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 Swedish empire elm marble top console table
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Mid 19th century Swedish elm marble top console table circa 1860. Fine quality console table of grand proportions. Shaped marble top standing on an elm base. Single concealed draw...
Marble
Antique French Empire Period Walnut Marble Top Console Table 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a magnificent, imposing antique French Empire Period marble-topped walnut and parcel gilt console table, Circa 1810 in date. The rectangular specimen marble top features ro...
Carrara Marble, Siena Marble
Pair French Empire Mahogany Gilt Consoles Jean-Jacques Werner Palais Eynard 1820
Located in Epfach, DE
A rare and exceptionally well-documented pair of French Empire console tables, attributed to the celebrated Paris ébéniste Jean-Jacques Werner (Geneva 1791–1853 Paris), originating from the celebrated Palais Eynard in Geneva. Executed in flame mahogany veneered over an oak carcass, each console is fitted with a black marble top above a frieze centered by a finely chased and fire-gilt bronze mount of palmettes, a rosette, and scrolling acanthus foliage. The scrolled legs, headed by gilt-bronze acanthus capitals, terminate in bold lion's-paw feet, while the back is fitted with star-studded gilt-bronze-framed mirror plates — a hallmark of the finest Empire console design. The pair survives in exceptional original, untouched condition. Provenance: Palais Eynard, Geneva Commissioned for the Palais Eynard, built 1817–1821 for the financier and philhellene Jean-Gabriel Eynard (Lyon 1775–1863 Geneva), one of the most celebrated private residences of early 19th-century Geneva. Eynard, who made his fortune as financial advisor to the Queen of Etruria and to Grand Duchess Elisa Bacciocchi (sister of Napoleon), returned to Geneva in 1810 and later attended the Congress of Vienna alongside Charles Pictet-Rochemont. An admirer of Italian palazzo architecture...
Brass
19th Century burr birch empire revival console table
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
19th Century burr birch empire revival console table circa 1880. Good quality Swedish burr birch side table, ideal for use in the hallway, but suitable for most rooms around the hom...
Birch
19th Century French Empire Neoclassical Marble Top Console Table
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Opulent 19th century French empire gilt wood console table featuring a marbleized limestone top with partial shell fossil remnants. The marble specimen is...
Marble
French Empire Demilune Console Table, Mahogany, Hand-Carved, 1840-1860
Located in Winter Park, FL
A French Empire demilune console table with a pair of large hand-carved mahogany swans. Good craftsmanship and beautiful stylized sculptural swans wit...
Mahogany
French Empire Style Two Tier Console Table by John Widdicomb with Brass Mounts
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions - H: 34 in W: 44 in D: 20 1/2 in Elevate your interior with this exceptional 20th-century French Empire style two-tier console table or server by the renowned American ...
Brass
19th Century Russian Pair of Antique Beechwood, Brass Wall Mirrors and Consoles
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique Russian pair of wall mirrors and console tables, nightstands made of hand crafted Karelian Beechwood in good condition. The floor mirrors are supported by two arched legs ...
Metal, Brass
Rare French Empire partially Gilt Mahogany Corner Console or Encoignure
Located in Greenwich, CT
A Fine and Rare French Empire Mahogany Corner Console or 'Encoignure', late 19th cent. with a triangular top of ebonized molded edge, raised on a finely sculpted giltwood winged car...
Mahogany
Important 19th Century Italian Console Table
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Large, important early 19th Century North Italian console or side table of monumental proportions. This outstanding table is of large size and retains its original marble top of 42...
Marble
Austrian Empire Console Table with back mirror and Swan Pedestals
Located in Miami, FL
Austrian console table from the Karl Johan Period in walnut and ebonized wood. Drawer in frieze. The table is decorated with Swans that are painted in a gold color to imitate oxidize...
Wood
$18,000 / set
19th Century Pair of Empire Console Tables
Located in Allerum, SE
Fine pair of 19th century Italian Empire mahogany veneered console tables with one drawer each. Inlaid with lion mascarons, wood carved decoration of eagle heads with paw feet, back ...
Mahogany
Pair 19th Century Italian Empire Consoles
Located in Houston, TX
A stately pair of 19th Century Italian Empire white marble top mahogany consoles supported by ebonized caryatid columns.
