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.
French 19th Century Napoleon III Ebonized Cabinet
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A magnificent cabinet from 19th century France (Napoleon III) carved with a paneled design, architectural and Neoclassical elements over the ebonized exterior which enhances the magn...
Brass
Cabinet Black and Gold Napoleon III 1860 France marble Top André-Charles Boulle
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Cabinet Black and Gold Napoleon III 1860 France marble Top André-Charles Boulle
Brass
$5,400Sale Price|50% Off
Napoleon III Armoire
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic Napoleon III Armoire with 4 glass windows on the door. Can be used as a bookshelf , wardrobe or curio cabinet. Beautiful black patina. Four shelves, one shelf with 2 dra...
Oak
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Side Cabinet, c.1860
Located in Savannah, GA
A Napoleon III ormolu-mounted ebonised, red tortoiseshell boulle marquetry side cabinet, circa 1860. 46 ½ inches wide by 16 ½ inches deep by 41 ½ inches tall Good with wear, a...
Wood
19th Century Napoleon III Painted Armoire, Glass Doors, French Design
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th Century French Napoleon III Painted Display Armoire with Original Glass and Interior France, circa 1850s–1880s A striking 19th century French Napoleon III period painted armoi...
Glass, Wood, Paint
$2,100Sale Price|25% Off
French 19th Century Bar Cabinet
Located in Stockbridge, GA
So special piece, this bar cabinet is so charming with a bronze element on the top to protect the glasses of bottles to fall. It wears rolls at the feet to slide it easily.
Walnut
Napoleon III Second Empire Ebonized and Inlaid Credenza
Located in San Francisco, CA
A tour de force of the Second Empire Style, circa 1852–1870, this credenza represents a time when French design was characterized by richness of inspiration and materials for newly w...
Brass
Napoleon III Style Ebonized Cabinet with Marble Top
Located in Vienna, AT
Napoleon III style. Cabinet, drawer at the top, lockable door behind which shelf. Dark polished / lacquered body, decorated with brass Intarsia band, details of gilded bronze. Top of...
Marble
19th Century French Oak Buffet
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak buffet from France. The top is banded and has a beveled and hand carved decorated edge, following down to paneled sides, which...
Oak
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...
Oak
$3,116Sale Price|20% Off
Gorgeous Figural Bronze Mounted Marble Top Napoleonic Inlaid Cabinet Commode
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This exquisite Napoleonic-style cabinet commode is a true statement piece, beautifully crafted with intricate floral marquetry inlays and adorned with finely cast figural bronze mounts. Crowned with a luxurious shaped marble top, this masterpiece reflects the elegance and grandeur of 19th-century French furniture design, making it a perfect focal point for both traditional and eclectic interiors. The cabinet showcases exceptional craftsmanship, with rich inlaid patterns featuring scrolling foliage and floral motifs framed in bold oval medallions. The contrasting veneers of exotic woods create depth and warmth, while the gilt-bronze ormolu mounts—highlighted by striking figural caryatids and detailed appliqués—add a sense of refinement and artistry. The serpentine front and shaped apron complete the commode’s sculptural presence, ensuring it captures attention from every angle. Ideal for use in a grand hallway, luxurious living room, or sophisticated dining space, this cabinet commode is both functional and decorative, offering storage while elevating the overall décor. Collectors of Napoleonic furniture, French commodes...
Carrara Marble, Bronze
French 19th Century Napoleon III Vitrine Cabinet
Located in Vilnius, LT
French antique Napoleon III vitrine cabinet is after renovation. Wood is decorated with inlaid brass and bronze details. Inside there are two glass shelves. Side parts are with perfe...
Bronze, Brass
Antique 19th Century Secretary Simulated Chiffonier, Napoleon III Period
Located in Vero Beach, FL
Antique 19th century secretary simulated chiffonier, Napoleon III period A magnificent secretary simulated chiffonier. It is created with gre...
Bronze
An Exceptional French Ormolu and Vernis Martin Kingwood Commode, Attr. to Dasson
By Henry Dasson
Located in Long Island City, NY, NY
An Exceptional French Ormolu and Vernis Martin Kingwood Commode, Attributed to Henry Dasson, C. 1870 This remarkable commode cabinet epitomizes the elegance and craftsmanship of the...
