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.
$4,500 / item
Empire Style Gilt Bronze Gueridon Table
Located in New York, NY
Very finely cast Empire style gilt bronze gueridon table with swan motif.
Bronze
Decorative Empire Style Wood Candle Stand With Bronze Angelic Figure
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Decorative Empire Style Wood Candle Stand With Bronze Angelic Figure. In very good condition
Brass, Bronze
Chromed Steel & Faux Rosewood Candle Stand
Located in Hudson, NY
This vintage smoking table or candle stand appears to be custom made and one of a kind. The heavy steel shaft is thickly chrome plated and rests upon a faux rosewood base complemente...
Chrome, Steel
Pair of Matching Regency Walnut Candle Stands
Located in Woodbury, CT
Fine pair of matching Regency candle stands with subtle lipped trays on top of unusually turned columns. Stands end with delicately carved cabriole legs with acanthus leaves on the k...
Walnut
$4,350
H 31.5 in Dm 21.25 in
Late 19th C. French Empire Style Gilt Bronze Mounted Gueridon, Green Onyx Top
Located in Morristown, NJ
An elegant and finely executed French Empire style gueridon, dating to the late 19th century, distinguished by its restrained neoclassical proportions and exceptional gilt bronze mou...
Onyx, Bronze
Celtic Gothic Oak Clover Leaf Table Elizabethan-Style Celtic Gothic Oak
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Celtic Gothic Oak Clover Leaf Table Elizabethan-Style Celtic Gothic Oak Clover Top Table, an enchanting piece Made in solid Oak in sound attractive...
Oak
$139 / set
H 12 in W 3.5 in D 3.5 in
Vintage English Regency Small Patinated Bronze Barley Twist Candlesticks a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage English Regency Style Small Patinated Bronze Spiral Barley Twist Candlesticks - a Pair. Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 12" H x 3.5" W x 3.5" D.
Bronze
$848Sale Price|29% Off
H 28.63 in W 21.75 in D 18 in
Candle Stand Cherry Empire Southern U.S. North Alabama or Tennessee c 1820
Located in Mobile, AL
Southern furniture is orders of magnitude harder to locate and collect than examples from other regions, but if you are looking at this listing, pre...
Cherry
$895
H 27 in W 10 in D 10 in
20th Century Italian Carved, Painted Solid Wood Figural Tripod Candle Stand
Located in Germantown, MD
20th Century Italian Painted Solid, carced Wood Figural Tripod Candle Stand. Measures 10" in width, 10" in depth and 27" in height. Candle seat is 6" in diameter. Overall top diamet...
Hardwood, Paint
$56,133
H 20.87 in W 48.43 in D 24.81 in
French Empire-style gilt bronze mounted malachite coffee table
Located in London, GB
French Empire-style gilt bronze mounted malachite coffee table French, Early 20th Century Height 52cm, width 123cm, depth 63cm Exemplifying all that is grand and regal about the fan...
Malachite, Bronze, Ormolu
$1,195
H 21.5 in W 20 in D 12 in
Ferguson Bros. Duncan Phyfe Style Mahogany Galleried Kidney Candle Stand
Located in Germantown, MD
A Mid Century Ferguson Bros. Duncan Phyfe regency Style Mahogany Galleried Kidney Form , , quadpad pedestal with brass cap paw feet Candle Stand Measures 20" in width x 12" in dept...
Brass
English Georgian Mahogany Candle Stand
Located in Westwood, NJ
An English Georgian style mahogany candle stand, the circular molded edge top on a delicately turned baluster column terminating in a dished and molded circular brass bound platform ...
Wood
Empire Style Gueridon Tables
Located in Dallas, TX
A pair of black granite top empire style Gueridon tables. Brass with paw feet and a circular top.
Granite, Brass
Pair of Cylindrical Steel & Bronze Pedestals, 1970s
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, AR
A striking pair of cylindrical pedestals in polished stainless steel, articulated by vertical bronze moldings that run the full height of each column. The warm reflections of the ste...
Bronze, Stainless Steel
French Empire Red Languedoc Marble Bronze Ormolu Candelabrum
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
Wonderfully ostentatious urn shaped candelabra made of gilt and patinated bronze, raised on a red Languedoc marble support, which holds five candles with Classic effortless style, 19...
Marble, Bronze
French Empire Style Mahogany and Marble Candle Stand Side Table, circa 1840
Located in San Francisco, CA
A unique Empire style mahogany side table or candle stand with an inset gray marble top and brass gallery, supported on a shaped column fixed to tripartite base sitting on acorn shap...
Marble, Brass
Empire Style Tripod Gueridon in Dark Green Leather, circa 1950
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
. Dark green leather . Tripod . Decorated with gilt and chiseled bronze . Work circa 1950
Exquisite Georges Geffroy Small Gueridon
Located in New York, NY
A rare example of the French interior decorator Georges Geffroy's furniture. Made in the 1950s of mahogany and ormolu, it has an Indian alabaster top i...
Ormolu
Antique French Empire Carved Walnut Paw Footed Swan Wine Table
Located in Highwood, IL
Standing proud from its three footed burled walnut base, this antique French Empire st. wine table offers grace and character. A graceful swans neck supports the scalloped top while ...
Walnut