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.
An Antique French Empire Style Gilt Brass And Patinated Bronze Lantern
Located in London, GB
A large Empire style lantern in patinated bronze with gilt brass accents. Four curved glass panels, decorative scrolled inner branch arms. Gilt br...
Brass, Bronze
Pair French Empire Caryatids Gilded Bronze Cut Glass 4-Light Lantern Chandelier
Located in Coimbra, PT
Beautiful pair of antique large French Empire caryatids cast bronze lanterns. Fire gilded solid heavy bronze and cut glass shade with four-light. Dimensions : Diameter 12 in/ 30 cm ...
Bronze
Small and Lovely Napoleon / Empire Style Bronze Chandelier / Pendant Light
Located in Lisse, NL
Rare size chandelier from the 1920s. If you look at the shape of the centre and the shape of the arms that grow out of this pendant then you capture the essence of it. It is stylish...
Bronze
Custom Made Brass Lantern Chandelier Circular Glass Pendant Light 6 Light Fixtur
Located in Berlin, DE
This exceptional lantern is our own original creation, handcrafted in our workshop with the highest level of precision and attention to detail. Every element is carefully made by han...
Brass
Vintage French Empire Style Bronze Lantern, Spain, Circa 1970s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Large bronze French Empire style lantern.
Bronze
$5,300 / item
French Ivory Lantern
Located in Westwood, NJ
French Ivory lantern, based on a French design, the delicate hand-painted decoration on the slatted glass adds texture. The motif on the coronet is reflec...
Metal
Fine Antique French Empire Neoclassical Gilt and Patina Bronze Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
A fine antique French Empire neoclassical gilt and patina bronze chandelier. The chandelier is suspended from a circular corona decorated with a continuous band of gilt laurel leaves...
Bronze
$15,840Sale Price|20% Off
Antique French Empire Style Neoclassical Gilt and Patina Bronze Eagle Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
An Antique French Empire Style Neoclassical Gilt and Patina Bronze Multi-light Chandelier. The chandelier features a circular patinated bronze body of wide, tapering form, suspended by four elaborate reticulated gilt...
Bronze
Pair of Austria Blown Glass & Bronze Hanging Bell Jar Hall Lanterns R. Wien 1850
By Wien
Located in Charleston, SC
Rare pair of Austria blown glass and bronze hanging bell jar hall lanterns, Signed R. Ditmar Wien, Austria. Mid 19th Century
Bronze
Venetian Glass Lantern Hand Blown
By Balboa
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A striking 1970s Italian Murano glass pendant featuring a richly textured amber glass shade enclosed in a sculptural brass frame. The organic, handblown form displays a mesmerizing p...
Metal
French Hexagonal Empire Gilt Bronze & Etched Glass 3-Light Lantern or Chandelier
Located in Coimbra, PT
Antique French Empire cast bronze lantern. Gilt bronze and etched glass shade with 3-light. Measures: Diameter 12 in/ 30 cm Height 20.5 in (10 in, chain)/ 75 cm (25 cm, chain) Weight...
Bronze
Wonderful French Neoclassical Large Empire Bronze Crystal Glass Bell Jar Lantern
Located in Roslyn, NY
A wonderful French neoclassical large Empire bronze and crystal adorning glass bell jar lantern fixture with 6 candelabra lights.
Crystal, Bronze
$15,000
Hanging Lantern
By Boston and Sandwich Glass Company
Located in New York, NY
American (glass attributed to Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, Sandwich, Massachusetts), circa 1830-1840. Glass, blown, partially frosted, and wheel cut, with cast and die-rolled brass, patinated. This hanging lamp is typical of the production of such lanterns by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company of Sandwich, Massachusetts, during the 1830s, and perhaps as late as the early 1840s. The present example is an unusually elaborate specimen with its overall frosting and cutting. In their The Glass Industry in Sandwich, II (1989), Raymond E. Barlow and Joan E. Kaiser quote Boston & Sandwich Glass Company manager Deming Jarves on the fabrication of lamps of this general type (p. 225 no. 2398). These hanging lanterns could be supplied with a candle or with a peg lamp...
Brass
French Empire Neoclassical Gilt Bronze and Steel Figural Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
A French Empire neoclassical gilt bronze and steel figural chandelier of refined execution. The chandelier features a circular steel dish-shaped body richly mounted with gilt bronze ...
Bronze, Steel
Elegant Louis XVI Gilded Bronze Lantern with Hand-Cut Glass Panels, France
Located in Coimbra, PT
This exquisite Louis XVI-style lantern is a remarkable example of early 20th-century French craftsmanship. Executed in finely gilded bronze, the piece features intricate neoclassical...
