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Empire 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
Gilded Empire Wall Mirror, Early 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Profiled wall mirror in the Empire style with a rectangular frame and applied acanthus leaf decorations. The surface is fully gilded with an elegant patina. The mirror glass has been...
Category

Early 19th Century Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mirror

20th Century Giltwood Pier Mirror
Located in Ross, CA
Vintage Empire style beveled pier mirror in giltwood frame. Mirror has two sections a smaller rectangle on the top and longer on the bottom. The top sides form columns with fleur de...
Category

1960s American Vintage Empire Mirrors

Materials

Walnut

20th Century Giltwood Pier Mirror
20th Century Giltwood Pier Mirror
$880 Sale Price
20% Off
Early 20th C Empire Bronze & Gilt Mounted Mahogany Console / Wall Mirror
Located in Germantown, MD
An Early 20th century Empire Neoclassical Brass Mounted and Mahogany Wall Mirror in good condition. Solid Mahogany frame. Measures 18" in width and 36" tall. Mirror glass is 15"W x 2...
Category

Early 20th Century American Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mahogany

French Empire Vanity Mirror with Original Reverse Etched Glass Panels circa 1800
Located in valatie, NY
French Empire vanity mirror with original reverse etched glass panels, circa 1800, of classical figures. It has original gilded classical mounts. ...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Wood, Mirror

Neoclassical Empire Rectangular Gold Hand Carved Wooden Mirror, Spain, 1970
Located in Madrid, ES
Neoclassical Empire style handcrafted mirror. Rectangular hand carved wooden structure with gold foiled finished.
Category

1870s Spanish Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Gold Leaf

French Napoleon III Empire Style Mahogany and Ormolu Mounted Cheval Mirror
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine French 19th century Napoleon III Empire style mahogany and ormolu-mounted freestanding Cheval swiveling mirror. The oval framed mirror plate surmounted with Empire style ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Ormolu, Bronze

Leitizia Bonapartes, Madame Mere Dressing Mirror and Jewellery Cabinet
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A mahogany cheval mirror and jewellery cabinet, once belonging to Leitizia Bonaparte, Napoleon's mother. The veneered semi circular topped mirror framed by columns topped with gilt bronze cassolettes and single arm candle holders. The bottom section is fronted by two doors which open to reveal nine shallow leather cartonniers and six jewellery drawers; the whole carcass richly decorated with gilt bronze friezes and various classical motives. Similar gilded bronze mounts are found on various pieces of furniture in the collection of the Louvre Paris. This rare museum worthy piece of furniture came from the Chateau Du Pont Sur Seine. The piece is not stamped but the quality of the mahogany and the amount of finely chiseled and burnished gilt bronze mounts, plus the presence of the cartonnier and jewellery drawers almost certainly point to a royal provenance and which almost certainly came from the workshop of Georges Jacob. The Chateau De Pont Sur Seine was originally built in 1632 and hosted such important historical figures as Catherine de Medicis and Cardinal Richelieu. In the late 17C it was acquired by the Duc de Saxony, one of Louis XVI’s uncles whose family maintained ownership until 1792 until the start of the French Revolution when they had to vacate to escape the guillotine. While it suffered damage by the revolutionairies it was still very habitable and in 1805, Napoleon purchased the chateau for his mother Madame Letizia Bonaparte where she resided until Napoleon’s fall from grace in 1814. Madame Mere...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Bronze

Italian Empire Walnut Psyche Table Mirror with Gold Gilt Swans and Ebony Inlay
Located in Encinitas, CA
Impressive Italian 19th century Empire style "psyche" table mirror. circa 1830. The oval walnut swivel mirror frame is suspended between a pair of gold gilt carved swans with acanthus vestments, resting on hoofed feet mounted to the base. Octagonal marquetry of walnut burl veneers on the oval frame's reverse is embellished with ebony and linden floral inlay. The mirror glass is accented by a gilt beaded border, and the walnut veneered pediment-shaped base is trimmed in gilt palmette. The mirror tilt...
Category

Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Gold

vintage resin sunburst mirror, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Beautiful resin sunburst mirror with convex mirror glass. The golden mirror is in a good condition. 1960s - made in Belgium. Dimensions: Diameter: 40cm Ref.: 54676506 71
Category

1960s Belgian Vintage Empire Mirrors

Materials

Resin

Spanish Empire Console Table with Mirror in Mahogany, circa 1810
Located in Miami, FL
Fine Spanish Empire console with mirror in mahogany and rosewood with satinwood inlays, circa 1810.
Category

