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 1900s Antique Empire Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1810s French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Furniture
Rock Crystal, Crystal, Brass, Wire
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1830s Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Crystal, Brass, Iron
1930s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Ormolu
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Pine
18th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Silk
19th Century American Antique Empire Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1920s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Crystal, Brass
17th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Fabric, Wool
Late 20th Century Empire Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Empire Furniture
Glass, Wood, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century French Empire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1970s Spanish Vintage Empire Furniture
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Empire Furniture
Scagliola, Wood
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany, Maple
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1970s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Brass
17th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wool, Feathers
1920s Vintage Empire Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
1930s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wood
1880s Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Walnut, Giltwood
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Porcelain
18th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wool
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Pine
1930s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Crystal, Brass, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
1810s European Antique Empire Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Furniture
Crystal, Wire
Late 20th Century British Empire Furniture
Damask, Silk, Velvet
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Late 20th Century American Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Mirror
Mid-19th Century British Antique Empire Furniture
Velvet, Ebony
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wool
1930s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Furniture
Wool, Cotton
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Fabric, Mahogany, Satinwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Empire Furniture
Crystal, Metal
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Cherry
Late 19th Century European Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany, Giltwood
Early 2000s Austrian Empire Furniture
Crystal, Metal
1950s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Silver
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Walnut
Early 1900s Uzbek Antique Empire Furniture
Wool, Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Furniture
Crystal, Wire
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Furniture
Wool, Feathers
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Persian Empire Furniture
Wool
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble
Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Empire Furniture
Brass