Empire Seating
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.
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Style: Empire
Elegant 19th-Century Brazilian Empire Bench - Settee - Recamier
Located in Rio De Janeiro, BR
Elegant 19th-Century Brazilian Empire Bench with Cane Seat and Rare Provenance
A refined and architectural 19th-century Brazilian bench, exquisitely crafted in solid tropical hardwoo...
Category
1850s Brazilian Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Wood
19th Century Painted Swedish Bench
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A 19th Century Swedish bench from the Empire period, the back panel decorated with a classical scene of a pair of griffon.
New seat cushion in plain linen.
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Empire Pear-Wood Sofa, Restored, Made in Austria
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Austrian Empire inlaid sofa
Made of pear-wood. (Inlaid)
Completely restored.
Surface was done by shellac polish.
Category
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Pearwood
$2,610 Sale Price
50% Off
19th Century French Empire Mahogany and Parcel Gilt
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century French Empire and parcel gilt bergère. Gilt swan arms and pawed feet.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
Pair of Empire Style Parcel Gilt Stools
Located in El Monte, CA
A magnificent pair of Empire-style parcel-gilt stools that exude timeless elegance. Each stool features a carved wooden frame with a cream and gilt finish showcasing the luxuriousnes...
Category
20th Century French Empire Seating
Materials
Wood
$2,200 / set
Danish Empire Set of 4 Small Chairs, Elm Wood with Hand Embroidered Seats 1850s
Located in Silkeborg, Silkeborg
Set of four antique danish empire or Biedermeier style dining chairs handmade by a skilled danish master carpenter in Denmark the middel of the 19th.
The frame is made of elm wood, ...
Category
1850s Danish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Wool, Wood, Elm
Empire period ormolu and mahogany swans
heads stool
Located in London, GB
Empire period ormolu and mahogany swans' heads stool
French, Early 19th Century
Height 68cm, width 77cm, depth 39cm
This beautiful antique stool is a class...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Ormolu
Empire period armchair in walnut, upholstery redone
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Empire period armchair in walnut, upholstery redone
2 small gaps at the top of the armrests,
which does not interfere with the stability of the chair
Category
1860s French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Tapestry, Walnut
Set of 4 mid 19th century Danish mahogany armchairs
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Beautiful set of 4 Danish empire armchairs circa 1860.
Comprising of 2 armchairs and 2 open frame armchairs. Main feature being the scrolling arm and scrolling front leg. Carved b...
Category
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric, Mahogany
Original Empire Set of a Sofa 2 Armchairs and 1 Table Mahogany with Bronze Figur
Located in Berlin, DE
Original Empire sofa circa 1860-1870 from an Empire room.
Massive mahogany cast with Empire caryadites bronze.
The armchairs are made of a different fabric than the sofa and should b...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
Set of 6 Chairs Gondola Wood Fabric Antique Seating 19th Century
Located in Palermo, IT
Set of six wooden chairs with open, wraparound backs. Sabre legs. Padded seat upholstered in damask fabric. 19th century. Please watch the video and photos carefully, thank you.
We...
Category
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric, Wood
French Empire Mahogany 5-Piece Living Room Set
Located in Queens, NY
SET of 5 French Empire-style (19th Cent) mahogany salon set with bronze trim and gold damask upholstery (2 arms: 27\"w 27\"d 40\"h/2 sides: 21\"w 23\"d 37¼\"h/1 loveseat)
Antique co...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Bronze
$32,000 / set
Original antique Empire Armchair circa 1860-1880 Massive Mahogany bronze
Located in Berlin, DE
Original Empire armchair circa 1860-1880 massive mahogany 2 beautiful armchairs from an Empire room.
Each 2 figures provided cast bronze.
The chairs have a nice curve, in a top...
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century Vintage Empire Mahogany Salon, Set of 5
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Set of four fauteuils and one large sofa. Mahogany wood. Beautifully restored. Very comfortable and elegant. French work of the beginning of the 19th century, Empire period. Sold as ...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
$11,088 Sale Price / set
47% Off
19th Century Mahogany Wood Frame Inlay Marquetry Top Settee
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Fine quality and beautifully hand carved with inlaid marquetry mahogany wood frame settee. The settee features a wood frame inlaid top foliate decoration , resting on four square hand carved tapered feet terminate with metal cup hardware...
Category
1870s North American Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Upholstery, Wood, Mahogany, Satinwood
Pair of ormolu mounted and lacquered metal curule chairs in the Empire style
Located in London, GB
These beautiful, simple, and sophisticated, curule chairs were executed in the Empire style, combining the majesty of Roman rule with Napoleonic imperial France. Long a symbol of rule and power, curule chairs originally appeared in the Roman Republic, called sella curulis, seats reserved exclusively for those who held imperium, i.e. those who held positions of military or governmental command. Inherited by many subsequent civilisations, and a favourite of European kings wishing to frame their own authority within this Roman tradition, they feature heavily in Empire period France, holding a particular associated with Napoleon. These particular pieces are made of lacquered metal and are mounted with ormolu...