Marble, Ormolu
$2,621Sale Price|25% Off
French Empire Style Console Marble Entry Table & Mirror
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on "Read More" or "View More Details" below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing is from 1st Dibs and they normally s...
Marble, Bronze
Kindel Furniture Empire Carved Mahogany and Gold Gilt Console Tables, Pair
Located in South Bend, IN
An outstanding pair of Empire, Neoclassical, or Regency style console tables, sofa tables, or entry tables By Kindel Furniture, "National Trust" Collection USA, Circa 1980s Carved...
Mirror, Mahogany, Giltwood, Lacquer
19th Century Swedish Empire Centre Console Table
Located in Allerum, SE
Fine and unusual 19th century Swedish Empire centre console table with Italian pink Calacatta marble top, Ca 1830.
Marble
$3,250 / item
Early 19th Century French Empire Walnut Console
Located in Atlanta, GA
Early 19th Century French Empire Walnut Console with Ebonized Marble Top & Bronze Dore Details, ca. 1810
Walnut
19th Century Swedish Empire Console Table
Located in Allerum, SE
Fine 19th century painted and gilded Swedish Empire console table with an Carrara marble top. ca 1820 Sweden.
Carrara Marble
Pair of Neoclassical Empire Marble-Topped Consoles with Gilt Sphinx Supports
Located in Elkhart, IN
Elegant and theatrical, this pair of Neoclassical Empire console tables captures the enduring appeal of French Empire design through a refined palette of pale blue-gray paint, richly...
Marble, Ormolu
Important and Very Rare Pair of Micromosaic, Malachite and Walnut Console Tables
By Antonio Deangelis
Located in London, GB
Important and very rare pair of micromosaic, malachite and walnut console tables Italian & Russian, early 19th century Measures: Height 89cm, width 106.5cm, depth 62cm These exceptionally beautiful antique console...
Malachite, Ormolu
Italian Empire Console Table with Gilt Eagle Base and Marble Top
Located in Queens, NY
Italian Empire late 18th Century / early 19th Century console table with a variegated marble slab and gilt caved acanthus leaves wooden top supported on a gilt carved base depicting ...
Marble, Gold Leaf
$3,400Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of French Empire Style Bronze Mounted Demilune Mahogany Console Tables
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Dimensions - H: 40 1/2in W: 50 1/2in D: 14 1/2in This is an EXCEPTIONAL Pair of French Empire Style Consoles! They are made of the highest quality! Made out of the Finest Mahogany ...
Bronze, Ormolu
French Empire Console Table of Flame Mahogany with Marble Top
Located in Austin, TX
A fine French Empire console table of fine proportions, featuring a rectangular figured marble top, set upon a frieze of flame mahogany with one long hidden drawer over a base with t...
Marble
19th Century Wood with Marble Top Empire Style Italian Console Table, 1880s
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
Italian console table from the late 19th century. Empire-style furniture, carved and veneered in high-quality mahogany. The console table features a spacious central drawer and a fab...
Marble, Bronze
Antique French Empire Fruitwood Console Table with drawer, Early 20th Century
Located in Miami, FL
Antique French Empire- Biedermeier fruitwood console table with drawer and bronze details In good original condition with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beaut...
Bronze
Mirrored and gilt wood console by Deknudt Belgium, 1970s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Hollywood regency style console by Belgian company Lusterie Deknudt with a gilt wood frame and a mirrored top. Elegant piedce of furniture for your hall or living room,... Dimensi...
Wood
Fine French Empire Mahogany Gilt Figural Sphinx Pier Console Table c. 1815
Located in Shippensburg, PA
A VERY FINE FRENCH EMPIRE ORMOLU-MOUNTED MAHOGANY CONSOLE TABLE With polychromed winged sphinx supports Paris, France circa 1815 38" H x 45 5/8" W x 19 1/4" D A perfectly balanced ...
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Outstanding Pair of 19th Century Italian Empire Console Tables
Located in Houston, TX
Outstanding Pair Of 19th Century Italian Empire Console Tables. This beautiful pair of free standing antique early 19th century Italian period ...
