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.
Bellanger French Empire Mahogany Pink and Red Stripe Upholstered Settee
By Bellanger
Located in Queens, NY
French Empire-style mahogany settee with a carved frame and striped blush pink and red upholstered seat, arms and back. (BELLANGER).
Wood, Fabric, Upholstery, Mahogany
Set of Four French Empire Period Walnut Armchairs with Dolphin-Head
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
An elegant and decorative set of four French Empire period armchairs, crafted in solid walnut during the early 19th century, circa 1810–1825. These finely proportioned fauteuils disp...
Upholstery, Walnut
Empire Style Tall Back Loveseat with Carved Mahogany Base
Located in New York, NY
Empire style tall back loveseat with carved mahogany base and claw feet. Newly upholstered in off-white fabric.
Upholstery, Mahogany
Empire Swedish Salon Group with Gilt Caryatids and Laurel wreath Decorations
Located in New York, NY
Empire style grouping from the early 20th Century beautifully made in mahogany in Stockholm, Includes sofa, table, two armchairs and two side chairs. Length of sofa 50...
Fabric, Mahogany
Empire Period Gilt and Painted Wood Three-Piece Salon Suite
Located in London, GB
Empire period gilt and painted wood three-piece salon suite French, c. 1820 Sofa: Height 101cm, width 213cm, depth 72cm Chairs: Height 101cm, width 61cm, depth 56cm This exquisite t...
Wood
pair of French 19th century Empire st. Giltwood armchairs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A sensational and high quality pair of French 19th century Empire st. Giltwood armchairs. This statement making pair of throne armchairs are raised by patinated Brass casters the scr...
Upholstery, Giltwood
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...
Mahogany
Mid Century Regency Style Ebonized Gold Painted Upholstered Stool Pouf Bench
Located in Dayton, OH
This beautiful vanity stool showcases a sophisticated blend of French Empire and Regency styling, featuring an expertly ebonized black wood frame accented with gold detailing. The ro...
Fabric, Hardwood
Finely Carved Mahogany Settee Loveseat Empire Claw Feet Tall Back CLEAN
By J. Horner
Located in Rockaway, NJ
Finely Carved Mahogany Settee Loveseat Empire Claw Feet Tall Back CLEAN
Mahogany
$28,000 / set
Pair of French Consulate Arm Chairs
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of French Consolate mahogany (circa 1800) open arm chairs with beige leather seat and square back with an open X design (PRICED AS PAIR)
Impressive 12 Chairs First Empire Napoleon III Early 19th Cent Sold at Sotheby's
Located in Madrid, ES
Impressive 12 chairs first Empire Napoleon III early 19th century. Sold at Sotheby's for €25,000 golden wood and silk 80cm x 48cm provenance: Roman family. perfect condition for...
Wood
$4,800 / set
Pair of Late 19th Century Empire Style Armchairs
Located in Sheffield, MA
The pair of late 19th century lounge chairs are in the Empire style. The curved arms end with carved acanthus leaves. The seats and borderin...
Linen, Wood
$23,670Sale Price / set|25% Off
Empire-style Salon in Mahogany and gilded bronzes
Located in Paris, FR
An imposing Empire-style salon comprising a mahogany sofa and eight chairs. They are richly adorned with gilded bronzes, with a rectangular pedimented back decorated with laurel leaf...
Bronze
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...
Wood
Pair of French Antique Walnut Empire Tulip Fauteuils or Armchairs
Located in Hopewell, NJ
This set of two elegant Empire arm chairs stand out for their classic simple design and the beautifully shaped front legs. These comfortable and stylish chairs feature a wealth of fi...
Upholstery, Walnut
Pair of French 19th Century Empire St. Mahogany and Giltwood Stools
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome pair of French 19th century Empire st. Mahogany and giltwood stools. Each circular stool is raised by three square tapered legs with the front leg displaying a handsome pa...
Mahogany, Giltwood
Pair of French Empire Period Fauteuils with Vintage Upholstery, Early 19th C.
Located in Morristown, NJ
A fine matched pair of French Empire period fauteuils, each with a rectangular padded back, removable cushioned seat, and elegantly reeded and carved arms. The mahogany frames displa...
Metal
French 19th century Empire st. patinated wood and Giltwood settee
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome and large scale French 19th century Empire st. patinated wood and Giltwood settee. This exceptional settee is raised by seven supports, with four being circular front legs...
Upholstery, Giltwood
Fine Empire Period Bronze and Mahogany Desk Chair by Jacob Freres
By Jacob Frères
Located in Montreal, QC
Fine Empire ormolu-mounted mahogany desk armchair upholstered in gilt-tool leather. Signed: "Jacob Freres, rue de Meslee" Provenance: Partridge Fine Arts, New Bond Street, London.
Mahogany
Original antique Empire Sofa / canapé circa 1860-1870 Empire Room mahogany
Located in Berlin, DE
Original Empire sofa circa 1860-1870 from an Empire room. Massive mahogany cast with Empire caryadites bronze. Top condition. Measurments: width:140cm Height: 100cm Depht: 80cm.
