Empire Candle Holders
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
Pierre-Philippe Thomire Attributed 4 Arm French Empire Gilt Bronze Candelabrum
Located in Savannah, GA
A very fine single French Empire style gilt bronze four-light candelabra featuring the allegorical "à la Victoire". The winged figure holds aloft in her out stretched arms two intric...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Early 19th Century Pair of Empire Gilt Bronze Female Caryatids Candlesticks
By Claude Galle
Located in Berlin, DE
Pair of Early 19th Century French Empire Ormolu Gilt Bronze Female Busts Candlesticks, circa 1820
A beautiful pair of Empire gilt-bronze ormolu c...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of 19th Century French Empire Bronze Garnitures
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of bronze and dore bronze compote/tazas with finely chased details. Can be used to hold a topiary or a thick candle. Base is 7" Top is 11.5".
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Important First Empire Period Ormolu Sconces
By Percier & Fontaine
Located in Essex, MA
Period ormolu sconces in First Empire, imperial Russian, realistic lion mask form
--Percier and fontaine designed lion mask being impaled by th...
Category
Early 1800s Russian Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Ormolu
Pair of Empire girandoles, France, early 19th century
Located in Greding, DE
A pair of French girandoles made of burnished and partly fire-gilt bronze, on a red marble base over spherical decoration. The candelabra figures, designed as Apollo and Diana, carry...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Pair of 19th Century Empire Gilt Bronze and Patinated Bronze Victory Candelabras
Located in Berlin, DE
Pair of Large 19th Century Empire Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Victory Sculptures Candelabras in the manner of Philippe Thomire (1751-1843)
A large a...
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Empire Style Silvered and Gilt Bronze Candelabra with Marble Bases
Located in New York, NY
Pair of very large French 19th century French Empire style silvered and gilt bronze candelabra with marble bases.
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Elegant French Empire Doré Bronze Crystal Three-Light Fixture Chandelier
Located in Roslyn, NY
Very fine, beautifully detailed French doré bronze and crystal three-arm chandelier with flame top urn centre in the neoclassical style.
Category
20th Century French Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
Pair of French Gilt and Patinated Bronze Wall Lights
Located in London, GB
Pair of French gilt and patinated bronze wall lights
French, 20th Century
Height 103cm, width 50cm, depth 44cm
Drawing inspiration from the sophisticated Empire style, these wall li...
Category
20th Century French Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Pair of Empire Candlesticks with Garland
Located in Ljungby, SE
A pair of French Empire candlesticks with matching light collars, richly decorated in burnished gilded bronze. The central section is elegantly fluted, and they feature a garland wit...
Category
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
A Pair of French 19th Century Empire Candlesticks
Located in Stamford, CT
A pair of French 19th century Empire gilt and bronze candlesticks.
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of French Empire Candleabra
Located in Westwood, NJ
Pair of French Empire bronze doré three-light candelabra with nautical motifs, dolphins and shells.
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
French Empire Style Gilt Bronze and Marble Candelabra By Gherardo Degli Albizzi
Located in Florence, Tuscany
This Empire style gilt and burnished bronze candelabra by Gherardo Degli Albizzi, with its marble base, resume the great taste of Napoleon period decoration. Base is characterized by...
Category
2010s Italian Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Marble, Bronze
Pair of Early 19 Century French Empire Gilt Bronze Neoclassical Candlesticks
Located in Berlin, DE
Excellent pair of early 19 century French empire gilt bronze neoclassical candlesticks.
A tapering stem with rich and finely chased ...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of 19th Century French Empire Style Candelabras with 7 Lights
Located in Dallas, TX
This is a pair of 19th Century French Empire Style candelabras with 7 lights, featuring a luxurious design typical of the French Empire period. These decorative collectibles exude el...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Metal, Bronze
Candlesticks with Caryatids in Gilt and Dark-Patinated Bronze – Empire, 1820s
Located in Knivsta, SE
French Candlesticks with Caryatids in Gilt and Dark-Patinated Bronze – Empire, 1820s
A magnificent pair of French candlesticks in gilt and dark-patinated bronze, made during the he...
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
A Pair of Gilt and Patinated Bronze Candelabra
Located in Dallas, TX
a pair of gilt and patinated bronze candelabra, each with a female figure holding two coronets / horns on a triangular base with elaborate filagree mounts, France, 19th century, circ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Empire Torchères, Vienna, circa 1800
Located in Greding, DE
Pair of large Empire torches or candelabra on a three-pass base tapering to the top and inlaid with brass inlays in the form of acanthus leaves and floral motifs. Rising above three ...