1810s Spanish Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Rosewood

A large French Empire wood and gesso mirror, C 1840.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
The two-tone painted, rectangular frame with ornate gilt highlights throughout. Perfect in an entryway, to elongate a hall way or above a mantel horizontally. The neutral mirror may...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Gesso, Mirror, Wood

Large early 19th century empire style over mantle
Located in Budleigh Salterton, GB
Very decorative early 19th century empire style overmantle miror French circa 1840’ s with original backboards and mirror plate Height 157 cms or 62 inches Width 115.5 cms or ...
Category

1840s French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Giltwood

Early 19th Century French Empire Giltwood Mirror
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A large French Empire carved and original water gilded Empire picture frame inset with a modern mirror, the corners of the deeply scooped sides set with palmettes.          
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Wood

Early 19th Century Plateau Mirror
Located in Copenhagen, K
Plateau mirrors was used on the dining or dressing table, in front of guest of honor, to put flowers or candles on.
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Bronze

Early 19th Century Plateau Mirror
Early 19th Century Plateau Mirror
$378 Sale Price
30% Off
19th Century Pair of Mahogany Mirrors, Denmark
Located in Round Top, TX
Pair of mahogany mirrors from Denmark, circa 1840-1860, with a carved and scrolled pediment and turned side columns. This pair is solid and ready to hang securely. There is expecte...
Category

Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mirror, Mahogany

Antique Mirror in Mahogany from the Late Empire perid from about 1840s
Located in Lejre, DK
Antique mirror in mahogany wood from the late Empire period from around the 1840s. Light in colour, due to sunlight over the years. Dimensions in cm: H:1...
Category

1840s Danish Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mahogany

Elegant Polladio of Italy Sculpted Iron Mirror with Wall Console Table
Located in Las Vegas, NV
1960s signed "Palladio" of Italy wall-mounted Carrara marble console table with mirror. Elegant piece sculpted of iron with gold gilded paint. Fabulous foyer piece.       
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Empire Mirrors

Materials

Carrara Marble, Metal

French Empire Style Ebonized and Painted Mirror
Located in Houston, TX
French Empire style ebonized and painted mirror. Antique French Empire style or Neoclassical style ebonized and painted vertical mirror from the 1920s. This versatile mirror has a Cl...
Category

1920s French Vintage Empire Mirrors

Materials

Wood

Empire Cheval Mirror
Located in Woodbury, CT
In walnut with ebonized trim, this stately mirror has exquisite lines and exemplifies the design motifs of the period. Burl walnut surrounds the glass that has survived more or less ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Walnut

Vintage golden sunburst mirror, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Resin sunburst mirror with convex mirror glass. The mirror is in a good condition. 1960s - made in Belgium. Dimensions: Diameter: 43cm Ref.: 84654535 40-41
Category

1960s Vintage Empire Mirrors

Materials

Resin

French Empire Gilt & Mother-of-Pearl Mirrors, 2
Located in Astoria, NY
Pair of French Empire Gilt Metal and Mother-of-Pearl Mirrors, late 19th century, each rectangular frame with bellflower borders and interlaced mother of pearl roundels, enclosing mir...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Metal

Wonderful 19th century gilded wall mirror , empire style
Located in Budleigh Salterton, GB
Very good quality 19th century gilded wall mirror in the empire style French circa 1840’s with original backboards and mirror plate Height It can hang landscape or portrait Heig...
Category

1840s French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Giltwood

Handsome 19th Century French Empire Mahogany Trumeau Mirror with Bronze Eagle
Located in Hopewell, NJ
A wonderful French Empire style mirror in mahogany with bronze eagle and good ormolu swag with great detail and nice size. #3521.   
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Bronze

Fine Pair of Swedish 19th Century Empire Mirrors
By C. Werné 1
Located in Allerum, SE
Fine pair of 19th century Swedish Empire mirrors signed by master mirror maker C. Werne´, circa 1820, Sweden.      
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Wood

Large French Empire Ebony Black and Gold Carved Giltwood and Gesso Mirror
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Large scale Empire gold gilt and ebony black mirror is a large statement piece. The giltwood finish is complemented by a lovely ebony black washed gesso patina. The neoclassical embo...
Category

