Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
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 German Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1930s Italian Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
1930s Italian Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
20th Century Russian Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1920s Italian Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Ormolu
Late 20th Century European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Early 20th Century British Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze, Brass, Metal
1920s French Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Ormolu, Bronze
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
19th Century European Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
1950s French Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Gold, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Bronze
1920s Czech Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
1890s English Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
1880s French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1890s French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Bronze
18th Century Italian Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1930s French Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Metal, Brass
2010s Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
1910s American Vintage Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Early 1800s Austrian Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
2010s German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
1850s French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Rock Crystal, Crystal, Brass, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Wire
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1850s French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Bronze
1810s Russian Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
1830s French Antique Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Bronze