Bronze
$976Sale Price|20% Off
19thc French Empire Green Art Glass Lantern Intricately Patterned
Located in Opa Locka, FL
19thc French Empire Intricately Patterned Green Art Glass Lantern with Bronze Element. Lovely antique lantern which will arrive newly electrified and with 15 inches of chain and ceil...
Art Glass
Pair of Large and Important Antique French Empire Gilt Bronze Chandeliers
Located in New York, NY
A pair of large and important antique French Empire gilt bronze chandeliers, each of circular form with a white enamel central dish and multiple ormolu-mounted branches. The dishes a...
Bronze
Empire Dore Lantern Chandelier, Frosted Etched Glass, 19th Century, Solid Bronze
Located in Manhasset, NY
Empire Dore Lantern Chandelier, Frosted Etched Glass, 19th Century, Solid Bronze Pendant A finely cast dore bronze lantern pendant having etched frosted g...
Bronze
$18,750 / item
Empire Style Lantern Form Chandelier
Located in Atlanta, GA
A superb Louis WVI style lantern. Two toned patinated bronze, with curved glass panels. 3-light, France, circa 1900. Apparently unmarked. Measures: Height 42", diameter 19". Pair ...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
Empire Gilt Bronze and Cut Crystal Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
A Superb Antique Empire Gilt Bronze and Cut Crystal Multi Light Chandelier of Exquisite Detail Embellished with Cut Crystal Prisms and Chains, Circa 1810. The chandelier features an...
Crystal, Bronze
French Pendant Light or Lantern in Rattan, 1950s
Located in Barcelona, ES
French Modernist Rattan Pagoda Pendant Lamp or Lantern. France, 1950s. This eye-catching rattan chandelier features a pagoda shape rattan hanging lamp with oriental inspired design. The lampshade is made of an intricate of rattan canes and it hangs from a chain made of round rattan links. Topped by a wooden canopy. It has been carefully restored and newly wired with beige twisted cotton cloth electrical wire and an E27 bulb holder. It will be a nice addition hanging over a kitchen's table or dining area. Perfect for a beach house, countryside house or urban appartment. Overall Measurements (including the chain and the canopy): 84 cm H x 37 cm diameter Body of the lamp: 28 cm H x 37 cm diameter This ceiling lamp is from the period described. It has been carefully restored with traditional methods to preserve its original patina. Rattan Pendant Lamp // Coastal Pendant // Rattan Suspension Light...
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan
French Art Deco Bronze and Clear Glass Four-Light Lantern, 1930s
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
A Art Deco bronze and clear glass cylindrical lantern with a central four-light candelabra cluster, France, 1930-1939. This lantern is in very good condition, no damages, rewired. Fo...
Bronze
$2,427
H 35 in Dm 8.6 in
Beautiful English Arts & Crafts Brass and Opaline Glass Lantern / Pendant Light
Located in Lisse, NL
Antique Arts & Crafts Brass & Opaline Glass Pendant Lantern, c.1890. his impressive and finely handcrafted lantern is a rare surviving example of late 19th-century Arts & Crafts des...
Brass
Wonderful French Bronze Crystal Neoclassical Empire Ormolu Lantern Chandelier
By Baccarat
Located in Roslyn, NY
A wonderful French bronze and diamond cut crystal neoclassical or Empire ormolu-mounted Lantern chandelier with three candelabra lights. In the manner of Baccarat. Measures: 21" H x...
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-Century Modern Glass and Brass Pendant Light Lantern
Located in Antwerp, BE
Wonderful design and cool looking midcentury ceiling lamp. The total height including chain and ceiling plate is:26" - 66 cm.
Brass
Large French Bronze Lantern
Located in Washington, DC
A six sided large French Bronze Lantern. French.
Bronze
$4,582
H 28 in Dm 11.5 in
Unique French Gilt Bronze Crystal Three-Light Lantern or Chandelier, 1910-1920
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Unique, Wonderful Art Deco gilt bronze and crystal chandelier or lantern with a three-light central candelabra cluster, France, 1910-1920. Crown-shaped, richly decorated frame made o...
Crystal, Bronze
Early Nineteenth Century Style Patinated Brass Lantern
Located in London, GB
An early nineteenth century style hall lantern, mid-twentieth century, richly patinated brass frame with twin-light chandelier, re-wired and PAT tested to UK specifications.
Brass
Antique French Solid Bronze Lantern 19th Century
Located in BENSENVILLE, IL
Antique French, solid Bronze Lantern, newly rewired for the American market, but without glass.