Marble, Ormolu
$5,340 / set
Pair of Boulle 19th-Century French Cabinets
Located in Madrid, ES
Pair of Boulle Cabinets 19th-century French cabinets, in patinated wood, with gilded metal and lacquer inlays, bronze applications. Corrugated cabinets with two doors and two inter...
Wood
$7,394Sale Price|30% Off
French Bronze Mounted and Inlaid Napoleon III Cabinet/Sideboard
Located in Vilnius, LT
French antique Napoleon III cabinet. Wood is black color polished surface, decorated with inlaid brass stripes, bronze details outside and natural stone lapis lazuli/ lazurite. Insid...
Lapis Lazuli, Marble, Brass, Bronze
French Napoleon III Weekly Chest in Black Ebonized Wood
Located in IT
Late 19th-century French Napoleon III weekly chest, restored with a black ebonized wood finish. The piece is topped with a marble surface and retains original period elements, includ...
Wood, Walnut
$845Sale Price|20% Off
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...
Brass
French Faux Bamboo Bird's Eye Maple Cabinet
Located in Bradenton, FL
French Faux Bamboo Bird's Eye Maple Cabinet. Cabinet features a beautifully figured birds-eye-maple facade accented with carved bamboo moldings. This was an iconic decorative motif p...
Faux Bamboo, Birdseye Maple
19th Century French Napoleon III Ormolu & Marble Ebonized Cabinet Sideboard 1860
Located in Portland, OR
A splendid and extravagant 19th antique French ebonized and ormolu mounted marble top credenza sideboard cabinet, Napoleon III, circa 1860. This exquisite quality antique French cre...
Marble, Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century Inlaid Wood Marble Top French Napoleon III Style Sideboard, 1960s
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
French sideboard from the second half of the 20th century. Curved and curved furniture, finely inlaid with floral decorations in walnut, rosewood, maple and fruitwood. Sideboard rich...
Marble
19th Century French Napoleon III Style Marquetry Inlaid Side Cabinet
Located in London, GB
A Napoleon III Ormolu-Mounted Marquetry Meuble d'Appui Of bow fronted arc-en-arbalette outline, the cabinet constructed using several fine woods including birds' eye maple, tulipwoo...
Ormolu
$6,000Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century French Ebony and Boulle Bookcase/Vitrine
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A handsome bookcase or china cabinet made in France in the last half of the 19th century. The case is in ebonized wood (including the top), and is curved at each side. There are three front doors with...
Wood
French 19th Century Apothecary Cabinet
Located in Stockbridge, GA
This piece is amazing by its proportion narrow and tall with a glass sliding both ways. The glass is covered along the edge of brass and a knob on each side. exceptionnel piece.
Brass
$2,140Sale Price|20% Off
Tall narrow chest of drawers / semainier / French commode
Located in Budleigh Salterton, GB
Good example of a 19th century mahogany semainier , French tall narrow chest of drawers , a drawer for each day of the week Circa 1870’s f...
Mahogany
A Napoleon III Gilt-Bronze and Pietre Dure Mounted Ebonised Side Cabinet
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Napoleon III Gilt-Bronze and Pietre Dure Mounted Ebonised Side Cabinet. This fine side cabinet has a rectangular Belgian black marble top above a gilt-bronze guilloche and flowe...
Agate, Marble, Ormolu
A Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Sèvres Style Porcelain-Mounted Bonheur Du Jour
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Rare and Important Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Sèvres Style Porcelain-Mounted Mahogany and Lemon Wood Bonheur Du Jour, Attributed to Édouard Kreisser, This magnificent bonheur d...
Ormolu
French 19th century Napoleon III Period Ebony, Porcelain and Ormolu cabinet
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome French 19th century Napoleon III Period Ebony, Sèvres Porcelain, Brass, Ormolu and Marble cabinet. The stunning single door cabinet is raised by toupie shaped Ebony feet a...
Ormolu
Napoleon III Style French Dressing Table With Mirror And Faux Drawer
Located in Prato, Tuscany
We kindly suggest that you read the entire description, as with it we try to give you detailed technical and historical information to ensure the authenticity of our objects. Particu...
