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
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
Gorgeous Pair of Empire Style Black & Gold Wall Mirrors
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Beautiful pair of Empire gold gilt and ebony black mirrors which are elegant statement pieces. The giltwood finish is complemented by a lovely ebony black washed gesso patina, and t...
Category
1940s French Vintage Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror
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 Mirrors
Materials
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Empire Walnut Antique Wall Mirror
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Beautiful elegant antique Empire wall mirror, 1800s walnut wood hand carved with finely decorations. Elegant carved and gilded decorations. On the sides two columns with gilded corin...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mercury Glass, Walnut
$4,766 Sale Price
20% Off
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
1956 Biswanger French Empire Carved Mahogany Trumeau Mirror
Located in Germantown, MD
A 1956 Biswanger Mirror Co. French Empire style Carved Mahogany Trumeau Mirror. Measures 16.5" in width, 33" in height.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Mahogany
Wall Mirror, Sweden, 19th Century - Wood Inlay Black and Mahogany Empire Vintage
Located in Stockholm, SE
A mirror from Karl Johan-period from the 19th century. It has a lovely wooden inlay in the border. The top and the bottom is removable if you just want the middle part. It is 93 x45 ...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mahogany
A crotch mahogany Empire wall mirror circa 1830.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A crotch mahogany Empire wall mirror circa 1830.
Category
1830s French Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Mahogany
Antique Geometrical Marquetry Inlaid Mahogany Mirror with Carved Crest
Located in Miami, FL
About
This is a beautiful antique Spanish flame mahogany and marquetry wall mirror, circa 1840, 19th century.
The mahogany frame is beautifully inlaid with a continuous marquetry...
Category
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Mahogany
$2,880 Sale Price
20% Off
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
$1,300 Sale Price
27% Off
Italian Walnut Mirror
Located in New York, NY
Italian walnut mirror. Antique provincial bleached walnut mirror with later antiqued plate with clean modern classic lines. Italy, circa 1820.
...
Category
1820s Italian Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Walnut
$1,150
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
Italian Empire Walnut Brass & Giltwood Cheval Mirror Early 19th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
important and rare and completely intact, retaining antique beveled mirrorplate, the pivoting mirror held in place within the columned frame by brass arrow parts, the frame surmounted by a neoclassical pediment adorned with brass decoration, below the mirror is a shaped tray and lower still a hexagonal stretcher supporting the carved giltwood rams heads and hoof feet which are painted a dark green, this mirror is a lovely example of Lucchese neoclassical furniture.
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Brass
Small English Rectangular Mahogany and Gilt Wall Mirror, Scandinavian
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Rectangular antique wall mirror in Mahogany and gilt inner frame
This Scandinavian mirror is on the smaller size, but totally charming with regards to the warmth of the wood and the ...
Category
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Mahogany
$496 Sale Price
49% Off
French Empire Style Beige Painted Trumeau Mirror with Carved Gilt Décor
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Empire style beige painted trumeau mirror from the 20th century with gilded décor. This exquisite French Empire style trumeau mirror from the 20th century is a testament to ...
Category
20th Century French Empire Mirrors
Materials
Wood, Giltwood
French Empire Style Gilt Leaf and Urn Motif Wall Mirror
Located in Peabody, MA
French empire style wall mirror featuring a classic motif of gilt leaf and flower vining emanating from a center urn, circa 1960s.
Category
1960s Unknown Vintage Empire Mirrors
Materials
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 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
Neoclassical Gilt Empire Mirror, France
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
Giltwood. Empire mirror.
france 20th century
Patinated art glass.
brass ornaments.
compact messurements!
Category
1950s French Vintage Empire Mirrors
Materials
Giltwood
Dutch 19th Century Gilt Symmetrical Mirror
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A unique if not rare 19th century Dutch giltwood mirror that incorporates foliate decoration and Neoclassical carvings to animate the narrow, rectangular form. The molding displays a...
Category
19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Gold
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
FIRST HALF OF THE 19th CENTURY EMPIRE LENS MIRROR
Located in Firenze, FI
Elegant circular lens mirror from the Empire period. The mirror is characterized by its carved and gilt wooden frame, enriched with delicate decorative geometric engravings on all fo...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Wood
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
Custom Mirror Hand-Made in our Workshop Using 24kt Gold Leaf and Ebonized Oak
Located in Chicago, IL
Custom Hand-Made Aged Mirror by our inhouse Old Plank workshop. The Mirror profile was copied from a 19th century original french Mirror we had in stock and since everyone seemed to ...
