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Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

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
19 Century French Clock Featuring an Oriental Warrior Archer on Horseback
By Feuchere
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A fine quality Napoleon III mantle clock with a case of gilded, silvered, and patinated bronze. The base of the clock is in chased gilded bronze with elaborate moldings. The patinate...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

19 Century French Clock Featuring an Oriental Warrior Archer on Horseback
19 Century French Clock Featuring an Oriental Warrior Archer on Horseback

19 Century French Clock Featuring an Oriental Warrior Archer on Horseback

Griotte Marble and Gilt Bronze Clock Mounted by a Classical Female Bronze Bust
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A finely cast gilt bronze clock base mounted with of a classical patinated bronze bust of a maiden after a model by James Pradier. The maiden has her curly haired head turned demurely to one side resting on her bare shoulders, and hands clasped across her partly exposed breasts...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

Materials

Griotte Marble, Bronze

Griotte Marble and Gilt Bronze Clock Mounted by a Classical Female Bronze Bust
Griotte Marble and Gilt Bronze Clock Mounted by a Classical Female Bronze Bust

Griotte Marble and Gilt Bronze Clock Mounted by a Classical Female Bronze Bust

Fine Porcelain Mounted Ormolu Mantel Clock
Located in London, by appointment only
France, circa 1880. The ormolu case mounted with fine painted porcelain scenes of a courting couple. This unusual mauve color pallet emphasizes the...
Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

Materials

Porcelain

Fine Porcelain Mounted Ormolu Mantel Clock
Fine Porcelain Mounted Ormolu Mantel Clock

Fine Porcelain Mounted Ormolu Mantel Clock

An elegant mantle piece clock with vases made in Paris circa 1860
Located in London, GB
An elegant mantle piece clock with its accompanying vases made in Paris circa 1860. Very much in the Jacob Petit style and most probably from his fa...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

Materials

Porcelain

An elegant mantle piece clock with vases made in Paris circa 1860
An elegant mantle piece clock with vases made in Paris circa 1860

An elegant mantle piece clock with vases made in Paris circa 1860

Fine Porcelain Mounted Ormolu Mantel Clock
Located in London, by appointment only
France, circa 1880 The ormolu case mounted with fine painted porcelain scenes of a courting couple. This unusual mauve colour pallet emphasizes the...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Fine Porcelain Mounted Ormolu Mantel Clock
Fine Porcelain Mounted Ormolu Mantel Clock

Fine Porcelain Mounted Ormolu Mantel Clock

French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Marble, Ormolu and Bronze Garniture Set
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome and high quality French 19th century Napoleon III period black Belgian marble, ormolu and patinated bronze garniture set. The three pi...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

Materials

Belgian Black Marble, Bronze, Ormolu

French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Marble, Ormolu and Bronze Garniture Set
French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Marble, Ormolu and Bronze Garniture Set

French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Marble, Ormolu and Bronze Garniture Set

A Large French Rouge Marble Gilt Patinated Bronze Mantel Clock by A. Beurdeley
By Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A French Napoleon III Period Rouge Marble Gilt & Patinated Bronze Mantel Clock Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley Movement marked: J. Lefebvre Fils Paris & Numbered1938 Movement stamped: Medaille De Bronze J. Marti & Cie & Numbered 92 Dial signed: A. Beurdeley Fila, Paris France, Circa 1875 Dimensions: Height: 24" (61cm), Width: 22" (56cm) Depth: 11" (28cm) Excellent Working Condition Biography French — Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley was a Parisian cabinetmaker who specialized in the manufacture of luxurious French furnishings...
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Ormolu, Bronze

A Large French Rouge Marble Gilt Patinated Bronze Mantel Clock by A. Beurdeley
A Large French Rouge Marble Gilt Patinated Bronze Mantel Clock by A. Beurdeley

A Large French Rouge Marble Gilt Patinated Bronze Mantel Clock by A. Beurdeley

Important Cercles Tournants Rotary Clock set by Deniere
By Maison Deniere
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very Large Important and Rare Napoleon III Period Ormolu And Patinated Bronze Sculptural rotary 3-piece clock set ("Pendule A Cercles Tournants") compr...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Important Cercles Tournants Rotary Clock set by Deniere
Important Cercles Tournants Rotary Clock set by Deniere

Important Cercles Tournants Rotary Clock set by Deniere

Napoleon Iii mantel clocks for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III mantel clocks for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Early 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage mantel clocks created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, building and garden elements, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III mantel clocks made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Germany pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original mantel clocks, popular names associated with this style include Raingo Frères, Ferdinand Barbedienne, Henri Picard, and Languereau. 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 mantel clocks differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $706 and tops out at $225,000 while the average work can sell for $9,424.

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