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Napoleon III Shelves

NAPOLEON III STYLE

Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.

Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”

Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.

Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)

Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Napoleon III
Wall Wood Shelves Napoleon III with Brass Gallery & Marquetry, Late 19th Century
Located in Labrit, Landes
Wood Mural Three Shelves of Napoléon III period with a brass gallery. Very fine details: you can observe the elaborate gallery, the hand-shaped suspensions...
Category

1890s French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Brass

Wall Wood Shelves Napoleon III with Brass Gallery & Marquetry, Late 19th Century
Wall Wood Shelves Napoleon III with Brass Gallery & Marquetry, Late 19th Century

Wall Wood Shelves Napoleon III with Brass Gallery & Marquetry, Late 19th Century

Ornate 19th-Century Italian Brass Baker's Rack
Located in New York, NY
This elegant 19th-century European baker's rack, most likely of Italian origin, is crafted from beautifully patinated brass, exuding Old World charm. The intricate scrollwork through...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Brass

Ornate 19th-Century Italian Brass Baker's Rack
Ornate 19th-Century Italian Brass Baker's Rack

Ornate 19th-Century Italian Brass Baker's Rack

19th Century Etagère Shelves Napoleone III Walnut Maple Black
Located in Prato, IT
France, second half of the 19th century Veneered, maple, thuja burl, ebony and ebonized walnut. Restored Dimensions: W71 x D39 x H135 cm.
Category

1860s Italian Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Ebony, Walnut

19th Century Etagère Shelves Napoleone III Walnut Maple Black
19th Century Etagère Shelves Napoleone III Walnut Maple Black

19th Century Etagère Shelves Napoleone III Walnut Maple Black

19th Century French Oak Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France with a beveled and carved decorated edge around the top, over two drawers with hand carved decorated drawer fronts along with hand carved ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Oak

19th Century French Oak Dessert Buffet
19th Century French Oak Dessert Buffet

19th Century French Oak Dessert Buffet

Pair of Italian 19th Century Napoleon III Period Giltwood Étagères
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A most elegant and unique pair of Italian 19th century Napoleon III period giltwood étagères with their original mirror plates. Each display shelves o...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Giltwood

Pair of Italian 19th Century Napoleon III Period Giltwood Étagères
Pair of Italian 19th Century Napoleon III Period Giltwood Étagères

Pair of Italian 19th Century Napoleon III Period Giltwood Étagères

Napoleon III Painted Tôle Cabinet, circa 1880s
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Very unusual Napoleon III iron cabinet, painted with a wood trompe-l'oeil. Elegantly outlined in black tubular iron, lending definition to its elegant lines: the bombé bottom section...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Tôle

Napoleon III Painted Tôle Cabinet, circa 1880s
Napoleon III Painted Tôle Cabinet, circa 1880s

Napoleon III Painted Tôle Cabinet, circa 1880s

19th Century French Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France with a banded edge around the top , which also features a beveled and hand carved decorated edge. The top li...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Oak

19th Century French Dessert Buffet
19th Century French Dessert Buffet

19th Century French Dessert Buffet

Last 19th Century Italian Corner Étagère Turned Walnut Ebonized wax polished
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Last 19th century Italian corner étagère turned walnut ebonized, wax polished Measure cm: H 94 W47 D 30 (Ang 33 x 33).
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Walnut

Last 19th Century Italian Corner Étagère Turned Walnut Ebonized wax polished
Last 19th Century Italian Corner Étagère Turned Walnut Ebonized wax polished

Last 19th Century Italian Corner Étagère Turned Walnut Ebonized wax polished

19th Century Tall French Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century tall oak dessert buffet from France. The top is banded and has a beveled and carved edge around the top, following down to paneled sides and two paneled and hand carved ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Oak

19th Century Tall French Dessert Buffet
19th Century Tall French Dessert Buffet

19th Century Tall French Dessert Buffet

19th Century French Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France with a lovely detailed hand carved and scalloped backsplash, over three shelves. The top is wonderfully grai...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Oak

19th Century French Dessert Buffet
19th Century French Dessert Buffet

19th Century French Dessert Buffet

Two Bamboo Shelves circa 1950
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Two bamboo shelves. circa 1950
Category

Mid-20th Century European Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Metal

Two Bamboo Shelves circa 1950
Two Bamboo Shelves circa 1950

Two Bamboo Shelves circa 1950

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French Etagere, 19th Century, Original Marquetry
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This delightful etagere comes from France and was made around 1850. A truly appealing example of marquetry art! Each shelf is inlaid with various wood types creating geometrical decorative patterns. Top tier crowned with original brass gallery. All three elements put together by slender ebonised legs...
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French Etagere, 19th Century, Original Marquetry
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H 31.5 in W 16.15 in D 12.21 in
19th Century English Regency Mahogany Etagere
Located in Bradenton, FL
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19th Century English Regency Mahogany Etagere
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H 46.5 in W 14.5 in D 16.5 in
French 19th Century Napoleon III Cabinet
Located in Vilnius, LT
French antique Napoleon III cabinet. Wood is black color polished surface, decorated with inlaid brass stripes, bronze details ourside and natural stone lazurite. Inside the cabine...
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French 19th Century Napoleon III Cabinet
French 19th Century Napoleon III Cabinet

