Empire 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 Antique Empire Mirrors
Mirror
1960s American Vintage Empire Mirrors
Walnut
Early 20th Century American Empire Mirrors
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Wood, Mirror
1870s Spanish Antique Empire Mirrors
Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mirrors
Gold
1960s Belgian Vintage Empire Mirrors
Resin
1810s Spanish Antique Empire Mirrors
Rosewood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Gesso, Mirror, Wood
1840s French Antique Empire Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany
1840s Danish Antique Empire Mirrors
Mahogany
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Mirrors
Carrara Marble, Metal
1920s French Vintage Empire Mirrors
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Walnut
1960s Vintage Empire Mirrors
Resin
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Metal
1840s French Antique Empire Mirrors
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Bronze
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Mirrors
Wood
1940s French Vintage Empire Mirrors
Gesso, Mirror
1810s Swedish Antique Empire Mirrors
Beech
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Empire Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
1910s Vintage Empire Mirrors
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century French Empire Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Paint
19th Century Antique Empire Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany, Paint
1810s French Antique Empire Mirrors
Bronze
20th Century Empire Mirrors
Composition
Early 18th Century German Antique Empire Mirrors
Wood, Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Mirrors
Brass
Early 1800s Russian Antique Empire Mirrors
Glass, Mahogany, Giltwood
1880s Danish Antique Empire Mirrors
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Giltwood, Mirror
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Mirrors
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mirrors
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Copper
1810s French Antique Empire Mirrors
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Ormolu
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Mirrors
Glass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Pine, Giltwood
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Mirrors
Giltwood
1950s French Vintage Empire Mirrors
Porcelain, Mirror
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Mirrors
Brass
Early 18th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Gesso, Mirror, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Mirrors
Mirror, Softwood, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mirrors
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Mirrors
Mirror
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Ormolu
1990s Unknown Empire Mirrors
Bronze