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Napoleon III Lighting

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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Style: Napoleon III
French Napoleon III Imari Porcelain and Bronze Dore Chandelier
Located in Queens, NY
French Napoleon III (19th Century) chandelier with red, white and blue Imari porcelain bowl and top section with bronze dore 8 foliate form arms suspended on a stylized filigree chai...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Ormolu

19th Century French Blue Opaline Glass Oil Lantern, Lamp
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century French blue opaline glass oil lantern, lamp was the decorative way to light up your home before the advent of electric lighting! This French antique oil lantern...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Opaline Glass

c1880 French Napoleon III Crystal&Gilt Bronze Ceiling Fixture / Chandelier
Located in Opa Locka, FL
c1880 French Napoleon III Gilt Bronze / Cut Crystal Chandelier/ Pendant Ceiling Fixture. The quality of this piece is amazing! The crystal is very, very thick and heavy. Attributed t...
Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

19thc French Antique Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Chandelier Florals & Scrolls
Located in Opa Locka, FL
Lovely 19thc French Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Chandelier. Gilt bronze scrolls and floral detail. Nice exta special fixture.
Category

1890s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

19thc French Napoleon III Amber/ Amethyst Crystal Fruit Table/ Accent Lamp
Located in Opa Locka, FL
19thc French Antique Napoleon III Amber and Amethyst Crystal Fruit Table/ Accent Lamp/ Girandole. Fleurettes and pendant crystals.
Category

1890s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal

Pair of Napoleon III Lamps
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Napoleon III lamps. Pair of engine turned period brass lamps previously converted from oil to electric on black bases; newly rewired with blac...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Brass

19thc French Napoleon III Suspended Lantern Dore Bronze/ Crystal Signed Baccarat
Located in Opa Locka, FL
19thc French Napoleon III Gilt Bronze with Crystal Suspended Ceiling Lantern. The crystal shade and the bronze body are both signed by Baccarat France. This is a unique fixture and h...
Category

1890s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

19thc French Napoleon III Bronze Cage Ruby Red & Clear Cut Crystal Chandelier
Located in Opa Locka, FL
1890 French Napoleon III Bronze Cage with Red and Clear Cut Crystal Adornment. Beautiful amethyst and Ruby Red Crystal. Spectacular!
Category

1890s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal

Pair of 19th Century French Porcelain & Brass Table Oil Lamps with Floral Motif
Located in Dallas, TX
These elegant antique oil lamps were crafted in France, circa 1870. The "Lampes a Petrole", converted into table lamps, sit on round brass bases, and feature the original flame regul...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Brass

Signed Three-Light Table Lamp by Baccarat, France 1920 in Opaline Glass & Bronze
Located in Merida, Yucatan
Beautiful table lamp by Baccarat, made in France in the first quarter of the 11th century. The lamp consist of a white opaline glass vase and a three light bronze hardware that scre...
Category

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Bronze with Brown Patina from the 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Bronze with brown patina from the 19th century, mounted as a lamp, Napoleon III period Measures: H: 44 cm, W: 32 cm, D: 17 cm.
Category

1860s European Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Pair Of Gilt Bronze Wall Lights With Winged Putti, Napoleon III, 19th Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Pair of gilded bronze wall lights, with 8 light arms each: rich leaf decoration on the arms and the sockets, winged puttis on the part fixed to the wall Old restorations, one wing w...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Matching Pair of Figural Patinated Bronze Flame Torcheres after Clodion
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A beautifully cast matching pair of patinated bronze figural torcheres in the manner of Clodion modeled as classically draped young girls with garlands of flowers in their hair and h...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Malachite Column Lamp
Located in New York, NY
Napoleon III gilt bronze malachite column lamp. Gilt bronze column lamp in a richly decorative form popularized during the 1860s-1870s in France....
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Malachite, Bronze