Mahogany
$3,751 / set
Pair of Empire Style Window Seats
Located in Lymington, GB
A smart pair of Empire-style window seats of superb quality, and in excellent condition. Supported on stained-oak tapering square legs with gilt-brass mounts and hairy-paw feet. Upholstered and buttoned in faded vellum-green hide...
Wood
Sublime French Empire Walnut Curvy Sofa with Gilded Swans and New Upholstery
Located in Hopewell, NJ
A super elegant romantic French Empire walnut sofa having sexy curves, ebonized base and details with two gilded swans handles on each end. The new upholstery is neutral cream and includes two glamorous cylindrical pillows...
Walnut, Giltwood
20th Century Empire Style Lion Kanapee Sofa
Located in Berlin, DE
Imperial stylish lion Kanapee in Empire style. Finely detailed carving work on solid ebonized beechwood. Gilded. Winged, protruding lions heads in bronze. (B-Sam-60).
Wood, Beech
Pair of Russian Empire Side Chairs, Wood and Upholstery, 19th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pair of Russian Empire Side Chairs - Original untouched finish newly reupholstered seat in Jim Thompson fabric.
Upholstery, Wood
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...
Bentwood
pair of French 19th century Empire st. Mahogany and Ormolu side chairs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome and high quality pair of French 19th century Neo-Classical/Empire st. Mahogany and Ormolu side chairs. Each wonderful chair is raised on four square curved legs all connec...
Ormolu
Antique French Empire Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Mounted Armchairs - Pair
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique French Empire Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Mounted Armchair in Blue Patterned Stripped Silk Blent - Pair This Antique French Empire armchair...
Silk, Upholstery, Mahogany
Antique French Empire Period Mahogany Desk Chair, Circa 1810-1820.
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique French Empire Period Mahogany Desk Chair, Circa 1810-1820.
Leather, Mahogany
French Empire Revival, Bronze, Mahogany, Tapestry, Armchairs, France, 19th c.
Located in Stamford, CT
French Empire Revival, Bronze, Mahogany, Tapestry, Armchairs, France, 19th c. A finely cast pair of Napoleon lll Arm Chairs. Each mahogany chair decorated with exceptional dore bron...
Bronze
Superb & Rare Empire Mahogany and Brass Inlaid Chair
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Superbly elegant and unusual late 19th century Empire style chair having curved back adorned with small gorgeous Medusa head, inlaid in perfect places including the reeded legs with ...
Brass
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...
Brass
Beautiful end 19th-CENTURY FRENCH MANUFACTURE
Located in Madrid, ES
19th-CENTURY FRENCH MANUFACTURE Walnut study armchair, neoclassical upholstery in shades of blue and gold. 61 x 72 cm Height 114 cm Good condition
Silk, Wood
$7,600 / set
Pair of French Empire Style Side Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Pair of elegant French Empire style side chairs. The chairs are burl with bronze mounts and feet. The black section to the front of the legs i...
Bronze
Empire Armchairs, Pierre-Benoît Marcion, France, circa 1810
Located in Greding, DE
Set of eight armchairs by the French ébéniste Pierre-Benoît Marcion, with carved lion's heads and paw feet. The frame is made of polished mahogany. The backrests and seats are newly ...
Fabric, Mahogany
Set of 4 natural rustic style chairs en wood and leather from the 1930s
By Mice di rugiano domenico e c. s.n.c.
Located in Cantù, IT
Set of 4 natural rustic style chairs en wood and leather from the 1930s - dark solid wood frame, oval back with carved details with brown leather seat with studded finish and underst...
Animal Skin, Wood
Antique French Empire Neoclassical Style Brass Harp Lyre Side Chairs - a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique French Empire Neoclassical Style Brass Harp / Lyre Back Side Chairs - a Pair. Item features solid wood construction, harp backs, finely cast brass or bronze mounts, white dis...
Fabric, Wood
Pair of Swedish Empire Armchairs in Black w/Gold Accents from the Mid-19th C.
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of Swedish Empire armchairs from the mid-19th century by furniture maker F. Pettersson. These antique chairs from Sweden have an elegan...
Upholstery, Wood
French Empire Solid Mahogany Regency Side Chairs Figural Bronze Ormolu, a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique French Empire solid mahogany Regency side chairs with figural bronze ormolu - a pair. Item features finely cast ornate bronze ormolu, slightly curved backrest, solid wood fra...
Bronze
$22,800 / set
Empire Period patinated Wood and Giltwood armchairs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome and most decorative pair of French early 19th century Empire Period patinated Wood and Giltwood armchairs. Each wonderful armchair are raised by two front circular tapered...
Giltwood
Antique Empire Custom Painted Sofa
Located in New York, NY
Custom painted Empire sofa. Sofa has a down filled seat cushion. Legs and frame has carvings.
Upholstery, Wood
20th Century Antique Classizim Style Empire Swan Chaise Lounge Birdseye Maple
Located in Berlin, DE
Maple roots on solid beechwood, partially ebonized and gilded. Finely carved swans, feet carved with paws. Very high quality fabric.