1940s French Vintage Empire Mirrors

Materials

Gesso, Mirror

Antique Empire Gilt Carved Painted Beech Wood Swedish Trumeau Wall Mirror
Located in Munich, DE
This beautiful beechwood trumeau features fine carvings of two columns and a basquet filled with fruit and flowers. The high relief woodwork is partially guilt and has retained it's ...
Category

1810s Swedish Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Beech

Elegant Antique French Empire Gold Gilt Wall Mirror
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Fine period French antique, good sized Gilt Empire mirror with applied decorative motif gilt work on a rectangular frame. From near Paris, France! #8435
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mirror, Giltwood

Empire Psyche, France around 1810
Located in Greding, DE
Large standing mirror with rotating mirror in an arched frame. The mirror is held by lateral columns which end in fire-gilded bronze urns. The bases are also fire-gilt. The psyche st...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mahogany

Early Mid-Century Empire Style Black and Gild Greek Key Mirror
Located in Wichita, KS
Large and impressive mirror from mid-century with black paint and gilded Greek key. The mirror has a large and deep frame molding. To view all of our listings at Tiffany Farha De...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mirror, Wood

American Empire Style Zoomorphic Design Cheval Mirror
Located in Queens, NY
American Empire-style (first quarter 20th Century) mahogany cheval mirror flanked by carved swans on a scalloped base with paw feet and an eagle finial.
Category

1910s Vintage Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mahogany

French Empire Style Painted & Gilded Mirror
Located in Dallas, TX
French Empire Style Painted & Gilded Mirror is the perfect size for the dressing room, bath, or any cozy niche. The design also lends itself to either horizontal or vertical hanging...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mirror, Wood, Paint

Antique Federal Flame Mahogany Reverse Painted Trumeau Wall Mirror 24"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique 19th century Federal / Empire style flame mahogany trumeau / wall mirror - rectangular frame with carved pillars and stepped pediment holding a mirror and reverse painted coa...
Category

19th Century Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mirror, Mahogany, Paint

Pair of French 1st Empire Dore Bronze Mtd. 5-Arm Mirrored Sconces, Att. Thomire
Located in New York, NY
A Magnificent Pair of French 1st Empire Period Dore bronze mounted five-arm sconces/mirrors, Attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire. Each mirrored sconce is of octagonal form with a b...
Category

1810s French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Bronze

French Empire Style Gilt Composition Mirror
Located in Astoria, NY
French Empire Style Gilt Composition Mirror. 42" H x 29" W. Provenance: From a New York City Collection.
Category

20th Century Empire Mirrors

Materials

Composition

German Wooden Biedermeier/ Empire Trumeau Mirror with Brass a Appliques
Located in Hamburg, DE
The pillar mirror, also called trumeau is from the German Biedermeier period. The frame is made of mahogany and root wood veneer. On the frame above the mirror is a mythological scen...
Category

Early 18th Century German Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Wood, Mahogany

19th Century Empire Mirror with Brass Elements
Located in Opole, PL
19th Century Empire Mirror With Brass Elements A mirror in a wooden frame, dated to the first quarter of the 19th century. The wooden frame...
Category

Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Brass

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 Mirrors

Materials

Glass, Mahogany, Giltwood

Mirror Made In Mahogany With Carvings From 1880s
Located in Lejre, DK
This mirror, crafted from hand-polished mahogany and adorned with intricate carvings, is a stunning example of Danish craftsmanship from around the 1880s. The rich, deep tones of the...
Category

1880s Danish Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mahogany

French Empire Style Mahogany and Ormolu Pediment Wall Mirror
Located in Queens, NY
French Empire-style (19th/20th Century) mahogany wall mirror with gilt bronze ormolu mounts and a shaped pediment top with a bevelled glass.
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Napoleon I French Giltwood Trumeau Mirror
Located in New Orleans, LA
Giltwood Trumeau with Beautiful Lyre Trophy
Category

Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Giltwood, Mirror

Swedish Empire Gilt Wood Mirror, Early 19th Century
Located in Savannah, GA
Early 19th Century Swedish Empire Giltwood Mirror, the deep triangular pediment with acanthine carving above a scrolling foliate and fruit urn frieze, the rectangular plate within a ...
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Giltwood

Empire Frame, Italy, Early 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Wood stuccoed and gilded. Rectangular frame with cymatium frieze and pearl strip, alternating shell and dolphin decorations in relief.
Category

Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Wood

Mirror With Sculpted Coper And Ebony Wood Decoration - Early 19th Century
Located in Brussels, Brussels
Elegant ebony and embossed copper pareclose mirror from the beginning of the 19th century Very beautiful mirror which has a beautiful proportion decorated with embossed and fire-gil...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Copper

