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.
Pair French Empire Tub Chairs Arm Chair Fauteil Gilt Frame
Located in Potters Bar, GB
Stunning pair of French Empire style gilt tub arm chairs These really are every interior designers dream, elegant and cool Hand carved gilt frame very intrivcate with acanthus leaf m...
Giltwood
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 19th Century French Napoleon III Period Empire Style Painted Armchairs
Located in Dallas, TX
Pair 19th Century French Napoleon III Period Empire Style Painted Armchairs ~ Bergere with Fauteuil with cut silk velvet recalls the glory days of Napoleon and Josephine creating wha...
Silk, Walnut, Paint
Empire Style Pair Of Italian Chairs "King" With "Vienna Straw"
Located in Prato, Tuscany
Empire Style Pair of Italian Chairs (Lucca) "King" with "Vienna Straw" We kindly suggest you read the entire description, as we aim to provide detailed technical and historical info...
Straw, Walnut
Late 19th Century Empire Style Childrens Chair
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
An elegant and rare childrens 'Bergère chair made in Empire style. Made of finely carved beechwood. At the top swan heads, which is a typical ornate of the Empire style. Upholstered ...
Fabric, Beech
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....
Fabric, Wood, Beech
$1,684
Sofa, Historismus, 1880s
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of wood, fabric - Original upholstery - Wooden parts has some signs use - Good, original condition.
Fabric, Wood
19th Century French Napoleon III Period Empire Style Painted Sofa ~ Canape
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century French Napoleon III Period Empire Style Painted Sofa ~ Canape with cut silk velvet recalls the glory days of Napoleon and Josephine creating what many experts consider t...
Silk, Walnut, Paint
Empire-style Bergère, 1900s
Located in Brussels, BE
Empire-style Bergère, 1900s
Fabric, Wood
Pair of Empire Style Carved Giltwood Tub Chairs with Green Velvet Upholstery.
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
An Important Pair of Empire Style Carved Giltwood Tub Chairs with Green Velvet Upholstery. The Lion Monopedia side supports feature finely carved detail and a realistic pose. These...
Velvet, Giltwood
Original Empire Set of a Sofa 2 Armchairs and 1 Table Mahogany with Bronze Figur
Located in Berlin, DE
Original Empire sofa circa 1860-1870 from an Empire room. Massive mahogany cast with Empire caryadites bronze. The armchairs are made of a different fabric than the sofa and should b...
Mahogany
A pair of armchairs, Northern Europe, circa 1870.
Located in Chorzów, PL
A massive pair of Biedermeier armchairs made in the mid-19th century. Upholstered in an elegant jacquard fabric. A beautiful, stable frame connects the armchairs together. Very good ...
Fabric, Walnut
Antique living room set from the end of the 19th century.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique living room set from around 1890, France. Furniture in very good condition, after professional renovation. Seats and backrests have been covered with new fabric. Dimensions...
Walnut, Fabric
Settee 3-Seat Early 19th Century French Empire Mahogany Upholstered in Horsehair
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
This handsome settee is in rare original condition retaining all the original timber and horsehair stuffings. The form is bold and fluid and the carved ornament very well executed. T...
Mahogany
Pair of Neoclassical Dining Room Chairs, Brass, Baltic States, Late 18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Two classicistic mahogany armchairs with brass decoration and openwork backs. The chairs stand on square pointed legs with H-shaped bracing, which merge into elegantly curved, high-s...
Brass
Danish Empire Set of 4 Small Chairs, Elm Wood with Hand Embroidered Seats 1850s
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Set of four antique danish empire or Biedermeier style dining chairs handmade by a skilled danish master carpenter in Denmark the middel of the 19th. The frame is made of elm wood, ...
Wool, Wood, Elm
Empire Mahogany Desk Chair, Early 19th Century
Located in Spencertown, NY
The desk chair with carved diamond motif on crest and richly carved griffin wings above articulated paw feet with tan colored leather upholstery. Height: 30" Seat height: 17" Depth: ...
Leather, Mahogany
Empire period ormolu and mahogany swans' heads stool
Located in London, GB
Empire period ormolu and mahogany swans' heads stool French, Early 19th Century Height 68cm, width 77cm, depth 39cm This beautiful antique stool is a class...
Ormolu
$2,850 / set
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...
Mahogany
$42,100 / item
Salon empire
Located in PARIS, FR
Mobilier de salon en acajou et bois doré, comprenant quatre chaises, quatre fauteuils, deux bergères et un canapé. 4 Chaises : Hauteur : 91 cm – Largeur : 49 cm – Profondeur : 38 cm 4 Fauteuils : Hauteur : 97,5 cm – Largeur : 63,5 cm – Profondeur : 51 cm 2 Bergères : Hauteur : 99 cm – Largeur : 70 cm – Profondeur : 54 cm 1 Canapé : Hauteur : 106 cm – Largeur : 181 cm – Profondeur : 62 cm Provenance : Vente Palais GALLIERA...
