Empire Cabinets
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.
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Empire Cabinets
Cherry
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Cabinets
Metal
1950s Unknown Vintage Empire Cabinets
Marble
Late 20th Century Empire Cabinets
Glass, Cherry
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Onyx
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Ebony, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble
1880s French Antique Empire Cabinets
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Bronze
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Walnut
Late 19th Century British Antique Empire Cabinets
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary British Empire Cabinets
Wood
1850s French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
1760s American Antique Empire Cabinets
Brass
1870s Antique Empire Cabinets
Wood
19th Century European Antique Empire Cabinets
Brass
1820s French Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century English Empire Cabinets
Leather, Mahogany
1930s Vintage Empire Cabinets
Brass
Mid-19th Century English Antique Empire Cabinets
Glass, Walnut
1870s French Antique Empire Cabinets
Ormolu
1950s American Vintage Empire Cabinets
Wood, Glass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble
19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Cabinets
Glass, Oak
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
1850s Italian Antique Empire Cabinets
Wood
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Oak, Walnut, Burl
1920s French Vintage Empire Cabinets
Oak, Glass
Early 20th Century French Empire Cabinets
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Bronze
1860s Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Mirror, Mahogany
1860s English Antique Empire Cabinets
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Cabinets
Marble, Brass
Late 20th Century French Empire Cabinets
Metal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Ormolu
1840s Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
Late 20th Century Empire Cabinets
Mirror, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Oak, Burl
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
1820s Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
1830s English Antique Empire Cabinets
Zinc
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany