Skip to main content

Napoleon III Furniture

NAPOLEON III STYLE

Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.

Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”

Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.

Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)

Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

2
33
to
3
20
7
33
33
33
46
22
16
14
10
9
8
8
6
1
1
1
1
31
2
2
1
33
32
19
16
4
33
32
46
25
23
12
Style: Napoleon III
Creator: Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Pair of Wall Sconces in Gilt Bronze and Sèvres Porcelain, Napoleon Period.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of wall sconces in gilt bronze and Sèvres porcelain, 19th century, Napoleon III period. Pair of Napoleon III period wall lights, 19th century, in gilt bronze and Sèvres porcela...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Pair of silver and porcelain sevres vases, 19th century
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
Pair of silver and porcelain sevres vases, 19th century Beautiful pair of sevres porcelain vases in blue and white with gold floral details, with silver neck, mouth and base. Texture...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Rare Pair of Sèvres Porcelain Boxes, Brass Mounts, Napoleon III Period.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Rare Pair of Sèvres Porcelain Boxes, Brass Mounts, 19th Century, Napoleon III period. A pair of Sèvres porcelain boxes, brass mounts, very large boxes, painted decorations on porcel...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Brass

French porcelain centerpiece, mid-19th century Sevres.
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
France, mid-19th century, Sevres, gilt bronze base, two stylized swans, carrying a leaf-shaped porcelain bowl, stylized leaf handles on the sides, painting of a cupid on the mirror, ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Sèvres Porcelain Vases, Napoleon III Period, 19th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of Sèvres porcelain vases, Napoleon III period, 19th Century. A pair of Sèvres porcelain vases, richly decorated with medallions and gallant scenes, Napoleon III period, 19th C...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

French porcelain, Sevres, and bronze planter from the 19th century
Located in Autonomous City Buenos Aires, CABA
French porcelain, Sevres, and bronze planter from the 19th century Sevres porcelain planter in an off-white tone with bronze base, handles and details. Hand painted with the artist's...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Tête-à-tête, Tea Service, Sèvres Porcelain, Napoleon III Period.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Tête-à-tête, Tea service, Sèvres porcelain, Napoleon III period. Tea service, tête-à-tête in 19th century Sèvres porcelain, Napoleon III period, rich painted and gilded decoration o...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Sèvres Porcelain Box and Chest, 19th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Sèvres porcelain box and chest, 19th century. A Sèvres porcelain box, richly decorated with 3 paintings on the belt and one on the top, enhanced with gold, Napoleon III period, 19th...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

French Ormolu Mounted Pink Sevres Lidded Vase, 1775
Located in Lisbon, PT
A beautiful antique decorative pink porcelain Sèvres urn with a hand-painted background of a guitar musician and his lady. A Serenata scene. In the back a lake scene with a castle. ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Napoleon III Sèvres Porcelain and Bronze Centerpiece
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
An exquisite 19th century Napoleon III compote, or centrepiece, in delicate Sèvres porcelain and gilt bronze. Designed to grab all the attention as the decorative focal point on a di...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Large Ormolu Mounted Porcelain Vase By Manufature Nationale Sèvres, 19th Century
Located in Lisbon, PT
A cobalt blue porcelain mounted ormolu vase from Sèvres with gilded bronze stands, decorated with Rococo gold enamel florals and polychrome floral swirls, gallant decoration in the c...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Service "Tête à Tête" in 19th Century Sèvres Porcelain, Napoleon III Period.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Service Tête à Tête in 19th century Sèvres porcelain, Napoleon III period. Service Tête à Tête in Sèvres porcelain, portrait of French royalty, Napoleon III period, 19th century.   ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Sèvres Porcelain Cup and Gilt Bronze Mount, Napoleon III.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Sèvres Porcelain Cup and Gilt Bronze Mount, Napoleon III. 19th century Sèvres porcelain bowl and gilt bronze mounting, Napoleon III period. h: 17cm, l: 37cm, p: 30cm
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

19th C. French Napoleon III Sevres Porcelain Walnut Ormolu Jardiniere Bloom Box
Located in Pearland, TX
A gorgeous antique French Napoleon III period marquetry walnut oval bombe table jardiniere / bloom box / cachepot / planter with the original tin liner, circa 1860. This beautiful jardiniere is hand crafted with walnut inlaid with ebony and decorated with gilt bronze mounts, ormolu handles and pierced gallery, and hand painted Sevres porcelain floral...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Rare Pair of Sèvres Porcelain Covered Vases, 19th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
" Rare Pair of Sèvres Porcelain Covered Vases, 19th Century. " Pair of important covered vases in Sèvres porcelain and chased and gilded bronze, 19th century, Napoleon III period, v...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Set of 12 Sèvres Porcelain Plates with Hand-Painted Pastoral Scenes
Located in London, GB
Set of 12 Sèvres porcelain plates with hand-painted pastoral scenes French, c. 1864 Plates: Height 3cm, diameter 23cm Case: Height 10cm, width 76cm, depth 52cm Originating from the...
Category

