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Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

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
Napoleon III Ebonized and Painted Commode Called Meuble D’appui in French
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...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Mahogany

Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze Mounted Mahogany Buffet by Maison Grohé, circa 1860
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A large and impressive Napoléon III gilt-bronze mounted mahogany buffet with a rouge marble top, by Maison Grohé. French, circa 1860. Stamped twice...
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Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Napoleon III Style Bois-Satine Vitirne
Located in Berlin, DE
Vitrine in the style of Louis XV Napoleon III Paris, circa 1850-1880 Bois-Satiné veneer, all-round surface-covering mirror veneer on solid softwood. High-rectangular, one-door, camb...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Napoleon III Rosewood Curved-Legs Side Cabinet Commode
Located in Berlin, DE
Royal and rosewood. Three-body, curved body on short curved legs. Reddish brown, white veined marble slab. Finely chased, fire-gilt bronze. (O-221).
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III French Secretary Chest of Drawers Mahogany Rosewood Inlaid
Located in Brooklyn, NY
19th century Napoleon III French secretary (secretaire) chest of drawers in fine mahogany rosewood Inlaid marquetry. It has a grey marble top complete with its original in gilt bronz...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Rosewood

19th Century in the Style of the Louis XV Napoleon III Inlaid Cabinet
Located in Berlin, DE
Bois-Satiné-veneer, all-round covering mirror veneer and marquetry on solid conifers. With finely chiselled, highly decorative, perforated rocaille, fire-gilded bronze fittings. Two-...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Napoleon III Nut Wood Half Cabinet/ Vertiko with Inlay Works, France, circa 1880
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Marvellous nut wood half cabinet/ Vertiko from the Napoleon III period in France, circa 1880. Veneered in fine nut wood, this prestigious antique half cabinet...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Brass

French Napoleon III Rosewood Pedestal Desk with Pull Out Secretary, circa 1865
Located in Miami, FL
This exceptional desk with secretaire dating from 1865, during the time of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French (1852-1870), displays an extraordinary level of craftsmanship & is a di...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Rosewood

Near Pair of Mahogany Consoles Dessertes by Maison Grohé, French, circa 1860
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
A near pair of mahogany consoles Dessertes with exceptional gilt bronze Ram’s Head Mounts, by Maison Grohé. Stamped ‘GROHÉ / A PARIS’. Grohé, Guill...
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Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III Period Gilt Bronze and Porcelain Mounted Cabinet by Louis Grade
Located in London, GB
Napoleon III period gilt bronze and porcelain mounted cabinet by Louis Grade French, circa 1860 Measures: Height 160cm, width 82cm, depth 4...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Royal French Chest of Drawers, Napoleon III, circa 1870, Paris
Located in Berlin, DE
Royal French chest of drawers, Napoleon III, circa 1870, Paris. Tulip veneer with cube marquetry and gilded bronze fittings in the form of ribbons, roc...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Napoleon III Gilt Bronze and Pietra Dura Mounted Ebonized Cabinet or Credenza
Located in Cheshire, GB
Napoleon III gilt bronze and Pietra Dura mounted ebonized cabinet / credenza, the large ebony top to the gilt metal leaf cast gilt bronze scrolling frieze having Corinthian columns f...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Ebony

19th Century Napoleon III Style Black Column Cabinet
Located in Berlin, DE
An extraordinary column-style cabinet in classicist style. Solid, ebonized softwood. Octagonal shaped body on a slightly profiled multi-stepped base. Slightly protruding cover plate...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble

French Stone Overlay Ormolu Mounted Cabinet, 19th Century
Located in Cypress, CA
Impressive 19th century French Napoleon III stone overlay ormolu mounted ebonized cabinet with black marble top. The shaped black marble top is over a gilt bronze mounted frieze in an leaf-tip motif with an egg and dart border, above a large single door...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Stone, Marble, 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...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble

Rare Napoleon III French Empire Bureau De Plat Gilt Bronze Writing Table Desk
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning original Napoleon III French Empire desk with gilt bronze oversized fittings A very decorative and collectible desk in period lightly restored condition throughout. The desk comes complete with all original gilt bronze fixtures and fittings including two keys for the locks. It has four large drawers to the front, the left drawer is a very large single drawer with a safe drawer...
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Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Bronze

Rare Napoleon III Boulle Large Sideboard Credenza, France, 1870
Located in Paris, FR
Stunning , very rare and large sideboard credenza with 4 doors in brass marquetry and brown tortoiseshell in a beautiful honey color. Two full main solid doors in the center, and two...
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1860s French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Brass, Bronze

French 19th Century Napoleon III Period Ebony and Brass Inlaid Desk
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An exceptional French 19th century Napoleon III period ebony and brass inlaid desk. The oval shaped desk is raised by elegant slender circular tapered fluted legs with fine ormolu bo...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Brass

