Napoleon III Centerpieces
NAPOLEON III STYLE
Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.
Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”
Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.
Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)
Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Item type: Antique and Vintage
Style: Napoleon III
Impressive Doré Ormolu Ornamental Centerpiece or Jardinière of Campana Shape
Located in Antwerp, BE
An impressive ormolu ornamental vase centerpiece of campana shape, the bronze vessel resting on a moulded concave agate stone pediment with byzantine cross shaped base.
The gilt concave foot of the vase shows ram’s heads intertwined with scrolls hung with fruity festoons under a ribboned bundle frieze.
The concave stem supports an egg and dart shaped bottom carrying a large frieze representing brown patinated swans grooming themselves between water reeds...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Agate, Ormolu, Bronze
Silver Centrepiece (3.8kg), Fountain, Signed, 19th Century, Napoleon III Period.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Silver centrepiece (3.8kg), Fountain, Signed, 19th century, Napoleon III period.
Silver centrepiece forming a fountain, pump system under the bowl that allows the fountain to work (...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Silver
French 19th c. Napoleon III Period Ormolu, Patinated Bronze, & Tole Centerpiece
By Henri Picard
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An elegant and large scale French 19th century Napoleon III Period Ormolu, patinated Bronze, and tole centerpiece, signed by Henri Picard. This beautiful jardiniere centerpiece is ra...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Metal, Bronze, Ormolu
A Massive Napoleon III French Silvered Bronze Mirrored Surtout De Table Plateau
Located in New York, NY
A Massive Napoleon III French Silvered Bronze Mirrored Surtout De Table Plateau, circa 1870
Immerse yourself in the intricate world of cherub...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze
Unique French Table Top, Fire-Gilded Bronze Around 1860
Located in Berlin, DE
Unique French table top, fire-gilded bronze around 1860.
Fire-gilded bronze, base with two puttos holding the antique hand-cut round glass bowl. Ex...
Category
1860s French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze
A Pair of Unique Ferdinand Barbedienne Ormolu and Champleve Enamel Jardinieres
Located in New York, NY
A Pair of extremely unique Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Figural ormolu bronze and champleve enamel neoclassical jardiniers /centerpieces of exquisite craftsmanship signed by Ferdin...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze, Enamel
Mathurin Moreau, A Monumental French Bronze and Crystal Figural Centerpiece
Located in New York, NY
Mathurin Moreau (French, 1822-1912)
A Monumental French Bronze and Crystal Figural Centerpiece
Introducing an extraordinary and monumental Fre...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
French Hand Painted Faience Jardiniere or Cachepot
Located in Houston, TX
French hand painted faience jardiniere or cachepot.
This beautiful hand decorated French faience planter, jardiniere or cachepot is the pe...
Category
1920s French Vintage Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Faience, Pottery
Late 19th Century Napoleon III Bronze Tazza Dish
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
Elegant Napoleon III French bronze tazza dish, with fine engraving in geometric shapes. Nice old patina.
Very decorative object. In good condition.
Category
1860s French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze
1880s Victorian Bronze Tazza Centerpiece Fruit Bowl Cherub Sea Creature Napoleon
Located in Hyattsville, MD
An unpolished patinated French 19th century cast bronze Tazza bowl supported by three seated cherubs in fine details, on a tripod of sea creatures; fish and turtles. Very heavy. Proc...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Patinated Bronze Centerpieces , Red Campan Griotte Marble Base, 19th
Located in CRÉTEIL, FR
Magnificent pair of bronze centerpieces or pockets on a red campan marble base.
Sculpted glass cups with thistle motif.
Symbolic representation of the nude, drunkenness and dance ...
Category
19th Century Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze
Large French 19th Century Patinated Bronze Centerpiece Urn on Marble Base
Located in Vero Beach, FL
French Large 19th Century Patinated Bronze centerpiece Urn on Marble Base.
Stunning French 19th century Napoleon III period bronze urn raised on a black marble base. The centerpiece urn has a molded rim on the top. Front and back are decorated with a central classical mask...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Pair of Napoleon III Scrolling Foliate Ormolu Surtouts de Table
Located in London, GB
Pair of Napoleon III scrolling foliate ormolu surtouts de table
French, c.1870
Measures: Height 14cm, diameter 66cm
These beautiful pieces are a pa...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Ormolu
Exquisite Napoleon III French Ormolu Figural Basket Centerpiece, Circa 1880
Located in New York, NY
An exquisite Napoleon III French ormolu figural basket centerpiece, Circa 1880, Attributed to Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley.
Depicting four mercury-gilded bronze ormolu cherubs holding a basket, the base with trophies and scrolling.
