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.
1810s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bone, Mahogany
Early 18th Century Russian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Crystal, Brass
Early 1900s European Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Brass, Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Griotte Marble, Bronze
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porphyry, Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Silver Plate
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
1810s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze, Enamel
1820s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Metal, Brass
2010s Italian Empire Decorative Objects
Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
1870s Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
1880s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Crystal, Ormolu
1810s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Gold, Bronze
20th Century European Empire Decorative Objects
Plaster
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
2010s Italian Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Griotte Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
1810s Russian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1870s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Iron
Late 19th Century German Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
1880s German Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1820s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1890s Russian Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Bronze, Ormolu
1810s French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Blown Glass
19th Century French Antique Empire Decorative Objects
Marble, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Empire Decorative Objects
Crystal, Bronze