Napoleon III Armchairs
NAPOLEON III STYLE
Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.
Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”
Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.
Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)
Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Style: Napoleon III
Napoleon III Style Desk Armchair, France, circa 1880
Located in VÉZELAY, FR
Superb office / desk chair with crosiers / butts.
Structure in oak, carved with acanthus leaves.
Seat in brown leather, imitation crocodile skin.
Empire / Napoleon III style, ...
Category
1880s French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Leather, Wood, Oak
Antique Armchair Fauteuil Napoleon III Upholstery and Walnut French 19th Century
Located in Labrit, Landes
Fauteuil armchair French Napoleon III, circa 1880
Antique, 19th century,
Sound and solid
to be recovered
Very comfortable.
Shipping:
L76 P75 H96 19,3 kg.
Category
1880s French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Beech, Upholstery
Elegant Ebonized Napoleon III Armchair with New Upholstery
Located in Hopewell, NJ
French Napoleon III ebonized salon armchair with lovely carved acanthus leaf crest, cabriole legs, and new upholstery. France, circa 1880. Wonderful as head dining chair...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Antique French 19th Century Napolean III Armchair and Footstool Bullion Fringe
Located in London, GB
Antique French 19th century Napolean III armchair and footstool Bullion Fringe
Excellent condition.
Chair:
h78/40
w79
d85
Footstool
D43
h42.
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery
Pair of Napoleon III French Crapaud Armchairs Boucle Armchairs
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of Napoleon III French Tufted Crapaud armchairs. Walnut frame fully restored, newly upholstered in bouclé.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Bouclé
Pair of French Napoleon III Blue Tufted Armchairs
Located in Buchanan, NY
An exquisite pair of French Napoleon III tufted armchairs. Upholstered in a stunning vintage blue fabric, these chairs have a serious presence that...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Fabric
Rare 19th Century Napoleon III Brocade Sofa and Two Armchairs
Located in Puglia, Puglia
French sofa and two armchairs from the 19th century, Napoleon III period. The whole set has been restored and the upholstery replaced with a beautiful Italian Brocade...
Category
1870s French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Brocade, Beech
Pair of French Great Quality Black Leather 19th Century Armchairs
Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB
A large and very comfortable pair of Napoleon III antique French library armchairs. Quality black leather and studded on the front & back edges,...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Brass
Original Napoleon III Armchair, Blackened Wood, Mother-of-pearl Inlay
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Original Napoleon III armchair, blackened wood, mother-of-pearl inlay.
Small lack of mother-of-pearl on an armrest.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Napoleon III Pair of Straw Chairs, France 19th Century
Located in Paris, FR
Very charming wood and straw Napoleon III pair of straw chairs, low seating, in a good condition.
France 19th century.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Straw
Pair Of Papier Mâché Armchairs, XIXth Century
Located in MARSEILLE, FR
Beautiful pair of papier-mâché armchairs, decorated with painted flowers and butterflies or in mother-of-pearl, on a black lacquered background
The seat is in caning, in good condit...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Paper
20th Century Empire Style Napoleonic Swan Armchair
Located in Berlin, DE
Napoleonic pavilion armchair in Empire style.
Very exact fine-carved sculpture made of solid, blackened beechwood. Poliment gold-plated. Scratched frame on plastically carved legs e...
Category
20th Century French Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Antique French Napoleon III Style "Chaise Percée" Toilet / Throne, a Curiosity
Located in Madrid, ES
A fun and decorative curiosity, this late 19th century French Napoleon III (nephew of Bonaparte I) or Second Empire style "throne" is a fine example of elegant furniture making meeting functional necessity. Known as a "Chaise...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Metal
Hollywood Regency Style Rope & Tassel Chair with Matching Ottoman in Blue Velvet
Located in New York, NY
Rope and tassel chair with matching ottoman in blue velvet. The chair has a carved wood rope style frame with beautiful, newly upholstered, velvet upholstery.
Chair measures: 27.5 W...
