Empire Furniture
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.
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
1830s Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Furniture
Wood, Rosewood
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Cherry
21st Century and Contemporary Czech Empire Furniture
Onyx, Metal
1880s French Antique Empire Furniture
Gold Leaf
1870s French Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Empire Furniture
Ash, Burl
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Furniture
Brass, Wire
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Wood, Walnut
1790s French Antique Empire Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century American Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Empire Furniture
Ash, Burl
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Empire Furniture
Mirror, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Empire Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass, Steel
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1990s Philippine Empire Furniture
Iron
1880s French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
2010s German Empire Furniture
Crystal
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Furniture
Birch, Fruitwood
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Empire Furniture
Wood
1820s American Antique Empire Furniture
Cherry, Poplar
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Furniture
Crystal, Iron, Wire
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Furniture
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Porcelain
1960s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Gold Plate, Sterling Silver, Enamel
1850s Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Fabric, Oak
1880s Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Furniture
Crystal, Brass, Wire
Mid-20th Century European Empire Furniture
Iron
1880s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Italian Empire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
1820s American Antique Empire Furniture
Cherry, Poplar
1870s Spanish Antique Empire Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Furniture
Wood, Burl
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Stone, Marble, Metal
1990s French Empire Furniture
Silver Plate
1840s French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
20th Century Empire Furniture
Mahogany
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century Unknown Empire Furniture
Malachite
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Furniture
Crystal, Wire
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century Swedish Empire Furniture
Ormolu
2010s German Empire Furniture
Crystal, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Furniture
Wool, Cotton
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Swedish Empire Furniture
Birch
1890s French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany, Fabric
1930s Austrian Vintage Empire Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Gold Plate
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century American Antique Empire Furniture
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Wood
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Unknown Empire Furniture
Marble