Bronze
French Maison Baguès Bronze and Crystal Pagoda Lantern
Located in Houston, TX
French Maison Baguès bronze and crystal pagoda lantern. Stunning French Maison Bagues designed Chinoiserie style bronze and crystal chandelier or lantern in the shape of a pagoda Ou...
Crystal, Bronze
$5,801
H 28 in Dm 16 in
Rarest Arts & Crafts Beveled Glass & Brass Pendant Light Lantern w. Unique Chain
Located in Lisse, NL
Handcrafted, beveled glass holding lantern with the original and unique triangle elements chain. If you are looking for the best and the rarest when it comes to European Arts and Cr...
Brass, Wire
$2,308
H 40 in Dm 8.8 in
Magnificent Dutch Arts & Crafts Brass & Round Glass Hall Lantern / Pendant Light
Located in Lisse, NL
Perfect size Antique, Arts and Crafts hallway pendant with 12 curved art glass panels. If you are looking for a stylish and quality crafted antique lantern to grace your entry hall,...
Brass
Gaetano Sciolari Pair of Solid Brass and Glass Lanterns or Pendant Lamp
Located in Verviers, BE
Pair of Beautiful solid brass lantern or pendant lamp made by Italian designer Gaetano Sciolari, circa 1960-1970, Rome, Italy. The fabulous of vintage light takes four E14 European s...
Brass
1930's French Empire Style Lantern
Located in New York, NY
A circa 1930's French gilt bronze Empire style indoor lantern with glass panels inset.
Bronze
Bohemia Crystal Beaded Chandelier, 1910-1920
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
A lovely small Bohemia crystal and brass tent and bag pendant, brought abroad from Czechoslovakia in the early 1900s. This is a wonderful chandelier with beautiful light effect and i...
Crystal, Brass
Wonderful Neoclassical Empire Glass Bell Jar Lantern Fixture Eagle Bronze Heads
Located in Roslyn, NY
A Wonderful Neoclassical, Empire Style Glass & Bronze Bell Jar Lantern Fixture With 3 Eagle Heads, Fitted With 3 Candelabra Lights On The Inside, Rewired And Accompanied By Chain And...
Brass, Bronze
Sold
H 37.41 in Dm 13.78 in
French Empire Gilt and Patinated Bronze and Cut Glass 3-Light Lantern Chandelier
Located in Coimbra, PT
Beautiful antique large French Empire cast bronze lantern. Gilded solid heavy bronze and cut glass shade with 3-light bulbs. Dimensions: Diameter 13.8 in / 35 cm Height 37.41 in (...
Metal, Bronze
Sold
H 33.47 in Dm 22.05 in
Italian Florentine Hall Glass Chandelier by Banci Gilt and Green Wrought Iron
Located in Milano, MI
Italian Banci Firenze wrought iron verdigris painted lantern with glass bowl 1980s. Elegant three-light vintage bell jar lantern with a verdigris scav...
Bronze, Iron
19th Century French Empire Gilt Bronze Beaded Crystal Chandelier
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
A wonderful Empire style bronze parcel brass crystal beaded chandelier, France mid-19th century. Beads, drops, and bottom ball are of genuine crystal, solid bronze and brass richly e...
Crystal, Bronze
Sold
H 32 in Dm 12 in
French Empire Caryatids Gilded Bronze Cut Glass 4-Light Lantern Chandelier, Pair
Located in Coimbra, PT
Beautiful pair of antique large French Empire caryatids cast bronze lanterns. Fire gilded solid heavy bronze and cut glass shade with four-light. Measures: Diameter 12 in/ 30 cm H...
Bronze
Large Gilt Bronze Hall Lantern, 19th Century
Located in Brussels, BE
Large gilt bronze hall lantern, 19th century.
Bronze
Wonderful French Empire Neoclassical Bronze Bent Glass Petite Lantern Fixture
Located in Roslyn, NY
A wonderful French Empire neoclassical ormolu bronze and bent glass 3 candelabra light lantern fixture completely rewired with new sockets.
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Empire Bronze Cut Crystal Oil Lamp Converted to Electric
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Empire style oil lamp converted to electric with cut crystal oil reservoir encircled by gilt bronze trefoil satyrs raised on a rose marble trefoil plinth. Original etched glass globe...
Crystal, Bronze
Bohemian Crystal Bell Jar Lantern or Pendant Light
Located in Barcelona, ES
Empire Bohemian crystal and bronze bell jar pendant hanging light or chandelier. Czech Republic, 1920s-1930s This elegant hanging light or pendant has a bell in Classic form and featuring bronze leafed scrolled ending hooks. The crystal bell...
Crystal, Bronze