Wood
1980s Empire Style Sculptural Daybed Bench Ottoman
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
On offer on this occasion is one of the most stunning, versatile piece you could hope to find. This is an ultra-rare opportunity to acquire what is, unequivocally, the best of the be...
Upholstery, Wood
French 19th Century Empire Style Walnut Stool / Upholstery Seat
Located in Carmine, TX
This elegant 19th-century French Empire-style curule stool features a finely crafted walnut frame with graceful X-shaped legs inspired by classical Roman design. The upholstered burg...
Fabric, Upholstery, Walnut
Empire Style Black and Gold Armchair - 19th century
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Materials: Upholstery fabric - Wood Measures : 60x64cm H:96cm SH:44cm Place of origin: France Period: 19th century This armchair is characterized by a black-painted wooden frame and...
Fabric, Wood
$5,727Sale Price / set|38% Off
Set of Three Antique Empire Side Chairs, 19th Century, Biedermeier
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of three antique Empire side chairs, 19th century, Biedermeier.
Hall Chair In Late Empire Style Made In Mahogany & Floral Fabric, 19th century
Located in Lejre, DK
Dining or hall chair in late Empire style, crafted in mahogany and upholstered in floral fabric. Classic design with period-typical lines and a gently curved back. A decorative chair...
Fabric, Mahogany
Pair of French Empire Bergère Armchairs, 19th century
Located in Leimen, DE
Discover an exquisite pair of Empire-style armchairs from the 19th century, crafted from luxurious mahogany. These elegant chairs embody timeless sophistication, featuring high backs...
Mahogany
Italian Midcentury Empire Style Painted and Upholstered Bench with Ram Heads
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Italian midcentury Empire style painted bench with carved ram heads and new upholstery. This exquisite Italian painted bench features a nicely curved seat that has been recovered ...
Upholstery, Wood
Antique Pair of French Empire Neoclassical Louis XVI Harp Lyre Back Side Chairs
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Pair of antique harp back side chairs with brass or bronze mounts in the French Empire / Louis XVI taste. Item features solid wood construction, harp back...
Fabric, Wood
Set of Four Antique Mahogany Dining Chairs with Brass Wire, 1810
Located in Epfach, DE
4 chairs for a dining room, around 1800, provenance probably from a noble household in the Baltic States Mahogany, backrests and seat frames decorated with brass wire, designed in s...
Mahogany
French mid 19th century Empire st. Mahogany, Ormolu and Leather armchair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome French mid 19th century Empire st. Mahogany, Ormolu and Leather armchair. The wonderful solid Mahogany armchair is raised by four slightly curved legs with the two front l...
Ormolu
Matched Pair of French Empire Armchairs, 19th Century
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality near pair of French Mahogany Empire influenced armchairs. Each being upholstered in a classical damask patterned burgundy fabric, polished back rail, Dolphins carved t...
Mahogany
Period Empire Giltwood Armchair
Located in New Orleans, LA
Empire Carved and Gilded Armchair
Giltwood
Pair of Mahogany Armchairs from the Consulat Period
Located in Montreal, QC
Pair of mahogany armchairs from the Consulate period. Attractive three-baluster backrests. Front legs in the shape of sword scabbards. Fine quality of carving and craftsmanship. Fran...
Mahogany
Restored Empire Seating Set, Walnut, Inlaid, Revived Polish, Austria, 1810s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Armchair Dimensions: Height: 91 cm (35.83 in) Width: 69 cm (27.17 in) Depth: 65 cm (25.59 in) Seat height: 42 cm (16.54 in) Sofa dimensions: Height: 91 cm (35.83 in) Width: 155 cm (...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
Pair of Gianni Versace Armchairs from the Vanitas 1994 Collection
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A pair of elegant and unique mahogany and gilt armchairs designed by Gianni Versace, part of the 1994 Vanitas Furniture collection. The front legs have columnar shaping and taper do...
Mahogany
19th Century, Four Tuscany Curule Wood Stools
Located in IT
19th Century, Four Tuscany Curule Wood Stools These four elegant stools were crafted from fine wood in Tuscany, Italy, during the early decades of the 19th century. The distinctive...
Wood
Pair of Rare Postmodern Empire Black Lacquered Swan Neck Wide Chairs
Located in San Diego, CA
Rare pair of Swan neck black lacquered wide chairs recovered in beige ultrasuede fabric , and a semigloss finish beautiful elegant and unique we have 4 more available we are selling ...
Ultrasuede, Wood
19th Century Empire Style Mahogany and Gilt Side Chair
Located in Dallas, TX
The 19th Century Empire Style Mahogany and Gilt Side Chair is a luxurious and elegant piece of furniture perfect for adults in a mid-century modern home decor setting. Made of high-q...
Mahogany
19th Century French Empire Mahogany Armchairs with Green Seats
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of French Empire style (19th Cent) mahogany Armchairs with bronze trim and eagle heads with green seat Both chairs are in antique condition.
Bronze