Napoleon III Chairs
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
Number in Set: Single Piece
19th Century French Napoleon III Prie Dieu or Prayer Chair.
Located in Labrit, Landes
Prayer chair or Prie-Dieu of the period Napoleon III, French, 19th century
Exotic wood and velvet with golden braid. Can be recovered to suit your interior.
Good antique condition.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Chaise à haut dossier en bois et carton bouilli burgauté, Napoléon III
Located in ROYÈRE-DE-VASSIVIÈRE, FR
Chaise à haut dossier en bois et carton bouilli burgauté, Napoléon III
Assise anciennement cannée, garnie d’un velours rose (clous tapissier apparents)
Riches décors peints de fleurs...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood
Pair of French Napoleon III Tufted Armchairs
Located in Buchanan, NY
An elegant pair of 19th century Napoleon III tufted armchairs from France. The pair is upholstered in vintage floral fabric but would look amazing recovered in a modern updated fabri...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Upholstery
Fausse paire de chaises Napoléon III, bois noirci et carton bouilli burgauté
Located in ROYÈRE-DE-VASSIVIÈRE, FR
Fausse paire de chaises Napoléon III, bois noirci et carton bouilli burgauté
Riches décors de fleurs et rehauts dorés
assises en galettes garnies de t...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
French Antique Chair Dating from the Napoleon III Period
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
An elegant 19th century Napoleon III period decorative fireside chair (chaise chauffeuse), its deep and comfortable seat cushion beautifully upholstered in a striking cream and bronz...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood
19th Century French Carved Prayers Chair or Prie Dieux
Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB
A 19th century French elaborately hand carved ebony cross splat Prie-Dieu or prayer chair. A religious kneeler from the late 19th century, featuring a padded black leather top rail a...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Leather
Napoleon III Painted Chair, France, 1850s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Napoleon III painted chair, France, 1850s.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood
'La Somme" Slipper Chair by Bourgeois Boheme Atelier
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Custom Chair from BoBo Atelier.
Custom Wood Finishing and Upholstery Work included in the price of each chair.
Customer provides fabric (COM).
Category
2010s American Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Cotton, Oak
Napolean III Ebonized Armchair, C1870
Located in Altrincham, GB
Napolean III Ebonised Armchair, circa 1870 upholstered in buttoned red/gold silk, stylised shaped for on horn castors 28"w x 45"d x 34"h 45
Category
1870s French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Silk, Ebony
19th Century French Hand Carved Wooden Piano Swivel Chair Napoleon III Period
Located in Sofia, BG
Very delicate and rare hand carved wooden piano swivel chair made in mid 19th century during Napoleon III period. Having no restoration so far the chair i...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood
Large French 19th Century Leather Armchair
Located in Buchanan, NY
A large French Napoleon III armchair in brown leather. Add luxurious style and comfort to your home with this classic French 19th century Napoleon III leather...
Category
19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Leather
Chaise Gondole Napoléon III En Bois Et Papier Mâché Laqué Noir Et Burgauté
Located in ROYÈRE-DE-VASSIVIÈRE, FR
Chaise gondole Napoléon III en bois et papier mâché laqué noir et burgauté
décors de fleurs,
assise cannée en bon état garnie d’un coussin en tissu rouge capitonné
Plusieurs petit...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
Napoleon III Chair with Turned Beech and Velvet for Child French, circa 1880
Located in Labrit, Landes
Napoleon III French chair for child late 19th century
Turned beech, with patina,
The fabric in a good quality. Two marks in the velvet, nothing dist...
Category
1880s French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Beech, Velvet
Charming Napoleon III Period Chair, in Blackened Pear and Velvet
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Charming Napoleon III period chair, in blackened pear and velvet.
Good general condition, including velvet and padding.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Velvet, Pearwood
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 Chairs
Materials
Beech, Upholstery
Napoleon III Ebonized Slipper Chair
Located in Essex, MA
Slightly arched back upholstered in gold cut velvet raised on turned tapered fluted legs.