French 19th Century Napoleon III Cabinet

H 40.56 in W 51.19 in D 15.36 in
19th Century French Provencal Bleached Oak Buffet Cabinet
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19th Century French Provencal Bleached Oak Buffet Cabinet

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19th Century Ebonised Whatnot Etagere Shelf Unit with Gallery Top, English
Located in Llanbrynmair, GB
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19th Century British Antique Napoleon III Shelves

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Beech

19th Century Ebonised Whatnot Etagere Shelf Unit with Gallery Top, English
19th Century Ebonised Whatnot Etagere Shelf Unit with Gallery Top, English

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H 46.5 in W 20 in D 14 in
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19th Century French Provencal Bleached Oak Buffet Cabinet

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H 38.59 in W 59.45 in D 22.45 in
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Located in London, GB
A Mid Century bamboo and rattan three-tier Italian étagère (shelves) dating from the 1960s. In excellent condition commensurate of age.
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Mid Century Bamboo and Rattan Étagère Shelves, Italy, circa 1960
Mid Century Bamboo and Rattan Étagère Shelves, Italy, circa 1960

Mid Century Bamboo and Rattan Étagère Shelves, Italy, circa 1960

H 33.47 in W 30.32 in D 13.78 in
Pair of Mid Century Modern Burl Wood Etageres, Wall Unit or Book Shelves
By Milo Baughman
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A stunning transitional pair of matching shelving units from the 1970's. They feature burl wood with a decorative lattice work. Price includes the p...
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1970s American Vintage Napoleon III Shelves

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Wood, Burl

Pair of Mid Century Modern Burl Wood Etageres, Wall Unit or Book Shelves
Pair of Mid Century Modern Burl Wood Etageres, Wall Unit or Book Shelves

Pair of Mid Century Modern Burl Wood Etageres, Wall Unit or Book Shelves

H 72 in W 30 in D 18 in
Vintage French Baker's Rack Iron and Brass
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
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Mid-20th Century Unknown Napoleon III Shelves

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Vintage French Baker's Rack Iron and Brass
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Vintage French Baker's Rack Iron and Brass

H 87 in W 43 in D 18 in
19th Century French Renaissance Flip-Top Dessert Buffet in Stripped Oak
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Carrara Marble

19th Century French Renaissance Flip-Top Dessert Buffet in Stripped Oak
19th Century French Renaissance Flip-Top Dessert Buffet in Stripped Oak

19th Century French Renaissance Flip-Top Dessert Buffet in Stripped Oak

H 37 in W 45 in D 17 in
Previously Available Items
French Walnut and Brass Open Shelf Unit
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
French Walnut and Brass Open Shelf Unit The shelf or étagère is fixed to the wall, it has 4 open shelves connected with turned brass upright columns The shelf is 36” high overall, ...
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1920s Vintage Napoleon III Shelves

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Walnut

French Walnut and Brass Open Shelf Unit
French Walnut and Brass Open Shelf Unit

French Walnut and Brass Open Shelf Unit

H 36 in W 22 in D 8 in
19th Century Tall French Walnut Shelf
Located in High Point, NC
19th Century tall standing shelf from France, made from walnut. It has wonderfully hand turned finials at the top of the piece, over six shelves, all separated by hand turned shelf s...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Walnut

19th Century Tall French Walnut Shelf
19th Century Tall French Walnut Shelf

19th Century Tall French Walnut Shelf

H 84 in W 43.5 in D 9 in
19th Century French Walnut Shelf
Located in High Point, NC
19th Century French standing shelf made from walnut. It has wonderfully hand turned finials at the top of the piece, over three shelves, all sepa...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Walnut

19th Century French Walnut Shelf
19th Century French Walnut Shelf

19th Century French Walnut Shelf

H 43.5 in W 39.38 in D 8.5 in
19th Century French Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France. The top is banded and has a beveled and carved decorated edge around the top in a nulled pattern. The top lifts to reveal a marble surface for serving which remains open with a scalloped bracket. The top follows down to paneled sides and two drawers in the front with hand carved decorated drawer fronts. The piece has two lower shelves, separated by hand turned barley twist shelf...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

