Empire Tables
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 French Antique Empire Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Tables
Iron
Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Brass
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Tables
Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Brass, Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables
Mercury Glass, Mirror, Wood, Walnut, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Tables
Wood
1980s Vintage Empire Tables
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Stone, Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Metal, Bronze
1830s Antique Empire Tables
Ormolu
20th Century Unknown Empire Tables
Marble
Early 1800s German Antique Empire Tables
Glass, Mahogany, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Italian Empire Tables
Marble
Early 1900s Antique Empire Tables
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Empire Tables
Brass
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Tables
Marble
1940s French Vintage Empire Tables
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
1810s French Antique Empire Tables
Walnut
20th Century Unknown Empire Tables
Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Empire Tables
Walnut
1820s Dutch Antique Empire Tables
Burl
1810s French Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables
Wood, Mahogany
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Tables
Wood
Late 20th Century American Empire Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Empire Tables
Brass
Early 20th Century Unknown Empire Tables
Marble
1880s French Antique Empire Tables
Brass
1920s French Vintage Empire Tables
Mahogany, Leather
Early 20th Century American Empire Tables
Steel
1810s French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Ormolu
1950s French Vintage Empire Tables
Ormolu
Early 20th Century French Empire Tables
Bronze
1930s French Vintage Empire Tables
Ormolu
1850s Italian Antique Empire Tables
Walnut
1820s Italian Antique Empire Tables
Nutwood
Early 20th Century Hungarian Empire Tables
Pine
1920s French Vintage Empire Tables
Marble, Brass