Category
1870s French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Paint
2 Original Chiarivari Napoleon III Ebonized Chairs, France, 1850s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
2 Original Napoleon III ebonized chairs, France, 1850s.
Wear and lack of gilding.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood
19th Century French Napoleon III Period Rosewood Salon Chair
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century French Napoleon III Period Rosewood salon chair is an elegant example of Fine French craftsmanship using exotic imported wood from the Americas. Sometimes called Kingwood, rosewood is known for its natural beauty, color, hardness, and ability to last for eons. This example combines elements of the Louis Philippe form with accents from the Louis XVI style, with a graceful shield-shaped seatback carved with flowing ribbon at the top of the arched crown. The remainder of the seatback follows tailored lines accented with scrolls for a tailored opulence. The seat itself is beautifully contoured and upholstered in mohair, and features gracefully scrolled legs, with the front legs molded for added visual appeal while retaining an austerity of form that is the essence of understated elegance.
If you act fast, a twin chair...
Category
1870s French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Mohair, Rosewood
Vintage Pair of Walnut Chairs "Chauffeuse" French, circa 1960
Located in Labrit, Landes
Chauffeuse French Napoleon III, circa 1880.
The feets are in walnut
Antique, 19th century.
It can be recovered with the fabric of your choice to suit your interior.
Sound and sol...
Category
1960s French Vintage Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Upholstery, Walnut
2 Original Napoleon III Chairs, France, 1850s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
2 Original Napoleon III Chairs, France, 1850s
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Beech
19th Century Napoleon III Caned Child Chair
Located in LEGNY, FR
Beautiful 19th century French Napoleon III Period child chair made in blackened beech and cane.
Used condition.
Category
1870s French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Cane, Beech
2 Napoleon III Chairs, France, circa 1930
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
2 Napoleon III armchairs, France, circa 1930.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
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 Chairs
Materials
Wood, Straw
Antique Parlor Chair with Nobilis Floral Fabric
Located in Munich, DE
1950s European Parlor Chair refurbished and done with a floral pattern from the firm Nobilis. This chair fits well with a wide array of settings.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Original Napoleon III Ebonized Chair, France, 1850s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Original Napoleon III ebonized chair, France, 1850s.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood
2 Original Chiarivari Napoleon III Ebonized Chairs, France, 1850s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
2 original Napoleon III ebonized chairs, France, 1850s
wear and lack of gilding.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood
19th Century French Napoleon III Period Hand Painted Tole Fireside Chair
Located in Fayetteville, AR
Called a chaise chauffeuse or fireside chair in English due to its low seat height of 15 inches, this mid-nineteenth century French Napoleon III period hand painted tole chair...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Mother-of-Pearl, Silk, Wood
Napoleon III Faux Bamboo Chair, France, 1850s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Napoleon III faux bamboo chair, France, 1850s.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood
2 Original Napoleon III Ebonized Chairs, France, 1850s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
2 original Napoleon III ebonized chairs, France, 1850s.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood
Antique French Napoleon III Folding Chair Wooden and Azure Velvet
Located in Tourcoing, FR
Antique French Napoleon III folding chair gilded wooden and azure velvet in its original state, circa 1865.
Category
1860s French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood, Velvet
2 Original Napoleon III Ebonised Chairs, France, 1850s
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
2 original Napoleon III ebonised chairs, France, 1850s
wear and lack of gilding.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Wood
19th Century Napoleon III Giltwood French Pair of Armchairs by Frederic Quignon
Located in Roma, RM
A superb pair of gilt armchairs, France, Napoleon III period, signed Quignon.
Frederic Gustave Quignon, son of Napoleon Quignon, was born in ...
Category
1880s French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Hand Carved Low Back Chair Napoleon III Period
Located in Sofia, BG
French hand carved mahogany low back chair with tapestry upholstery decorated with Louis XV style flowers.
France, 1860
Napoleon III period.
Measures: 63 x 46 x 45 cm.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Mahogany
Napoleon III Folding Chair
Located in New York, NY
More sculpture than furniture, this finely-carved 1860s folding chair has a gilded and gessoed wood frame, and the original cut-silk-velvet upholstery material that was woven to fit....
Category
1860s French Antique Napoleon III Chairs
Materials
Velvet, Wood
Napoleon Iii chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III chairs 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 chairs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, more furniture and collectibles, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III chairs 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 chairs, popular names associated with this style include Bourgeois Boheme Atelier, 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 chairs 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 $41,810 while the average work can sell for $1,980.
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