Empire Lighting
EMPIRE STYLE
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.
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Style: Empire
Pair of Empire Style Gilt and Patinated Bronze Lamps
Located in London, GB
Pair of ormolu and patinated bronze Empire style table lamps
English, Late 19th Century
Lamps: height 56cm, diameter 20cm
Shades: height 24.5cm, diameter 35cm
Crafted during the late 19th century, these fine and delicate antique table...
Category
19th Century English Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Empire-Style, Antique, Carved Gilt Wood Chandelier with Six Arms.
Located in Houston, TX
Antique bois dore, carved gilt wood chandelier from France, circa 1890. Empire in the Neoclassical style. Masterfully hand-carved with a torch flame f...
Category
1890s French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Wood, Giltwood
French Empire Nickel Plated Brass Bouillotte Lamp, Early 19th Century
Located in San Francisco, CA
Empire period nickel and nickel plated brass oval shape Bouillotte two candle lamp, now electrified. Having a black painted tole adjustable shade and u...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass, Nickel
Classicist Basket Chandelier in antique Empire Style silver brass hand carved
Located in Berlin, DE
Finely chased and silvered bronze. Basket-shaped body made of hand-wired pearl strings in the course with leaf rosette and a final pince-nez pin. Connect...
Category
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass
19th Century Italian Empire Venetian Opaline Glass and Amber Crystal Chandelier
Located in Charleston, SC
This 19th century Italian Empire chandelier is beautifully decorated with Venetian Opaline glass. The four arms are made of brass. Amber crystals suspend from the bottom. This item h...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Brass
Mid-19th Century Tole Bouillotte Candlestick Lamp from France
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1860s French Bouillotte lamp featuring three candlesticks with brackets and a golden taupe tole shade accented by a decorative teal floral border. Bouillotte is a gambling card game ...
Category
1860s French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Metal
Empire Style Brass Mounted Leather Table Lamp
Located in Vista, CA
Empire Style brass-mounted Tooled Leather Table Lamp, 20th century columnar standard on pedestal with guilloche gilt borders, marbleized shade, and ...
Category
20th Century European Empire Lighting
Materials
Leather
French Early 19th Century Empire Crystal-Cut and Gilt-Bronze Basket Chandelier
Located in Berlin, DE
French Early 19th Century Empire Crystal-Cut and Gilt-Bronze Basket Chandelier
A finely proportioned Empire gilt bronze and crystal-cut nine light tent and bag Chandelier. With an a...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
Urn and Rams Head White & Gold Porcelain Table Lamp Empire Style, German, Large
Located in New York, NY
A gorgeous large white and gold porcelain table lamp in urn form with detailed ram's head design, in the Empire style, attributed to Furstenberg Porcelain, Germany, circa 20th centur...
Category
Early 20th Century German Empire Lighting
Materials
Gold
Antique Russian Chandelier
Located in Atlanta, GA
Exquisite and superbly detailed gilt bronze and crystal chandelier for candles, can be electrified.
Category
Late 18th Century Russian Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
A Very Fine Pair of Empire Parcel Gilt Bronze Three Light Candelabra / Lamps
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
A very handsome pair of Empire Period parcel gilt bronze 3 light candelabra of exceptional quality & fine proportions, having been converted to table lamps decades ago. Both showing ...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Russian or Swedish Empire Crystal, Turquoise Glass and Gilt Bronze Chandelier
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A rare late 18th century Russian or possible Prussian neo-classical chandelier, having twelve arms around a central gilded bronze corona pierced with round cut crystals; the corona s...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Crystal
Empire Bronze Crystal Chandelier, with Fire-Gilded Swans, 19th Century
Located in Berlin, DE
Extremely decorative, heavy and high quality Empire chandelier,
19th century.
No replica. Staffed with five magnificent, fire-gilded bronze swans.
This chandelier impresses with its uniqueness.
The swan is the symbol animal of the Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais...
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
Large Empire Style Gilt and Patinated Bronze Urn, Amphora Table Lamp
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
Large, heavy Empire style gilt and patinated bronze Amphora table lamp decorated with fine ornaments and garlands on a square base supported by four feet covered with leaves. Five-li...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Pair of French Empire Style Patinated and Gilt Bronze Victory Sconces
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A very large and dramatic pair of French Empire style wall sconces in finely chased patinated and gilded bronze. A large winged Victory...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Set of Four Empire Ormolu Three-Light Wall Sconces, Attributed to Ravrio
By André-Antoine Ravrio
Located in Kittery Point, ME
Each backplate topped with a mask of Athena surmounted by an owl and ending in a stylized bellflower and anthemion, issuing three leaf-wrapped scrolling arms. Electrified.
