Empire Furniture
EMPIRE STYLE
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.
Style: Empire
Color: Black
Spanish Empire Console Table with Mirror in Mahogany, circa 1810
Located in Miami, FL
Fine Spanish Empire console with mirror in mahogany and rosewood with satinwood inlays, circa 1810.
Category
1810s Spanish Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Rosewood
Coffee Pot Silver European 19th Century Empire Blackened Handle, Austria
Located in New York, NY
Coffee pot silver European 19th century blackened handle Austria. An exquisite example of a empire coffee pot made during the 19th century in Austria. Ov...
Category
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Silver
Gilt and Patinated Bronze Empire Period Mantel Clock by Gaston Jolly
By Gaston Jolly
Located in London, GB
Depicting a young woman seated at a table holding a book and looking at a celestial globe, above the central dial signed 'Gaston Jolly Paris' and flanked by two busts.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze, Ormolu
Antique Persian Souf Carpet
Located in New York, NY
An early 20th century Souf carpet woven somewhere in Iran. Whereabouts are unknown but we suspect it’s from the sarouk Jozan region.
2'1'' x 2'7''
Souf r...
Category
Early 20th Century Persian Empire Furniture
Materials
Wool
Pair of Russian Empire Malachite, French Bronze Centrepiece/Tazzas by Thomier
Located in New York, NY
A magnificent pair of Russian Empire Period malachite, French doré bronze and cut crystal Tazzas, signed THOMIRE A PARIS. The square malachite bowls are...
Category
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Crystal, Malachite, Bronze
Mahogany Settee Made in France, Circa 1780
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Settee has a mahogany frame with tapered hand front legs with hand-carved decorative flowers on each leg and the seat back. The cushion is upholstered in a modern striped fabric.
Category
1790s French Antique Empire Furniture
Unusual Pair Of Russian Empire Figural Bronze Candelabras
Located in New York, NY
An important pair of Russian Empire Figural patinated and Dore Bronze six-light candelabras with maidens and putties with verde antico marble bases. Eac...
Category
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze
Magnificent Pair of Russian Imperial Ruby Glass Vases w/ Gilded Bronze Mounts
Located in New York, NY
While Napoleon's armies never conquered Russian, French taste did, and in a big way. This pair made at the Imperial Glass Workshop, under the Sponsorship of the Imperial Family would have been at home in a Paris drawing room as easily as in St. Petersburg.
The Intense Ruby Red color of the Crystal is created by adding large quantities of gold to the molten glass before the object is created. The resulting color is dense yet full of light just like its namesake the precious jewel. The Dore bronze mounts use motifs taken from antiquity. Likewise, the shape of the handles is inspired by Greco-Roman amphora...
Category
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze
19th Century French Bronze and Black Painted Column Lamps with Star Design
Located in Southampton, NY
Pair of Napoleon III 19th century french bronze and black painted column lamps
having on top of the column design of ball in black with brass column and
base of brass stars on bl...
Category
19th Century European Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze
French Empire Mahogany and Mirrored Console Table
Located in New York, NY
French Empire-style (19th Century) mahogany & bronze trimmed console table with scroll form sides and a drawer over a mirrored door with a grey marble top.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Marble
Pair of Russian Empire Side Chairs
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pair of Russian Empire Side Chairs - Original untouched finish newly reupholstered seat in Jim Thompson fabric.
Category
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Upholstery, Wood
Small Empire Chest of Drawers in Mahogany with Marble Columns, Sweden, c. 1790
Located in Miami, FL
A beautiful Empire commode in Cuban mahogany with marble columns flanking two drawers and resting on tapered square feet. Brass key plates and pulls were added in the late 1800s. Fre...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Mahogany
Empire/ Biedermeier Corner Cabinet w/ Faux-Bois, Bremen, Germany, c. 1810
Located in Miami, FL
A rare and stately corner cupboard with the original faux-boix finish and hand-painted gold foliate and flower design around the recessed door panels and rounded sides, with a painte...
Category
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Pine
French Antique Ormolu Mounted Two-Piece Marble-Top Cabinet in the Empire Style
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A French antique ormolu-mounted two-piece marble-top cabinet in the Empire style.
