Empire Armchairs
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
Pair of 20th Century French Armchairs
Located in London, England
Pair of reupholstered French armchairs with solid pale walnut frames and recovered in a dusky green velvet.. France circa 1940.
Category
1940s French Vintage Empire Armchairs
Materials
Fabric, Walnut
Pair 19th Century Ebonized Empire Style Black Hair Hide Armchairs
Located in Houston, TX
Pair of 19th Century ebonized mahogany Empire style fauteuil with winged caryatids, newly upholstered in a deep espresso hairhide.
Category
Late 19th Century European Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Marge Carson French Empire Regency Style Gold Upholstered Library Arm Chair
By Marge Carson
Located in Dayton, OH
French Empire style arm chair by Marge Carson. Features a mahogany finished and distressed frame with an intriguing brown / gold foliate upholstered seat and back. Crest rail is cont...
Category
Late 20th Century Empire Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery, Mahogany
French 1st Empire Armchair with Carved Dolphins' Heads
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
A fine Empire armchair with four elegant saber legs, upholstered in vertical cream and crimson stripes, and featuring ornately carved dolphins' heads at the base of each shaped arm r...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Empire Style Campaign Armchair with Red Wood Finish
Located in Dallas, TX
A handsome antique empire style campaign armchair, walnut, with green and white striped fabric cushions for seat and back. Brass lion paw feet....
Category
17th Century North American Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Empire Salon Suite, France 1810, Manner of Jacob Desmalter (1770-1841)
Located in Leimen, DE
Empire Salon Suite, France 1810
Step back in time to the opulent era of 19th-century France with the exquisite Elegant Empire Salon Suite, crafted i...
Category
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Bronze
Pair 19th C French Mahogany Empire Upholstered Armchairs With Bronze Mounts
Located in Stamford, CT
Pair of period French Empire mahogany bergeres with stylized carved dolphins decorating the arm and gilt bronze mounts. The central bronze mount depicting the helmeted god Mercury an...
Category
Early 20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Danish Late Empire Birch Armchairs With Inlay, 1810-1820
Located in Kastrup, DK
A pair of elegant late empire armchairs.
Crafted in birch wood with marquetry inlaid on backrest in the form of vases. Fine line inlays on backrest and apron.
The tops of the bac...
Category
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Birch
Pair of French Empire-Style Ebonized and Parcel Gilt Bergeres
Located in Houston, TX
Pair of handsome empire style chairs from the late 20 th century.
These chairs have a curved and reeded backs, the gilded arm.
Fronts in the form of swans, the seat frames with gil...
Category
Late 20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Materials
Giltwood
19th Century Gold Gilt and Painted Empire Armchair
Located in San Angelo, TX
Here is a beautiful Empire chair that we purchased in Naples, Italy. This is a classic style, with a fun pop of color with blue velvet that can be left as is or can be reupholstered ...
Category
19th Century European Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Paint
Pair of Empire Style Armchairs with Versacesque Decoration
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Pair of maximalist empire revival style armchairs featuring Versace inspired motifs. The chairs have a classic gondola shaped frame with faux leather naugahyde upholstery. The faux l...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Empire Armchairs
Materials
Metal, Brass
French Empire Salon Set After Jean Francois Bellange
By Bellanger
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
This three piece early 19 Century salon set features finely carved gold leaf gilded frames accented by rosettes palmettes and acanthus characterizing most French Empire furnitur...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Beech
19th Century Pompeian Style Armchair
Located in Mjöhult, SE
Exceptional 19th century Danish masters work in Pompeian style. Ca 1850 Denmark.
The armchair is carved in walnut wood with marquetry inlaid.
Category
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Empire Style Armchair, 1850
Located in Meulebeke, BE
Empire style armchair made around 1850 in black wood and green-yellow velvet.
Has some nice sculptural details carved in the wood. Is easy to mo...
Category
1850s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Velvet, Wood
Mid 20th Century Cherry Empire Style Dining Armchair
Located in Charlotte, NC
A dining armchair in the Empire style, unbranded. Solid cherry with carved barback crest rail, carved backrest, curved arms, upholstered seat in a gold colored textured fabric and ge...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Empire Armchairs
Materials
Fabric, Cherry
Pair of French Armchairs Fauteuil White Carved Back Early 1900s Antique Empire
Located in Lewes, England
Unusual early 1900s French antique pair of armchairs in original white paint with carved backs and beautiful curved arms and legs. They hark back to Napoleon's favorite Empire style ...