This monumental centerpiece...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Ormolu
Antique Napoleon III Period Bronze
Located in Dallas, TX
One of a kind Antique Napoleon III Period Bronze ewer. Kept in sparkling condition. Perfect for hallway Decor.
Category
18th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze
19th Century, Italian Polychrome Paper Painted Centerpiece
Located in IT
This centerpiece, or surtout de table, was made in the Tuscany, Italy, in neoclassical era at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
The top, under glass, has a fine painting on p...
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Paper
Large Antique French Pink Opaline Glass Epergne Centerpiece
Located in Rostock, MV
The size and the very good condition despite its age make this centerpiece of art an elegant addition to any collection. It shows the beauty of French opal...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Enamel
Pair of French 19th Century Dore and Patinated Bronze Handled Tazzas w/ Putti
Located in New York, NY
A fantastic pair of French 19th century Napoleon III period patinated and dore bronze tazzas/centerpieces. Each circular tazza top is beautifully patinated and further decorated with...
Category
1880s French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze
Cut-Crystal Centerpiece Attributed to Baccarat, France, Circa 1870
By Baccarat
Located in PARIS, FR
Elegant centerpiece attributed to Baccarat, composed of an oval cut-crystal cup and two circular cut-crystal cups decorated with stylized palmettes on a grid background, resting on a...
Category
1870s French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century Napoleon III Empire Gilt Bronze Putti and Marble Centerpiece
Located in Berlin, DE
Late 19th Century French Empire gilt bronze putti and marble centerpiece
The centerpiece stands on a triangular, fluted base with arched feet; on th...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Marble, Bronze
French Bisque Porcelain Centerpiece
Located in Essex, MA
Featuring two nude woman with a figure of Pan.
Category
19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Porcelain
19th Century Gilt Bronze Centrepiece
By Napoléon III
Located in London, GB
A gilt bronze centrepiece, with two crisply cut bowls on fruiting vine centre supported by two putti on oval base.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze
Fine Quality Match Pair of Napoleon III Silvered and Gilt Bronze Figural Tazza
Located in New York, NY
Supported by three seated cherubs in fine details on a fish figure and supported by three turtles.
Date: 19th century
Origin: French
Dimension: 13 1/2 in x 11 3/4 in.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Important Cup in Gilt Bronze and Cut Crystal
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Important cup in gilt bronze and cut crystal, Napoleon III period, 19th century.
Measures: H 25 cm, W 34 cm, D 24 cm.
Category
19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century Crystal and Gilt Bronze Centrepiece
Located in Paris, FR
Red and transparent crystal centerpiece composed of a flared vase and cup. They are engraved with leafy rinceau, grape vines, and scrolling foliage. Gilt bronze mounts are decorated ...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19 Century Ormolu and Glass Centerpiece
Located in London, GB
A wonderful ruby red glass and ormolu gilt centrepiece, the bottom part modelled on the fountain at the old Chateau de Marly, of four bronze horses rising up through the waves.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Bronze
Orange Opaline vase with Cherub Decor - Napoleon III 19th - France
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Charming vase on foot in opaline glass, painted and gilded.
A medallion is drawn in which is represented a cherub wearing a sheet. The pattern is very fine and delicate.
For an elega...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Opaline Glass
Napoléon III Champlevé Enamel Centrepiece after Maison Giroux, circa 1870
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Napoléon III gilt bronze and Champlevé enamel centrepiece, in the manner of Maison Alphonse Giroux.
French, circa 1870.
This exquisite centrepiece has a frosted glass trumpe...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Enamel, Bronze
1870s St. Clement French Faience Majolica Pair of White Pink Flower Vases
Located in New York, NY
A charming pair of handcrafted flower vases, late 19th century fine French majolica, characterized by an unusual conical shape with waist, hand enameled with a gold band, decorated w...
Category
1870s French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Majolica
Pair of Magnificant Large French 19th Century Original Painted Tole Flowers
Located in Southampton, NY
Pair of French 19th century painted tole flowers in gilt painted wooden urns.
The centers of the tole flowers shows there were small lights at on...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Tôle
Three-Piece German Silver & etched crystal garniture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A 19th century German parcel gilt silver and crystal 3-piece garniture set comprising a centerpiece and pair of compotes, each cast with four putti and supporting etched crystal bowl...
Category
Late 19th Century German Antique Napoleon III Centerpieces
Materials
Gold Plate, Silver
Napoleon Iii centerpieces for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III centerpieces for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Early 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage centerpieces created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, decorative objects, building and garden elements and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III centerpieces made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Germany pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original centerpieces, popular names associated with this style include Ferdinand Barbedienne, Mathurin Moreau, and Saint Clément. 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 centerpieces differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $444 and tops out at $100,000 while the average work can sell for $4,500.
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