Bronze
Antique Ebonised Boulle Ormolu Desk Cabinet Bonheur du Jour Kunst Mobel Denmark
Located in Portland, OR
A very fine antique Napoleon III French style ebonzied Boulle & ormolu Bonheur du Jour by Nordisk Kunst & Mobel-Etablissement, Copenhagen Denmark, 1903. In remarkable condition. Thi...
Brass, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Lacquered Small Cabinet
Located in Paris, FR
Petite 19th-century armoire in ebony veneer, adorned with brass inlay decoration. It opens with two doors with panels of Chinese lacquer from the 17th century, featuring birds on fl...
Granite, Brass
French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Cabinet
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A stunning and extremely high quality French 19th century Napoleon III period ebony, exotic wood, ormolu, brass and white Carrara marble cabinet. The cabinet is raised by handsome bl...
Carrara Marble, Brass, Ormolu
$10,719Sale Price|35% Off
Napolean III Black Laquer Marble Chiffonier Commode, 19th Century
Located in Lisbon, PT
A 19th Century Napoleon III walnut black lacquer refinished five-drawer chest of drawers chiffonier with marble top and gilded bronzes mounts, handles and bronze corners. It stands ...
Marble, Brass, Bronze
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 decor and bronze details ourside. Inside the cabinet there are two shelves. ...
Marble, Bronze, Brass
$27,600Sale Price|20% Off
Fine French Napoleon III Ormolu Mounted Ebonized Wood & Pietra Dura Cabinet
By Befort Jeune
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine French 19th century Napoleon III Ormolu Mounted Ebonized wood and Pietra Dura Meuble d'Appui à Hauteur with a grey marble top. The single front-door black-lacquered cabin...
Multi-gemstone, Marble, Ormolu
French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Boulle Cabinet À Hauteur D’Appui
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A sensational and extremely high quality French 19th Century Napoleon III Period ebony, brass and ormolu Cabinet à Hauteur d'Appui, attributed to Befort Jeune. The Boulle cabinet is ...
Brass, Ormolu
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 hand carved decorated edge. The top then lifts to reveal a marble serving surface, which is hel...
Marble
$3,120Sale Price|35% Off
Napoleon III French Travel Fall Front Desk in Rosewood and Boxwood Veneer 1860s
Located in Huntington, NY
Napoleon III French travel fall front desk in rosewood and boxwood veneer 1860s. With inset leather fall front. Small compartment in top. Cut outs to interior for ink wells & paper organizing...
Brass
Pair of Napoleon III Lacquer Commodes À Vantaux by by Winckelsen
By Charles-Guillaume Winckelsen
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A Pair of Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze, Chinese Lacquer And Ebonised Side Cabinets By Charles-Guillaume Winckelsen, Paris. Signed 'Chles WINCKELSEN 21 Rue St Louis', Paris. Each ...
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Napoleon III Vernis Martin, Kingwood and Mahogany Cabinet by Linke
By Maison Grimard
Located in London, GB
A fine cabinet of the Napoleon III period Retailed by Grimard of Paris Almost Certainly by François Linke Constructed in Kingwood and mahogany, with extensive decoration of high qu...
Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century Mahogany Curtain-Buffet with a Marble Top
By Faubourg
Located in NICE, FR
We present you this very unique buffet, crafted from Cuban mahogany in the style of Louis XV during the Napoleon III era. Standing at the perfect height for various uses, it has two ...
Carrara Marble, Bronze
19th Century Italian Bird’s-Eye Maple Chest of Drawers Commode
Located in Forney, TX
A stunning fine quality antique, circa 1860s/1870s Italian chest of drawers commode. Hand-crafted in Italy in the third quarter of the 19th century, influenced by Napoleon III Se...
Carrara Marble, Brass
$2,760Sale Price|20% Off
French Display Cabinet, circa 1880
Located in Austin, TX
French rosewood cabinet vitrine with one drawer, glass door for display circa 1880, five shelves, antique key included. Minor wood loss.
Rosewood
French Ebonized Burled Walnut Secretary Desk Bookcase with Sevres Style Figures
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This exquisite French ebonized and burled walnut secretary desk bookcase embodies the grandeur of 19th-century craftsmanship, beautifully adorned with Sevres style porcelain medallio...
Bronze
Antique Boulle chest of drawers from the mid-19th century, France.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique Boulle style chest of drawers from around 1850, France. Beautiful brass and tortoiseshell inlay, characteristic of this style. White marble countertop. The furniture is in v...
