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.
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wood, Maple
1860s French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Alabaster, Bronze
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Metal
Early 1900s German Antique Empire Furniture
Silver Plate
2010s German Empire Furniture
Crystal
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Giltwood
1890s French Antique Empire Furniture
Alabaster, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Metal, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Birdseye Maple
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Beech
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1930s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Brass
20th Century Empire Furniture
Bronze
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Wood
1810s German Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Beech
20th Century Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century German Antique Empire Furniture
Iron
1930s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Mahogany
1950s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Furniture
Crystal, Wire
1810s Austrian Antique Empire Furniture
Gold Plate, Brass
2010s German Empire Furniture
Crystal
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze, Enamel
1960s German Vintage Empire Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
1920s German Vintage Empire Furniture
Alabaster, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
2010s German Empire Furniture
Crystal
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
2010s German Empire Furniture
Brass
1810s German Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
2010s German Empire Furniture
Crystal
20th Century German Empire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1950s Swedish Vintage Empire Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Furniture
Crystal
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Furniture
Wood
1820s Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Beech
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Brass, Pewter
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1930s Austrian Vintage Empire Furniture
Crystal, Bronze, Metal
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Enamel
1810s French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wood