P.-B. Marcion, Empire Period Dressing Table, France, circa 1810
By P. Marcion
Located in PARIS, FR
Empire period dressing table, decorated with rich chiseled and mercury gilded bronze ornamentation. Surmounted by an oval-shaped psyche mirror, decorated with a frieze of ivy and sma...
Category

1810s French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Late 19th Century Large Empire Style Painted Gilt Wood Wall Mirror
Located in Berlin, DE
Late 19th century large empire style painted gilt wood wall mirror or trumeau Large rectangular mirror with architectural structure: the central field, consisting of a lower mirro...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mirror, Wood

Pair Of French 19th Century Empire St. Mahogany And Ormolu Mirrors
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A very architectural pair of French 19th century Empire St. Mahogany and Ormolu mirrors. The pair of mirrors display mirror plates flanked by two Mahogany columns. The columns have a...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Ormolu

French 19th Century Empire Period Ormolu Mounted Mahogany Psyche Mirror
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A sensational and most detailed French 19th century Empire period ormolu mounted mahogany Psyche mirror. The mirror is raised by an impressive ormolu support below a thick mahogany b...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Ormolu

19th Century Swedish Empire Mirror Sconces
Located in Allerum, SE
Fine pair of Swedish Empire mirror sconces with imitated porphyry borders, circa 1830. Good restored condition, wear consistent with age and u...
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Glass

Early 19th Century French Empire Trumeau Mirror
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A magnificent early 19th-century French Empire trumeau mirror, elegantly patinated in a deep forest green and delicately accented with soft grey and gilded detailing. This exceptiona...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Pine, 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 Mirrors

Materials

Giltwood

Empire Style French Mirror with Porcelain Gold Frame, 1950s
Located in Bastogne, BE
Luxury mirror Massive figured frame made of porcelain, covered with enamel and painted with gold. Beautiful floral decor. There is a possibility...
Category

1950s French Vintage Empire Mirrors

Materials

Porcelain, Mirror

Restored Empire Dressing Mirror, Mahogany, Brass, Bone, Polished, France, 1800s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This elegant Empire style dressing mirror (table mirror) comes from France from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. It is made of solid oak wood veneered with mahogany and adorn...
Category

Early 1800s French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Brass

French Empire Mahogany and Gilded Bronze Cheval Mirror
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A centrally pivoted cheval mirror with gilded bronze mounts; the arched beveled mirror framed in mahogany with gilded bronze rosettes; the mirror...
Category

Early 18th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mahogany

French Empire Period Trumeau
Located in Pembroke, MA
Empire painted trumeau mirror with neoclassical detailing, including winged cherub, in dark green and gold.
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Gesso, Mirror, Wood, Paint

19th Century Oval Gilt Florentine Mirror, Original Mirror Plate, AT ca. 1810
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Stunning gilt 19th century Florentine wall mirror from the period around 1810 in Austria. Arftully handcarved out of softwood, this large mirror was part of the inventory of a small ...
Category

Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mirror, Softwood, Giltwood

19th Century Italian Cheval Mirror
Located in London, Park Royal
An elegant and imposing, 19th century, Italian cheval mirror made in solid mahogany. Belonged to a well known Italian actress of the golden age o...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Wood

French 19th Century Empire Trumeau Mirror
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Fabulous Empire trumeau mirror with Greco-Roman deity occupying the central frame. Bathed in gold gilt, she is carved with great reverence for beauty and projects off the frame in ¾ ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mirror, Wood

FRENCH WALL MIRROR early 20th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
WALL MIRROR French Early 20th Century in carved and gilded wood. Dim.: 130 x 84 cm. good conditions
Category

Early 20th Century French Empire Mirrors

Materials

Mirror

Pair of Large Empire Style Mirrors, by Maison Krieger
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A large and impressive pair of Empire style gilt-bronze and burr, Amboyna Mirrors, By Maison Krieger. Each mirror is over 328 cm high (129 inches) and ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors

Materials

Ormolu

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 Mirrors

Materials

Bronze

Empire mirrors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Empire mirrors 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 mirrors created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include mirrors, tables, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire 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 mirrors, popular names associated with this style include Baker Furniture Company, C. Werné, Chelini Firenze, and Design Institute America. 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 mirrors differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $321 and tops out at $161,044 while the average work can sell for $3,200.

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