Category
1970s Unknown Vintage Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Velvet, Wood
French Napoleon III Marquise Chair in Tropics "Leopard' Fabric
Located in Hastings, GB
Beautiful antique French Napoleon III marquise chair
This extremely rare 19th century antique French Napoleon III marquise chair, also affectionately...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Cotton, Wood
19th C French Armchair and Footstool in 'Fan Palm’ Fabric
Located in Hastings, GB
A beautiful 19th century French Napoleon lll armchair and footstool, upholstered in our exclusive Tropics 'Fan Palm' fabric.
This stunning Armchair and Footstool dating from around 1860, have been painstakingly covered in the luxurious Fan Palm fabric from our Tropics range, designed in-house. The Armchair and Footstool were made as a pair, the curved shaping on the front edge of the Armchair sits together perfectly with the curved shape of the footstool. The frame retains the roots of it's history, the patina of the turned mahogany legs bearing testament to its' 160 year life.
100% organic cotton gabardine, piped with designers guild 'Varese' grey velvet.
Dimensions:
Armchair 80cm width, 88cm height, 40cm seat height, seat depth 50cm
Footstool 67cm width/depth, 40cm height
The armchair and footstool are being sold as a set, the price is for the armchair and footstool, we cannot sell separately
All of our antique pieces have been especially hand picked by us and reupholstered in either our own exclusive luxury fabrics designed in house, or in a sumptuous fabric that has been exclusively chosen for the item. Ensuring that every piece from our Antiques Collection is a true one off that cannot be found anywhere else.
Our pieces of furniture are genuine antique/vintage pieces and therefore can have some signs of age related use or wear, this adds to the character and uniqueness of each of them. All of our hand picked antique furniture pieces...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Cotton, Wood
Pair 19th Century French Empire Mahogany Armchairs with Leather & Bronze Mounts
Located in Dallas, TX
Pair 19th century French Empire Mahogany armchairs with leather & bronze mounts are ideal for the Conference Room, an office environment, a large game table...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Bronze
French Armchair / Armchair / Bergère Napoleon III
Located in Berlin, DE
French armchair / armchair / bergère Napoleon III
Solid wood, carved, painted in gold.
Slightly curved frame on fluted legs. Slanted, fluted, slightly rising armrests. Curly, bac...
Category
1860s French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Pair 19th Century French Napoleon III Period Mahogany Armchairs
Located in Dallas, TX
Pair 19th century French Napoleon III Period Mahogany armchairs reflects the stately classically-inspired architecture of the ancients, accentuated by bronze castings of rosettes and...
Category
1880s French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Bronze
Pair of Napoleon III Upholstered Armchairs in Ebonized & Burl Walnut, circa 1870
Located in Miami, FL
A beautiful pair of Napoleon III armchairs with walnut frame with burled walnut and ebonized details. Shield-back has carved laurel leaves with a cartouche over the crest rail with f...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Burl, Walnut
Rive Droite Confident by Bourgeois Boheme Atelier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This Classic Napoleon III style armchair or tête-à-tête has been restyled. It is the
perfect conversation piece. This version has turned wooden legs with the traditional Napoleon II...
Category
2010s American Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Velvet
Pair of Napoléon III 1850s Painted and Upholstered Armchairs with Carved Flowers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of French Napoléon III period painted wood armchairs from the mid 19th century, with carved floral and foliage décor. Created in France at the beginning of Emperor Napoléon III's reign, each of this pair of fauteuils features a slightly slanted back, adorned with carved flowers and foliage on the crest. Two open arms with splaying extremities rest on a seat measuring 28" W x 21" D x 15" H. The seat, back and arms' upper section have been reupholstered with a neutral toned fabric complimenting the lines beautifully. Each fauteuil is raised on four cabriole legs decorated with flowers on the knees, and connected to one another through a curving apron, carved in the front. Painted in a soft color, this pair of Napoléon III French armchairs...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Wood, Upholstery
Jacob Et Josef Khon, 4 Fauteuils 101/f, circa 1902, Set of Four Napoleon III
By Thonet, J.&J. Khon 1
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Jacob Et Josef Khon, 4 Fauteuils 101/f, circa 1902,Set of four Napoleon III curved and blackened wood armchairs,
Original fabric.
