Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.
Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”
Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.
Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)
Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Pair of 19th Century French Bronze and Wood Wall Brackets
Located in Houston, TX
Interesting pair of antique French Napoleon III gilt bronze and wood wall shelves or consoles with cherub supports and wood tops. These stunning antique French wall brackets...
Bronze
19th Century Pair Napoleon III Mahogany and Ormolu Neoclassical Wall Brackets
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
19th Century Pair Napoleon III Mahogany and Ormolu Neoclassical Wall Brackets. Beautiful pair purchased in France. Age appropriate wear, see detailed photos or message us with questi...
Ormolu
19th Century English Ceramic Bird Wall Bracket Shelves, Pair
Located in Darien, CT
A rare and striking pair of English faux bois ceramic wall brackets dating to the late 19th century, each centered by a finely modeled parrot perched within a sculptural branch form....
Ceramic
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Pair of Italian Painted and Gilt Wall Brackets. Circa 1820
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of Italian carved wood painted and gilt wall brackets with scrolled floral and tassel arms supporting upper shelf. Early 19th Century
Gold Leaf
$820Sale Price|20% Off
H 15.95 in W 12.41 in D 8.86 in
19th Century Anglo-Indian / Burmese Wall Bracket / Shelf
Located in Hoddesdon, GB
Anglo-Indian wall bracket or shelf. Circa 1880s An extremely rare intricately carved 19th-century Anglo-Indian wall bracket or shelf. This exquisite piece is beautifully made . ...
Teak
$689Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.74 in W 12.01 in D 12.21 in
19th Century Anglo-Indian / Burmese Wall Bracket / Shelf
Located in Hoddesdon, GB
An extremely rare intricately carved 19th-century Anglo-Indian wall bracket or shelf. This exquisite piece is beautifully made . Intricately carved throughout with breathtaking d...
Hardwood
$12,500 / set
H 9 in W 8 in D 8 in
Pair of English Chippendale Carved and Painted Swan Wall Brackets, Circa 1790
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of English Chippendale carved pine and painted wall brackets with shell and swan motif. Late 18th Century.
19th Century Mahogany Corner Bracket with Inlaid Vignettes
Located in Long Island City, NY
19th century mahogany corner bracket with inlaid vignettes. The vignettes depict a woman and a man fishing.
Pair of Blue Velvet Wall Shelves or Brackets
Located in New York, NY
Pair of blue velvet wall shelves or brackets. Handmade and covered in silk-rayon velvet. Measures: 12" x 6" x 9" H each.
Velvet, Wood
$2,455Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 10.63 in W 8.47 in D 4.73 in
Pair of Spanish Foliage Wall Brackets / Shelves in Carved Giltwood, 1930s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Pair of carved giltwood wall consoles or bracket shelves, Spain, 1930s. Carved Wood, Giltwood, Gold Leaf Antique Spanish Neoclassical Revival Giltwood Wall Brackets. These stunning o...
Gold Leaf
19th Century Antique Giltwood Wall Bracket with Griffins
Located in Lincoln, GB
Antique Giltwood Wall Bracket with Griffins – Renaissance Revival A superb example of 19th-century Renaissance Revival craftsmanship, this elaborately carved giltwood wall bracket f...
Giltwood
$2,301
H 19.69 in W 14.97 in D 12.21 in
18th Century Carved Giltwood Shelf / Wall Bracket / Architectural Corbel
Located in Madrid, ES
This hand carved giltwood shelf / wall bracket or architectural corbel clearly displays the strength, drama and beauty of Spanish Baroque style. The cen...
Wrought Iron
$4,250 / set
H 17.5 in W 16.5 in D 6.25 in
Pair of 19th Century Italian Painted and Giltwood Wall Brackets
Located in Houston, TX
Pair of 19th Century Italian Painted and Gilt wood Wall Brackets. Stunning large pair of Italian Baroque style painted and gilt wood wall brackets, wall shelves or wall consoles to d...
Giltwood
Pair of 18th Century Baroque Grey Painted Dragon Wall Shelves
Located in Dallas, TX
Pair 18th Century Rococo Period Painted Wall Sconces are remarkable works, celebrating the asymmetrical naturalism of the movement with stylized shell, acanthus foliage and wildflowe...
Hardwood
Sold
H 20 in W 18 in D 7.5 in
Pair of French Ormolu Bronze and Sevres Porcelain Wall Brackets Appliques
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Long Island City, NY
An exceptional pair of French ormolu bronze and turquoise Sèvres Porcelain wall brackets appliques, circa 1880 Very high quality bronze, very solid. Each with partial gilt and ...
Ormolu
Sold
H 6.5 in W 6 in D 3 in
Pair 19thc French Napoleon III Bronze "Dolphin Kiss" Fish Form Drapery Tie Backs
Located in Opa Locka, FL
Rare Pair 19thc French Napoleon III "The Dolphin Kiss" Bronze Fish/ Koi/ Dolphin Drapery Tie Backs. Stunning casting, this pair of drapery tie backs are a...
Bronze
Sold
H 20.87 in W 14.18 in D 14.18 in
19th C Massive Pair of French "Incas" Plaster Wall Brackets from Bordeaux
Located in New York, NY
19th century pair of massive stylized French "Incas" plaster wall brackets from Bordeaux.
Plaster
Pair of Louis XV Period Gilt Bronze Curtain Tie Backs
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of sculpted gilt bronze curtain tie-backs richly decorated with foliage, garlands, Rocaille. These beautiful items bare the makers mark and numbered. Measures: 4 3/4" D x 2 ...
Bronze, Ormolu
Antique Napoleon III Boulle Bracket Shelf French, 1865
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Louis XV Large wall console wall shelf cabinet for a table clock, made in Boulle style Marquetry, 19th century. Made in brass on a red tortoiseshel...
Brass
French Faux Bamboo Towel Holder, circa 1900
Located in Austin, TX
French faux bamboo towel holder, circa 1900.
Faux Bamboo
Sold
H 8.75 in W 3.13 in D 5.88 in
Pair of Napoleon III Period Empire Gilt Bronze Curtain Hooks or Tie Backs
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of sculpted gilt bronze curtain hooks or tie-backs richly decorated with foliage, garlands, Rocaille and ovals, Napoleon III, Empire period. These ...
Bronze, Ormolu
Sold
H 7 in W 2.25 in D 5.25 in
Pair of Napoleon III Period Empire Gilt Bronze Curtain Tie Backs, Signed
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of sculpted gilt bronze curtain tie-backs richly decorated with foliage, garlands, Rocaille and ovals, Napoleon III - Empire period. These beautiful items bare the makers mar...
Bronze, Ormolu
Sold
H 20 in W 18 in D 7.5 in
Pair of French Ormolu Bronze and Sevres Porcelain Wall Brackets Appliques
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Long Island City, NY, NY
An exceptional pair of French ormolu bronze and turquoise Sèvres Porcelain wall brackets appliques, circa 1880 Very high quality bronze, ...
Ormolu
Sold
H 54 in W 9 in D 11 in
Tall Pair of French Napoleon III Ivory Painted and Parcel-Gilt Wall Brackets
Located in San Francisco, CA
A tall and richly-carved pair of French Napoleon III ivory painted and parcel-gilt wall brackets; each striking bracket with bold acanthus leaf above a uniquely carved cornucopia fil...