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 Ebonized & Inlay Petite Bibliotheque
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This petite, yet stately bibliothèque, was made in France, circa 1870’s. Ebonized and adorned with exceptional brass and mother of pearl inlay, depicting floral-and-foliate scrolls e...
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Glass, Mahogany
French Napoleon III Style Ebonized Bookcase with Original Glass, Late 19th C
Located in Buchanan, NY
A handsome late 19th-century French Napoleon III style ebonized bookcase, distinguished by its elegant proportions and unusually practical small scale. Measuring 82 inches high, 48½ ...
Glass, Wood, Oak
19th Century Napoleon III Ebonized Cabinet, Hand-Carved Wood, France
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
$2,618Sale Price|20% Off
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
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
Antique French Napoleon III Black Marble & Inlaid Cabinet - André-Charles Boulle
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique French Napoleon III Black Marble & Inlaid Cabinet - André-Charles Boulle.
Marble
19th Century French Napoleon III Bamboo Dresser with Carrara Marble and Mirror
Located in Astoria, NY
Striking late 19th century French Napoleon III faux bamboo dresser with mirror, sourced in Paris, France. Crafted in pine with a rich warm brown finish, the piece features extensive ...
Carrara Marble
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 Napoleon III Period Burled Walnut Display Armoire ~ Bookcase
Located in Dallas, TX
Exquisite Napoleon III period display armoire and bookcase discovered in Paris, crafted from richly figured burled walnut with dramatic ebonized walnut carvings and trim. The origina...
Silk, Glass, Walnut, Burl
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).
Walnut
Louis XV ladies' secretary of the 19th century (Napoleon III)
Located in Hochheim am Main, DE
Elegant ladies' secretary in the style of Louis XV – Napoleon III, around 1880 This exceptional ladies' secretaire from the Napoleon III period, crafted around 1880, exemplifies the...
Fruitwood
Napoleon III Marble Top & Marquetry Sideboard Cabinet
Located in Hanover, MA
Napoleon III kingwood, satinwood and fruitwood marquetry inlayed salon cabinet with surmounted by a conforming inset black veined marble top and having gilt brass moldings and mounts...
Marble, Brass
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
$1,534Sale Price|20% Off
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
19th Century French Burl Walnut Sideboard
Located in Louisville, KY
Stunning 19th Century French Burl Walnut Sideboard with two panel drawers each with intricately carved floral motifs within the center panels, each drawer has brass hardware with orn...
Brass
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
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Walnut Writing Desk
Located in Astoria, NY
A handsome late 19th-century French Napoleon III walnut writing desk, sourced in Provence, France, circa 1870–1880. The rectangular walnut top is framed by a molded edge and displays...
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
Boulle Style Secretary, Napoleon III Period
Located in PARIS, FR
Superb Boulle-Style Secrétaire, Napoleon III Period Magnificent Napoleon III period secrétaire, dating from the late 19th century, crafted in the renowned Boulle style. This refined...
Bronze
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
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
Antique French Napoleon III Ebonised Pier Cabinet with c.1860
Located in Worcester, GB
Antique French Napoleon III Ebonised Pier Cabinet with c.1860 A decorative and good quality mid-19th century French Napoleon III pier cabinet, dating to circa 1865. Ebonised throug...
Wood
Guillaume Grohe antique Napoleon III Cabinet
Located in Kastrup, DK
Napoleon III period cabinet stamped "GROHE". Napoleon III period cabinet in rosewood and mahogany. Inlaid with marquetry. Gold-plated bronze fittings. Late 19th century Signed by Guillaume Grohe...
Bronze
$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
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
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
Napoleon III-style Boulle Marquetry Sideboard
Located in Beaune, FR
Stunning Napoleon III-era Boulle marquetry sideboard at counter height, in very good condition. The sideboard is richly adorned with chiseled gilded bronze and features a single door...
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Boulle chest of drawers, France, circa 1860.
Located in Chorzów, PL
We present an exclusive Boulle style chest of drawers, from France, dating from around 1860. This elegant chest of drawers is a perfect example of 19th-century craftsmanship and is a...
Brass
Traditional French Napoleon III Liquor Cellar
Located in San Francisco, CA
In an era when we get our beverages out of pull-top cans right from the fridge, on offer is an opportunity for experiencing a little grandeur. This classic 19th-century French Cave à Liqueur (liquor cellar) dates from the Napoleon III period (circa 1850–1870). Designed to elegantly present after-dinner cordials or liqueurs, such portable miniature bars were highly prestigious items produced for wealthy households during France's Second Empire. The piece features a distinct serpentine front, a hallmark of fine French cabinetry from this era. The main body showcases an ebonized (blackened) finish bordered by richly figured contrasting wood veneers, likely rosewood or kingwood. The top and front are centered by highly intricate, symmetrical Boulle-style marquetry medallions. These medallions seamlessly combine engraved brass scrollwork with iridescent mother-of-pearl and natural shell inserts. Imagine the mother of pearl inlay in the candlelight. A brass escutcheon on the front guards a physical lock mechanism, historically used to keep valuable spirits safe from household staff. When unlatched, the hinged top swings up to the back while the two side panels fan outward completely for an impressive presentation. At the heart of the cabinet is a removable, tiered serving tray...
Brass
Large Shelf/bookcase Made Of Turned Wood
Located in Charmes, FR
Large shelf / bookcase made of turned wood from the late 19th to early 20th century in good condition
Wood
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
19th Century French Walnut Bar Cabinet, Napoleon III Style, Circa 1850
Located in Stockbridge, GA
So special piece, this bar cabinet is so charming with a bronze element on the top to protect the glasses and bottles to fall. It wears rolls at the feet to slide it easily.
