Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

French Napoleon Iii Ormolu Clock

1860 French Circa Mantel Clock

Bronze Marble Figural Mantel Clocks

French Mantel Ormolu Clock With Candelabra

19th Century French Marble Mantel Clock

French Gilt Brass Mantel Clock

19th Century Mantel Clock 1860

Three Piece Clock

Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Ormolu

French Pink Porcelain and Ormolu Mantel Clock

$6,360

Napoleon III Period Neoclassical Style Three-Piece Clock Set

Located in London, GB

Napoleon III Period neoclassical style three-piece clock set. French, 19th century Dimensions

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Malachite, Enamel, Ormolu

Napoleon III Period Neoclassical Style Three-Piece Clock Set

$32,826 / set

Napoleon III French Marble and Bronze Astronomical Sciences Clock

Located in Vancouver, British Columbia

Napoleon III figural astronomical sciences clock. The patinated bronze winged putto stands beside

Category

Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III French Marble and Bronze Astronomical Sciences Clock

$14,500

A Fine Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze Three Piece Clock Garniture

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

A Fine Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze Three Piece Clock Garniture Comprising a mantel clock and a pair

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Enamel, Ormolu

A Fine Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze Three Piece Clock Garniture

$32,826

French Porcelain and Bisque Mantel Clock by Miroy Freres, Paris

By Miroy Frères

Located in Norwich, GB

French Porcelain and Bisque pottery mantel clock with floral decoration and gilded garlands

Category

1850s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Porcelain

French Porcelain and Bisque Mantel Clock by Miroy Freres, Paris

$3,761

19th Century, Napoleon III Style Bronze Pendulum Chimney Clock

Located in Berlin, DE

Great empire pendulum / chimney clock, circa 1830-1840 bronze. Bronze, fire-gilt partially dark

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

19th Century, Napoleon III Style Bronze Pendulum Chimney Clock

$3,203

Napoleon III Gilt Patinated Bronze Figural Clock

Located in Astoria, NY

Napoleon III Gilt and Patinated Bronze Figural Clock, 19th century, of triangular form, the pink

Category

19th Century European Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Bronze, Ormolu

Napoleon III Gilt Patinated Bronze Figural Clock

$1,800

Mantel Clock in Portoro Marble with Egyptian Revival Details, 19th Century

Located in NICE, FR

This antique mantel clock was made in the late 19th century and features a solid combination of

Category

1870s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Brass

Mantel Clock in Portoro Marble with Egyptian Revival Details, 19th Century

$1,886

French Ormolu and Porcelain Mantel Clock by Wilson Gander, London

By Wilson Gandar

Located in Norwich, GB

French gilded ormolu mantel clock with blue hand painted floral porcelain panels (the panels all

Category

1850s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Ormolu

French Ormolu and Porcelain Mantel Clock by Wilson Gander, London

$7,659

A Napoléon III Silvered-Bronze Clock Garniture by Charpentier, Paris

By Charpentier et Cie

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

A Large and Important Napoléon III Gilt and Silvered-Bronze Sculptural Three-Piece Clock Garniture

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

A Napoléon III Silvered-Bronze Clock Garniture by Charpentier, Paris

$116,260

Napoleon III Gilt Bronze and Porcelain Three Piece Clock Garniture

By Raingo Frères

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

A fine Napoleon III gilt bronze and porcelain three piece clock garniture by Raingo Freres. The

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Ormolu

Napoleon III Gilt Bronze and Porcelain Three Piece Clock Garniture

$82,066

Napoleon III French Gilt Bronze Patinated Three-Piece Clock Garniture

Located in Houston, TX

they each support five arms. This is an exceptional French Portico mantel clock, the dial with Roman

Category

Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III French Gilt Bronze Patinated Three-Piece Clock Garniture

$75,000 / set

French Porcelain and Ormolu Mantel Clock Stamped in Bronze H. Picard

By Henri Picard

Located in London, GB

French Ormolu and porcelain mantel clock of Classical design dating from the mid-19th century

Category

1850s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Ormolu

French Porcelain and Ormolu Mantel Clock Stamped in Bronze H. Picard

$4,718

A Napoleon III Period Sèvres Style Porcelain Three-Piece Clock Garniture

By Jean-François Denière

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

garniture at the 1867 Paris Exhibition Universelle, purchased by Napoleon III. Two mid-19th century clocks

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Enamel, Ormolu

A Napoleon III Period Sèvres Style Porcelain Three-Piece Clock Garniture

$218,843

Marble and Gilt Bronze Clock with Mythological Decor, Napoleon III Period.