French Napoleon III 19th Ctr. Ormolu Table Lamp
Located in Kastrup, DK
French Napoleon III 19th century ormolu table lamp with two light sources. Height to top: 77 cm. Circular base and tapered central support mounted with gilt bronze grapes and foliate...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Gilded Bronze Candlestick Table Lamp, Napoleon III, late 19th Century
Located in Lisbon, PT
A refined late 19th-century French table lamp in gilded bronze, styled in the grandeur of the Napoleon III era. Recently rewired for modern use, it is sold without the lampshade sh...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Metal, Brass, Bronze

Pair of 19th Century Zinc Finial Table Lamps
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Two large scale table lamps. Can also work as a floor lamp. Created from a pair of matching zinc roof finial from a French chateau which had to replace its roof. These architectural ...
Category

1890s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Steel, Zinc

Large Giltwood and Gilt Bronze French Candelabra, circa 1870
Located in London, GB
Large giltwood and gilt bronze candelabra in the Louis XVI style, Paris, circa 1870. Each candelabra has 18 arms, on two tiers. The candelabra can be wired for use with modern lights...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Giltwood

French Empire Style Bronze Dore Chandelier
Located in Queens, NY
French Empire-style (19th Century) bronze dore 18 arm chandelier with winged figures.
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Large 9 Light Girandoles Maison Baguès Brass & Crystal Ornaments, Pair
Located in Miami, FL
Huge and impressive pair of Girandoles, electrified with plug in function. Rare Find and in very good condition. Can be placed on pedestals or on a Center Table. Each takes 9 li...
Category

1940s French Vintage Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Brass

19th Century Napoleon III Rifle Bayonet Steel Brass Bronze Pendant Chandelier
Located in Madrid, ES
A exceptional Napoleon III steel twenty eight light chandelier, made from bayonet handles and blades from the Franco/ Prusian war shaped into scrolling branches, each handle with im...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Brass, Steel

19th Century French Gilt Bronze and Crystal Aesthetic Seven-Light Chandelier
Located in Antwerp, BE
A 19th century French gilt bronze and crystal Aesthetic seven-light chandelier France, circa 1880 Perfectly working and ready to be hung.
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

MID 19th CENTURY BRONZE CHANDELIER WITH CRYSTALS
Located in Firenze, FI
Splendid and elegant gilded bronze chandelier with 24 lights and hanging crystals. Its refinement and elegance are highlighted by the crystal chains and pendants that adorn the chand...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

Napoléon III 1870s Six-Light Chandelier with Scrolling and Twisted Accents
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Napoléon III period six-light iron chandelier from late 19th century with scrolling accents and twisted patterns. Created in France at the end of emperor Napoléon III's reig...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Iron

Lamp with blue porcelain and gilded bronze handles. Circa 1880.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Louis XVI style lamp in blue porcelain and gilded bronze, with its handles ending in leaves, the top of the frame decorated with a gadroon and an openwork gallery decorated with bunc...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Ornate French Napoleon III Gilt Ten-Light Candelabra
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of French Napoleon III gilt and patinated bronze ten-light candelabra with a traditionally dressed man and woman under palm trees mounted on bases.
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Chandelier of the 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Chandelier of the 19th century, Napoleon III period in golden bronze and crystal, 14 lights, very beautiful chiseling of golden bronze with floral design. Measures: H 110 cm, D 64 cm.
Category

1870s European Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

An Enamelled Porcelain Table Lamp Base, 19th Century, Napoleon III Period.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
An enamelled porcelain table lamp base, 19th century, Napoleon III period. A 19th century Napoleon III period enamelled porcelain table lamp base with a wooden base. H: 64cm, D: 27cm
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Porcelain, Wood

Solid Brass Dutch Style Chandelier from the 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Solid brass Dutch style chandelier from the 19th century with five arms and five candles.  
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

pair of French 19th century Napoleon III Period Louis XIV st. Ormolu sconces
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An impressive and monumentally scaled pair of French 19th century Napoleon III Period Louis XIV st. Ormolu sconces. This exceptional pair of sconces are centered by an Ormolu gadroon...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Ormolu

