Napoleon III Wall Lights and Sconces

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.

Style: Napoleon III

Period: 21st Century and Contemporary

Napoleon III Style Gilt Bronze Sconce By Gherardo Degli Albizzi

By Gherardo Degli Albizzi

Located in Florence, Tuscany

In this Napoleon III Style Gilt Bronze Sconce By Gherardo Degli Albizzi You can appreciate both hunting and vegetal motifs in the form of a boar and oak leaves that create a sinuous ...

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2010s Italian Napoleon III Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III Style Gilt Bronze Sconce By Gherardo Degli Albizzi

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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Ormolu

Napoleon III Gilt-Bronze Nine-Light Candelabra, Emblematic of Hunting

H 36.23 in Dm 19.69 in

19th Century Napoleon III Period Bronze Candle Sconce with Female Face

Located in Fayetteville, AR

This Napoleon III period bronze sconce features a beautifully detailed face with the features of a realistic countenance. Its three candleholders include their original removable bronze bobeches to protect from dripping wax...

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1860s French Antique Napoleon III Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Napoleon III Period Bronze Candle Sconce with Female Face

H 11 in W 11.5 in D 5 in

Set of Four Louis XVI Style Jasperware and Gilt Bronze Wall Sconces

By Henri Vian, Maison Beurdeley

Located in London, GB

These exquisite wall lights were created in the late 19th century by the famous bronzier, Henri Vian (French, 1860-1905). These wall lights are stamped ‘HV 955’ for Henri Vian, along with ‘BY’ for the prestigious Beurdeley furniture-making workshop (French, founded 1818). Vian purchased several bronze models that were created by Beurdeley when the company closed in 1895. These lights were most likely cast from a Beurdeley model. Typical of both Beurdeley’s and Vian’s work, these lights are designed in an 18th century Louis XVI (Neoclassical) style. The wall lights feature gilt bronze (ormolu) backplates which are designed to look like ribbons, tied in bows and ending in tassels. These ribbons support gilt bronze oval frames...

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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Set of Four Louis XVI Style Jasperware and Gilt Bronze Wall Sconces

H 25.99 in W 11.82 in D 6.7 in

19th Century Napoleon III Pair of Candelabra, Gilt Bronze, Cloisonné Enamel

Located in PALERMO, IT

Elegant pair of finely chiseled and gilded bronze candelabra with cloisonné enamels. Cloisonné, also called Byzantium luster, is an artistic enamel decoration technique.

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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Bronze, Enamel

19th Century Napoleon III Pair of Candelabra, Gilt Bronze, Cloisonné Enamel

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H 26 in W 15.3 in D 21 in

Important Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Porcelain Clock Garniture, circa 1870

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

An important Napoléon III gilt bronze and turquoise porcelain clock garniture. French, circa 1870. This very fine clock garniture comprises of a clock and a pair of vase form candelabra. The finely cast and chiselled gilt bronze case has a jewelled turquoise porcelain face with Roman Numerals above a plaque depicting children in a wooded landscape, flanked by expressive male and female cherub figures, cast in the round, beneath a scrolled pediment with torches en flambeau and surmounted by a turquoise vase and cover. The pair of candelabra en-suite are in the form of turquoise porcelain vases...

Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Wall Lights and Sconces

Materials

Bronze

Important Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Porcelain Clock Garniture, circa 1870

H 22.45 in W 15.36 in D 6.7 in

Napoleon Iii wall lights and sconces for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III wall lights and sconces for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage wall lights and sconces created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, 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 wall lights and sconces made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original wall lights and sconces, popular names associated with this style include Baccarat, Edward F. Caldwell & Co., Gherardo Degli Albizzi, and Maison Baguès. 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 wall lights and sconces differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $650 and tops out at $34,687 while the average work can sell for $3,213.