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Marble and gilt bronze clock with mythological decor, 19th century, Napoleon III period. A 19th

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Marble and Gilt Bronze Clock with Mythological Decor, Napoleon III Period.

$4,271

French, Napoleon III Bronze and Marble Clock Garniture, C. 1880

Located in New Orleans, LA

An outstanding Antique French Napoleon III three piece bronze and marble clock garniture set, c

Category

Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Brass, Bronze

French, Napoleon III Bronze and Marble Clock Garniture, C. 1880

$1,800 Sale Price / set

38% Off

Napoleon III Period Gilt and Patinated Bronze Clock by Delafontaine

Located in London, GB

The acclaimed French bronze foundry, Delafontaine, created this remarkable mantel clock. At the

Category

1860s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Enamel, Ormolu, Bronze

Napoleon III Period Gilt and Patinated Bronze Clock by Delafontaine

$20,516

Monumental Antique French Louis XVI Style Ormolu Mantel Clock by Maison Marquis

By Languereau, Maison Marquis

Located in New York, NY

A very unusual and quite monumental antique French Louis XVI style Napoleon III ormolu mantel clock

Category

1860s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Enamel, Bronze

Monumental Antique French Louis XVI Style Ormolu Mantel Clock by Maison Marquis

$48,260

19th Century Bronze Mantel Clock Paul and Virginia by Charles Cumberworth

Located in Marseille, FR

Rare and spectacular bronze mantel clock taking up the theme of the most famous 18th century novel

Category

Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Griotte Marble, Bronze

19th Century Bronze Mantel Clock Paul and Virginia by Charles Cumberworth

$45,089

Napoleon III Clock Garniture Designed by Sévin, Cast by Barbedienne

By F. Barbedienne Foundry, Louis-Constant Sevin

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

A fine Napoleon III gilt-bronze and porcelain mounted clock garniture, designed by Louis-Constant

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Ormolu

Napoleon III Clock Garniture Designed by Sévin, Cast by Barbedienne

$32,826 / set

Napoleon III Style Clock Made Out of Porcelain and Gilded Bronze

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

This beautiful clock was made out of porcelain and gilded bronze during Napoleon III period. The

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III Style Clock Made Out of Porcelain and Gilded Bronze

$20,764

Fine Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze Mounted Porcelain Clock Garniture, circa 1870

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

A fine Napoléon III gilt-bronze mounted porcelain clock garniture. French, circa 1870. The

Category

Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Fine Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze Mounted Porcelain Clock Garniture, circa 1870

$16,413 / set

Napoléon III Marble Mantle Clock by James Pradier, France, Circa 1860

By J. Pradier

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

A Napoléon III Marble Mantle Clock With A Patinated Bronze Figure of 'Phryné' by James Pradier

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Griotte Marble, Bronze

Napoléon III Marble Mantle Clock by James Pradier, France, Circa 1860

$9,847

Important Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Porcelain Clock Garniture, circa 1870

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

An important Napoléon III gilt bronze and turquoise porcelain clock garniture. French, circa

Category

Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Important Napoléon III Gilt-Bronze and Porcelain Clock Garniture, circa 1870

$38,297 / set

19th Century French Napoleon III Empire Gilt Bronze Clock with Hunting Motifs

Located in Chicago, IL

This circa 1850 French mantel clock showcases a stunning figurative design made from cast gilt

Category

Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

19th Century French Napoleon III Empire Gilt Bronze Clock with Hunting Motifs

$3,750

French Napoleon III blue porcelain and ormolu clock

Located in London, GB

A very fine & attractive French porcelain & gilt bronze mantle clock. A superb dial & very finely

Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

French Napoleon III blue porcelain and ormolu clock

$6,496

Napoleon III Period Neoclassical Malachite and Gilt Bronze Clock Set by Picard

By Henri Picard

Located in London, GB

Napoleon III period neoclassical malachite and gilt bronze clock set by Picard French, late 19th

Category

Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Malachite, Ormolu

Napoleon III Period Neoclassical Malachite and Gilt Bronze Clock Set by Picard

$61,549 / set

Gilt Bronze and Hardstone Inlay Napoleon III Period Clock Set by Barbedienne

By Ferdinand Barbedienne

Located in London, GB

Gilt bronze and hardstone inlay Napoleon III period clock set by Barbedienne French, 19th century

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Stone, Ormolu, Bronze

Gilt Bronze and Hardstone Inlay Napoleon III Period Clock Set by Barbedienne

$34,194 / set

Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Clock of a Victorious Crusader Knight in Battle

Located in Vancouver, British Columbia

A finely cast gilt bronze figurative clock showing knight crusader stranding on rocky terrain after

Category

Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Clock of a Victorious Crusader Knight in Battle

$2,400

A Large French Rouge Marble Gilt Patinated Bronze Mantel Clock by A. Beurdeley

By Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley

Located in Tarzana, CA

A French Napoleon III Period Rouge Marble Gilt & Patinated Bronze Mantel Clock Alfred Emmanuel

Category

1870s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Ormolu, Bronze

A Large French Rouge Marble Gilt Patinated Bronze Mantel Clock by A. Beurdeley

$65,000

19th Century Neoclassical White Marble and Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock Set, c. 1860

Located in Miami, FL

19th Century Neoclassical White Marble and Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock Set, circa 1860. 19th Century

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Carrara Marble, Bronze

19th Century Neoclassical White Marble and Gilt Bronze Mantel Clock Set, c. 1860

$4,600 Sale Price

50% Off

Porcelain And Gilt Bronze Clock, Napoleon III, 19th Century

Located in MARSEILLE, FR

Louis XVI style clock in gilded bronze and porcelain: the base is very richly decorated: putti

Category

19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Porcelain And Gilt Bronze Clock, Napoleon III, 19th Century

$5,576

Large French Gilt-Bronze Mantel Clock, signed Marquis à Paris, c. 1860–1880

By Maison Marquis, Languereau

Located in Tarzana, CA

A magnificent gilt-bronze mantel clock of monumental form, richly cast and finely chased in the

Category

1850s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Large French Gilt-Bronze Mantel Clock, signed Marquis à Paris, c. 1860–1880

$88,000

French Napoleon III chariot clock in ormolu marble vert

Located in London, GB

A good French Napoleon III period chariot clock of antique vert marble and ormolu. The subject is

Category

1850s French Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Bronze

French Napoleon III chariot clock in ormolu marble vert

$6,633

Napoleon III Period Onyx and Gilt Bronze Clock Set

By Ferdinand Barbedienne

Located in London, GB

The white onyx and gilt bronze three-piece set consists of a central clock, accompanied by two six

Category

19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Onyx, Ormolu, Bronze

Napoleon III Period Onyx and Gilt Bronze Clock Set

$61,549 / set

A Napoleon III Gilt and Silvered Bronze, Onyx and Enamel Figural Clock Set

By Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

A Napoleon III Gilt and Silvered Bronze, Onyx and Champlevé Enamel Figural Three-Piece Clock

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Onyx, Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu

A Napoleon III Gilt and Silvered Bronze, Onyx and Enamel Figural Clock Set

$164,132

19th Century Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Clock in Rocaille Style

Located in Paris, FR

Small gilt bronze clock in Rocaille style, richly decorated with foliages, shells and foliated

Category

19th Century French Rococo Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Clock in Rocaille Style

$4,983

Napoleon III Period Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Clock Set by Picard

By Henri Picard

Located in London, GB

This magnificent clock set is the work of celebrated French maker Henri Picard, who collaborated on

Category

19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Ormolu, Bronze

Napoleon III Period Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Clock Set by Picard