André-Antoine Ravrio (1759-1814) was a French sculptor in bronze and was made a master founder in 1777 setting up in business 1790. Although Ravrio enjoyed success during Louis XVI’s reign, he achieved far greater fame under Napoleon. He took part in the first Exposition de l’Industrie, Paris, 1803 and then won a silver medal there in 1806. The same year he supplied a number of bronze furnishings for the Empress Joséphine’s apartments in the Tuileries and in 1810 was appointed as the Emperor’s chief bronzier. In this capicity he supplied some of the finest Empire bronze pieces, girandoles, candelabras and lamps as well as ornate furniture...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Antique French Balustrade Lamps
Located in Sheffield, MA
Great looking pair of shaped column form on round base. Made of antique cast stone balustrade from French Chateau. Lamps comes with Belgium linen shades. Lamp sockets are two differ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Cast Stone
19th Century French Empire Patinated Brass and Zinc North Winds Chandelier
Located in Charleston, SC
A 19th century French Empire chandelier, circa 1840, made of patinated brass and zinc and featuring eight candle arms adorned with north winds faces and pine cone finial. The chandel...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass, Zinc
Antique Italian Empire Style Brass Rocaille Dragons on 6-Arm Crystal Chandelier
Located in Encinitas, CA
Elegant Empire style chandelier, opulent yet compact, featuring 6 crystal cups supported by delightful winged dragons on brass rocaille arms. Delicate, faceted glass beads, baubles a...
Category
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass
Impressive French Empire Chandelier, Firegilded Bronze with Alabaster 1830s
Located in Salzburg, AT
Impressive fire-gilded Empire chandelier with very fine imperial and classicist ornaments, which are
shade is made of alabaster,
The lamp body is framed by a surrounding leaf frieze,...
Category
1830s French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Alabaster, Bronze
Pair Columned Table Lamps Chrome Finish with Silk Black White Lampshades
Located in Brescia, IT
This pair of elegant columned table lamps, has the pyramid trunk lamp shades in black and white silk fabric.
EU wiring included.
USA/GB wiring ava...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Empire Lighting
Materials
Metal
Fine French Empire Style Cut-Crystal Tent and Bag Chandelier
Located in Berlin, DE
A fine gilt-bronze cut-crystal tent and bag chandelier with a corona in the form of a crown made of small facetted pearls above a fine bronze b...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Bronze
Seven-Light Crystal Three-Tier Chandelier
By Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja
Located in Houston, TX
Seven-light crystal three-tier chandelier, created circa 1860-1880 attributed to the Royal Factory of glass and crystal of La Granja (Real Fa´brica de Cristales de La Granja) in San Ildefonso, Sergovia, Spain. This cut-glass chandelier is newly electrified with four candelabra style lights and three newly added...
Category
19th Century Spanish Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Metal
Pair of Empire Style Giltwood Two-Light Sconces Attributed to E.F Caldwell
Located in New York, NY
A pair of Empire style giltwood two-light sconces, the backplate in the form of the harvest goddess Ceres, issuing two candle arms, the bottom half in the form of an anthemion, wired...
Category
1920s American Vintage Empire Lighting
Materials
Giltwood
Pair of 19th c. French Empire Style Electrified Candelabra
Located in New York, NY
Pair of nineteenth century French Empire style candelabra. Each gilt-trimmed bronze candelabrum features a central urn-top arm surrounde...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze, Gold Leaf
Large Swedish Ceiling Chandelier in Classicist Style
Located in Berlin, DE
Solid brass with an antique finish. Hangings from finely ground crystal.
Measures: Diameter 76 cm, height 114 cm.
Category
20th Century German Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass
French Empire Neoclassical Doré Bronze Twelve-Light Tassel Chandelier Fixture
Located in Roslyn, NY
This wonderful doré bronze twelve-light chandelier has a wonderful top with draped swag, etched detail throughout and cherubs accenting the top.
Measures: 24" W x 32" H.
