Skip to main content

Empire Tables

EMPIRE STYLE

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.

2
586
38
2
to
70
392
219
626
601
603
27,249
20,545
5,019
3,661
1,960
1,842
1,709
1,648
1,601
1,572
1,415
1,093
807
681
543
329
147
12
406
168
40
41
45
34
6
3
3
3
6
7
7
3
2
3
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
549
276
266
259
228
508
335
70
43
41
16
14
6
4
3
Style: Empire
French Empire Mahogany and Mirrored Console Table
Located in New York, NY
French Empire-style (19th Century) mahogany & bronze trimmed console table with scroll form sides and a drawer over a mirrored door with a grey marble top.
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble

Empire Style Satinwood End Table / Gueridon with Carved and Gilt Guirlandes
Located in Lisse, NL
Unique handcrafted and hand-carved end table. This Empire style, satinwood end table is beautifully made and very stylish. The finely, hand-carved and gilt wooden guirlandes really ...
Category

Early 20th Century French Empire Tables

Materials

Wood, Satinwood

French Empire Neoclassical Cornucopia Base Round Pink Marble Top Coffee Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage French Empire / Neoclassical style marble top coffee table. Item features a triple cornucopia carved wood base, pink round marble-top, off white original painted finish and r...
Category

1960s American Vintage Empire Tables

Materials

Marble

19th Century Italian Empire Writing Table in Mahogany with Marquetry
Located in Miami, FL
A handsome Italian Empire desk or sofa table in mahogany with fold-down leaves, and resting over trestle base with splayed legs ending in carved li...
Category

Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Mahogany, Satinwood

Empire Gilt Bronze Mounted Mahogany Center Table
Located in Kittery Point, ME
Attributed to Chapuis. The later circular black marble top above a frieze mounted with stylized laurel branches centered by flowerheads, raised on three square tapering legs surmount...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Bronze

French Empire Mahogany Centre Table with Bronze Dore Mounts, Early 19th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
Early 19th century Empire mahogany center table with grey dish marble top, ormolu mounts and paw feet.
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble, Ormolu

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...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble, Ormolu

Fine Late 19th Century Gilt Bronze-Mounted Empire Style Console
Located in New York, NY
An exceptionally fine late 19th century gilt bronze-mounted Empire style marble top console. Verde antico marble top, above three bronze-mounted drawers, front legs bronze mounted...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble, Bronze

19th Century Empire France Lyra-Shaped Curly-Legs Side Tables, circa 1815
Located in Berlin, DE
Mahogany on solid wood and partly boned. Round leaf with black-and-white interspersed marble, over simple frame and lyra-shaped curly legs on three-sided ...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble

French Empire Walnut Tray Top Table with Drawers, Doric Columns and Bottom Shelf
Located in Atlanta, GA
This French Empire walnut side table features a rectangular tray top over two thin drawers, one in the front and one in the back. To maintain a harmonious symmetry, the artist has in...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Brass, Bronze

1950-1970 Bronze Coffee Table with Swans and Its Six Pieces of Sofas Signed GAD
By Artelegno
Located in Paris, FR
Coffee table with two-level, swan decorated with glass shelves, the structure is made of bronze or patinated brass, feet are eagle claws clasping a ball in the Chippendale style, its...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Empire Tables

Materials

Brass

Baltic Empire Style Writing Table or Desk, circa 1910 in Mahogany
Located in Miami, FL
A very fine Baltic writing or sofa table in the Empire style (and edging toward the Art Deco period that would follow.) In Cuban mahogany with carved trestle-base ending in carved li...
Category

1910s Baltic Vintage Empire Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Early 19th century French Mahogany Empire Desk
Located in Troy, NY
Stately Empire desk on four monopodia legs painted a dark verdis gris, joined by two stretchers. Top inset with a tooled black leather writing surface and slide outs (16.5 inches eac...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

French Empire Ormolu-Mounted Mahogany Dressing Table with Arched Tilted Mirror
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A French Empire period ormolu-mounted mahogany psyché dressing table from the early 19th century in neoclassical style. The rectangular black marble top is surmounted by an arched ti...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Ormolu, Brass