Category
20th Century French Empire Seating
Materials
Ormolu, Metal
Unique Empire Three-Piece Suite from Czechia
Bohemia
, 1810s, Fully Restored
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Czech lack Empire three-piece suite.
Made of paer wood.
Completely restored, new professional upholstery included.
Surface was done by high gloss polish.
Dimensions:
Sofa
Hei...
Category
1810s Czech Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric, Upholstery, Pearwood, Lacquer
$8,960 Sale Price / set
50% Off
Pair of Early 19th Century Mahogany Bergères Armchairs
Located in London, by appointment only
A pair of Austrian Empire period large scale mahogany bergères, the square chamfered backs are enriched with bold pierced flutes and the arms terminate in column supports with brass ...
Category
19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
Pair of French Mid 19th Century Empire St. Mahogany and Ormolu Mounted Armchair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A handsome pair of French mid 19th century Empire st. mahogany and ormolu mounted armchairs. The pair are raised by front square tapered legs that have pawed ormolu feet with a roset...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Ormolu
19th Century Empire Style Mahogany Living Room and Gilded Bronze Caryatid Head
Located in Marseille, FR
19th Empire style mahogany and gilded bronze decorated living room with caryatid heads and claw feet. Bench, two armchairs, two chairs. Period 19th century. Tapestry to restore. Armc...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
Original antique Empire Sofa / canapé circa 1860-1870 Empire Room mahogany
Located in Berlin, DE
Original Empire sofa circa 1860-1870 from an Empire room.
Massive mahogany cast with Empire caryadites bronze.
Top condition.
Measurments:
width:140cm
Height: 100cm
Depht: 80cm.
Category
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
Rare French Empire Chair - From the Collection of Ann
Gordon Getty
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Rare, French Regency Chair owned by Ann and Gordon Getty, an original antique prototype (dated 1810) that legendary craftsman and antique dealer ...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Silk, Upholstery, Fruitwood
20th Century Antique Classizim Style Empire Swan Chaise Lounge Birdseye Maple
Located in Berlin, DE
Maple roots on solid beechwood, partially ebonized and gilded.
Finely carved swans, feet carved with paws.
Very high quality fabric.
Category
20th Century English Empire Seating
Materials
Wood
Antique 19th Century Empire Black Opera Chairs with Tiger Upholstery, Pair
Located in Elkhart, IN
A stunning pair of antique Empire hand carved walnut hall chairs, painted black, with gorgeous tiger velvet upholstery
USA, Circa Mid-19th Century
Measures: 17"W x 13.5"D x 33.18"H...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Walnut, Upholstery, Paint
Vintage French Empire Style Birch Upholstered Library Accent Arm Chair Green
Located in Dayton, OH
Late 20th Century French Empire Style Upholstered Arm Chair. Made from birch with a high back featuring a scalloped crest rail, green velvet upholstery and downswept scrolled acant...
Category
Late 20th Century Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric, Birch
$700 Sale Price
30% Off
Early 19th Century Danish Giltwood Armchair by Gustav Friederich Hetsch
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
A very decorative and large giltwood armchair after a design by the famous Danish Architect Gustav Friedrich Hetsch, (1788-1964). The German bo...
Category
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Giltwood
Danish Wingback Chair and Ottoman, Fabric and Walnut, 1950s Style
Located in Antwerp, BE
White; Fabric; Wingback Chair; Ottoman; Danish Design; 1950s; Walnut; Wood; Scandinavia; Scandinavian Design; Empire; Pouf; Lounge Chair; Upholstery;
Stylish 1950s high back lounge...
Category
1950s Danish Vintage Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric, Walnut
$1,661 Sale Price
20% Off
Elegant Empire Bench i Mahogany
Located in Kastrup, DK
Elegant Empire bench crafted in Cuban mahogany. Gracefully curved ends with finely profiled splats.
Newly upholstered in exclusive fabric from Colefax & Fowler.
Recently restored and...
Category
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric, Mahogany
Pair Of Antique French Empire Style Upholstered Armchair Frames
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Pair of burl walnut Empire style armchairs with upholstered seats and backs featuring fine craftsmanship with a square top rail and stylized carved accent on front of each arm suppor...
Category
19th Century Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Brass
Pair of French Antique Walnut Empire Tulip Fauteuils or Armchairs
Located in Hopewell, NJ
This set of two elegant Empire arm chairs stand out for their classic simple design and the beautifully shaped front legs. These comfortable and stylish chairs feature a wealth of fi...