Category
2010s American Empire Mirrors
Materials
Gold Leaf
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 Mirrors
Materials
Walnut
Vintage brass sunburst mirror 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Mid century brass sunburst or flower mirror with convex glass.
This mirror fits in most interiors and is a perfect add-on for a regency style interior.
Good condition.
France - 19...
Category
1970s French Vintage Empire Mirrors
Materials
Brass
Vintage brass sunburst mirror 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Mid century brass sunburst or flower mirror with convex glass.
This mirror fits in most interiors and is a perfect add-on for a regency style interior.
The mirror is made from pat...
Category
1960s French Vintage Empire Mirrors
Materials
Brass
$327 / item
Italian Fruitwood Dressing Mirror
Located in New York, NY
Antique Empire fruitwood dressing mirror with neoclassical giltwood details and original glass. Newly restored, Italy, circa 1800.
Dimension: 21.5" W x 16" D x 36.5" H;19.5" W at base.
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century French Empire Period Mirror
Located in Stockbridge, GA
Early 19th century French Empire period mirror.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mahogany
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
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
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
$3,840 Sale Price
20% Off
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
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
19th Century Empire Period Mahogany Mirror, Type "Psychee"
Located in Sofia, BG
Empire period mahogany mirror. The triangle topped frame holding the mirror supported on two columns with two removable bronze candleholders. Standing on four carved griffon legs, th...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mahogany
$2,252 Sale Price
65% Off
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
$18,950 Sale Price
23% Off
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
$4,420 Sale Price
35% Off
Unusual Empire Mahogany Chest with Dressing Mirror, ca. 1810
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Unusual Empire Mahogany Chest with Dressing Mirror, dating from the first quarter of the 19th century and French in origin.
The piece ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror
Empire Giltwood Carved Frame
Located in New Orleans, LA
Period Empire giltwood frame.
Category
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Giltwood
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
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
$1,048 Sale Price
20% Off
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
Mirror With Frame Made In Mahogany With Marquetry From 1890s
Located in Lejre, DK
This pair of mahogany mirrors with marquetry from the 1890s is a splendid example of late 19th-century craftsmanship and design. Each mirror features a beautifully crafted mahogany f...
Category
1890s Danish Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mahogany
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
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
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
Late Empire Antique Mirror Made In Mahogany From 1840s
Located in Lejre, DK
This antique mirror, crafted from rich mahogany wood, dates back to the late Empire period around the 1840s. It is a stunning example of the elegance and craftsmanship characteristi...
Category
1840s Danish Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mahogany
French Empire Style Gilt Red Poppy Design Trumeau / Wall Mirror
Located in Queens, NY
French Empire-style (19th Century) carved giltwood trumeau / wall mirror with painted upper panel of red poppies and flowers (signed).
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Giltwood
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
$381 Sale Price
30% Off
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
Vintage brass sunburst mirror 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Mid century brass sunburst mirror with convex glass.
This mirror fits in most interiors and is a perfect add-on for a regency style interior.
The mirror is made from gilt metal.
I...
Category
1960s French Vintage Empire Mirrors
Materials
Brass
Louis XVI Style Blue Grey Carved Mirror
Located in Atlanta, GA
Discover the timeless beauty of our exquisite blue-grey Louis XVI style 19th-century mirror from France. This stunning piece features a hand-carved frame that showcases the intricate...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Wood
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
Late Empire Antique Mirror Made In Mahogany From 1840s
Located in Lejre, DK
This antique mirror, crafted from rich mahogany wood, dates back to the late Empire period around the 1840s. It is a stunning example of the elegance and craftsmanship characteristic...
Category
1840s Danish Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century Empire Style Ormolu Table Mirror
Located in London, GB
19th century Empire style ormolu table mirror
French, 19th Century
Height 56cm, width 37cm, depth 4cm, depth when open 46cm
This fine table ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Ormolu, Bronze
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
$5,200 Sale Price
20% Off
Mid 19th century Danish empire mahogany mirror on cabinet
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Mid 19th century Danish mahogany mirror on cabinet circa 1860.
Beautiful piece of mid 19th century Danish furniture strong in the influence of the regency period.
Comprising of 2 p...
Category
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Mahogany
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 Mirrors
Materials
Mirror, Ebony
Early 19th Century French Empire boiserie Mirror
Located in Charlottesville, VA
Early 19th Century Empire (Napoleon I) boiserie Mirror, having extensive foliate and floral carving surrounding a profile of Mercury on a deep blue background, over a rectangular mir...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Mirrors
Materials
Mirror
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
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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