Empire 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.
1820s French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze, Enamel
1810s French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze, Steel
1810s French Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu, Bronze
Late 19th Century North American Antique Empire Clocks
Marble, Enamel
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Clocks
Pine
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Clocks
Marble, Bronze
1840s American Antique Empire Clocks
Metal
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Steel, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu, Bronze
1810s Belgian Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Empire Clocks
Brass, Bronze, Enamel
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Marble, Bronze, Enamel
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Marble, Metal, Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
1810s French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Clocks
Giltwood
19th Century English Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Marble, Enamel, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
19th Century Antique Empire Clocks
Alabaster, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
1870s French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
1880s French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Enamel, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu
1820s French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Carrara Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu
19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu, Bronze
1820s Russian Antique Empire Clocks
Wood, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Clocks
Enamel, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Siena Marble, Bronze
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
Griotte Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Clocks
1810s French Antique Empire Clocks
Ormolu
1840s French Antique Empire Clocks
Bronze