Category
1940s French Vintage Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Antique Chandelier. Imposing giltwood and alabaster chandelier
Located in Atlanta, GA
Magnificent giltwood and alabaster Russian chandelier in the Empire style
Category
Early 20th Century Russian Empire Lighting
Materials
Alabaster
Fine Pair of Empire Patinated & Gilt Bronze Candelabre, Mounted as Lamps
Located in Sheffield, MA
A fine pair of empire patinated & gilt bronze
Candelabre, mounted as lamps
1st quarter of the 19th century
Each reeded stem above drum base relief-cast with four putti on leaf-b...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
20th Century, Empire Style Silvered Ceiling Candelabra
Located in Berlin, DE
Bronze, silvered. Finely engraved. Bell shaped, traffic-light styled corpus.
(F-Ra-25).
Category
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Empire Style Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
A late 19th century French Empire-style chandelier with gilt and painted finish.
Measurements:
Diameter: 18"
Height: 26.5".
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Tall French Empire Bronze Doré Six-Arm Candelabra as Lamps
Located in Dallas, TX
A large pair of French Empire period chased, gilded bronze six-arm candelabra converted into table lamps. The bases rise from triangular plinths supporting three winged sphinxes with...
Category
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Ormolu, Bronze
Pair of French Empire Green Marble Barbedienne Table Lamps
Located in New York, NY
Pair of French Empire style (19th Century) green marble column candlestick lamps with bronze dore trimmed capital and square base (signed F. BARBEDIENNE) (PRICED AS Pair).
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Marble, Bronze
20th Century Seven Lights Italian Solid Silver Candelabra Empire revival
By Arno Fassi
Located in VALENZA, IT
Magnificent Empire style candelabra in solid 800 silver
The base is square with lion paw-shaped feet.
Two frames with the typical palmettes of the Empire style frame a second smaller square decorated with 4 central flowers. The stem of the candelabra is a statue of a woman (goddess) with her hair gathered and holding a cornucopia in one hand ending with the main candle holder.
The candelabra has 7 lights.
The arms of the candelabra, made with the casting technique, have candle holders and wax collectors also made with the casting technique and finely chiseled.
The central candle holder stands out for its height which surpasses all the other candle holders, making the candelabra slim and balanced in shape and proportions.
A classic example of high quality Italian silverware suitable to be placed in elegant and prestigious homes.
Made in Milan - Italy by Fassi silverware
Silver 800°°/°°° Candelabra Empire...
Category
20th Century Italian Empire Lighting
Materials
Silver
Timothy Outlton, Empire Style, Wall Sconces, Steel, Crystal, 1990s
Located in Stamford, CT
A pair of Niermann Weeks style three light crystal and metal wall lights by Timothy Oulton. Each in the Empire style with aged metal and crystal design. Part of a large collection of...
Category
Late 20th Century Empire Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Metal
French Empire Bronze and Crystal Bowl Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
French Empire-style (late 19th Century) gilt bronze chandelier with a cut crystal bowl supporting a ring of 8 scroll arms suspended by 3 chains to a canopy with a flame final bottom.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Ormolu
Antique Gilt Bronze and Opaline Glass Chandelier
Located in London, GB
This beautiful, tall chandelier is ideal for a grand entrance hall or room where it can be seen and admired. It is an exceptional piece of Empire style design, perfectly combining gl...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Ormolu
Pair of Empire Period 5 light Figural Bronze Candelabra
Located in Montreal, QC
Pair of patinated and gilt bronze candelabra, one depicting winged Diana, her upstretched arm holding a crown supporting a four arm gilt candelabra, the other modelled as winged A...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
French Tole Jardiniere Lamp
Located in New York, NY
French tole jardiniere lamp. Empire gilt painted brown tole jardiniere with paw feet on raised green faux marble platform, now converted to a l...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Tôle
19th Century French Bronze and Black Painted Column Lamps with Star Design
Located in Southampton, NY
Pair of Napoleon III 19th century french bronze and black painted column lamps
having on top of the column design of ball in black with brass column and
base of brass stars on bl...
Category
19th Century European Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Vintage Bronze French Empire Three-Arm Eagle Chandelier Light Fixture
Located in Toledo, OH
Gorgeous French Empire bronze chandelier with Eagle. Eagle with outspread wings sits atop three vines. Bronze shades holders have raised flowers. Each arm holds a flower form shade...