Category
1940s French Vintage Empire Seating
Materials
Upholstery, Walnut
French 19th Century Empire Three-Piece Seating Group
Located in New York, NY
Three-piece group of empire seating
includes canape and two bergeres
canape - H 36 in; bergere - H 35-1/4.
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
$26,000 / set
Empire Style Heraldic Coat of Arms Carved Mahogany Double Eagle Bench
Located in Germantown, MD
An early 20th Century Empire Style Heraldic coat of arms Intricately Carved Mahogany Double Eagle Bench with loose seat cushion. Measures 36.5" in width, 25" in depth and stands 37.5...
Category
Early 20th Century American Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
20th Century antique Empire Style Lion canapé Sofa beech bronze
Located in Berlin, DE
Imperial stylish lion Kanapee in Empire style. Finely detailed carving work on solid ebonized beechwood. Gilded. Winged, protruding lions heads in bronze.
Category
20th Century French Empire Seating
Materials
Beech
Empire Revival Upholstered Mahogany and Ormolu 7-Piece Salon Set
Located in Queens, NY
7-Piece French Empire Revival (3rd quarter 19th Century) salon set comprised of a settee, 2 armchairs, and 4 side chairs with mahogany frames mounted with ormolu embellishments, upho...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric
Elegant Pair of Empire Benches, Copenhagen, Denmark
Located in Kastrup, DK
Pair of Empire benches crafted in mahogany.
The high, architecturally designed sides feature string inlay in satinwood, topped with an ebonized panel and mounted with gilt bronze orn...
Category
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Brass
Set of 6 American Empire Style Carved Wood Gondola Dining Chairs
Located in Queens, NY
Set of 6 American Empire wood dining chairs in mahogany veneer with sloped gondola backs with an openwork, urn-form center topped by a carved foliate neoclassical crown...
Category
20th Century Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
Pair Empire Style Enameled and Velvet Upholstered Scroll Armchairs
Located in Germantown, MD
A Pair Empire Style Enameled and Velvet Upholstered Scroll Armchairs.
Measures 22" in width x 22" in depth x 34.5" in height . Seat height is 20".
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Empire Seating
Materials
Hardwood, Upholstery, Paint
Living Room Suite in the Antique Empire Style Beech Hand Carved
Located in Berlin, DE
Very exact fine-carved sculpture made of solid, blackened beechwood. Poliment gold-plated. Scratched frame on sculpturally carved legs ending in claws. Armrests volute-shaped bent in...
Category
20th Century French Empire Seating
Materials
Wood
French Napoleonic 2nd Empire Style Polychrome and Giltwood Armchair Throne
Located in New York, NY
Monumental Napoleonic throne armchair, finely carved with polychrome and gilt surfaces throughout with large coat of arms of the Napoleonic Second Empire (1852-70) on the crest rail,...
Category
19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Wood
Mahogany Bergère Armchair, Classical / Empire Style, Early 19th Century
Located in Stahnsdorf, DE
Mahogany Bergère Armchair, Classical / Empire Style, Early 19th Century
Elegant bergère armchair crafted from solid mahogany, representing fine European cabinetmaking of the early 1...
Category
1820s French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Pair of Empire / Biedermeier Solid Plum Wood Swan Armchairs
Located in Darmstadt, DE
A pair of Empire / Biedermeier plum wood from circa 1815, newly upholstered with new fabric in classicist style. The armrests, backrest and seat are upholste...
Category
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Wood
$7,595 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Pair of 19th century Swedish Gothenburg gilt armchairs
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Pair of 19th century Gothenburg gilt armchairs circa 1870.
Fine quality pair of Swedish Gothenburg gilt armchairs circa 1870. Slipper like shaped backs, the shaped arms supported by...
Category
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric, Giltwood
Swedish Late 19th Century Empire Style Mahogany Stool
Located in Skanninge, SE
A very stylish and elegant 19th century model. Newly upholstered in cream white/yellow fabric. The mahogany frame is in a good unrestored condition. This stool/banquette is free stan...
Category
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Bronze
Pair 19th C French Mahogany Empire Upholstered Armchairs With Bronze Mounts
Located in Stamford, CT
Pair of period French Empire mahogany bergeres with stylized carved dolphins decorating the arm and gilt bronze mounts. The central bronze mount depicting the helmeted god Mercury an...
Category
Early 20th Century French Empire Seating
Materials
Bronze
Antique American Empire Cornucopia Carved Mahogany Slipper Bench - a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique American Empire Cornucopia Carved Mahogany Slipper Benches - a Pair. Pair features serpentine carved rails with stunning cornucopia details, shapely frames with beautiful cro...