Category
Early 1800s Austrian Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Mahogany
Pair of French Empire style Bronze and Bronze Dore Candelabra
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Very Fine & Spectacular Pair of French Empire style Bronze & Bronze Dore 12 light Figural Candelabra, late 19th Century, each depicting a standing winged Victory with outstreached ...
Category
1880s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Marble, Bronze
French Empire Period Egyptian Style Porcelain Candelabra
Located in London, GB
French Empire period Egyptian style porcelain candelabra
French, c. 1815
Height 81cm, width 27cm, depth 27cm
These extremely fine candelabra date from the early 19th Century, during the period of Napoleonic dominance in Europe. It was during this period that interest in the ancient civilisation of Egypt started to become fashionable, in large part due to Napoleon's conquest of the region at the turn of the 19th Century. Each candelabrum is modelled as a standing cross...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Ormolu
Fine Quality Pair of Empire Gilt and Patinated Bronze Lamps
Located in New York, NY
A highly decorative pair of 19th century French Empire gilt bronze and patinated bronze lamps on square base. Each of the four sides of the base having a reef design. The rest of the...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Pair of Exquisite French Empire Gilt Bronze Two-Light Candelabra ca 1810
Located in Boven Leeuwen, NL
These candlesticks are ornate artifacts from the French Empire period, which dates back to the early 19th century, typically considered as the reign of Napoleon I from 1804 to 1814. ...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Gold, Bronze
Pair Antique French Empire Gold Bronze and Marble Candelabra, Circa 1890.
Located in New Orleans, LA
Pair Magnificent Antique French Empire Gold Bronze & Marble Candelabra, Circa 1890.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Unusual Pair Of Russian Empire Figural Bronze Candelabras
Located in New York, NY
An important pair of Russian Empire Figural patinated and Dore Bronze six-light candelabras with maidens and putties with verde antico marble bases. Eac...
Category
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of French Fire-Gilded Empire Candleholders
Located in Ljungby, SE
A pair of French fire-gilded Empire candleholders from around 1800-1810. The candleholders are in the Egyptianizing style that was popular at the time, referencing Napoleon's campaig...
Category
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
French 1870 Pair of Empire Candle Holders Lamps Ormolu with Gray Dotted Granite
Located in Miami, FL
French empire pair of candle holders lamps.
Exceptional pair of antique candleholders, created in Paris France during the imperial period of Napoleon III, circa 1870. They was designed with French empire neoclassical patterns, masterfully crafted with parts made up in gilt bronze ormolu and patinated bronze. Mounted in fluted columns pedestals carved from gray dotted Granite, with polished finish. Embellished with garlands and putties mounted in a four square and stepped bases.
Weight: Combined of 12 Pounds (5.45 Kilos).
Measurements: 15 Height by 4.50 Length by 5.15 Width Inches, (38 x 11.43 x 13.08 Cm).
French Empire
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (1808-1873) was Emperor of France from 1852 to 1870 under the name of Napoleon III. In a way, the artistic codes of the Napoleon III style, also called Second Empire style, were presented at the Exhibition of 1844, during the reign of Louis-Philippe d'Orléans. The second Empire style, also known as the Napoleon III style, is a highly eclectic style of architecture and decorative arts, which uses elements of many different historical styles, and also made innovative use of modern materials, such as iron frameworks and glass skylights. It flourished during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III in France (1852–1870) and had an important influence on architecture and decoration in the rest of Europe and North America. Major examples of the style include the Opéra Garnier (1862–1871) in Paris by Charles Garnier, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Church of Saint Augustine (1860–1871), and the Philadelphia City Hall (1871–1901). The architectural style was closely connected with Haussmann's renovation of Paris carried out during the Second Empire; the new buildings, such as the Opéra, were intended as the focal points of the new boulevards.
Comfort was the first priority of Second Empire furniture...
Category
1870s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Granite, Bronze, Ormolu
Pair of Empire Style Bronze and Crystal Candelabra
Located in Dallas, TX
Late 19th/20th c., four-arm, diamond cut crystal and gilt bronze candelabra, drilled for lamps but not electrified, unmarked
Category
20th Century Italian Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Gilded, Mirrored, Period Sconces
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A pair of period, hand carved, gessoed, and 22-karat gold gilded, Second Empire, French sconces. Each with gilt bronze arms, and inset with original, mercury glass mirrors. Each with...