$30,090 / set

Antique L Marti et Cie Reuge Marble Slate Bronze Mantel Clock Garniture Set 1889

By L. Marti et Cie

Located in Dayton, OH

Late 19th Century L. Marti et Cie French Napoleon III style Mantel Clock & Garniture Set. The

Category

Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Slate, Bronze

Antique L Marti et Cie Reuge Marble Slate Bronze Mantel Clock Garniture Set 1889

$875 Sale Price

30% Off

19th Century French Napoleon III Period Bardiglio Marble Japy Freres Clock Set

By Japy Frères

Located in Forney, TX

piece mantel set. Born in Paris, France in the mid 19th century, featuring an ancient first century

Category

Mid-19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Bronze, Ormolu

19th Century French Napoleon III Period Bardiglio Marble Japy Freres Clock Set

$2,670 / set

19th Century French Fireplace Clock Onyx 1889 L.Marti et Cie Napoleon III

Located in Berlin, DE

French fireplace clock onyx 1889 L.Marti et Cie Napoleon III Onyx marble case with fire-gilt

Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Onyx, Bronze

19th Century French Fireplace Clock Onyx 1889 L.Marti et Cie Napoleon III

$4,615

A Late 19 Century Malachite clock Topped by a Gilt Bronze Bust of Napoleon

Located in Vancouver, British Columbia

A simple yet elegant relatively rare malachite cased clock topped by a gilt bronze bust of a young

Category

Late 19th Century French Empire Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Malachite, Bronze

A Late 19 Century Malachite clock Topped by a Gilt Bronze Bust of Napoleon

$4,500

DENIERES à Paris - Napoleon III Fireplace Surround

By Maison Deniere

Located in Beaune, FR

Gilt bronze fittings from the Napoleon III period dating from the 19th century. Very beautiful

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

DENIERES à Paris - Napoleon III Fireplace Surround

$10,679

19th century red stone clock

Located in Warsaw, PL

the eclectic style popular during the Napoleon III period. The mantel clock features a central

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Stone, Bronze

19th century red stone clock

$4,271 Sale Price

20% Off

Emile Loiseau, Horse Clock, 19th Century

Located in MARSEILLE, FR

Black marble clock, topped with a spelter horse with a brown bronze-style patina, signed Emile

Category

Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Spelter

Emile Loiseau, Horse Clock, 19th Century

$1,601

19th Century French musical automaton clock

Located in London, GB

This fine, antique mantel clock is constructed in ebonised wood by the renowned Parisian maker of

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Enamel, Ormolu

19th Century French musical automaton clock

$24,619

French Empire Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Clock

Located in Astoria, NY

French Empire Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Egyptianesque Clock, circa 1820, the circular white

Category

1820s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu

French Empire Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Clock

$2,800

Three-Piece Clock Garniture 19th Century.

Located in Warsaw, PL

Signed Three-Piece Clock Garniture 19th Century. Malachite is a gemstone known for its vibrant

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Malachite, Bronze

Three-Piece Clock Garniture 19th Century.

$27,765 / set

Important Cercles Tournants Rotary Clock set by Deniere

By Maison Deniere

Located in Tarzana, CA

Napoleon III bought a mantel garniture at the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris. His fame spread around

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Important Cercles Tournants Rotary Clock set by Deniere

$180,000 Sale Price / set

23% Off

Gilt Bronze and Marble Figural Clock by Beurdeley

By Emmanuel-Alfred Beurdeley

Located in New York, NY

The mantel clock with a seated putto and birdcage. Maker: Alfred-Emmanuel Beurdeley (French

Category

Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Gilt Bronze and Marble Figural Clock by Beurdeley

$23,000

Large French 19th Century Black and Green Marble Clock Garniture

Located in LA CIOTAT, FR

This exceptional Napoleon III period mantel clock set, dating to the late 19th century, exudes

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Large French 19th Century Black and Green Marble Clock Garniture

$2,780 / set

Red Tortoiseshell and Boulle Table or Mantle Clock

Located in Folkestone, GB

An exceptionally fine quality French 19th century tortoiseshell and Boulle bracket clock with gilt