Marble, Brass
$7,996Sale Price|20% Off
19th C. Napoleon III Boule Marquetry Ebonized Bonheur Du Jour Secretary Desk
Located in Germantown, MD
A rare mid 19th Century Napoleon III Boule Marquetry Ebonized Wood Bonheur Du Jour Secretary Desk. Amazing brass inlays fron top to bottom. measures 33.5"in width, 21" in depth and s...
Mahogany
H.-L. Wassmus, Louis XV-Model Flat Desk, France, circa 1860
Located in PARIS, FR
Beautiful Louis XV style desk in wood veneer and chiseled and gilded bronze. It is decorated on all sides, in cartouches circled by a frieze of eggs and foliage, with a marquetry of ...
Bronze
Pair of French, 1870s Faux-Bamboo and Burlwood Semainiers with Marble Tops
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of French faux bamboo and burl wood semainiers from the second quarter of the 19th century, with conforming marble tops and geometric design. Born at the end of the reign of F...
Marble
Napoleon III Cabinet, Chest of Drawers in Boulle Style, France, 1850
Located in Chorzów, PL
We present a unique, antique Boulle style chest of drawers from the mid-19th century in France. This unique chest of drawers is not only a great example of masterful craftsmanship, b...
Brass
19th Century French Napoleon III Period Mirrored Cabinet
Located in Forney, TX
A rare and magnificent antique Napoleon III period mirrored single door cabinet, Parisian work, finished in luxurious and grandiose Louis XIV style. Hand-crafted in Paris in the t...
Marble, Ormolu
$13,300
French Oak Enfilade
Located in Woodbury, CT
French oak enfilade with three-plank top, breadboard ends and thumb moulded edge over three drawers and three paneled doors. Robust carved doors se...
Oak
$2,144Sale Price|20% Off
Ebonized Corner Display Cabinet with Marble Top, Napoleon III Period
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
This exquisite ebonized corner cabinet, known as an “encoignure” in French, dates back to the elegant Napoléon III period of the late 19th century. Beautifully crafted, it features a...
Marble
19th Century French Louis XVI Napoleon III Mahogany Cabinet
Located in Forney, TX
A stunning, rare and elegantly decorated Parisian Napoleon III period bedside cabinet with beautiful, original richly aged patina. Finely hand-crafted in Paris, France in the thi...
Marble, Brass
$8,725Sale Price|49% Off
French Black Lacquer Napoleon III Showcase 19th Century
Located in Lisbon, PT
A one-of-a-kind Napoleon III-style showcase, cabinet, or display case for bijouterie and jewels. Interior features a glass bottom, translucent glass shelves, corniced top, marquetry,...
Marble, Brass
Rare Pair of 19th Century Cabinets by Grohé with a Noble Italian Provenance
Located in London, GB
An Important Pair of Cabinets By Grohé Frères of Paris From a Noble Genoese Family Constructed primarily from matched tulipwood throughout, with purpleheart and bois de rose bandin...
Ormolu
French 19th C. Second Empire Secrétaire À Abattant with Gold Ormolu Mounts
Located in Savannah, GA
This extraordinary French Second Empire period secre´taire a' abattan features flame mahogany, gilt brass-mounts and retains its original dark grey speckled granite top. Decorated th...
Granite, Brass, Ormolu
19th Century Carved Oak Dessert Buffet From France
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak dessert buffet from France. On the top there is a glorious hand carved backsplash and four hand carved crown finials. There are three shelves, all with carved front ...
Oak
BOULLE CABINET 19th Century French Napoleon III
Located in Madrid, ES
BOULLE CABINET 19th Century French Napoleon III, Marquetry in ebonized wood, tortoiseshell and brass. Gilded bronze applications "Caryatids", marble top. Box with a door, interior wi...
Bronze
19th Century French Chest of Drawers
Located in High Point, NC
19th century oak chest of drawers from France with a beveled edge around the top, following down to simple paneled sides and two over...
Oak
19th Century French Antiques Boulle Cabinet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A sensational hight quality french 19th century Napoleon third peroid ,ebony and bronze cabinet a hauteur d appui inlaid with brass ,marble top the boulle cabinet have an important...
Marble, Bronze