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.
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.
Bronze
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 ...
Wood, Giltwood
Vintage golden sunburst mirror, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Gilded resin sunburst mirror with convex mirror glass. The golden mirror is in a good condition. 1960s - made in Belgium. Dimensions: Diameter: 28cm Ref.: 87456412 60
Mirror, Resin
Antique Empire Wall Mirror, Gold Gilt Wood Frame, France, 1840s
Located in High Point, NC
A mirror whose gold gilt frame, rectangular gives it real character at first glance. Dating to 1840s and originating from France, it reflects the design sensibilities of its era. The...
Glass, Wood
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...
Wood, Mahogany
19th Century Dressing table mirror in Empire style
Located in Delft, NL
19th Century Dressing table mirror in Empire style A dressing table mirror with tiltable mirror, which is fixed to the side with 19th cent...
Nutwood
19th Century French Empire Mahogany Wall Mirror with Ormolu Mounts
Located in Queens, NY
French Empire-style (19th/20th Century) mahogany wall mirror with gilt bronze ormolu mounts, a shaped pediment top, and a bevelled glass (Related item: PPM052)
Bronze
American Classical Empire Style Over Mantel Mahogany Trident Pediment Mirror 49"
Located in Dayton, OH
American Classical Empire style Pediment Mirror, circa last quarter 20th century. Features a mahogany frame with an arched pediment over acanthus carved spandrels set around a triden...
Mirror, Mahogany
Neoclassical Gilt Empire Mirror, France
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
Giltwood. Empire mirror. france 20th century Patinated art glass. brass ornaments. compact messurements!
Giltwood
Antique French gold leaf gilded mirror cabinet Empire era 1820s
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Antique French gilded gold-leaf mirror 1820s Empire period,characteristics of the period are the four palmette decorations adorning the corners of the frame,original mercury mirror o...
Gold Leaf
$590Sale Price|24% Off
Early 19th Century Danish Empire Mirror
Located in Vienna, AT
Mahogany fram mirror with the original glass with gilt decoration.
Mahogany
Large French Rococo Gilt Wall Mirror, Gesso Frame, Mid-19th Century
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A large French Rococo oval gilt wall mirror The mirror has an exquisite gilt frame in the Rococo style, it is decorated with arrows and quiver, and many...
Giltwood
Napoleon I French Giltwood Trumeau Mirror
Located in New Orleans, LA
Giltwood Trumeau with Beautiful Lyre Trophy
Giltwood, Mirror
$2,800 / set
Gorgeous Empire Style Black & Gold Wall Mirrors
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Beautiful Empire gold gilt and ebony black mirror having giltwood finish complemented by a lovely ebony black washed gesso patina, and the neoclassical embossed motif is a classic F...
Mirror
French Empire Cheval Mirror in with Gilt Bronze Mounts
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
This French cheval mirror is likely an early Empire period piece, dating to approximately c. 1800–1820, though a slightly later manufacture in the early to mid-19th century cannot be...
Bronze
$2,211Sale Price|65% Off
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...
Mahogany
$1,685Sale Price|20% Off
Empire Psyche Mirror in Mahogany, France, early 19th century
By P. Marcion
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Psyche mirror in solid and veneered mahogany with antique triangular pediment and feet carved in the shape of animal claws/paws (sphinx, lion). The bronze parts are on the theme of n...
Bronze
A carved and gilded mirror in the Second Empire style from the late 19th century.
Located in Cuneo, Italy (CN)
A carved and gilded mirror in the Second Empire style from the late 19th century, inspired by Neoclassicism Date: second half of the 19th century. A freestanding mirror, often placed...
Wood
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.
Bronze, Ormolu
$1,714Sale Price|49% Off
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 ...
Giltwood
$3,932Sale Price|26% Off
Table Mirror with Caryatid in French Empire. Gilded and dark.patinated bronze
Located in Knivsta, SE
Very elegant Table Mirror with Caryatid in French Empire from the 1820s in gilded and dark.patinated bronze. High quality of the casting. The original glass with patina. (See pict...
Bronze
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...
Brass
1st Empire Gold Gilt Mantle Mirror by Luce, Giltwood & Glass, Versailles, France
Located in Johns Island, SC
1st Empire Gilt Mantle Mirror. This 1st Empire or Napoleon Period Gilt Mirror is decorated with appliqués of Greco Latin inspiration.This sophisticated mirror is has a combination of...
Mirror, Giltwood
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 ...
Beech
Antique French Empire Style Bronze Ormolu Burl Wood Large Trumeau Pier Mirror
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique French Empire Style Bronze Ormolu Burl Wood Large Trumeau Pier Mirror. Item features burl wood, beveled glass, stately bronze mounts including human figured feet, maiden face...
Bronze
$321 / item
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...
Brass
$2,047
Giltwood Empire Mirror
Located in Arundel, GB
A very good quality carved Giltwood, French mirror. With a large elaborate giltwood crest depicting scrolls reefs and foliage. The frame being more refrained and Empire in style. The...
Mirror, 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.
