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 Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Silver
1840s Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass, Nickel
19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Furniture
Metal
18th Century British Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany, Paint
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Empire Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
Metal, Brass
20th Century Empire Furniture
Crystal
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century English Antique Empire Furniture
Glass, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Griotte Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Griotte Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Belgian Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble
19th Century European Antique Empire Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
1830s Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
1910s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Empire Furniture
Rosewood
1870s French Antique Empire Furniture
Silk, Walnut, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Plaster
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Crystal, Brass
20th Century Empire Furniture
Metal, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Ormolu
1980s American Vintage Empire Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Empire Furniture
Brass, Bronze, Iron
1980s English Vintage Empire Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1950s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Tin
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wood, Paint
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1880s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Statuary Marble
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
1810s German Antique Empire Furniture
Nutwood, Leather
19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
1810s Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Wood