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.
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Tables
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
Early 1900s Antique Empire Tables
Bronze
Early 20th Century Austrian Empire Tables
Marble
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Onyx, Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Bronze
1850s Italian Antique Empire Tables
Plaster, Fruitwood
1940s Argentine Vintage Empire Tables
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Tables
Marble, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Tables
Iron
1820s Swedish Antique Empire Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Bronze
1820s Austrian Antique Empire Tables
Wood, Mahogany, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Empire Tables
Marble
20th Century French Empire Tables
Mahogany, Giltwood, Wood
1830s Danish Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Tables
Pine
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Onyx, Marble, Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century North American Empire Tables
Brass
1950s American Vintage Empire Tables
Bronze
1940s French Vintage Empire Tables
Metal, Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables
Marble
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Griotte Marble, Marble, Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Onyx, Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Brass
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Marble, Onyx, Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables
Alabaster
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Gold Leaf, Silver Leaf
20th Century French Empire Tables
Composition, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Tables
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Bronze
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Marble, Crystal, Bronze, Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Marble, Crystal, Bronze, Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble, Ormolu
Early 18th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Bronze
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Onyx, Marble, Silver Leaf, Gold Leaf
2010s Italian Empire Tables
Onyx, Marble, Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Ormolu
1950s Spanish Vintage Empire Tables
Olive
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Carrara Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Marble
1810s Austrian Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Porphyry
Early 20th Century French Empire Tables
Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Tables
Mahogany
1870s French Antique Empire Tables
Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Tables
Carrara Marble