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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
French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Boulle Clock
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A striking high quality French 19th century Napoleon III period ormolu, tortoiseshell, and brass inlaid Boulle clock. The clock is raised by handsome ormolu paw feet with acanthus le...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

Materials

Brass, Ormolu

French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Boulle Clock
French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Boulle Clock

French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Boulle 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

Important Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Porcelain Clock Garniture, circa 1870
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
An important Napoléon III gilt bronze and turquoise porcelain clock garniture. French, circa 1870. This very fine clock garniture comprises of a clock and a pair of vase form candelabra. The finely cast and chiselled gilt bronze case has a jewelled turquoise porcelain face with Roman Numerals above a plaque depicting children in a wooded landscape, flanked by expressive male and female cherub figures, cast in the round, beneath a scrolled pediment with torches en flambeau and surmounted by a turquoise vase and cover. The pair of candelabra en-suite are in the form of turquoise porcelain vases...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Important Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Porcelain Clock Garniture, circa 1870
Important Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Porcelain Clock Garniture, circa 1870

Important Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Porcelain Clock Garniture, circa 1870

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

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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