Early 19th Century, circa 1815
Located in GRENOBLE, FR
Luxurious travel set for a lady, French early 19th century production - Empire period circa 1815. This travel set is mainly composed of sewing accessories...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Crystal, Sterling Silver, Brass
Early 19th Century French Empire Apprentice Commode in Walnut with Lift Top
Located in Atlanta, GA
Early 19th century French Empire Apprentice Commode in walnut with lift top. Table top item.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Walnut
19th Century Lacquered Papier-mâché Snuff Box with Parrot and Lady
By Stobwasser
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Early 19th century hand painted black lacquered Papier-Mâché snuff box or vanity box
Crafted in Austria in the early 1800's, the decorative box features a hand painted scene of a yo...
Category
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood, Lacquer, Paper
Danish Late Empire Tobacco Box in Nobel Wood, Lid with Walrus Tooth
Located in Kastrup, DK
Late empire tobacco box in rosewood.
The top of the lid is adorned with a walrus tooth.
Denmark 1830-1840.
Category
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Hardwood
Danish Early 19th Century Empire Tobacco Box
Located in Kastrup, DK
A charming mahogany tobacco box in an architecturally intriguing form. The top of the lid is adorned with a small knob of bone.
Great quality and craftsmanship.
Empire. Denmark, ...
Category
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Bone, Mahogany
Butter Casket Empire Bronze Porphyry Sweden \\\'800
Located in Milano, IT
Casket in Swedish porphyry, the faceted cylindrical body is equipped with a slightly rounded circular lid with spiral facets, with a pinecone-shaped gilded bronze grip and connected ...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Porphyry, Bronze
19th Century Swedish Folkart Empire Chest / Box with Originalpaint
Located in Boden, SE
19th Century Swedish Folkart Empire Chest /box from Skelleftea Vasterbotten ,Northern Sweden.
Decorative Wood imitaition painted small chest /box with...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Pine
Antique French Brass Napoleonic "Le Grand" Snuff Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Antique French Brass Napoleonic "Le Grand" Snuff Box
Step back into the glorious era of the French empire with this stunning Antique French brass Napoleonic "Le Grand" snuff box. A ...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass
Large 19th Century Continental Neoclassical Between Dresser Vanity Box
Located in Lambertville, NJ
An extensively filled 19th century ormolu-mounted ebonized wood dresser vanity box fitted with silver gold washed lidded glass gars and sewing tools. The ...
Category
1880s European Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Ormolu
French Crystal Casket Box
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a beautiful French crystal gold doré acanthus box with gilt mounts and locking key.
Category
1950s French Vintage Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Crystal
19th Century French Empire Miniature Commode
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th century French Empire miniature commode. A well executed miniature chest made of walnut and veneer of walnut with two large drawers below a smaller top drawer and with solid walnut columns. Inscription written in ink on the back of each of the large drawers: Don D...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Walnut
Onyx Marble Gold Gilt Bronze Inkwell
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful onyx and gold gilt bronze inkwell [ink well] box in the Empire style, circa 19th century, Europe. In addition to its intended use, piece makes a gorgeous standalone decor...
Category
Late 19th Century European Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Onyx, Bronze
Important Empire Period Paris Porcelain & Ormolu-Mounted Casket/Box/Jewelry Box
Located in New York, NY
An Important and very rare Empire period Paris porcelain ormolu-mounted Empire rectangular shaped two-handled casket decorated and assembled by ...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Bronze
19th Century French Empire Style Salesman Sample
Located in Dallas, TX
Charming French late 19th century Empire style salesman sample. Makes a fine accessory.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Russian Cloisonné Card Case in Silver Gilt
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Early 20th century Russian silver gilt cloisonné case
This beautiful piece is lavishly decorated, but with a different design on each side.
One side...
Category
Early 1900s Russian Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Enamel
Late 19th Century Octagonal Enamel Box
Located in London, GB
The enamel and mother-of-pearl inlaid gilded box centered with a depiction of a couple in a wooded landscape, the interior lined in red velvet.
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Medicine Safe Cabinet
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Painted metal cabinet with Goddess of medicine in relief. Secret secondary key-mechanism hiding extra keyhole.
NB:
Complimentary delivery wit...
Category
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Decorative Boxes
Materials
Metal
Empire decorative boxes for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire decorative boxes for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage decorative boxes created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire decorative boxes made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Scandinavia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative boxes, popular names associated with this style include Franco Salimbeni, Giorgio Salimbeni, and Olle Hermansson. 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 decorative boxes differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $170 and tops out at $88,000 while the average work can sell for $1,800.
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