Napoleon III French Sideboard Inlaid with Geometric Floral Motifs, 1850
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Elegant sideboard finely inlaid with floral and geometric motifs. It has three drawers and two doors with panels inlaid in various essences with geometric patterns. Enriched with cap...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III Cabinet Buffet Boulle Style, France, 1860
Located in Chorzów, PL
Cabinet manufactured in the 19th century, in France, modeled on the 17th century, baroque furniture of the French ebéniste, A. Ch. Boulle. This piece of furniture is single-door cab...
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1860s French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Tortoise Shell

Pair of French Ebony and Ormolu Vitrines, circa 1870
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality pair of 19th century French ebonized display cabinets, having classical gilded ormolu mounts. Adjustable glass shelves and mirror backs within, raised on plinth bases ...
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19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Ormolu

Antique French Commode with Bronze Reliefs and Red Breccia Marble Top
Located in Toronto, ON
Our most coveted antiques are from the Napoleon III era. This spectacular French antique commode is the statement piece you’ve been looking for....
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Breccia Marble, Metal

Napoleon III Chinoiserie Cabinet, France, circa 1880s
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Charming Napoleon III cabinet, lacquered black with Chinoiserie decor, and a red marble top.
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble

Pair of 19th Century Ormolu-Mounted Mahogany Display Cabinets by Henri Picard
Located in London, GB
A remarkable pair of display cabinets By Henri Picard of Paris Constructed in mahogany, with extensive and superlative ormolu decoration. The cabinets of rectangular form, rising...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Ormolu, Bronze

Salon Boulle Chest of Drawers Chest of Drawers Napoleon III, Paris
Located in Berlin, DE
Salon Boulle chest of drawers Napoleon III Paris circa 1850-1880 Rectangular and curved body. Meuble d'appui boulle / Chest of drawers Napoleon III Paris circa 1850-1880 The hig...
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1870s French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Brass

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).
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Late 19th Century Italian Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Walnut

19th Century Louis XVI Floral Marquetry Writing Cabinet or Lady's Secrétaire
Located in Berlin, DE
19th Century Louis XVI Floral and Musical Instruments Marquetry Writing Cabinet or Lady's Secrétaire, also called "Bonheur du Jour" A 19th century bonheur du jour writing cabinet o...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Wood

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...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Brass, Bronze

19th Century Pair of Napoleon III Inlaid Corner Cupboards
Located in Marseille, FR
19th century Pair of Napoleon III inlaid corner cupboards marble top decoration with musical attributes.
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble

19th Century Writing Desk
Located in London, Park Royal
French, Napoleon III period, writing desk. Handmade in ebonized wood and cased with brass, ormolu.The top is covered with bevelled glass.
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III Period Desk Rich Register of Gilded Bronze
Located in Marseille, FR
Napoleon III period desk with rich gilded bronze registers. Leather upper decorated with roulette. The leather will have to be cleaned and revived but the whole is in good condition.
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Rosewood

French Semi-Precious Stone Cabinet, 19th Century
Located in Cypress, CA
Exquisite French Napoleon III semi-precious stone Jeweled and ormolu-mounted three door cabinet. 19th century. Moulded breakfront wood top trimmed with gilt bronze egg...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble, Multi-gemstone, Ormolu

19th Century Napoleon III Style Bois-Satine Vitirne
Located in Berlin, DE
Vitrine in the style of Louis XV Napoleon III Paris, circa 1850-1880 Bois-Satiné veneer, all-round surface-covering mirror veneer on solid softwood. High-rectangular, one-door, cambe...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Walnut

19th Century antique Napoleon III Style Mahogany Vitrine, Paris Mahogany bronzed
Located in Berlin, DE
Majestic French vitrine Napoleon III in transition style, Paris. Rich in extremely finely chiselled, fire-gilt decorative bronze fittings. Mahogany on solid softwood. High-angled, on...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Mahogany

19th Century French Marble-Top Secretaire Bronze Decoration Napoleon III Period
Located in Sofia, BG
French chiffonier forming secretary, inlaid with violet wood and rosewood, flap opening with four drawers with red marble top. Falling cuffs and keyholes in gilded bronze. Napoleon ...
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Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Napoleon III Caribbean Mahogany Curio Cabinet
Located in Stamford, CT
Napoleon III Caribbean mahogany, brass-mounted and gilt curio cabinet, circa 1840.
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Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Mahogany

Pair of French Napoleon III Figural Ormolu and Porcelain Mounted Side-Cabinets
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine pair of French Napoleon III figural ormolu and porcelain (probably Sevres) mounted tulipwood Meuble A Hauteur D'Appui. The rectangular shaped body fitted with a white mar...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble, Bronze, Ormolu

Pair of 19th Century French Ebonised Boulle Cabinets
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is a good pair of 19th century Victorian ebonized Boulle cabinets. Each cabinet has a brass gallery to the top, with a single glazed door below. Each door is surrounded by i...
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Early 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Brass

Napoleon III Ebonized Desk with Marble Inlay, France, 19th Century
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
Ebonized desk with compartments on either side. Central drawer decorated with a cherub. Marble inlay. Leather top.
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble

Fine and Unusual Napoleon III period antique French Boulle marquetry cabinet
Located in London, GB
Fine and Unusual Napoleon III period antique French Boulle marquetry cabinet French, c.1870 Height 165cm, width 174cm, depth 51cm This piece is a splendid, ebonised wood antique cabinet...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Ormolu, Brass

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...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Oak

Napoleon III Mirrored Cabinet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This impressive cabinet has it original etched mirrored doors and gilded carved wood accents. It is in great condition and will create a real statement. The cabinet has an ebony fini...
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Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Mirror, Oak

Pair of Boulle Style Ebonized Cabinets Displays
Located in Austin, TX
Impressive pair of Boulle style ebonized cabinets with glass doors and copious adornment. The tortoiseshell type inlay and intricately cut brass bands grace the top and sides of each...
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Mid-20th Century European Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Brass

Fine Napoleon III Period Ormolu Mounted Boulle Vitrine
Located in London, GB
In the Louis XIV style, the tortoiseshell and brass inlaid ebonized wood body, with three wooden shelves, the front with glazed doors, surmounted with a white marble top.
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Brass, Ormolu

Gilt Bronze Guèridon. Napoleon III, France, 19th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Gueridon showcase in polychromed and gilded bronze, France, Napoleon III, about the third third of the 19th century. The small circular table shows a top panel in transparent glass, ...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Magnificent Baroque Console Gilded, circa 1880
Located in Berlin, DE
Magnificent Baroque console gilded, circa 1880 Body, solid wood decorated with stucco elements, white marble cover plate. (E-31).
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Stucco, Wood

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...
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1870s French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Oak

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...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Tôle

19th Century Napoleon III Ladies Bureau Plat Desk
Located in Berlin, DE
shaded precious wood, veneered. Extremely fine, floral, bronze fittings. On slanting, curved legs, on all sides with perforated corner fittings. On the other hand, a fully curved, si...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Bronze

Pair 19th Century Pietra Dura Bonheur Du Jours
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A very good quality pair of Napoleon III Pietra Dura bonheur du jours. With semi precious stone inlaid to the doors and ormolu mounts.
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1860s French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Wood

Stylish Ebonized Napoleon III Bookcase
Located in Montreal, QC
Stylish Napoleon III period ebonized bookcase decorated with boxwood string inlay, the two doors fitted glass panes.
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Wood

French Two-Door Fruitwood Buffet
Located in Woodbury, CT
Two drawers over two shaped and recessed panel doors are the traditional arrangement for buffets and this one doesn’t disappoint. Even more delightful is the fact that the scalloped ...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Fruitwood

Fine Renaissance Style Ebonized Cabinet
Located in Montreal, QC
Renaissance style, Napoleon III period, ebonized pearwood cabinet inlaid with painted Belgian black marble plaques all hand-painted with flower designs to imitate Pietra Dura; the to...
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1860s French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble

Large gilt bronze mounted ebonized wood and Boulle work antique vitrine cabinet
Located in London, GB
The stunning cabinet in the Napoleon III style and of the sam period, featuring inlaid Boulle work panels of brass and fine scarlet tortoise shell, with cast ormolu mounts depicting ...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble, Bronze, Brass

Napoleon III Black Lacquered Humidor on Stand
Located in Woodbury, CT
This outstanding showpiece has been meticulously crafted and then coated in a rich, thick, ebony lacquer. Numerous classic design elements include the broken pediment above a single...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Ormolu

Napoleon III Writing Desk with Unusual Marble Top, circa 1870
Located in Atlanta, GA
A fine Napoleon III period writing desk in mahogany, with gilt-bronze mounts and brass banding, the surface composed of an unusual and richly-colored marble top. The deep red and ...
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Mahogany

French Napoleon III Boulle style Dry Bar Liquor Cabinet Cellaret Bronze 19th C.
Located in Paris, FR
Beautiful liquor cabinet cellaret dry bar in brass Boulle marquetry and mother-of-pearl inlays. Tripled brass threads with fine thread in the center, two cartridges rimmed with orna...
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1860s French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Crystal, Brass, Bronze

French Cabinet Napoleon III and Boulle Brass Gilt Bronze 19th Century
Located in Paris, FR
Rare cabinet in Boulle marquetry style with brass threads on an ebony veneer background, curved in shape on the sides and the front, with a drawer. This piece of furniture is very or...
Category

1860s French Antique Napoleon III Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets

Materials

Marble, Brass, Bronze

Napoleon Iii case pieces and storage cabinets for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III case pieces and storage cabinets for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage case pieces and storage cabinets created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets, tables, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III case pieces and storage cabinets 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 case pieces and storage cabinets, popular names associated with this style include Europa Antiques, Paul Sormani, Coduri of Lyon, France, and Henri Picard. 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 case pieces and storage cabinets differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $500 and tops out at $293,051 while the average work can sell for $7,672.

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