Category
Early 20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Materials
Bentwood
Pair of Armchairs
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Russian neoclassical parcel-gilt mahogany armchairs
Each armchair made during the Empire period in Russia. The mahogany veneered frame with gilded details. With unusual tu...
Category
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Empire Mahogany Armchair
By François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A period French Empire mahogany armchair with carved lion heads to the arms and lion's paw feet to the legs, upholstered in French Emp...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Pair of Stately Antique French Empire Style Armchairs
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Pair of high quality gorgeous vintage French Empire style club chairs from Bloomingdale's with handsome carved dolphin armrests. Probably walnut, faux painted a greige color.
#4271
...
Category
1940s American Vintage Empire Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Important French Empire Early 19th Century Armchair
By Jacob-Desmalter
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
An impressive Napoléonic Empire mahogany armchair, attributed to Jacob-Desmalter (1770-1841). With a pedimented top rail above a rectangular padded back and seat covered in red and g...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Bronze
Empire Armchair with winged Caryatids and yellow Silk Fabric, France circa 1800
Located in Greding, DE
Empire fauteuil in mahogany and yellow silk morée upholstery with red piping and carved winged caryatids, France c. 1800. Lit.: J. Mottheau, Meubles et Emsembles Directoire Empire, T...
Category
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Silk, Mahogany
French, Empire Provencal Armchair
Located in Montreal, Quebec
A rare, beautiful, early-19th century Napoleon I, First Empire provencal armchair, a period piece, newly upholstered in the traditional laurel-leaf ...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Wood
20th Century Empire Style Lion Armchair
Located in Berlin, DE
20th century Empire style lion armchair
Imperial stylish lion armchair in Empire style.
Finely detailed carving work on solid ebonized beechwood....
Category
20th Century Empire Armchairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood, Beech
Pair of Swedish Empire Mahogany Armchairs
Located in Essex, MA
Generous scale with slightly arched crest rail with scroll carving terminating with bird heads over an upholstered back and bowed seat, scrolled arms with bird terminals raised on cu...
Category
1830s European Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Set of Empire Armchairs, Ca.1820
Located in Meulebeke, BE
Set of two early Empire armchairs made of solid mahogany wood and sheepskin.
With carved sculptured armrests and lion's paw feet to the legs.
A great patina on this set of French s...
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Sheepskin, Mahogany
High Back French Empire Neoclassical Style Marble Fabric Wing Back Arm Chair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage high back French Empire / neoclassical style lounge chair with marbled fabric. Item features a tall solid carved wood frame, unique upholstered wings, shapely legs, cream dis...
Category
1950s American Vintage Empire Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Two French Empire Armchairs, 19th Century
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Fine quality French Empire cherrywood armchairs.
Carved arms in shallow relief with acanthus leaves, elegant saber legs, beautiful patina color.
To coat however you like.
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Cherry
Pair of 19th Century French Empire Mahogany Library Chairs
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
An excellent quality pair of 19th century mahogany
library armchairs, in the French empire taste, having
swept back and moulded scrolling arms with C-scroll
supports raised on elegant moulded sabre legs
(A relative typical design in the early to mid-19th century
these chairs are in the French Empire taste which was most
popular at the time, with the added benefit of being much
more sturdy and practical than the English Regency Chaise...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Pair of French Empire Mahogany Armchairs
Located in Dallas, TX
A pair of French Empire mahogany armchairs.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery, Mahogany
19th Century French Empire Library Armchair
By Jacob-Desmalter
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
A Very Fine Quality Early 19th Century Mahogany French Empire Period Library Armchair, Of Bold Proportions, With Fine Ormolu Mounted Decoration Throughout, Having Upholstered Back Ov...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Rare Set of Four Empire Rams Head Carved Mahogany Armchairs, Bergeres
Located in New York, NY
A spectacular suite of four Empire period carved mahogany armchairs custom upholstered in close nailed fine crimson leather with down filled seat cushions. Each stamped Jacob on the ...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Important Empire Early 19th Century Fauteuil by Jean-Joseph Chapuis
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
Despite his long life, very little is known about the general production of menuisier (chairmaker) Jean-Joseph Chapuis (1765-1864) and even less about his use of bent laminates, which must be viewed as the most advanced of its kind until the appearance of Michael Thonet’s work of the 1830s.
The profound reverence for the classical world in enlightened circles in early 19th century Europe and the United States often resulted in the archaeological resurrection of the art, architecture, and design of ancient Greece and Rome. No chair employing the innovative technique of bending wood more boldly expresses this allegiance to the past than this armchair painted in le style antique and based on the ancient Roman sella...
Category
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Cane, Bentwood
2 Kreiss Luxury Modern Empire Style Mahogany & Wicker Back Arm Chairs Suede Seat
By Kreiss
Located in Dayton, OH
A beautiful pair of Kreiss Luxury Empire style arm chairs. Made from mahogany with a wicker inset backing and swooping arms with bulbous fluted...
Category
Late 20th Century Empire Armchairs
Materials
Ultrasuede, Wicker, Mahogany
Empire Solid Mahogany Desk Chair, Early 19th Century
Located in Spencertown, NY
Empire mahogany desk chair or fauteuil de bureau.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Pair of French Empire Fauteuils in Mahogany with Bronze Doré Ormolu, circa 1810
Located in Miami, FL
An exquisite pair of Empire armchairs/ fauteuils in fine mahogany with bronze dore´ ormolu mounts decorating the upper crest and lower back splat, with rosettes and palmettes on legs...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Consulat Mahogany Armchairs
Located in Kittery Point, ME
The rectangular arched padded back above a padded seat and tapering front legs topped with the head of a sphinx and ending in paw feet.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Fabric, Mahogany
Antique French Empire Bergere
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A lovely period French Directoire bergere, restored and upholstered in silk velvet. Lovely armchair with beautiful turned legs and columnar supports at the arms.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Jacob French 18th Century Mahogany and Green Silk Upholster High Back Armchairs
Located in Firenze, IT
This magnificent pair of French late 18th Century- early 19th Century armchairs could be attributable to Jacob-Desmalter, an outstanding chairmaker and cabinetmaker who worked in the Louis XVI style and Directoire styles of the earlier phase of Neoclassicism.
These sturdy armchairs are made of solid mahogany and green silk upholster, they feature an extremely comfortable high and slightly arched back and quite large and extremely firm seats. The hand-made carvings and inlays are masterfully executed. The over graceful scrolled arms and the top rail sculpted in shallow relief with acanthus leaves, lotus leaves and rosette, all typical neoclassical patterns beloved during the Directory- Restauration and Empire period and always very chic.
The bowed seat and its apron are raised by carved console legs in front and saber legs back.
These armchairs with their beautiful curvy shape are very stylish, comfortable and sturdy.
The back is covered with silk also behind that's make them a perfect free standing piece of furniture or a centre seating...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Silk, Wood, Mahogany
Pair of 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A good pair of period 19th century fauteuil with new velvet upholstery, circa 1810-1820, mahogany with carved accents to the arms. They display all the classical elements of the last...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Velvet, Mahogany
Neoclassical Empire Early 19th Century Mahogany Desk Armchair
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
An unusual North European mahogany desk armchair with original brass castors. Fully carved armrests with eagle heads, the design probably by a designer from Berlin or Copenhagen (e.g...
Category
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Brass
Pair of Empire Mahogany Armchairs in the Manner of Jacob Desmalter
Located in Berlin, DE
A pair of Empire mahogany fauteuils or armchair 'a la Reine' in the manner of Jacob-Desmalter/ François-Honoré-Georges Jacob Desmalter (1770-1841, son of Jacob Desmalter), newly upho...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Set of Four 19th Century French Empire Mahogany Armchairs
Located in Dallas, TX
A set of four French Empire fauteuils-armchairs in carved and veneered mahogany with beautiful carving and scale.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Franch Empire armchair , in Carved Solid Mahogany
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Late 19th century Franch Empire chair with armrests in carved solid mahogany , wax polished
Measure cm: H 92/42 x W 56 x D 50.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
French Empire Period Mahogany Armchair with Swans' Heads
Located in Pembroke, MA
French Empire period mahogany fauteuil or armchair with saber legs and swans' heads on the arms. The chair is upholstered neoclassical-patterned cut mohair fabric.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mohair, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Pair of Empire Dolphins' Heads Fauteuils, Manner of Bellangé
Located in Berlin, DE
Early 19th Century Pair of Empire Dolphins' Heads Fauteuils, Manner of Bellange
A pair of Empire walnut fauteuils or armchairs 'aux Dauphine'' (with dolphins' heads) in the manner o...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery, Walnut
Set of Four French Empire Fauteuil Armchairs in the Manner of Jacob Frères
Located in Long Island City, NY
These four early 19th-century Empire fauteuil armchairs, in the manner of the Jacob Frères cabinetmaking firm of the late 18th century, each feature a distinctive pediment-shaped cre...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Period Empire Giltwood Armchair
Located in New Orleans, LA
Empire Carved and Gilded Armchair
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Giltwood
Empire Style White and Gold Pair of Armchairs, Sharkskin Style Trim, 1950s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Empire style white carved wood with gold highlights pair of armchairs.
