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Empire Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

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
A Russian Empire Carved Gilt Wood and Faux Malachite Painted Mantel Clock
Located in Stockholm, SE
A very nice and charming carved gilt wood and faux painted malachite empire clock. Probably Russian. Ça. 1820-30. The figure probably of the Greek goddess HYGIEIA. She was one of the daughters of the god of medicine...
Category

1820s Russian Antique Empire Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Wood, Giltwood

A Russian Empire Carved Gilt Wood and Faux Malachite Painted Mantel Clock
A Russian Empire Carved Gilt Wood and Faux Malachite Painted Mantel Clock

A Russian Empire Carved Gilt Wood and Faux Malachite Painted Mantel Clock

$1,152 Sale Price
63% Off
Elegant 19th Century Bronze Clock Empire
Located in Madrid, ES
Elegant 19th century bronze clock. 19th Century French clock in gilded bronze. The machinery works and has its pendulum and key. Difficult ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Elegant 19th Century Bronze Clock Empire
Elegant 19th Century Bronze Clock Empire

Elegant 19th Century Bronze Clock Empire

$2,701
Empire Mantel Clock by H.Robert-Horloger De La Reine, Paris, circa 1820
Located in Madrid, ES
An Empire Mantel Clock by H.Robert-Horloger De La Reine, Paris, date circa 1820-1830 A superb Empire gilt and patinated bronze mantel clock of eight day duration signed on the white enamel dial H.Robert-Horloger a la Reine . The dial with Roman numerals and gilded steel Breguet style hands for the hours and minutes. The movement with anchor escapement, silk thread suspension, striking on a single bell, with outside count wheel. The extremely fine case featuring the standing figure of Urania, Muse of Astronomy holding a pen in her left hand which points to a star-studded globe adorned with the signs of the zodiac around its circumference, the globe set on the back of four putti upon a plinth, containing the dial with a serpent-wrapped Paris, date circa 1820-30 Height 73 cm, width 50cm, depth 22 cm. In addition to the above prestigious locations, clocks of this model can be found at Warsaw Castle and in the Bayerischen Nationalmuseum, Munich. The Parisian clockmaker Bailly (d. after 1818) was one of the finest of his day and as such earned the title of Horloger de LL. MM. II. Et RR (Clockmaker to Their Imperial and Royal Majesties). Working from rue de Richelieu he was with Lepaute one of the main suppliers to the Garde-Meuble. Bailly, who retired in 1818 had the responsibility of maintaining the clocks at Compiègne and the Trianons and is known to have used cases by the leading Parisian bronziers including Pierre-Philippe Thomire and Claude Galle as well as Ferdinand Schwerdfeger who supplied him with a case for a regulator surmounted by a star-studded and zodiac banded globe...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Empire Mantel Clock by H.Robert-Horloger De La Reine, Paris, circa 1820
Empire Mantel Clock by H.Robert-Horloger De La Reine, Paris, circa 1820

Empire Mantel Clock by H.Robert-Horloger De La Reine, Paris, circa 1820

$16,807
Important Empire Clock in Bronze with Two Patinas Alexander the Great 19th Cen
Located in Madrid, ES
Important Empire clock in bronze with two Patinas Alexander the Great 19th century Weight: 11.00 kg Sizes: H 51cm x L 39cm France very good condition.
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Important Empire Clock in Bronze with Two Patinas Alexander the Great 19th Cen
Important Empire Clock in Bronze with Two Patinas Alexander the Great 19th Cen

Important Empire Clock in Bronze with Two Patinas Alexander the Great 19th Cen

$8,283
Early 19th Century Vase-Shaped Porcelain Clock
By Normant
Located in Paris, FR
Vase-shaped mantel clock in gilded porcelain. Breguet hands track the hours and minutes on white, enamel dial with hours marked in Roman numerals. The porcelain is interspaced with g...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Porcelain

Early 19th Century Vase-Shaped Porcelain Clock
Early 19th Century Vase-Shaped Porcelain Clock

Early 19th Century Vase-Shaped Porcelain Clock

$8,043
French Early 19th Century Empire Period Mantel Clock Signed Ledure
By Pierre-Victor Ledure
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
Very fine early 19th century Empire period mantel clock of patinated bronze. It is signed by one of the best Parisian bronzers Pierre Victor Ledure and h...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Bronze

French Early 19th Century Empire Period Mantel Clock Signed Ledure
French Early 19th Century Empire Period Mantel Clock Signed Ledure

French Early 19th Century Empire Period Mantel Clock Signed Ledure

$5,762
French 19th century Empire st. Gris st. Anne, Carrara marble, and Ormolu clock
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A stunning and high quality French 19th century Empire st. Gris st. Anne, white Carrara marble, and Ormolu clock. This beautiful clock is supported on a circular white Carrara marble...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Marble, Ormolu

French 19th century Empire st. Gris st. Anne, Carrara marble, and Ormolu clock
French 19th century Empire st. Gris st. Anne, Carrara marble, and Ormolu clock

French 19th century Empire st. Gris st. Anne, Carrara marble, and Ormolu clock

$29,800
Early 19th Century Empire Mantel Clock by Ledure with Apollo or Eros
By Pierre-Victor Ledure, Claude Hemon
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
The clock is signed on the enamel dial by the famous Parisian bronzier ”Ledure Bronzier à Paris” and the clockmaker ”Hedon Hr" (horloger). Patinated and fully sculpted bronze figure ...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Clocks and Desk Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Early 19th Century Empire Mantel Clock by Ledure with Apollo or Eros
Early 19th Century Empire Mantel Clock by Ledure with Apollo or Eros

Early 19th Century Empire Mantel Clock by Ledure with Apollo or Eros

$10,204

Empire table clocks and desk clocks for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Empire table clocks and desk clocks for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage table clocks and desk clocks created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire table clocks and desk clocks made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Austria pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original table clocks and desk clocks, popular names associated with this style include Europa Antiques, Breguet a Paris, Coduri of Lyon, France, and Bradley & Hubbard. 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 table clocks and desk clocks differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $445 and tops out at $102,428 while the average work can sell for $7,116.

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