Crafted in solid mahogany with fabulous bronze mounts reminiscent of the Empire style using Egypt...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Pair of Danish Candlesticks
Located in New York, NY
A pair of Danish Empire painted and bone candlesticks, circa 1810, of baluster form carved bone bandings and a circular base.
Category
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Wonderful French Empire Neoclassical Doré Bronze Patina Figural Lion Chandelier
Located in Roslyn, NY
A wonderful French empire neoclassical doré bronze and patina lady figure chandelier adorned with four lion masks supporting each light.
Category
1910s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze
French Empire Sofa Bench Settee
Located in New York, NY
French Empire settee late 19th century 1870- 1890. Ebonized mahogany frame, French polished (Black) with captivating carved female heads under armrest, legs terminating into animal...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Mahogany
Empire Patinated Bronze Clock
Located in Atlanta, GA
Beautiful patinated bronze clock featuring Cupid and Psyche with a Sienna marble base
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Pair of 19th C. French Faux Marble Tole Lamps
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Lovely pair of lamps made from 19th Century French tole and gilt bronze oil lamps, with a faux marble paint finish. Shades not included,...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Metal, Ormolu
Pair of Sceaux Faux Porphyry Tobacco Jars, 19th Century
Located in Spencertown, NY
The pair of jars with covers with old repairs and chips.
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Faience
Italian Empire Neoclassical Walnut and Parcel-Gilt Secretary
Located in New York, NY
Italian Empire neoclassical walnut and parcel-gilt secretary Handsome masculine Empire campaign desk on stand with pivoting dressing mirror below balustraded cornice with ball finial...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Mirror, Giltwood, Walnut
French Empire Mahogany and Bronze Queen Bed
Located in New York, NY
French Empire-style mahogany and bronze and gilt trimmed queen size bed with swan design (includes: headboard, footboard, rails). (19th Century reproduction of Josephine Bonaparte's swan bed...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze, Gold Leaf
Neoclassical Green and Gilt Faux Marble Samovar Coffee Urn
Located in New York, NY
Neoclassical green and gilt faux marble samovar coffee urn. Gilt and green faux marble painted samovar with Greco Roman mask issuing spout on pedestal abov...
Category
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Metal
French Empire Ormolu-Mounted Mahogany Dressing Table with Arched Tilted Mirror
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A French Empire period ormolu-mounted mahogany psyché dressing table from the early 19th century in neoclassical style. The rectangular black marble top is surmounted by an arched ti...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Ormolu, Brass
French Folk Art Oak and Marble Eagle Figure
Located in New York, NY
French (19th Cent Napoleonic Era) folk art carved oak life size figure of an eagle with out stretched wings perched on a round globe with a marble base.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Marble
19th Century French Empire Figural Flame Mahogany One Drawer Console Hall Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Beautiful Antique 19th C. Single Drawer French Empire Console Table. Item features beautiful woodgrain with attractive mounts including human form feet, rear back splash, and maiden ...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Metal
Antique Empire Style Candelabra
Located in Atlanta, GA
Incredible pair of Empire style candelabra of gilt and patinated bronze. The backs are flat in order that they might be close to a wall.
Category
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze
20th c. French Empire Style End Table
Located in New York, NY
Twentieth century French Empire style end table with a bronze campaign style base with four crossed legs and clawfeet beneath a square ro...
Category
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Empire Gilt and Patinated Bronze Clock
Located in Kittery Point, ME
Modelled as a potted flower, the pot decorated with gilt bronze classical figures. With an 18th century English movement.
Category
19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze
French Empire Style 19th Century Ebonized Mahogany Writing Table Desk
By Jacob-Desmalter
Located in New York, NY
French Empire style (19th Century) ebonized mahogany writing table desk with a leather top & claw feet resting on a platform base. (after JACOB DESMALTER at Fonteainbleau Palace).
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze, Gold Leaf
Italian Neoclassical Giltwood Mirror
Located in New York, NY
Italian Neoclassical giltwood mirror. Antique gilt carved mirror with scrolled acanthus surround, leaf-tipped outer edge with cor...