1860s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Cup in 19th Century Sèvres Porcelain, Napoleon III Period.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
"Cup in 19th century Sèvres porcelain, Napoleon III period." Gilt bronze and Sèvres porcelain bowl, 19th century, Napoleon III period. h: 12.5cm, w: 32.5cm, d: 27cm
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Napoleon III Jardiniere or Planter
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th century Napoleon III bronze mounted marquetry jardiniere, or planter, with inlaid veneer of kingwood. Decorated with two hand-painted Se`vres porcelain medallions, one with a ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze, Zinc

Pair of Sevres Porcelain Plates of Napoleon III and Eugenie
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
"Pair of Sevres Porcelain Plates of Napoleon III and Eugenie" Pair of plates representing Napoleon III and Eugenie in Sèvres Porcelain, 19th ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Porcelain Samovar
Located in London, GB
A beautiful and very unusual jewelled porcelain samovar, Sèvres porcelain from the 18 century but decorated in the first quarter of the 19th century, probably in the workshop of Emil...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of porcelain vases mounted in gilt bronze, circa 1890
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This very beautiful pair of ovoid and covered vases was made of Sèvres porcelaine and mounted in gilt bronze. The two vases depicts a painted decor b...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Sèvres porcelain vases mounted in gilt bronze painted by J. Machereau
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This beautiful pair of covered vases made of porcelain originally comes from the Manufacture of Sèvres where the white pieces were bought in 1869, decorated then mounted in gilt bron...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Very large Sèvres porcelain plaque by Pastier after Jean-Baptiste Greuze
Located in London, GB
Very large Sèvres porcelain plaque by Pastier after Jean-Baptiste Greuze French, 1853 Frame: height 71cm, width 89cm, depth 9cm Plaque: hei...
Category

1850s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain, Giltwood

Box of Sevres
Located in Buenos Aires, Argentina
sevres box circa 1900 perfect state cobalt blue with gold hand painted origin france. The Manufacture nationale de Sèvres is one of the most important and w...
Category

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Palatial French Ormolu-Mounted Sevres Porcelain Hand-Painted Vase and Cover
Located in New York, NY
A palatial french ormolu-mounted Sevres Porcelain hand-painted vase and cover, circa 1838. This monumental Sevres porcelain vase stands 56" high, and is beautifully hand-painted with classical scenes of lovers and cupids, in teal / turquoise blue ground porcelain. Made with very fine quality figural bronze handle, the vase turns to a full 360 degree angle and is mounted on a solid bronze base with fine detail. Painted with beautiful flowers throughout the entire vase, leading up to the cover, which is adorned with an acorn bronze...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Box Sevres Porcelain Romantic Scene
Located in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sevres porcelain romantic scene box napoleon III style Origin france hand painted 19th century circa 1890 with no stamp perfect condition.
Category

1890s European Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Sevres Porcelain Chest Romantic Scene 'Lux'
Located in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sevres porcelain chest romantic scene (Lux) signed Lux 19th century crica 1900.
Category

Early 1900s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Royal Pair of Sèvres Porcelain '1867 Paris Exhibition' Vases and Covers
Located in New York, NY
A large pair of ormolu-mounted Se`vres Porcelain Bleu Celeste '1867 Exhibition' vases and covers (‘Vase Paris de Milieu Garnis’), ‘l’Abreuvoir’ and ‘Le Retour’ De Champs’ 1860, one ...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Ormolu

Set of 12 French Sevres Pink Ground Porcelain Painted Plates
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine set of 12 French Sevres pink ground porcelain painted and jeweled plates. Each with a gold and pink border with a central painting depict...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Six French Chateau Sevres Porcelain Pink Ground Painted Plates
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine set of twelve (12) French Sevres pink ground porcelain painted and jeweled plates. Each with a gold and pink border with a central painti...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of French Napoleanic Sèvres Porcelain and Ormolu Covered Vases/Pot Pourries
Located in New York, NY
A pair of highly important and rare antique French Napoleonic gilt bronze mounted, cobalt blue, double handled, Royal Napoleonic Sèvres style porcelain covered vases/ pot pourries of...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Befort Jeune French Black Cabinet Napoleon III Sèvres Porcelain Gilt Bronze 19th
Located in Paris, FR
Very beautiful and elegant support unit in Boulle marquetry from the Napoleon III period, stamped by BEFORT Jeune, a leading cabinetmaker from the second half of the 19th century. Ve...
Category

1860s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Marble, Brass, Bronze

Sèvres Porcelain Box, Napoleon III Period, 19th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
" Sèvres porcelain box, Napoleon III period, 19th century. " Sèvres porcelain box, signed, gilt bronze mounting, rich decorations inside and out, Napoleon III period, 19th century. ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon Iii furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III 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 decorative objects, building and garden elements, case pieces and storage cabinets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III 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 Europa Antiques, Baccarat, Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, and Ferdinand Barbedienne. 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 $49 and tops out at $2,500,000 while the average work can sell for $3,313.

Recently Viewed

View All