Category
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
Pair of Napoleonic Empire Style Gondola Chairs with Dolphins
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Gorgeous pair of carved walnut gondola chairs featuring dolphins. Crafted in the grand Napoleonic French empire taste with a curved crestrail and intricately carved splat centered by...
Category
20th Century French Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric, Walnut
Six Early 19th Century Venetian Chairs, Walnut, Empire Style, wax polished
Located in Vigonza, Padua
6 early 19th century Venetian chairs in carved walnut, original upholstered spring seats in pink velvet, still usable. Clean and sanitized upholstery, structure polished with transpa...
Category
1810s Italian Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Walnut
Pair of American Empire Style Stripe Upholstered Wooden Dining Side Chairs
Located in Queens, NY
PAIR of American Empire mahogany veneer side chairs having an openwork urn-form splat back with an upholstered inset seat in a gold and red striped gradated fabric, standing on two...
Category
19th Century American Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric
Set of Four Empire Barrel Chairs
Located in Belmont, MA
This set of 4 Empire Barrel chairs dates back to around 1810-20. They come from France. The chairs have a very pretty walnut veneer. They have a v...
Category
1810s French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Walnut
$7,600 Sale Price / set
20% Off
French Empire Gueridon Side Table with Tripod Columns Brass and Marble Top
Located in Carimate, Como
A beautiful French Empire style gueridon table from 19th century. Beautiful black fossil marble over a mahogany body. A simple apron showcases the deep toned wood. Three columnar leg...
Category
20th Century French Empire Seating
Materials
Wood
Pair of Empire mahogany armchairs - swan shaped armrest - attributed to Bellange
By Lelièvre Paris, Pierre-Antoine Bellangé
Located in GRENOBLE, FR
A fine pair of Empire mahogany armchairs in the style of French cabinet maker Pierre Antoine Bellangé (Bellangé was an official supplier to Imp...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Silk, Mahogany
Late 19th-C. French Empire Gilt Bronze Mahogany Side Chairs - Pair
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a pair of late 19th century French Empire mahogany side chairs with gilt bronze mounts. Note the griffins on the legs! The fabric appears to be silk. It is vintage and in ver...
Category
Late 19th Century European Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Bronze
20th Century Empire Style Lion Kanapee Sofa
Located in Berlin, DE
Imperial stylish lion Kanapee in Empire style.
Finely detailed carving work on solid ebonized beechwood. Gilded. Winged, protruding lions heads in bronze.
(B-Sam-60).
Category
20th Century Empire Seating
Materials
Wood, Beech
Early 19th Century, Empire Cherrywood Seating Group, 2 Armchairs and 6 Chairs
Located in Darmstadt, DE
Beautiful unique seating group consisting of 2 armchairs and 6 chairs. The group dates back to the Empire period of the early 19th century, circa 1800-1810. All chairs are made of so...
Category
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Upholstery, Cherry
$11,630 Sale Price / set
21% Off
Bench In Beech Elegant Empire
Located in Kastrup, DK
Elegant Empire bench in beech with curved end panels and slats.
Refined design with encircling profiles.
Under the slats is a decorative fan-shaped semi-arched carving. The bench re...
Category
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Fabric, Beech
Antique French Empire Gold Bronze Mounted Mahogany Armchair, Circa 1880-1890.
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique French Empire Style Gold Bronze Mounted Mahogany Armchair, Circa 1880-1890.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Bronze
Painted Empire Stool or Bench, Sweden, Late 19th Century
Located in Skanninge, SE
Very stylish stool/bench or banquette.
Late 19th Century. Painted wood and recently reupholstered.
With wood-carved Rams heads and hoof feat.
Painted wood in gray, green, and some...
Category
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Birch
Empire Early 19th Century Solid Walnut Antique Bench
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Antique Italian empire bench early 19th century. The bench is made of solid walnut wood. Excellent antique good conditions of the wood. Characterized by a seat with folding panels.
Category
Early 1800s Italian Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Walnut
$3,322 Sale Price
20% Off
Pair of Antique Empire Mahogany Armchairs, Brass and Gilded Decor
Located in Kramfors, SE
Pair of Swedish empire armchairs with a frame in mahogany made around 1830 to 1840. The chairs have decorative elements in brass, glided Egyptianized sphinx heads in the armrests and...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Mahogany
Empire Restauration Period Armchair Bergère, France, 1825
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
Empire restauration period armchair bergère, France, circa 1815-1830.
solid mahogani wood with gold leaf details. fully restored, new upholstery with
lace up padding.
very com...
Category
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Seating
Materials
Gold Leaf
Empire seating for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Empire seating 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 seating created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, more furniture and collectibles, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, mahogany and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire seating made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original seating, popular names associated with this style include Modenese Gastone, Europa Antiques, Century Furniture, and Drexel. 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 seating differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $325 and tops out at $151,397 while the average work can sell for $4,884.