Russian Empire period Walnut Sofa Table
Located in Montreal, QC
This beautiful table is probably Russian, We describe it as a sofa table but it might equally be for the library . (The drawer has ink stains) It is a fine piece of cabinetry with ...
Category

19th Century Russian Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Walnut

19th Century French Empire Figural Flame Mahogany One Drawer Console Hall Table
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Beautiful Antique 19th C. Single Drawer French Empire Console Table. Item features beautiful woodgrain with attractive mounts including human form feet, rear back splash, and maiden ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Metal

19th Century Italian Table of Mahogany and Painted Architectural Scenes of Rome
Located in London, GB
Constructed in a good flame-veneer mahogany, with gilt metal mounts; rising from a tripartite incurved base mounted on castors, issuing three entasis form cylindrical columns, gilt m...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Mahogany, Watercolor

20th c. French Empire Style End Table
Located in New York, NY
Twentieth century French Empire style end table with a bronze campaign style base with four crossed legs and clawfeet beneath a square ro...
Category

20th Century French Empire Tables

Materials

Marble, Bronze

French Empire Bronze and Mahogany Vanity
Located in New York, NY
French Empire (19th Century) mahogany vanity / dressing table with gilt bronze trim and swan supports on legs with a rectangular form mirror attached by a Pair of 3 arm candelabra.
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Ormolu

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...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Empire Oval Table with Claw Feet and Rounded Drawers
Located in Asheville, NC
Antique empire claw foot oval table with casters, curved drawers tiger wood mahogany detail and wood veneer.
Category

19th Century American Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Continental Empire Black Lacquer Chinoiserie Console Table
Located in New York, NY
Continental Dutch Empire-style (Circa 1840) black lacquer Chinoiserie console table with adjustable mirror on back and bronze heads with black marble top.
Category

19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble, Bronze, Gold Leaf

Table Swedish Mahogany Floral 19th Century Sweden
Located in New York, NY
Table Swedish Mahogany Floral 19th Century Sweden. A Swedish mahogany Tray Table with floral painted top. 4 smaller trays for candlelight holder.
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Napoleon 111 Empire Style Mahogany and Gilt Bronze Centre Table
Located in Montreal, QC
This imposing table is based on the celebrated example made for Marshal Murat, subsequently used by Napoleon and now in the Grand Trianon at Versailles. Supported by four draped caryatids, the striking Nero Antico marble above and heavy H frame cross...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble

Austrian Empire Console Table
Located in New York, NY
Austrian console table from the Karl Johan Period in mahogany and a top of black marble. Drawer in frieze. The table is decorated with Swans that are p...
Category

19th Century German Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble

19th Century French Empire Walnut Gueridon with Grey Marble Top & Pedestal Base
Located in Atlanta, GA
19th Century French Empire Walnut Gueridon with Grey Marble Top & Pedestal Base
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble

French 19th Century Empire Desk
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A classically designed Empire style mahogany desk from France. This desk has a new inset green leather top embossed with brass tooling and banding around the perimeter. A more worn l...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Brass

Mid-19th Century French Empire Walnut Console Table with Drawers
Located in Dallas, TX
Dress an entryway or hall way with this elegant, antique console. Crafted in France, circa 1820, the simple, narrow, fruit wood table stands on four turned legs embellished with a bo...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Walnut

Empire Mahogany 2-Drawer Stand, Circa 1810, France
Located in Alexandria, VA
This high style 2-drawer stand is made of mahogany and mahogany book matched veneer with French pine secondary wood. The piece has a finished back, so it can be used away from the wa...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble, Brass

Empire Style Table, Desk in Gilt Bronze, Mahogany and Marble.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Empire style table, desk in gilt bronze, mahogany and marble. 19th century or early 20th century Empire style mahogany and gilt bronze table, desk, green marble top, 2 drawers.   H:...
Category

Early 20th Century French Empire Tables

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Empire desk, France, circa 1880.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Empire desk, France, circa 1880. Currently under renovation. Wood: mahogany dimensions: height 80 cm x width 150 cm x depth 80 cm
Category

