Empire Table 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.
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Pine
1950s Vintage Empire Table Mirrors
Metal
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Empire Table Mirrors
Brass
1820s French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Mirror
1880s Danish Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Nutwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Ormolu, Bronze
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Pine
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century American Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
Late 19th Century English Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Mirror, Walnut
1950s French Vintage Empire Table Mirrors
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Gold
1890s Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Mirror, Wood
19th Century European Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Empire Table Mirrors
Brass
1950s American Vintage Empire Table Mirrors
Brass
1830s English Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Mirror, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Empire Table Mirrors
Brass
1820s English Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Mahogany
1950s North American Vintage Empire Table Mirrors
Glass, Mirror
1970s European Vintage Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
Early 20th Century Indian Empire Table Mirrors
Wood
1920s English Vintage Empire Table Mirrors
Gesso, Mirror
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
Early 20th Century Unknown Empire Table Mirrors
Brass
1820s French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Silver Plate
1820s French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Marble, Gold Plate, Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Gold Plate, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Crystal, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Empire Table Mirrors
Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Mahogany
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Walnut
1820s Italian Antique Empire Table Mirrors
Walnut