Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
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.
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Birch
1960s American Vintage Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany
1860s Italian Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Marble
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Ormolu
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Wood
1810s Spanish Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Rosewood
1950s French Vintage Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Giltwood
1810s French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Bronze
1810s German Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Bronze
19th Century Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Walnut
1820s French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Gesso, Mirror, Wood, Paint
1820s European Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Walnut
1810s French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Gesso
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Walnut, Wood, Mirror, Mercury Glass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mahogany, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Fruitwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 20th Century Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1850s French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Giltwood
1870s British Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Giltwood
1950s French Vintage Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror
19th Century American Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Glass, Giltwood
19th Century European Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1840s European Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Bronze, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Glass, Wood, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Giltwood
19th Century Antique Empire Pier Mirrors and Console Mirrors
Iron