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.
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Ormolu
1860s Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Mirror, Mahogany
1860s English Antique Empire Cabinets
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Brass
1810s French Antique Empire Cabinets
Bronze
1870s French Antique Empire Cabinets
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Oak, Burl
Mid-19th Century North American Antique Empire Cabinets
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
1880s Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Metal
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Metal
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Cabinets
Granite
1830s English Antique Empire Cabinets
Zinc
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Cabinets
Metal, Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Cabinets
Siena Marble
19th Century European Antique Empire Cabinets
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Pine
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Iron
1840s Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Birch
1840s Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
1840s Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Cabinets
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble
1810s Austrian Antique Empire Cabinets
Glass, Wood
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Oak, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble
1820s Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
1820s Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Onyx
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Cabinets
Gold Leaf
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Cabinets
Oak, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
1850s Italian Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Cabinets
Brass
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Cabinets
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
1820s Italian Antique Empire Cabinets
Beech
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Bronze
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Cabinets
Brass