Category
1880s Austrian Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Bentwood
Pair of French Upholstered Armchairs in Red Fabric
Located in Buchanan, NY
A striking pair of 19th century French Napoleon III armchairs. Skillfully crafted and luxuriously upholstered in a vivid red ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Fabric
19th Century French Faux Rosewood Voltaire Chair
Located in Dallas, TX
A 19th century French Voltaire Armchair with a faux rosewood painted finish. This imposing lounge chair has a wide well-sprung seat pad sitting on pl...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Wood
1880s French Napoleon III Green Velvet Reading Chair
Located in Buchanan, NY
An exceptional French 19th century Napoleon III reading chair. This unique chair is upholstered in an elegant green-gold velvet, featuring intricate braided detailing, and elaborate ...
Category
1880s French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery
Napoleon III Armchair, France Second Half of the 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
A Napoleon III armchair on s-shaped legs with a curved frame. The high, rounded backrest as well as the seat and armrests are upholstered. The golden patinated frame is decorated wit...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Giltwood
19th Century Napoleon III Armchair
Located in Southampton, NY
19th century Napoleon III armchair.
Category
19th Century Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Napoleon 3 Style "Crapaud" Armchair, Covered with Satin, circa 1950, Baroque
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Napoleon 3 style "crapaud" armchair, covered with satin, circa 1950, baroque
and its footrest, all covered with yellow satin, slightly discolored satin, and small spots.
Category
1950s French Vintage Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Satin, Wood
Rive Droite Confident by Bourgeois Boheme Atelier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This classic Napoleon III style armchair or tête-à-tête has been restyled. It is the
perfect conversation piece. We have used white bronze legs and added a modern
touch to the uphols...
Category
2010s American Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Bronze
19th Century French Napoleon III Leather Reclining Armchair
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Fantastic 19th century French Napoleon III period leather reclining armchair or lounge chair. Features a mahogany frame covered with rich, d...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Metal
Adjustable Napoleon III Campaign Chair, France, circa 1880s
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Very fine iron Campaign-style armchair with adjustable positions, from upright to horizontal. Raised on casters. Newly upholstered with vintage fabric.
Dimensions provided below ...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Pair of Tufted and Scrolled Back Chairs in Printed Velvet
Located in Buchanan, NY
A stunning pair of 19th century French tufted and scrolled armchairs, reflecting the distinguished Napoleon III style. These sophisticated and elegant chairs have the potential to el...
Category
Late 19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery
Set of Four Painted and Gilt Napoleon III Fauteuils
Located in Washington, DC
A set of four painted and gilt napoleon III fauteuils, seat and back are reconditioned and covered with new cotton and silk fabric. Wonderful pat...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Pair of Napoleon III Carved and Paint Decorated Fauteuils
Located in Bridgeport, CT
In cream paint with a shaped crest rail with leafy finials, reeded arms with acanthus leaves and raised on tapering cylindrical reeded legs with floral tops. In a striped pink floral...
Category
19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Wood
Pair of 19th Century French Louis V Style Fruitwood Armchairs
Located in Southampton, NY
Pair of 19th century French Louis V Style Fruitwood and Cane armchairs.
Napoleon III Period circa 1860's
having the original brown leather on the arms
Category
Late 19th Century North American Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Pair of French Napoleon III boudoir chairs C 1870 on ebonized turned feet.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Pair of French Napoleon III boudoir chairs C 1870 on ebonized turned feet. These chairs have recetly been recovered in a heavy burlap type material with a very dark blue stripe.
Category
1870s French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Napoleon III Tufted Settee and Two Armchairs, France, 19th Century
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Napoleon III two-seater settee and two armchairs, with button-tufted backs, upholstered in a lustrous silvery-blue crushed velvet, with bullion fringe. The set has a rolled edge.
...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Armchairs
Napoleon Iii armchairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III 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 fabric, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III armchairs made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original armchairs, popular names associated with this style include Bourgeois Boheme Atelier, J.&J. Khon, and Frederic Gustave Quignon. 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 $373 and tops out at $42,246 while the average work can sell for $3,800.
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