Category
1860s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Empire Style Patinated and Gilded Bronze Candelabra
Located in Hudson, NY
This impressive pair of candelabra made in the era of Napoleon III in France circa 1870 are very powerful and impressive. Heavily cast with references to the classical past and profu...
Category
1870s Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Antique French Empire Style Gilt Brass Candlesticks, ca. 1890
Located in Barntrup, DE
Pair of antique French Empire-style gilt brass candlesticks from ca. 1890.
A beautiful and compact-sized pair of French Empire-style gilt brass candlesticks with removable bobeches (...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Brass
French Empire Style Gilt Bronze Wall Sconce Set by Gherardo Degli Albizzi
Located in Florence, Tuscany
This French Empire style gilt bronze wall sconce by Gherardo Degli Albizzi features the best quality hand-chiselled details.
The backplate of this sconce features a central round pla...
Category
2010s Italian Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
A pair of elegant candelabra with caryatids, Empire, early 19th century
Located in Knivsta, SE
A pair of elegant candelabra with caryatids, Empire, early 19th century
A very elegant and high-quality French pair of candelabra in gilt and dark-patinated bronze. Each candelabrum...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Important Pair of 1st Period French Empire Pat. & Dore Bronze 6-Light Candelabra
Located in New York, NY
A fabulous and important pair of antique French 1st period Empire patinated and two-tone matte and burnished doré bronze six-light candelabras. Each modeled with figures of Goddess D...
Category
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Corinthian Column Faux Marble Ormolu Candlesticks
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Impressive pair of Corinthian column candlesticks featuring a beautiful and decorative capital with faux marble stems as well as a detailed square base. Fantastic pair featured on a ...
Category
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Pair of Empire Gilt and Patinated Bronze Candelabra
Located in London, GB
A pair of Empire gilt and patinated bronze candelabra. Each with a winged Victorian female figure carrying a torchère on their hea...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Siena Marble, Bronze
Beautiful pair of Empire Candlesticks in gilt and dark patinated bronze. 1820s
Located in Knivsta, SE
A small and beautiful pair of Empire Candlesticks in gilt and dark patinated bronze. Made in France during the 1820s. Very period design.
Wear consistent with age and use
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Antique Candlesticks Empire Pattern by WMF Art Nouveau Silverplated
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
Beautiful pair of antique candlesticks by WMF are stunning examples of silverplated pewter craftsmanship, made during the Art Nouveau period around 1900. They are part of the "Empire...
Category
1890s German Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Silver Plate, Pewter
Pair of Antique Second Empire Style Five-Arm Candelabra
Located in Montreal, QC
A large pair of Charles X bronze and marble five-light candelabra now fitted as table lamps. This striking pair combine honey-colored Siena marble and dark crisp scrolling bronze in ...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Two French Gilt and Patinated Bronze Sconces
Located in London, GB
These two sconces have been crafted in the Empire style, which was popularised by the French Emperor, Napoleon I. The Empire style is characterised by its grandeur and use of opulent...
Category
20th Century French Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Ormolu, Bronze
Two Early 19th Century French Empire Gilt Bronze Candelabra
Located in London, GB
These magnificent candelabra were cast entirely of gilt bronze in the French Empire period of the early 19th century. Each candelabrum is formed as a cornucopia of scrolled branches holding four lights with drip pans, set on a single torch-form stem, held aloft by a Classical style figure.
The figures, one male and one female, are shown draped in swathed clothing, with the male figure depicted holding a quill in his other hand, whilst the female figure clutches a delicate bouquet of flowers. The figures stand upon circular bases, set onto ovoid vases which featured fluted details and central bands of laurel leaf motifs. The vases themselves stand on undulating roundels formed of acanthus leaves, which are further set atop square-form plinths.
Classically influenced works were popular during the French Empire period, when the Emperor Napoleon I sought to create a place in history for France alongside the ancient dynasties...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Ormolu, Bronze
Exclusive Pair of Miniature Gilt Bronze Candlesticks – Empire, France c. 1820
Located in Knivsta, SE
Exclusive Pair of Miniature Gilt Bronze Candlesticks – Empire, France c. 1820
An exquisite pair of miniature gilt bronze candlesticks from the French Empire period, circa 1820. The...
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of 19th Century French Ormolu Candelabras
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Pair of 19th Century French Ormolu Candelabras. Gorgeous.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Ormolu
Beautiful pair of Empire Candlesticks in gilt and dark patinated bronze. 1820s
Located in Knivsta, SE
Beautiful pair of Empire Candlesticks in gilt and dark patinated bronze. Made in France during the 1820s. Very period design.