Walnut
19th Century French Retour d'Egpyte Antique Veneered Mahogany Console Table
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An early 19th Century, antique French Retour d'Egpyte freestanding console table made of hand crafted shellac polished, partly veneered Mahogany, in good condition. The rectangular table is composed with one small drawer, consisting a grey Belgian marble top, standing on four legs, resting on a thick wooden base. The front part of side table is particularized by star-shaped brass décor, the front legs are enhanced by black carved large caryatids. The décor piece represents the First French Empire...
Marble, Metal, Brass
Bleached Elm Console Table
Located in London, England
Small sized bleached French console table with wooden top in elm. Circa 1870
Elm
Antique Victorian Carved Oak Console Table
Located in London, GB
A large and very impressive antique Victorian carved oak console table. This was made in England, it dates from around the 1840-1860 period. It is of extremely fine quality, with a ...
Oak
1820s Rare and Elegant Empire Walnut Sicilian Console
Located in Catania, Sicilia
An original conditions Walnut console hand-crafted in Sicily in 1820s. The elegance of saber feet it's typical of the Empire period as the gilded friezes...
Walnut
Kindel Furniture Empire Carved Mahogany Console Table With Mirrored Back
Located in South Bend, IN
An outstanding Empire, Neoclassical, or Regency style console table, sofa table, or entry table By Kindel Furniture, "National Trust" Collection USA, Circa 1980s Carved mahogany, ...
Mirror, Mahogany, Giltwood, Lacquer
19th Century Italian Console Table
Located in Allerum, SE
19th century Italian gilded and painted console table from the Empire period in it's original condition. Ca 1810, Italy.
Wood
Vintage Stone Top Flame Mahogany Pier Table
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This magnificent Empire-style pier table is a masterwork of Neoclassical design, characterized by its architectural strength and luxurious material palette. The piece features a stri...
Marble
Early 19th C. French First Empire Mahogany And Belgian Marble Console
Located in Bridgeport, CT
An exceptional antique French first empire marble-topped figured mahogany console table, circa 1800. The rectangular Belgian black-gray flecked marble top surmounts a conforming frie...
Belgian Black Marble, Metal
$5,590 / item
Empire Mahogany Console Table
Located in Westwood, NJ
A mahogany veneered console table with two drawers. Fine geometric herringbone inlays throughout and raised on tapering square legs and a Y-frame stretcher. Dimensions: 54" W x14" D...
Mahogany
French Napoleon Empire Style Marble Bronzed Wall Console Table
Located in Rio Vista, CA
An elegant and petite wall console table crafted out of gilt bronzed metal and variegated green marble in a French Napoleonic Second Empire style. The table features a two-legged con...
Marble, Metal
$10,827 / item
French Empire Style Console Table
Located in Westwood, NJ
Early 19th-century French design anchored by a sleek quartz top with a refined moulded surround and elegant canted corners, this table blends architectural grace with timeless luxury...
Quartz, Brass
Vintage French Empire Style Distressed Gold Giltwood Hall Table Console
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage French Empire Style Distressed Gold Giltwood Hall Table Console. Item features antiqued glass top, shell carved knees, paw feet, distressed finish. Circa Mid 20th Century. Me...
Glass, Wood
$9,600Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of French Empire Demilune Flip-Top Consoles by Ira Yeager
By Ira Yeager
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Opulent pair of 19th century French empire demi-lune console tables or round dining tables with a flip top that has been faux-marble lacquered on top by artist Ira Yeager (American 1...
Brass
19th Century French Empire Console Table
Located in Ongar, GB
A nice quality 19th century French Empire console table made from flamed Cuban mahogany. With a Belgian bluestone top and original ormolu ...
Mahogany
$34,950Sale Price / set|22% Off
Pair of French 19th Century Empire Style Giltwood & Gesso Carved Console Tables
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine and rare pair of French 19th century Empire style giltwood carved and ebonized gesso figural console tables with figures of winged lions and f...
Marble
Antique Empire Russia St. Petersburg Mahogany Games Console Table Brass Banding
Located in Munich, DE
This elegant Russian games and console table was made in st Petersburg circa 1810. It has ben crafted out of mahogany and is decorated with fine brass banding.The table is convertibl...