Category
Early 20th Century French Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Antique French Empire Period Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Candelabra
Located in London, GB
These fine and large French candelabra date from the Empire period of the 19th century and beautifully contrast the different finishes of gilt ...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
French Candelabra in Empire Style silver
Located in Berlin, DE
Bronze, finely engraved, silvered. On three claw-feet, several times
structured, fluted column-shaft.
Measures:
Height: 73.5 cm,
diameter 25 cm.
Category
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass
Glass and Black Metal Imperial Chandelier with Bronze Eagle Finial, 1930s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1930s imperial style chandelier with clear glass rod and black metal arms and bronze eagle finial with six wax candle-like lights.
Category
1930s American Vintage Empire Lighting
Materials
Metal
French Empire Style Bronze Dore Eagle Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
French Empire-style (19th Century) bronze dore chandelier having 6 arms with eagle heads emanating from a 6 sided tapered center post with a bottom acorn finial.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Ormolu
French Empire Bronze Chandelier with Ebonized Bowl
Located in New York, NY
French Empire (19th Century) chandelier with a bronze ebonized patina bowl with gilt trim and 12 scroll uplight arms trimmed with a finial bottom and supported with 3 chains connecte...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze, Gold Leaf
Classicist Basket Chandelier silver in antique Empire Style brass hand crafted
Located in Berlin, DE
Finely chased and silver-plated bronze. Basket-shaped body made of hand-wired pearl cords with a leaf rosette and a pine knob at the end, connected by a w...
Category
20th Century French Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass
Pierced Tole Italian Chandelier Decorated in Crystal and Glass Prisms
Located in Houston, TX
Pierced tole Italian chandelier decorated in crystal and glass prisms, Dates to late 19th century. Chandelier fabricated from iron and tole and d...
Category
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Iron, Tin
19th Century Empire Chandelier
Located in Copenhagen, K
Beautiful large Empire chandelier with original candleholders, restored and cleaned.
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass
Pair of Italian Empire Style Brass Scones or Wall Lights 1970
Located in Rome, IT
with Three stylized, full horn-formed, finely chiselled light arms centered by a lion mask.
Perfect condition , three E14 light bulbs.
Category
20th Century Italian Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass
19th Century French Empire Style Gilt Bronze Chandelier
Located in London, GB
This beautiful antique French chandelier dates from the 19th Century and could be attributed to the master bronzier Ferdinand Barbedienne. It is cast entirely in gilt bronze, and fea...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Ormolu
Antique Chandelier. Empire style chandelier
Located in Atlanta, GA
Exquisite and rare Empire style chandelier with elaborate gilt bronze frame and crystal pyramids and pendalogues. France, circa 1900.
Dimensions: Height 58" Diameter 34"
Category
Early 20th Century French Empire Lighting
Materials
Crystal, Ormolu
Pair of 19th Century French Empire Bronze Dore Sconces with Exceptional Casting
Located in Charleston, SC
A large pair of exceptionally well cast 19th century French Empire bronze doré sconces, circa 1810, featuring quiver base with three candle arms, finely detailed eagle heads, foliate...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Contemporary Chandelier with Empire Influence
Located in WEST PALM BEACH, FL
This elegant contemporary brushed brass two-tier Empire style chandelier has two central glass simulated alabaster bowls with reeded candle arms emanating from a brass band terminating in smaller fluted...
Category
Late 20th Century American Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass
Hanging Lantern
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...
Category
19th Century American Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass
19th Century, French Brass Desk Lamp in Empire Style
Located in Sofia, BG
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19th century electrified brass desk lamp in Empire style with...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Brass
Fine Antique French Empire Neoclassical Gilt and Patina Bronze Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
A fine antique French empire neoclassical multi light gilt bronze and patinated bronze chandelier of great detail.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Bronze
Lamp Table 19th Century Gilt bronze Metal Shade Neoclassical France
Located in New York, NY
Lamp 19th Century Gilt bronze Metal Shade Neoclassical France . A French Bouillotte lamp made in gilt bronze and a painted metal shade. 3 electrified candle arms.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Lighting
Materials
Ormolu
Empire lighting for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire lighting 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 lighting created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire lighting 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 lighting, popular names associated with this style include Gherardo Degli Albizzi, Edward F. Caldwell & Co., Alexandre Vossion, 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 lighting differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $194 and tops out at $220,000 while the average work can sell for $4,434.
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