Wood, Mahogany
Empire Style Walnut Tub Chair in the Manner of Jacob Desmalter
Located in Montreal, QC
Empire Style Walnut Bergere Chair in the manner of Jacob Desmelter with nicely carved rams head resting on articulated hoof feet.
Walnut
Around 1800 Baltic States 4 Dining Chairs Mohagony Brasswire Decor
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
19th Century French Empire Mahogany Desk Armchair with Bronze Mounts & Leather
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a man’s office or study with this elegant Empire armchair. Hand-carved in France circa 1890 and built of solid mahogany, the desk chair stands on tapered legs ending with gi...
Bronze
$1,920Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century Empire Tub Armchair
Located in Belmont, MA
Empire Tub Armchair in Mahogany with New Upholstery, Circa 1820 Unique Empire tub armchair, crafted circa 1820 in rich mahogany with finely carved decorat...
Mahogany
19th Century Empire Style a Russian Armchair
Located in Berlin, DE
Solid mahogany. Straight frame on saber-shaped legs with laid sheet. Strongly curved supports for slightly rising armrests. High-profile, contoured backrest frame with a wide finish....
Mahogany
$6,630Sale Price / item|20% Off
Set of Empire Armchairs / Chairs, Maple Wood, Paris, 1825
Located in Berlin, DE
Seat group made of maple wood with rosewood intarsia, France, presumably G. Alphonse Jacob, the last of the famous Eben family, probably second quarter of the 19th century. Semi-circ...
Maple
Restored Empire Sofa, Walnut, Spruce, Revived Polish, Austria, 1810s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This Empire-style sofa from the early 19th ceThis Empire-style sofa from the early 19th century was crafted in Austria and represents an exceptional example of furniture craftsmanshi...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Walnut, Spruce
HAND CARVED & PAINTED ViNTAGE FRENCH EMPIRE STYLE EAGLE SOFA AND ARMCHAIR SUITE
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for this lovely vintage circa 50 year old suite of French Empire style carved seating depicting large Eagles Please...
Upholstery, Wood
Restored Empire Seating Set, Spruce, Cherry Wood, Polish, Austria, 1850s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Sofa dimensions Height: 70 cm (27.6 in) Width: 130 cm (51.2 in) Depth: 53 cm (20.9 in) Seat height: 48 cm (18.9 in) Armchair dimensions Height: 70 cm (27.6 in) Width: 65 cm (27.6 in...
Upholstery, Wood, Spruce, Lacquer, Fabric, Cherry
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
$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
19th Century Empire Revival Side Chair
Located in Houston, TX
Period Empire side chair: This highly stylized chair has brass inlay and ormolu features to include reclining goddesses, feathers and detailed Roman feet all newly upholstered in a b...
Brass, Ormolu
Empire Style Carved Wood and Gilded Armchair and Settee Suite
Located in El Monte, CA
This exquisite Empire style armchair and settee suit, hand carved and rendered in a striking combination of gilded and cream-painted wood, exemplifies the grandeur of the Napoleonic ...
Wood
Original antique Empire Armchair circa 1860-1880 Massive Mahogany bronze
Located in Berlin, DE
Original Empire armchair circa 1860-1880 massive mahogany 2 beautiful armchairs from an Empire room. Each 2 figures provided cast bronze. The chairs have a nice curve, in a top...
Mahogany
$1,684Sale Price|20% Off
Danish Wingback Chair and Ottoman, Fabric and Walnut, 1950s Style
Located in Antwerp, BE
White; Fabric; Wingback Chair; Ottoman; Danish Design; 1950s; Walnut; Wood; Scandinavia; Scandinavian Design; Empire; Pouf; Lounge Chair; Upholstery; Stylish 1950s high back lounge...
Fabric, Walnut
Living Room Suite in the antique Empire Style beech hand carved
Located in Berlin, DE
Very exact fine-carved sculpture made of solid, blackened beechwood. Poliment gold-plated. Scratched frame on sculpturally carved legs ending in claws. Armrests volute-shaped bent in...
Beech
$930Sale Price|51% Off
Antique Empire Chairs from Around 1810-1815
Located in Berlin, DE
Antique Empire chairs from around 1900 Solid wood mahogany. Seat upholstered and covered with black fabric. Very stable and robust built. Hind...
Mahogany
$3,360Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage French Empire Sofa, Carved Swan Arms, Linen Upholstery, 1900
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Wonderful painted and parcel gilt Empire sofa with medallions heads on the back, uprights modeled as swan heads in the arms, ( the swan heads are carved wood). This beautiful sofa ha...
