Empire Mantel Clocks
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.
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Brass, Bronze, Enamel
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
1790s Austrian Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Giltwood, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze, Ormolu
1870s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Enamel, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Malachite, Ormolu
19th Century European Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Malachite, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Ormolu, Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Enamel, Ormolu
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze, Enamel
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Metal, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1880s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Belgian Empire Mantel Clocks
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
1810s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Burl
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 1800s European Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
19th Century Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Gold Plate, Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Marble, Bronze
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Ormolu, Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Mantel Clocks
Ormolu