Walnut
Exceptional Antique French Napoleon III Mahogany Dressing Table, Ormolu-Mounted
Located in BŘECLAV, CZ
Exceptional antique French Napoleon III mahogany dressing table, richly appointed with elegant ormolu mounts and a beautifully framed central mirror. This refined vanity cabinet show...
Glass, Mirror, Wood, Mahogany
19th Century Inlaid Napoleon III Secretary Desk
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Napoleon Desk/Secretary with gilt bronze molding and inlaid details.. It has a beautiful pink marble top. Its sides are in blackened pear and its facade in cedar. It has rosewood fr...
Marble
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
Antique French Napoleon III Ebonized Boulle Pier Cabinet 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a beautiful antique French Napoleon III ebonized and cut brass marquetry red Boulle pier cabinet, circa 1860 in date. This cabinet is ebonised and decorated with exquisite o...
Brass
19th Century French Mahogany Commode
Located in Woodbury, CT
19th Century French mahogany four-drawer commode with original marble top; paneled sides and fluted chamfered corners standing on bun feet. Original brass ring pulls. Marble has ol...
Marble, Brass
$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
Napoleon III Black Cabinet with Ormolu and Silvered Mounts
Located in Dubai, AE
Napoleon III solid oak cabinet with ebony veneer and carved black marble top. The facade is framed with gilt bronze mounts of caryatids, and two doors are decorated with silver medal...
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Napoleon III Étagère in Black Lacquered Wood
Located in High Point, NC
This Napoleon III étagère is finished in a glossy black lacquer that lends it an unmistakably graphic presence. It stands on turned bun feet fitted with castors, allowing the piece t...
Wood
French commode à Transformation à la Bourgogne, Louis XV/XVI Style, circa 1880
Located in Hochheim am Main, DE
An exceptional and finely crafted piece of transformation furniture from the second half of the 19th century, known as a Bureau à transformation « à la Bourgogne ». Designed in the t...
Kingwood
Fine Antique Napoleon III Boulle Style Display Cabinet
Located in BŘECLAV, CZ
This elegant antique display cabinet is crafted in the Napoleon III style and dates to the late 19th century, richly decorated with Boulle style marquetry inspired by the work of And...
Brass, Bronze
French Louis XV Style Marquetry Commode with Marble Top, 19th Century
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
This elegant French commode is crafted in the Louis XV style and likely dates from the late 19th century, circa 1880–1900, when Parisian cabinetmakers revived the refined decorative ...
Marble, Bronze
$2,558Sale Price|50% Off
Napoleon III living room cabinet
Located in Porto, PT
Napoleon III living room cabinet. French Napoleon III; Noble Wood veneer, Noble Wood marquetry, embossed bronze appliqués, marble top. Dimensions: 115x150x46 cm
Wood
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 Grand Napoleon III Period Ebonized Triple Bookcase
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century Grand Napoleon III Period ebonized triple bookcase is the perfect choice to make a bold statement in any room! Only a very affluent household could afford both the home ...
Walnut
Napoleon III Demi-Lune In-laid Marquetry Commode & Breccia Medicea Marble top
Located in New Orleans, LA
France, Circa 1865–1880 A masterful expression of the Napoleon III revival of Louis XVI design, this exceptional French demi-lune commode embodies the extraordinary craftsmanship for...
Breccia Marble
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
$10,000Sale Price|20% Off
A 19 C French Louis XIV Style "Meuble D'Appui" after a Model by Mathieu Belfort
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A french Louis XVI style grey marble topped Meuble d'Appui after a model by Mathieu Belfort.The ebonized cabinet is inlaid with brass and has all-over lavish gilded bronze mounts a...
Brass, Ormolu
Antique Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Boulle Marble Top Cabinet
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Boulle Marble Top Cabinet
Bronze
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
$19,200Sale Price|20% Off
French 19th century boulle cabinet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A sensational and extremely hight quality french 19th Napoleon third period Ebony ,and bronze cabinet a hauteur d appui inlaid with brass, marble top the boulle cabinet have an i...
Marble, Bronze
Napoleon III Ebonized Cabinet, Hand Painted Floral Medallions, 1880
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A Napoleon III ebonized cabinet with front and sides decorated with hand painted floral medallions. The cabinet has turned columns to eac...
Mahogany
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
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
19th Century Napoleon III Style Vitrine
Located in Miami, FL
High-rectangular, one-door, curved and three-sided glazed corpus. On curly feet scalloped out. Inside life with orig. Velvet covered and two entrances. Mirrored back wall. The displa...
Bronze
Italian Contemporary Napoleon III Style - Black and Gold Antiqued Wood Bookcase
Located in Scandicci, Florence
Beautiful Bookcase designed and handcrafted by us with structure in solid wood, lacquered in black and antique gold and entirely hand-carved. These bookcase, made from high-quality ...
Wood
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
Napoleon III Cabinet, Petite Armoire, French 19th Century
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Napoleon III cabinet or Petite armoire, French 19th century Ebonized, Boulle Style details, bronze inlay, gilt bronze mounts, marble top. Its neoclas...
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Napoleon III Period French Louis XVI Mahogany & Bronze Bookcase ~ Bibliotheque
Located in Dallas, TX
Napoleon III Period French Louis XVI Mahogany & Bronze Bookcase ~ Bibliotheque is a work of art executed by the master artisans of Paris during the reign of France's last monarch. T...
Brass, Bronze