1880s French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Fine French Empire Amboyna Burl Gilt Dor'e Bronze 14 FT Dining Table w 6 Leaves
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a spectacular dining table attributed to Maison Krieger of Paris and we have the matching 16 dining chairs listed separately. The table will be meticulously detailed and mino...
Category

1890s French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Bronze

Elegant and Decorative French Empire Mahogany Center Table
Located in Kastrup, DK
Elegant and decorative empire salon / center table. Mahogany with original gilded bronze mounting. Legs ornamented with gilt leaves on animal-paw feet. Gray marble top with profile. ...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Brass

Empire-Style Gueridon, 2nd Half 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Empire style gueridon with three legs and trefoil base. The legs are decorated with caryatid-herms. The tabletop is made of a dark gray marble with red ve...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble, Brass

Classic Empire Center Table
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Classic Empire style mahogany stained center table with a carved ogee edge, raised on an octagonal pedestal base. Dimensions: 42" W x 42" D x 30" H.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Tables

Materials

Wood

Pair of 19th Century Empire Style Dore Bronze and Sienna Marble Top Gueridons
Located in New York, NY
A Pair of 19th Century Empire Style Dore Bronze and Siena Marble Top Gueridons. The dore bronze bases are beautifully cast, hand-chased and hand-chiseled. The bottom of each table is...
Category

1860s French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Siena Marble, Bronze

19th Century Italian Empire Walnut Center Table, 1800s
Located in Roma, RM
Italian center table, early 19th century, in Walnut. Central leg with three hoof-shaped feet. In the central part of the stump we find a refined carving process. The top is of a vei...
Category

Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Walnut

French Empire Ormolu-Mounted Vitrine Cabinet Pedestal, Circa 1840
Located in New York, NY
French Empire ormolu-mounted vitrine cabinet pedestal, circa 1840. Very good quality bronze mounts of typical Empire period heads. Very useful pedestal vitrine combination tha...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Bronze

Mid- 19th Century Dutch Empire Style Mahogany Dining Table
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
Beautiful antique Dutch table from circa 1850. The table is made of mahogany. Beautiful carvings on the base.
Category

Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Mahogany

French Empire Console Table of Mahogany with Marble Top
Located in Austin, TX
A period French Empire console table of mahogany of fine proportions, featuring a rectangular figured marble top set upon a frieze with one long drawer, the drawer with brass escutch...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble, Metal, Brass

Empire Style Extending Dining Table
Located in Westwood, NJ
Empire style beech and knotty walnut extending dining table with a circular top extending with two additional leaves, a plain frieze on turned legs with acorn feet with triple end le...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Tables

Materials

Wood

Cylinder Burl Walnut Pedestal Cabinet, Copenhagen, 1830-1840
Located in Kastrup, DK
Cylinder burl walnut pedestal cabinet. Late Empire. Oak beautifully veneered with walnut. A large front door that opens to reveal a set of three shelv...
Category

Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Oak, Walnut

Period Italian Carved and Gilded Empire Gueridon
Located in New Orleans, LA
Fantastic Italian gueridon with giltwood carved decoration.
Category

Late 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble

Pair of French Empire Console Tables
Located in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire
Pair of Empire console tables A fine pair of Empire mahogany console tables with ormolu mounts of a lute player with other instruments a...
Category

Early 1800s French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Mahogany

Russian Empire Leather Top Desk
Located in Westwood, NJ
Russian Empire leather top mahogany desk with two slides, brass trim, and mounts on square tapered legs.
Category

19th Century Russian Antique Empire Tables

French Empire Style 1870s Console Table with Grey Marble Top and Doric Columns
Located in Atlanta, GA
This French Empire style console table from the second half of the 19th century features a rectangular dark grey and white veined marble top over two front columns and back pilasters...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables

Materials

Marble

Empire tables for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Empire tables 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 tables created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include tables, case pieces and storage cabinets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, mahogany and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire tables made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original tables, popular names associated with this style include Maitland Smith, Baker Furniture Company, and Grosfeld House. 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 tables differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $595 and tops out at $26,000 while the average work can sell for $2,675.

Recently Viewed

View All