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Marble

19th Century French Dessert Buffet
19th Century French Dessert Buffet

19th Century French Dessert Buffet

H 37.5 in W 45.13 in D 17.75 in
Antique Napoleon III Style Walnut and Black Lacquer Etagere / Dry Bar
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Napoleon III walnut and black lacquer etagere / dry bar, circa 1880. With a hinged four board walnut top, banded on front and sides with bla...
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1880s Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Marble, Brass

Antique Napoleon III Style Walnut and Black Lacquer Etagere / Dry Bar
Antique Napoleon III Style Walnut and Black Lacquer Etagere / Dry Bar

Antique Napoleon III Style Walnut and Black Lacquer Etagere / Dry Bar

H 38.75 in W 43 in D 18.5 in
French Napoleon III Period Veneered & Inlaid 3-Tier Etagere/Table, Late 19th C.
Located in Atlanta, GA
A three-shelved finely inlaid kingwood and ebonized table with a pierced brass gallery on the top shelf.
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Kingwood

French Napoleon III Period Veneered & Inlaid 3-Tier Etagere/Table, Late 19th C.
French Napoleon III Period Veneered & Inlaid 3-Tier Etagere/Table, Late 19th C.

French Napoleon III Period Veneered & Inlaid 3-Tier Etagere/Table, Late 19th C.

H 31 in W 20 in D 14.5 in
Napoleon III Gilt Bronze and Glass Table by Maison Alphonse Giroux, Paris
By Maison Giroux
Located in Dublin, IE
A Napoleon III ormolu and glass etagere by Maison Alphonse Giroux, cast as faux bamboo, with three circular tiers each with a glass shelf, stamped 'MAISON ALPH. GIROUX PARIS' to the top front rim. Literature: C. Payne, Paris Furniture: the luxury market of the 19th century, Éditions Monelle Hayot, 2018, p. 77 (illustrated). Artists Biograpy: Alphonse Giroux, "the merchant of the princes", is an important Parisian manufacturer of luxury furniture and accessories, whose products were intended for an aristocratic and bourgeois clientele, installed as early as 1799 at No. 7, rue du Coq Saint -Honoré, then Boulevard des Capucines. Founded by François-Simon-Alphonse Giroux under the name "A. GIROUX in PARIS", it was taken over by the Giroux children and remained active under the name of "Alphonse Giroux et Cie" until 1867, when the direction is taken over by Ferdinand Duvinage...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Ormolu

Napoleon III Gilt Bronze and Glass Table by Maison Alphonse Giroux, Paris
Napoleon III Gilt Bronze and Glass Table by Maison Alphonse Giroux, Paris

Napoleon III Gilt Bronze and Glass Table by Maison Alphonse Giroux, Paris

H 30.71 in Dm 12.6 in
French Antique Napoleon Shelf
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Napoleon shelf in the original colour black. The shelf is very beautifully decorated. It is an old item, so there are some scuffs on the boards and marks from fitting the fittings, but overall it is in good condition. It is a good size and very easy to use. French antique Napoleon...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Wood

French Antique Napoleon Shelf
French Antique Napoleon Shelf

French Antique Napoleon Shelf

H 32.29 in W 15.75 in D 11.82 in
19th Century French Standing Shelf
Located in High Point, NC
19th century walnut wall shelf from France with four shelves, decorated on the top with hand-turned finials and the shelves are separated by hand-turned bob shelf supports. Raised on...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Walnut

19th Century French Standing Shelf
19th Century French Standing Shelf

19th Century French Standing Shelf

H 46.5 in W 43.25 in D 10.25 in
Pair of Marquetry and Gilt Bronze Consoles
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of original marquetry and gilt bronze consoles, early 19th century. Measures: H: 25 cm, W: 31 cm, D: 19 cm.
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1870s European Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Marquetry and Gilt Bronze Consoles
Pair of Marquetry and Gilt Bronze Consoles

Pair of Marquetry and Gilt Bronze Consoles

H 9.85 in W 12.21 in D 7.49 in
19th Century French Oak Dessert Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France with a banded top and a beveled and carved decorated edge, over two drawers with hand carved decorated drawer fronts along with hand carve...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Oak

19th Century French Oak Dessert Buffet
19th Century French Oak Dessert Buffet

19th Century French Oak Dessert Buffet

H 41.25 in W 45.88 in D 18.38 in
19th Century French Shelf
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak shelf from France with a wonderfully beveled and carved decorated edge around the top, following down to paneled sides, which are adorned with hand carved decoration...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Shelves

Materials

Oak

19th Century French Shelf
19th Century French Shelf

19th Century French Shelf

H 39.25 in W 19.5 in D 19.5 in

Napoleon Iii shelves for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III shelves for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage shelves created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III shelves made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original shelves, popular names associated with this style include and Maison Giroux. 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 shelves differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $875 and tops out at $19,800 while the average work can sell for $2,845.

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