Brass
Antique French Empire Fruitwood Console Table with drawer, Early 20th Century
Located in Miami, FL
Antique French Empire- Biedermeier fruitwood console table with drawer and bronze details In good original condition with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beaut...
Bronze
Antique Empire Style Console Table
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Antique Empire style mahogany console table with a marble top, circa 1900. With a rectangular grey and white marble top with slightly rounded front corners, a frieze drawer with a we...
Marble, Brass
19th Century Swedish Empire Console in Carved, Polychrome and Gilded Wood
Located in Madrid, ES
Swedish Empire console table in carved, polychrome and gilt wood, early 19th century. Rectangular marble top in a low white, frieze decorated wi...
Marble
Early 19th Century, Lombard Empire Chest of Drawers with Marble Top
Located in IT
Walnut-veneered cabinet with solid walnut interior. Fitted with original brass handles with gilt finish, brass capitals with matching gilt finish, and a grey marble top. Complete wi...
Brass
19th C. Empire Style Mahogany Console with Bronze Caryatid and Mirrored Back
Located in Kent, CT
A 19th Century blackened mahogany console in the Empire style. Bronze caryatid supports, paw feet, and lion keyhole. The key is lost in time but the drawer does open. Console has ...
Brass, Bronze
Early 19th Century Empire Mahogany Console Table with Marble Top
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
This finely crafted console table impresses with its strict architectural form and a striking, rare marble top. The frieze houses a large drawer (without lock), subtly integrated int...
Marble, Bronze
French Empire Style Mid-19th Century Fruitwood Side Table with Doric Column Legs
Located in Atlanta, GA
This exquisite French Empire style fruitwood side table from the Mid-Century features a rectangular top supported by four Doric style wooden columns, with a characteristic entasis bu...
Fruitwood
$11,086 / set
Pair of 19th Century Italian Console Tables
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A fine pair of early 19th Century Italian Empire walnut console tables, Lombardy. With very good Breche d'Alep moulded rectangular tops above a single drawer with brass moulding supp...
Marble, Brass
Petite Empire Console with Marble Top, France 19th century
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Empire Period mahogany console table of small size. The rectangular top inset with a white and green variegated marble top and the frieze inset with a drawer and flanked by paint...
Mahogany
Pair of Empire Style Parcel-Gilt Metal Console Tables
Located in Essex, MA
A pair of Empire style parcel-gilt metal console tables, late 19th-early 20th century in the Egyptian Revival taste, each with a rectangular stone top. Measures: Height 35 1/4 x...
Metal
Coppia di Consolle Impero Italia Inizio XIX Secolo piano in legno marmorizzato
By Non-Standard Furniture and Lighting
Located in Milano, IT
Coppia di consolle Impero in ciliegio. Piano in legno marmorizzato aggiunto successivamente, fascia sottopiano con rosoni intagliati e modanature a foglie susseguenti dorate, quattro...
Cherry, Fir
Continental Empire Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Console Table
Located in Queens, NY
Continental Dutch Empire-style (Circa 1840) black lacquer Chinoiserie console table with adjustable mirror on back and bronze heads with black marble top.
Marble, Bronze, Gold Leaf
19th Century French Empire Mahogany, Gilt and Marble Topped Dressing Table
By François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter
Located in London, GB
Constructed using a fine Honduras mahogany with gilt highlights, Bleu Tarquin marble and richly dressed with fire gilt ormolu mounts of the highest quality. The table of lyre end sup...
Marble, Ormolu
19th C. French Empire Crotch Mahogany Bronze Ormolu 1 Drawer Console Hall Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
19th C. French Empire Crotch Mahogany Bronze Ormolu One Drawer Console Hall Table. Item features beautiful wood grain with attractive mounts including human form feet, rear back spla...
Metal
Continental Austrian Ebonized Console Table with Gilt Egyptian Figures
Located in Queens, NY
Continental Austrian Empire-style (circa 1800) ebonized & gilt trimmed console table with 4 gilt carved classical Egyptian figural front supports o...
Ebony
Early 19th Century French Empire Period Marble Top Console ~ Pier Table
Located in Dallas, TX
Early 19th Century French Empire Period Marble Top Console ~ Pier Table is an amazing example of the style that launched a revolution felt around the Western World. Highly talented ...
Carrara Marble, Bronze