Standing on two front tapered legs and two back saber legs. Straight apron and uprights, rectangular backseat ...
Category
Mid-20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Antique Mahogany Child Armchair, France
Located in Munich, DE
This charming children’s armchair is made out of mahogany with fine carving. It is newly upholstered with a discretely patterned fine, lustrous fabric in green with golden spots.
Paris, circa 1810...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Fabric, Mahogany
Pair of Late 19th Century Carved and Painted Wood Classical Style Open Armchairs
Located in Hudson, NY
This pair of chairs Swedish or Scandinavian in manufacture were made circa 1880-1900. Of large-scale and finely carved they are in the Empire or Regency taste. Decorative elements in...
Category
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Wood
19th Century Empire Style Parcel Gilt Mahogany Armchair
Located in El Monte, CA
A stately 19th Century Empire Style armchair crafted from Mahogany with detailed gilt carvings and a neoclassical print green silk upholstery. Featuring a gilt sunburst and Eye of Go...
Category
Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Bronze
Pair of 19th Century Armchairs from the Empire Period
Located in NICE, FR
These splendid Empire period armchairs symbolize the opulence, refinement and luxury characteristic of the Napoleonic era. Beautifully carved and adorned with sophisticated details, ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
French 19th century Empire st. Mahogany and patinated Wood armchairs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome and high quality set of four French 19th century Empire st. Mahogany and patinated Wood armchairs. Each attractive arm chair is raised on four tapered Mahogany legs. The t...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Mahogany
Antique Empire / Biedermeier Armchair, circa 1810, Mahogany
Located in Berlin, DE
Mahogany solid wood, partially veneered. Semicircular backrests, Bergeren-form.
Restored and reupholstered with original Wollrips fabric covered.
(C-147).
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Jean-Joseph Chapuis Rare Pair of Empire parcel-gilt japanned Fauteuils
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
Despite his long life, very little is known about the general production of menuisier (chairmaker) Jean-Joseph Chapuis and even less about his use of bent laminates, which must be viewed as the most advanced of its kind until the appearance of Michael Thonet’s work of the 1830s.
The profound reverence for the classical world in enlightened circles in early nine-teenth-century Europe and the United States often resulted in the archaeological resurrection of the art, architecture, and design of ancient Greece and Rome. No chair employing the innovative technique of bending wood more boldly expresses this allegiance to the past than this armchair painted in le style antique and based on the ancient Roman sella curulis (folding stool); With a curved toprail decorated with putti supporting a medaillion and flanked by scrolling acanthus, the arms with ball finials, above a caned seat, on curved supports terminating in foliate gilt-metal sabots. This merger of technological innovation with fashionable aesthetics parallels the work of the American Samuel Gragg...
Category
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Bentwood
Pair Of Fine French Empire Giltwood Armchairs In Apple Green Silk
Located in London, GB
A fine pair of French Empire style armchairs, carved and water gilded with burnishing. Upholstered in apple green silk with rope piping and horsehair.
These chairs and the matching ...
Category
1930s French Vintage Empire Armchairs
Materials
Fruitwood
Empire Period Armchairs and Bergere by P.BELLANGÉ
Located in Paris, FR
EXCEPTIONAL seats by Pierre Bellangé
PAIR OF ARMCHAIRS, circa 1805
Mahogany with mahogany veneer. Powerful tapered front legs with three scalloped rings, and sabre back legs.
Slight...
Category
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Armchairs
Materials
Mahogany
Pair Empire Style leather armchairs
Located in Schöfflisdorf, CH
Pair Empire Style leather armchairs very wide and comfortable with golden print on the seat and back
Category
1980s French Vintage Empire Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Birch
Empire armchairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire armchairs 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 armchairs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, mahogany and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire armchairs made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Scandinavia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original armchairs, popular names associated with this style include Century Furniture, Jacob Freres Rue Meslée, Modenese Gastone, and Jean Joseph Chapuis. 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 armchairs differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $495 and tops out at $151,397 while the average work can sell for $5,637.
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