Linen, Upholstery, Wood
Suite of 8 Empire Style Chairs in Solid Cherrywood
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Suite of 8 empire style chairs in solid cherrywood, velvet to change small old restorations.
Cherry
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....
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Original French Empire Sofa and Armchair Set Made from Mahogany
Located in Berlin, DE
Massive mahogany partly carved. Cambered frame on curly legs. Supports bracing supports for slightly rising armrests in rolled-up volute. High-awned, slightly curved backrest frame w...
Mahogany
Pair of 19th century Empire Style Chairs with Sphinxes
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Empire style chairs late 19th century. The rectangular backs carved with cornucopiae and laurel at the cresting, the arms supported by winged sphinxes, on sabre legs, each co...
Bronze
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
set of six French 19th century Empire St. Mahogany and Ormolu dining chairs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome set of six French 19th century Empire St. Mahogany and Ormolu dining chairs. This wonderful set are raised by four circular tapered front legs while the back legs display ...
Ormolu
Set of Four Swedish Empire Side Chairs by F. Pettersson, Mid 19th C.
Located in Atlanta, GA
A set of four Swedish Empire side chairs from the mid-19th century by furniture maker F. Pettersson. These antique chairs from Sweden have an elegantly curved backs, with straight wo...
Upholstery, Giltwood, Wood
Exceptional 19th-Century French Empire Salon Set Stamped Maigret
Located in Rio De Janeiro, BR
Exceptional 19th-Century French Empire Salon Set Stamped Maigret Presenting a rare and exquisite French Empire-style salon set, attributed to Alexandre Maigret, a distinguished cabi...
Wood
Romantic Canape French, 19th Century in Oilwood
Located in Madrid, ES
romantic canape French, 19th century in Oilwood. Upholstered seat and back, decorated with floral motifs. Usage signs. Dimensions: 104 x 235 x 64 cm good conditions
Wood
Russian Empire Period Desk Chair
Located in Pembroke, MA
Lovely burled birch wood ("loupe de bouleau de Carélie") desk chair from the Russian Empire, and recently reupholstered in French damask fabric wi...
Fabric, Damask, Upholstery, Burl, Birch
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
19th Century French Empire Style Canapé
Located in Mt Kisco, NY
An elegant carved wood upholstered canapé.
Upholstery, Wood
Pair French Empire Mahogany with Green Beige Tufted Seat Upholstered Side Chairs
Located in Germantown, MD
A magnificent pair of French Empire Carved Mahogany with Green and Beige Tufted Upholstered Seat Side Chairs. The chest measures 18.5" in width", 18.5" in depth and 35" in height. S...
Mahogany, Upholstery
Empire Mahogany Sofa, Restored, Original Upholstery, France, 1860s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Empire Mahogany Sofa Origin: France 1860s This item features classic Empire elements. This style, originating in 19th century France, was made to...
Fabric, Upholstery, Lacquer, Mahogany
$2,200 / set
Pair of Empire Style Parcel Gilt Stools
Located in El Monte, CA
A magnificent pair of Empire-style parcel-gilt stools that exude timeless elegance. Each stool features a carved wooden frame with a cream and gilt finish showcasing the luxuriousnes...
Wood
Pair Empire Gilt Arm Chairs Fauteuil
Located in Potters Bar, GB
You are viewing a gorgeous pair of French Empire Revival armchairs in gilt Frames have been hand carved and are very intricate Very comfortable to sit in - solid and sturdy Seats, ar...
Giltwood
Antique French Empire Style Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Couch
Located in London, GB
Antique French Empire style mahogany and gilt bronze couch French, late 19th century Dimensions: Height 107cm, width 192cm, depth 72cm This beautiful canapé style couch...
Ormolu
19th Century French Empire Mahogany and Parcel Gilt
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century French Empire and parcel gilt bergère. Gilt swan arms and pawed feet.
Mahogany
Original Antique French Empire Sofa Mahogany Veneer with Columns
Located in Berlin, DE
Original French Empire sofa, circa 1800. Mahogany, right and left, each with columns and fire-gilt bronze fittings. Some bronze are missing.
Wood
Pair of Maitland-Smith Neoclassical Leather-Wrapped Lion Head Armchairs
Located in San Diego, CA
Striking pair of Maitland-Smith armchairs in the neoclassical taste, handcrafted in the Philippines and richly detailed with the brand’s signature decorative flourishes. Each chair f...
Mahogany
$5,172 / set
Living room set, Northern Europe, circa 1890.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Living room set, Northern Europe, ca. 1890. Very good condition, after professional renovation and replacement of upholstery. Wood: mahogany Dimensions: sofa height 113 cm seat h...
Fabric, Walnut
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