Candelabra In Porcelain And Bronze, Japonisme, XIXth Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Porcelain candelabra painted with flower decoration, with a base and a bouquet of 7 lights, in bronze with a brown patina, in the Japanese or Escalier de Cristal style Good general ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

French Napoléon III 19th Century Gilt Bronze 12 Light Chandelier with Mascarons
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Napoléon III gilt bronze 12-light chandelier from the second half of the 19th century, with scrolling arms and abundant foliage motif. Embellish your space with the sublime ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Pair of 19th Century French Cast Iron Bras De Lumière Sconces or Lantern Holders
Located in Dallas, TX
Known as bras de lumière (“arm of light”), this pair of French cast iron sconces from the 1800’s features a magnificent rinceau of foliage wit...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Metal, Iron

Pair French Seltzer Bottle Lamps with Napoleonic Emblems
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Pair French Seltzer Bottle Lamps with Napoleonic Emblems. Double gourd construction with Napoleon's insignia gold design and bees. Lamps are...
Category

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Brass

Antique Pair of Royal Blue French Napoleon III Porcelain Table Lamps
Located in Lincoln, GB
Exquisite pair of Royal Blue French Napoleon III Porcelain Table Lamps, boasting striking details that are sure to captivate the eye of any discerning connoisseur. These lamps are e...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Porcelain

Late 19th Century Napoleonic Crystal and Gold Gilt Tole Metal Chandelier
Located in Middleburg, VA
Add some glamour to your room with this beautiful 19th century Napoleonic chandelier made of painted tole with delicate crystal garlands and flow...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Metal

A Pair of Late 19th Century Ormolu and Rouge Marble Ten-Light Candelabras
Located in New York, NY
A central baluster vase carved in rouge marble, held by rams mask mounts, issues ten highly decorative candle branches adorned with foliage and vines all resting on a triform base wi...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Marble, Bronze, Gold Leaf

19th Century Table Lamp in Black Nickel Bronze
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Table lamp of style napoleon III in black nickel-plated bronze with 3 arms of lights and its lampshade.. We have one table lamp in stock however we can produce them made to measur...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze, Nickel

19th-Century Empire-Style Lamp in Gilt Bronze and Brown Patina with Marble Base
Located in NICE, FR
A large four-legged lamp in the style of the First French Empire with a gilded bronze and brown patina finish, resting gracefully on a marble base. Adorned with intricate garlands an...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Marble, Bronze

19th Century French Repousse Brass Oil Table Lamp with Tavern Scenes
Located in Dallas, TX
This elegant antique oil lamp made into table lamp was crafted in France, circa 1870. The tall "Lampe a Petrole", stands on three paw feet over a round repousse base decorated with a...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Brass

Pair of Torchères, Napoleon III Period, 19th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of torchères, Napoleon III period, 19th century. Pair of bronze torchères with mahogany base, Napoleon III period, 19th century.   H: 188...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Medici Shaped Opaline Lamps, Early 20th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
A pair of Napoleon III style Medici shaped opaline lamps with gilt bronze mounts, early 20th century. h: 39cm, d: 15cm
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Ormolu Bronze Antique Candlestick Holders with Putti
Located in Paris, FR
Pair of antique candlestick holders crafted of beautiful ormolu or gilt bronze. They feature a figure of a child standing on a ribbed cylind...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Ormolu, Bronze

Napoleon IIIrd Period Lantern with Stars, France, circa 1870
Located in PARIS, FR
Elegant Napoleon III period lantern in patinated bronze with gold highlights and crystal. The central shaft, in the shape of a globe engraved with stars, is surrounded by three bands decorated with a central pompom, and topped with a leafy crown. The whole is suspended by a ceiling light...
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

