Empire Case Pieces and Storage 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.
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
19th Century Northern Irish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
1990s American Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Birch, Cherry
1880s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
1880s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
1890s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fruitwood, Walnut
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal
Late 19th Century English Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Gold Plate, Brass
Late 20th Century American Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Pearwood
1810s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
1840s Danish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Late 20th Century French Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal, Bronze
1810s Danish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Granite, Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Metal, Iron
1810s Austrian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Unknown Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Leather, Walnut, Giltwood
Early 1800s European Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Brass
1810s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Stone, Bronze
Early 19th Century British Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Leather, Upholstery, Satinwood, Lacquer
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
19th Century Spanish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
1840s German Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
1790s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Early 1800s Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Brass
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
1810s Austrian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Gold Leaf, Iron
1830s English Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Zinc