Empire Decorative Objects
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 English Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Gold Plate, Bronze
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Russian Empire Decorative Objects
Brass
1810s Russian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Empire Decorative Objects
Crystal, Silver
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Metal, Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Objects
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
20th Century Unknown Empire Decorative Objects
Brass
Early 20th Century Turkish Empire Decorative Objects
Silver
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Stone, Bronze
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
1810s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Gold Plate, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Empire Decorative Objects
Crystal, Metal
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century European Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Marble
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Crystal, Bronze
1890s German Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Silver Plate, Pewter
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Wood, Giltwood
2010s Italian Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Marble, Enamel, Ormolu
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
1810s Russian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Objects
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1850s Italian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Silver
18th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ceramic
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze, Metal, Copper
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Brass
1980s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Objects
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Brass
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Objects
Gold Plate, Enamel, Sterling Silver
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Objects
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Decorative Objects
Gold, Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1820s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Brass
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Glass
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu
1820s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu
1810s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Crystal, Malachite, Bronze