Category

Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Tortoise Shell

Red Tortoiseshell and Boulle Table or Mantle Clock

$6,563

Antique French Louis XVI portal clock, Paris, circa 1880

Located in Berlin, DE

Antique French Louis XVI portal clock, Paris, circa 1880 White marble, bronze, and gilt. Two square

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Antique French Louis XVI portal clock, Paris, circa 1880

$1,851 Sale Price

20% Off

Clock Shepherds of Arcadia by Aizelin and Barbedienne

By Achille Collas, Eugene-Antoine Aizelin

Located in Paris, FR

Red Griotte mantel (fireplace) clock decorated with a patinated bronze group, Les bergers d'Arcadie

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Clock Shepherds of Arcadia by Aizelin and Barbedienne

$6,882

Antique French Louis XVI portal clock, Paris, circa 1880

Located in Berlin, DE

Antique French Louis XVI portal clock, Paris, circa 1880 White and black marble, bronze, gilt. On

Category

19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Alabaster, Marble, Bronze

Antique French Louis XVI portal clock, Paris, circa 1880

$1,822 Sale Price

20% Off

Important Napoleon III Period Cartel, 1870, Dial Signed by Gorini Daleau

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Important Cartel d'époque Napoléon III, 1870, cadran signé par Gorini Daleau, à Poitiers. Bronze

Category

1870s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

Important Napoleon III Period Cartel, 1870, Dial Signed by Gorini Daleau

$13,052

A clock set 3 pieces imari porcelain and bronze

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Clock set three pieces in Imari porcelain and bronze . this clock set is rare ,you can use it with

Category

1880s French Napoleon III Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks

Materials

Bronze

A clock set 3 pieces imari porcelain and bronze

$25,000 / set

Decorative Objects Under $1,000

Antique and Vintage Decorative Objects

Napoleon III Decorative Objects

19th Century Decorative Objects

Metal Decorative Objects

Decorative Objects on Sale

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Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks For Sale on 1stDibs

At 1stDibs, there are several options of antique napoleon mantel clocks available for sale. Each of these unique antique napoleon mantel clocks was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, bronze and stone. There are all kinds of antique napoleon mantel clocks available, from those produced as long ago as the 18th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. Antique napoleon mantel clocks made by Louis XVI designers — as well as those associated with Neoclassical — are very popular at 1stDibs. Antique napoleon mantel clocks have been a part of the life’s work for many furniture makers, but those produced by Japy Frères, Henri Picard and Raingo Frères are consistently popular.

How Much are Antique Napoleon Mantel Clocks?

Prices for antique napoleon mantel clocks can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, antique napoleon mantel clocks begin at $510 and can go as high as $225,000, while the average can fetch as much as $7,071.

A Close Look at Napoleon-iii Furniture

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.

Finding the Right Mantel-clocks for You

Personal time-telling devices may have migrated from our pockets to our wrists and finally onto our phones, but despite the convenience of a handheld digital timekeeper, nothing can beat well-made vintage, new and antique mantel clocks.

Invented by clockmakers in France and popularized in the 18th and 19th centuries, these practical yet ornate pieces were typically displayed on top of fireplaces or desks. While the most common mantel clocks were created in the traditional tambour style, which features a wide base that flares into an upright drum- or camelback-shaped case, modern clockmakers and furniture designers have experimented with their own ideas for these decorative objects over the years, introducing different forms and working with unconventional materials. A collection of whimsical, monochromatic handmade mantel clocks crafted by Dutch designer Kiki van Eijk, called Floating Frames, for example, features minimalist frames of anodized wire and ceramic clockfaces.

When shopping for an antique, vintage or new mantel clock, don’t be afraid to branch out. Wood mantel clocks of any era will bring a classic, elegant allure to the shelving in your living room or the bookcase in your bedroom, while Empire-style mantel clocks will comparatively boast eye-catching gilt bronze and pronounced sculptural attributes. Some Art Deco mantel clocks will feature an integration of marble or glass and will likely be marked by the decorative embellishments associated with that particular furniture style.

There’s just something about cool clocks, right? Spend your time with an extraordinary collection of mantel clocks on 1stDibs today.