Category
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Giltwood
Duncan Phyfe American Empire Mahogany Sideboard
By Duncan Phyfe
Located in New York, NY
American Empire mahogany sideboard with two pedestal cabinets and 4 carved column supports centering a lower mirror under 3 drawers ...
Category
Late 18th Century American Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Mahogany, Mirror
Pair of Empire Style Carved, Painted and Gilded Wooden Urns
Located in Hudson, NY
This dramatic and decorative pair of urns made in France in the 1920's are in the popular empire revival style. Turned as a rather stretched Campania urn on a stand the vases are the...
Category
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Materials
Wood, Paint, Gesso
Continental Empire Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Console Table
Located in New York, NY
Continental Dutch Empire-style (Circa 1840) black lacquer Chinoiserie console table with adjustable mirror on back and bronze heads with black marble top.
Category
19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Marble, Bronze, Gold Leaf
A Pair of Danish Empire Style Mahogany 3-Drawer Marble Topped Bow-Front
Located in San Francisco, CA
A handsome pair of Danish empire style mahogany 3-drawer marble-topped bow-front chests with brass inlay and bronze mounts; each with thick Napoleon machete mable top above a bowed cabinet...
Category
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
French Empire Period Trumeau
Located in Pembroke, MA
Empire painted trumeau mirror with neoclassical detailing, including winged cherub, in dark green and gold.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Gesso, Mirror, Wood, Paint
1920s Set of 3 Two Arm Empire Wall Sconces w/ Beaded and Cornucopia Detail
Located in New York, NY
Early 1920s two arm brass candlestick sconces done in an Empire style. Each back is encircled with a beaded detail and each arm is fluted with...
Category
1920s North American Vintage Empire Furniture
Materials
Brass
Fine Pair of French Empire Style Black Porcelain & Bronze Mounted Table Lamps
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful and fine pair of French Empire style Art Deco period black porcelain and bronze mounted table lamps. This beautiful pair of bl...
Category
1920s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze
Russian Empire Leather Top Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
Russian Empire leather top mahogany desk with two slides, brass trim, and mounts on square tapered legs.
Category
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
19th Century Empire Marble Fireplace Mantelpiece, Carved Columns and Lion Heads
Located in London, GB
19th century unique Empire style brown Bois-Jourdan marble fireplace mantelpiece, with a white statuary carrara hand-carved Roman Rosette on the Centre Tableau; Flanked Either Side B...
Category
Early 19th Century Great Britain (UK) Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Marble, Statuary Marble
Large Antique French Empire Neoclassical Gilt Bronze and Patina Bronze Planter
Located in New York, NY
A large and palatial antique French Empire neoclassical gilt bronze and patinated bronze oval form centerpiece planter of superb craftsmanship embellished with neoclassical gilt bron...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Bronze
French Empire Style 1870s Console Table with Grey Marble Top and Doric Columns
Located in Atlanta, GA
This French Empire style console table from the second half of the 19th century features a rectangular dark grey and white veined marble top over two front columns and back pilasters...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Marble
Early 19th Century Medicine Safe Cabinet
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Painted metal cabinet with Goddess of medicine in relief. Secret secondary key-mechanism hiding extra keyhole.
NB:
Complimentary delivery wit...
Category
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Metal
Early Portrait of a Gentleman
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Danish oil painting of a gentleman in original gilted Damborg frame.
Measures on the inside: 28" x 22 1/4".
Category
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Materials
Canvas
Empire furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire furniture for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, decorative objects, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire furniture 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 furniture, popular names associated with this style include Modenese Gastone, Europa Antiques, Baker Furniture Company, and Gherardo Degli Albizzi. 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 furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $56 and tops out at $955,603 while the average work can sell for $4,296.
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Vintage Flower Button
Black Lacquered China Cabinet
Black Lacquer China Cabinet
Antique Wooden Lock
Brass Shelf Display
Brass Display Shelf
Campaign Style Cabinet
Vintage Receipt
Black Glass Display Case
Burled Walnut Cabinets
Wooden Display Case
Zenith Used
Charms Golden
Vintage 90S Patterns
Wooden Cabinet Pulls
Vintage Glass Panel Doors
Vintage Glass Panel Door
Black Gold Rug