Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
EMPIRE STYLE
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.
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Style: Empire
19th Century French Mahogany Chest of Drawers with a Dark Gray Stone Top
Located in Dallas, TX
An early 19th century French Empire mahogany commode with bronze mounts and a dark gray stone top. The chest of drawers is very handsome and functional and is in very good condition...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Stone, Bronze
Pair of Large Early 19th Century Italian Empire Walnut Commodes
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pair of large early 19th century Italian Empire walnut commodes with ebonized columns, bronze doré hardware, and three drawers.
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Walnut
Antique Empire Chest of Drawers in Cuban Mahogany with Interior Writing Surface
Located in Miami, FL
A very fine Empire chest or commode with bowed front offering four drawers on tapered feet in the finest book-matched Cuban (West Indies) mahogany. Satinwood inlays depicting two sph...
Category
1810s Danish Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mahogany, Satinwood
Small Empire Chest of Drawers in Mahogany with Marble Columns, Sweden, c. 1790
Located in Miami, FL
A beautiful Empire commode in Cuban mahogany with marble columns flanking two drawers and resting on tapered square feet. Brass key plates and pulls were added in the late 1800s. Fre...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mahogany
Empire Style Chest of Drawers with Painted Trompe L'Oeil, France, 19th Century
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Tall French Empire-style commode. The pine wood is painted in a faux-bois trompe l'oeil imitating mahogany. Wood columns on either side are painted a darker color.
The chest is in ...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Period Empire Italian Commode
Located in New Orleans, LA
Exceptional Empire walnut commode with neoclassical giltwood carved appliques.
Category
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Walnut
Period Danish Empire Chest of Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
Danish Empire - or what we would refer to as "Biedermeier" - chest of drawers. Beautifully inlaid with walnut and golden birch. Key included.
Engraved on back "Renov...
Engraved on back "Renov...
Category
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mahogany, Birch, Walnut
A Pair of Danish Empire Style Mahogany 3-Drawer Marble Topped Bow-Front
Located in San Francisco, CA
A handsome pair of Danish empire style mahogany 3-drawer marble-topped bow-front chests with brass inlay and bronze mounts; each with thick Napoleon machete mable top above a bowed cabinet...
Category
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Italian Empire Style Walnut Chest of Drawers, 19th Century, One of a Pair
Located in San Francisco, CA
A large-scale Italian Empire period three drawer chest with beautiful figural walnut veneers, and having original gilt bronze hardware. Excellent antique condition with some recent r...
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Bronze
Unusual Empire Mahogany Chest with Dressing Mirror, ca. 1810
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Unusual Empire Mahogany Chest with Dressing Mirror, dating from the first quarter of the 19th century and French in origin.
The piece ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mirror
Coppia di Cassettoni Impero Lucca Primo Quarto XIX Secolo
Located in Milano, IT
Coppia di cassettoni impero lastronati noce, Lucca primo quarto XIX secolo. Piani in marmo Verde Alpi sagomato, fascia sottopiano ebanizzata, tre cassetti sul fronte, montanti a erma...
Category
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Marble, Bronze
French Empire Walnut Three Drawer Chest
Located in Bradenton, FL
Elegant French empire style walnut chest with black granite marble top. Chest features a wonderfully figured burl walnut with three storage drawers with original brass hardware. Vers...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Empire Solid Walnut Antique Chest of Drawers
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Important and rare antique Italian of the period empire chest of drawers, early 19th century. On the front three useful drawers. Characterized by fine solid walnut wood, a simple lin...
Category
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Walnut
Empire Mahogany Chest of Drawers
Located in London, GB
A Mahogany and gilt bronze mounts chest of drawers, the top drawer revealing a secretaire.
Sweden, early 19th Century
93 cm high by 107.5 cm wide ...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Bronze
Early 19th Century Splendidly Decorated German Neoclassical Commode
Located in Madrid, MD
Early 19th Century Splendidly decorated German neoclassical commode with fine mahogany veneer, white alabaster columns and gilded bronzes.
Very rare Berlin Empire commode; this kind ...
Category
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Alabaster, Bronze
Antique Empire Style Burl Walnut Chest Of Drawers
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Antique Empire style burl walnut chest of drawers, late 19th century. With an overhanging burl walnut two board top, an overhanging frieze drawer and 3 burl walnut drawers with bron...
Category
Late 19th Century European Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Empire Mahogany and Marble Bedside Table with Drawers
Located in Dallas, TX
Crafted in France, circa 1850, the elegant antique cabinet stands on front rounded columns ending with bun feet and embellished with decorative brass mounts at the shoulder and the base; the small chest features three drawers across the front dressed with round knobs over an open niche with bottom shelving. The top is dressed with the original variegated black marble surface. The petite bedside table...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Marble
Empire Chest of Drawers, France, circa 1880
Located in Chorzów, PL
Empire chest of drawers, France, circa 1880.
Very good condition, after professional renovation.
Wood: mahogany
Dimensions: H 102 cm x W 123 cm x 59 cm.
Category
1880s French Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Marble
French Empire Gentleman's Cabinet / Chest with Soldier Motifs 19th Century
Located in Charleston, SC
Impressive French Empire Egyptian Revival Gentleman's Cabinet / Chest with carved Caryatides Soldier Motifs on Paw Feet was made in the early 19...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Granite
19th Century French Painted Empire Commode
Located in Dallas, TX
Elegant 19th century French Empire painted commode. Beautiful grey color along with a marble top. The piece also has nice brass hardware with the face of a lion. Gorgeous!
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Marble
Antique French Empire Mahogany Commode with Lion Paw Feet, Marble Top, Restored
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique French Empire style Commode or some may describe our Lion Paw Foot Commode as from the Restauration period, which was predominantly Neoclassicism. Our Old Plank restoration department completely rebuilt the drawers and the entire frame, but restrained from refinishing the mahogany. We of course enhanced the Original French Lion Paw Commodes...
Category
1860s French Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Empire Neoclassical Chest
Located in Dallas, TX
Handsome 19th century French Empire neoclassical chest of drawers with brass trim. Absolutely gorgeous finish on this piece! A classic style...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Brass
Italian 1820s Empire Period Walnut Three-Drawer Commode with Ebonized Columns
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Italian Empire walnut three-drawer commode from the early 19th century, with ebonized columns and saber feet. Born in Italy during the early years of the 19th century, this Italian Empire commode...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Empire Chest 19th Century
Located in Dallas, TX
Three-drawer 19th century Empire Chest
Ormolu mounts
original hardware and marble top.
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Wood
Viennese Early 19th Century Empire Commode
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
This rare and unusual side cabinet displays very characteristically the elegance of Viennese Empire furniture from the early 19th century. The white marble-top above a long single dr...
Category
19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Empire commodes and chests of drawers for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire commodes and chests of drawers 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 commodes and chests of drawers created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets, more furniture and collectibles, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire commodes and chests of drawers made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Scandinavia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original commodes and chests of drawers, popular names associated with this style include Empire Furniture, Europa Antiques, Modenese Gastone, and Baker Furniture Company. 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 commodes and chests of drawers differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $800 and tops out at $95,000 while the average work can sell for $4,900.
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