Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
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
Antique 19th century large oval gold and silver leaf gilt French mirror
Located in Casteren, NL
On offer here is a large antique oval mirror that was made in France in the second half of the 19th century, circa 1860. The mirror is decorated with beautiful ornaments with rich sy...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
Antique French Empire Gold Gilt Overmantel Mirror
Located in London, GB
A good sized Gilt Empire antique mirror with applied decorative motif gilt work on a rectangular frame, lambs tongue design inner slip. Mirror in good condition. Original boarded bac...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Mirror
Beautiful Empire French Period Trumeau
Located in Stockbridge, GA
Beautiful Empire French period Trumeau.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Mercury Glass, Gesso, Wood
French 19th Century Empire Mirror
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This French Empire mantle mirror (c. 1800) exhibits calculated restraint in the surface decoration, the gold gilt molding is largely plain and smo...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Empire Walnut Antique Wall Mirror
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
We present this elegant antique Italian mirror dating back to the early 19th century, Empire period. An extremely refined mirror.
Made of fine walnut wood and characterized by an el...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Walnut
$3,099 Sale Price
30% Off
French 19th Century Empire Mantel Mirror
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This French Empire mantle mirror (c. 1800) exhibits restrained surface decoration concentrated to intermittent, low-relief floral motifs that leave ample space for the gilt molding t...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Gold
Italian Neoclassical Giltwood Mirror
Located in New York, NY
Italian Neoclassical giltwood mirror. Antique gilt carved mirror with scrolled acanthus surround, leaf-tipped outer edge with cor...
Category
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Giltwood
Russian Mahogany Gilt Eagle and Bell Flower Garland Rope Wall Mirror, C. 1800
Located in Charleston, SC
Russian mahogany gilt eagle wall mirror with lambs tongue, beading, bell flower garland, and rope twisted border wall mirror. Mirror retains the original spotted glass...
Category
Early 1800s Russian Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Glass, Mahogany, Giltwood
Impressive Royal Early 19th Century German Empire Mirror
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
A rare early 19th century German Empire giltwood trumeau mirror. The large rectangular plate surmounted by a scrolled pediment enriched with wines leaves and a central medallion encl...
Category
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Giltwood
19th Century Large French Empire Wall Mirror
Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB
An attractive 19th century French Empire rectangular frame wall mirror. The deep square frame with ebonized black wood frame and gold gi...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Ebony
Late 19th C. French Overmantel Mirror
Located in Houston, US
This is an impressive classically styled yet restrained overmantel mirror and frame, painted with gilded decorative elements. Fluted pilasters are topped with a classical urn with pe...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Gold Leaf
$2,080 Sale Price
20% Off
French Empire Style Solid Walnut Bronze Ormolu Mantel Buffet Wall Mirror
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This French Empire style solid walnut mirror is a striking statement of classical design and refined craftsmanship. Designed for placement above a mantel, buffet, or console, this wa...
Category
1990s Unknown Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Bronze
Classical Three Panel Horizontal Mirror, Circa 1820s
Located in Sarasota, FL
A classical three panel horizontal mirror. Wooden with decorative veneers. Above is an oil on canvas, richly carved on top with a fig leaf and arch motif. Continental, circa 1820's.
Category
Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Canvas, Mirror, Wood
Large French Empire Parcel-Gilt and Beige Rectangular Mirror
Located in Barcelona, ES
Beautiful Empire period large rectangular mirror with neoclassical relief ornamentation with gilded details and a very nice patina in beige color with red accents, France, circa 1810...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Gold Leaf
French Empire Mahogany Mantle Mirror
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A stately, Empire style mantle mirror from France with some light foxing throughout the original mercury mirror plate. The minimally carved mahogany has ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Metal, Brass
Large Antique French Giltwood Mirror, Empire Style Inspiration, circa 1950
Located in Paris, FR
Large antique French mirror, Empire style inspiration, circa 1950. Large antique frame in carved natural wood, grooves and crosses decorati...
Category
1940s French Vintage Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
Early 19th Century North Italy Neoclassical Walnut Giltwood Overmantel Mirror
Located in Berlin, DE
Early 19th Century North Italy Neoclassical Empire period Walnut and Giltwood Overmantel Mirror
A very rare and elegant North-Italian walnut veneered and giltwood overmantel mirror...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Walnut, Giltwood
Empire Wall Mirror, Mahogany, Ebonized Carved Decor, South Germany, circa 1810
Located in Regensburg, DE
Beautiful large Empire Wall Mirror, bright mahogany, carved black decor, South Germany, circa 1810.
The wood is mahogany veneer and solid wood, which has been bleached and stained fo...
Category
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Wood, Mahogany, Mirror
Empire Fireplace Mirror in Pompeian Red with Golden Decorations
Located in Prato, IT
Rectangular mirror born to be placed on the fireplace. The mirror is divided into three original parts separated by frames with a golden border. Original the color that recalls the f...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Wood
Wood and Gilded Stucco Overmantel Mirror, Empire Period, 19th Century
Located in Paris, FR
Empire period overmantel mirror, in wood and stucco gilded with gold leaf. This mirror is framed by two antique style pilasters in wood and stucco, gilded with gold leaf. A rectangul...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Stucco, Wood
Regal Monumental Empire Giltwood Overmantel or Console Mirror
Located in Buchanan, MI
Very regal monumental Empire giltwood overmantel or console mirror with original plate, wonderful "Sparkly" patina.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
Materials
Giltwood, Mirror
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Large Rectangular Empire Mahogany Wall Mirror, England Late 19th Century
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
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H 28.9 in W 20.9 in D 1.7 in
Rectangular Empire Mahogany Wall Mirror, England Late 19th Century
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Antique late 19th Century Empire mahogany veneer wall mirror. This rectangular wall mirror is magnificent with its tiered graduated frame. The outermost frame is flat leading to anot...
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1890s English Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
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Mirror, Mahogany
Rectangular Empire Mahogany Wall Mirror, England late 19th Century
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Antique late 19th Century American Empire mahogany veneer wall mirror. This rectangular wall mirror is magnificent with it's tiered graduated frame. The outermost frame is flat leadi...
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A Very Large Gold Gilt Empire Period Antique French Mirror
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A very large gold gilt Empire period early 19th century over mantel mirror.
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French 19th Century Empire Mirror
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
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Large early 19th century gilded over mantle
Located in Budleigh Salterton, GB
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Fireplace Empire Lombardy First Quarter 19th Century
By Non-Standard Furniture and Lighting
Located in Milano, IT
Lombard fireplace set in walnut, with ebonized and gilded parts.
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Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
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French Empire Style Overmantle Mirror
Located in Astoria, NY
French Empire style overmantle mirror, with an egg and dart cornice on a faux marble frame encasing a beveled mirror, unmarked.
Dimensions: 39" H x 59" W.
Dealer: S138XX
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Mid-20th Century Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
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Giltwood
Antique 19th Century Gold Leaf Gilt French Empire Mirror with Bow-Tied Ribbon
Located in Casteren, NL
This beautiful antique mirror was made in Northern France at the end of the 19th century, circa 1890. The classic shaped Louis Seize or Empire...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mantel Mirrors and Fireplace Mirrors
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Gold Leaf
H 52.76 in W 31.5 in D 2.37 in
Early 19th Century English Empire Style Mahogany Mirror, circa 1830
Located in San Francisco, CA
Simple classic elegant English Empire period mirror. Thick mahogany veneer over solid oak with original mirror glass and oak back boards.
In excellent ant...
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Located in Fayetteville, AR
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Italian Empire Period Walnut and Brass Mounted Mirror, 1st Quarter 19th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
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H 43 in W 34.5 in D 1.5 in
Empire mantel mirrors and fireplace mirrors for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire mantel mirrors and fireplace mirrors for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage mantel mirrors and fireplace mirrors created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include mirrors and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire mantel mirrors and fireplace mirrors 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 mantel mirrors and fireplace mirrors, popular names associated with this style include and Georges-François Alix. 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 mantel mirrors and fireplace mirrors differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $760 and tops out at $22,298 while the average work can sell for $4,938.