Empire Urns
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.
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century European Empire Urns
Crystal
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Urns
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Gold, Bronze
Mid-20th Century German Empire Urns
Enamel, Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century Unknown Empire Urns
Brass
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Urns
Metal, Bronze
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
1870s French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Urns
Metal, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Bronze
Mid-20th Century European Empire Urns
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Urns
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Marble, Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Onyx, Bronze
Mid-20th Century European Empire Urns
Crystal
Early 20th Century French Empire Urns
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Urns
Berlin Iron, Iron
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Urns
Griotte Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century French Empire Urns
Marble, Bronze
1890s Antique Empire Urns
Marble
1810s French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
1820s French Antique Empire Urns
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
1810s French Antique Empire Urns
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Empire Urns
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Empire Urns
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Urns
Metal
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Urns
Metal
1890s Antique Empire Urns
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Urns
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Empire Urns
Opaline Glass
1870s French Antique Empire Urns
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1870s French Antique Empire Urns
Siena Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Paint, Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Porphyry, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Urns
Carrara Marble, Bronze
1830s French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
20th Century French Empire Urns
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique Empire Urns
Porcelain
1810s French Antique Empire Urns
Bronze