Wood
A French early 19th century 1st Empire Period Giltwood mirror
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome and high quality French early 19th century 1st Empire Period Giltwood mirror. This wonderfully decorative mirror displays its original mirror plate set within a delicate o...
Agate
Italian Empire style self-supporting floor mirror in wood, 1850s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian Empire style self-supporting floor mirror in wood, 1850s Full-length and self-supporting floor mirror in wood. The rectangular mirror with decorated frame is tilting, in fact...
Wood
French Empire Dressing Mirror, Circa 1830
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
An antique French Empire mahogany dressing mirror dating to the early 19th century, constructed with a rectangular tilting mirror supported by upright posts on a stepped base. The fr...
Bronze
19th Century Empire Style Wall or Table Mirror
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century Empire style wall or table mirror. The two part mirror having a gilt frame of Empire design with fully carved supports terminating in a molded top with lower circular ba...
Mirror, Wood
$1,850 / set
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...
Mirror, Mahogany
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...
Mahogany
Antique Mahogany Mirror from the 1880s
Located in Lejre, DK
Antique mirror crafted in mahogany dating from the 1880s. It features a classic appearance reflecting the craftsmanship and proportions of the period. — Period: 1880s — Material: Mah...
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Rustic Swedish Original Painted Table Mirror Dated, 1870
Located in Boden, SE
19th century Swedish antique rustic vanity mirror / table mirror dated 1870. The Mirror has nice carved details on the top This orginal painted mirror...
Pine
Empire Giltwood Carved Frame
Located in New Orleans, LA
Period Empire giltwood frame.
Giltwood
$1,029Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century Empire Mirror, Wood & Brass, Restored, German Design
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...
Brass
Large Psyche Mirror in Walnut and Bronze Empire Style, circa 1900
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Large Psyche Mirror in Walnut and Bronze Empire Style, circa 1900
Bronze
Mirror Made In Mahogany, Marquetry From 1910s
Located in Lejre, DK
This small mirror, crafted from mahogany wood and featuring intricate intarsia, dates back to around the 1910s. It is a beautiful example of early 20th-century craftsmanship and desi...
Mahogany
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...
Porcelain, Mirror
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...
Glass, Mahogany
French Empire Mirror in Cuban Mahogany, Swans in Bronze D'Ore Ormolu, circa 1815
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
A very beautiful Empire mirror in fine West Indies/ Cuban mahogany with satinwood inlaid bandings. The book-matched figured mahogany draws the eye upward to the stepped pediment that...
Mahogany, Satinwood
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...
Mahogany
French Empire Gilt Swan Wall Mirror
Located in Queens, NY
French Empire gilt oval horizontal wall mirror with swan-shaped sides and urn top with floral decoration.
Gold Leaf
$4,400Sale Price|20% Off
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...
Mirror, Wood
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...
Glass, Mahogany, Giltwood
French Empire Giltwood and Gesso Overmantel Mirror
Located in Bradenton, FL
French Empire Giltwood and Gesso Overmantel Mirror. Mirror is crafted in carved wood with a gesso ground and original gilt finish, the mirror is framed by a rectilinear surround enri...
Gesso, Giltwood
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...
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
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: 42cm Ref.: 54676503 65 - 66
Resin
Empire Wall Mirror, Baltic States, around 1810
Located in Greding, DE
Large wall mirror with brass profiles and mahogany veneered frame as well as a gable end rising in the middle. The mirror glass is frame-facetted.
Brass
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...
Brass
$2,106Sale Price|32% Off
Neoclassical Style Brass and Lacquered Metal Mirror with Cup and Swan Necks.
Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France
This Empire style mirror is made of brass and lacquered metal with decoration. This is a French work, circa 1940.
Metal, Brass
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...
Giltwood, Walnut
Stunning French Empire Gilt Brass and Black Lacquer Wall Mirror
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Stunning French Empire Gilt Brass and Black Lacquer Wall Mirror This is a wonderful piece, the deeply moulded rectangular stepped frame is decorated with a 4” wide pierced brass bor...
Lacquer
19th Century Original Empire Style Large Console Mirror in Walnut Wax Polished
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Early 19th century Empire style console wall mirror in walnut . Column with marbled walnut wood with gold leaf on the end, three mirrors and top molded frame. This important mirro...
Mirror, Walnut
French Empire Mahogany and Ormolu Mounted Cheval Mirror
Located in Essex, MA
With an arched mirror set in a conforming frame and able to swing and adjust, flanked by a pair of columns with Corinthian capitals and urn finials, square plinth base. Casters.
Mahogany
19th Century Empire Wall Mirrors with Giltwood Frame, Europe
Located in Greding, DE
Pair of pillar mirrors in gold-patinated and stuccoed frame with profiled molding. The mirror panes are divided in the upper third. Patination is rubbe...
Giltwood
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...
Copper
Classical Continental Hall Mirror, Circa 1810
Located in Sarasota, FL
Classical hall mirror with giltwood and bronze ornamentation. The top is decorated with a pierced bronze gallery. At the center, a domed oil on panel depicts a classical woodland sce...
Bronze