Wear consistent with age and use
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Early 19th Century French Empire Gilt Bronze Candlesticks – Stunning
Located in Milano, IT
This elegant pair of early 19th-century French Empire gilt bronze candlesticks is in stunning condition, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship typical of the Empire period. The richly g...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Empire Style Egyptian Caryatid Two-Light Ormolu & Patinated Candelabra
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of Empire-Style Egyptian Caryatid Two-Light Ormolu and Patinated Candelabra, France, 20th Century
A pair of exquisite Empire-style Egyptian Caryatid Two-Light Ormolu and Patin...
Category
20th Century French Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Pair of Bronze Empire Candelabras, France, circa 1880s
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Elegant pair of bronze Empire style candelabras with fine details, raised on paw feet. Beautifully oxidized Verdigris patina.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair French Empire Figural Bronze Candelabra Signed Chibout
Located in Pittsburgh, PA
This finely detailed, and hand chased pair of bronze candelabra were made by Pierre Chibout. Active 1806-24, he worked with Claude Francois Rabiat who's workshop he took over in 181...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Wonderful Pair Dore Bronze Two-Arm Winged Putti Cherub Neoclassical Candelabras
Located in Roslyn, NY
A wonderful pair of doré bronze two-arm winged putti cherub neoclassical candelabras
Measures: 18" H x 6.5" W x 4" D.
Category
1920s French Vintage Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Antique Austro-Hungarian Silver Candlesticks with Chased Flowers
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This pair of silver candlesticks are hallmarked by an unknown maker, and believed to have originated from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and date to approximately 1850, and done in the ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Silver
Pair of Empire Four Light Bronze Candelabra
Located in Montreal, QC
Pair of Empire period parcel-gilt and patinated bronze four-light candelabra, the patinated column raised on triform scrolled feet over incurved plinth supporting a gilt bronze stand...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of French Napoleonic Tin Wall Mounted Candle Sconces Ca. 1820s
Located in Peabody, MA
Pair of 19th century French Napoleonic tinned steel wall mounted candle sconces in the Empire style.
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Tin
19th Century Pair of French Empire Candlesticks in Gilded Brass
Located in Madrid, ES
French Empire candlesticks made of gold-plated brass, with an octagonal column on lion-claw-shaped legs on a round base.
Rich ornamentation with garlands, reliefs and guilloches typi...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Brass
Pair of Empire Candlesticks in gilt bronze with dark patinated Lion paws. 1810s
Located in Knivsta, SE
Beautiful pair of Empire Candlesticks in gilt bronze with dark patinated Lion paws. Made in France during the 1810s. Very period design.
Wear consistent with age and use
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
French Empire Period Pair of Bronze Candleholders, Neoclassical
Located in Montreal, Quebec
French Emprie Period pair of bronze candleholders, neoclassical
A rare collector quality pair of French First Empire candleholders. A classical bi...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Alabaster, Bronze
Elegant pair of Empire Candlesticks in gilt bronze from the 1820s.
Located in Knivsta, SE
A very Elegant pair of Empire Candlesticks in gilt bronze. Made in France during the 1820s. Richly decorated in period design.
Wear consistent with age and use
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of French Empire Style Gilt Bronze Candlesticks
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine pair of French Empire gilt bronze candlesticks.
With intricate raised decoration in the form of geometric and foliate patterns.
The middle of each candlestick is fluted and ...
Category
20th Century French Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Empire "Retour d' Egypt" Candlesticks
Located in New York, NY
Pair of "Retour d' Egypt" candlesticks.
Patinated Bronze shafts toped with fire gilt bobeches
on top of figural Caryatids standing on a round base
encircled with floral decoration.
Category
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze
Restauration Ormolu and Bronze Candelabra, Pair
Located in Astoria, NY
Pair of Restauration Ormolu and Bronze Candelabra, circa 1830, each with five branches on reeded leaf-capped tapering columns and conforming bases. 38.5" H x 10.25" W x 6.25" D.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Candle Holders
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Empire candle holders for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire candle holders 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 candle holders created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, lighting, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire candle holders 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 candle holders, popular names associated with this style include Gherardo Degli Albizzi, Alexandre Vossion, Baccarat, and Arno Fassi. 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 candle holders differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $313 and tops out at $148,649 while the average work can sell for $3,788.