Pair of 19th Century French Candlesticks
Located in Madrid, ES
Pair of 19th century French candlesticks. They are in gilded and patinated bronze. They present a very beautiful abundant chiseled work. In good general condition. They measure: 65 c...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Orientalist Chandelier Att. to E. Cornu and G. Viot & Cie, France, circa 1870
Located in PARIS, FR
Rare and important orientalist chandelier with 24 lights, in Algerian onyx, chiseled and gilded bronze and cloisonné enamel. It consists of a sh...
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Onyx, Bronze, Enamel

Maison Gagneau, Pair of Louis XVI Style Lamps, circa 1880
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Maison Gagneau, signed. Pair of baluster shape Louis XVI style lamps in guilloche brown brass. Chiselled and gilt bronze mount. High of the mount with...
Category

1880s European Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Brass

Gilt Bronze and Crystal Pendant, 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Gilt bronze and crystal pendant, very nice decoration, Napoleon III period, 19th century, 3 lights. Measures: H: 34 cm, d: 33 cm.
Category

1860s European Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

Vintage Stacked Cut Crystal Three Bulb Table Lamp - a Pair
Located in west palm beach, FL
Incredible vintage brass and stacked cut crystal table lamps. Each lamp has three sockets all functioning with their own pull chain. Gorgeous hexagon pedestal base with intricate edg...
Category

Early 20th Century American Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Brass

Napoleon III Lustre De Fete Crystal Chandelier
Located in Stamford, CT
Crystal chandelier meant for sunlit garden parties. Used without candles or lights but sunlight. It can be illuminated by dropping a bulb into the center of it.
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Metal, Wire

Napoleon III Bronze Candlestick, 19th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Napoleon III bronze candlestick, measures high: 25 cm. Very good condition.
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III Bronze D’Ore Chandelier with Cherub and Acanthus Leaves
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exquisite French 19th century Napoleon III chandelier features an intense and beautiful bronze d’ore. The piece is adorned with acanthus leaves; note the movement on the arms, growing to the top, and the flower bulb like candle cups. Lastly, a bronze d’ore cherub is seen in the center holding a sickle, a symbol of bounty in harvest. Each piece in our shop is professionally rewired and in working order. Each chandelier comes with a vintage canopy...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze, Gold

Lantern, attributed to Maison Millet, France, Circa 1890
Located in PARIS, FR
Beautiful lantern in double patina bronze and crystal. The central shaft is engraved with a Greek frieze centered on a star. The whole is suspended from a openwork crown decorated wi...
Category

1890s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

19th Century Napoleon III Hand Painted Faience & Bronze Converted Oil Lamp
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century French Napoleon III Hand Painted Faience and Bronze Oil Lamp has been converted into an electric table lamp. Crafted in France, circa 1880s, the hand painted porcelain "...
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Brass

Pair of Lamps in Tin, circa 1880
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of lamps in tin with a fluted shaft. Decor of frieze of beads on the base and the top of the mount. Gilt cartouche embedded on the base mentioning "Lampe modérateur T & G brevet...
Category

1880s European Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Tin

Pair of Canton Porcelain and Bronze Lamps, circa 1880
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of Canton porcelain lamps, with a motif of flowers, leaves and small birds. Frame in gilded and chiseled bronze. Openwork circular base. Handles adorned with muzzle heads. ! T...
Category

1880s Chinese Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Lamps in Valentine Porcelain and Gilt Bronze, circa 1880
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Baluster shape pair of lamps in Valentine porcelain. Decor of flowers in white background cartouches, on a cobalt blue background with gilt geometrical motifs. They are framed by two...
Category

1880s European Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Neoclassical Style Porcelain Lamps, Napoléon III Period
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of neoclassical style porcelain lamps, baluster shaped, with a blue mat background. Black piedouche base and inner edge of the neck. On the body, decor of central medallion on one side representing a polychrome characters antique style dressed...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon Iii lighting for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III 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 Napoleon III 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 Baccarat, Ferdinand Barbedienne, Europa Antiques, and OMBRES ET FACETTES. 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 $300 and tops out at $233,178 while the average work can sell for $3,389.

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