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Empire Furniture

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
1830s French Empire Walnut Chest with Four Drawers and Gilded Edges, Commode
Located in Miami, FL
1830s French Empire walnut chest with four drawers and gilded edges Beautiful wooden root.
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Bronze

19th Century French Retour d Egpyte Antique Veneered Mahogany Console Table
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An early 19th Century, antique French Retour d'Egpyte freestanding console table made of hand crafted shellac polished, partly veneered Mahogany, in good condition. The rectangular table is composed with one small drawer, consisting a grey Belgian marble top, standing on four legs, resting on a thick wooden base. The front part of side table is particularized by star-shaped brass décor, the front legs are enhanced by black carved large caryatids. The décor piece represents the First French Empire...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Marble, Metal, Brass

French Empire Commode / Chest of Drawers, Walnut Bronze Mounts, 19th century
By Bernard Molitor
Located in Odense, DK
A grand yet grounded piece, this antique Empire commode dates back to the early 19th century. Crafted in rich walnut with glowing depth, the piece reflects the stylistic ideals of th...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Marble

Crystal Chandelier Empire Sac a Pearl Big Large Palace Lamp Chateau Lustre
Located in Berlin, DE
Montgolfière Style Chandelier - Empire Elegance with Customizability Introducing a new Montgolfière style chandelier that exudes the charm of the Empire era, reimagined with modern ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Furniture

Materials

Crystal, Iron, Wire

French 19th Century Bronze Marble Mantel Clock Set
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A captivating three-piece mantel clock, from 19th century France, crafted in Siena marble and gilt bronze, with multiple stylistic reference points from the Grand Tour of Europe. The...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Table Lamp in gilded and dark patinated bronze. Empire 1820s
Located in Knivsta, SE
Elegant Table Lamp in gilded and dark patinated bronze. Originally an Empire Candelabra from the 1820s converted into a table lamp in the early 20th Century. The lampshade in black ...
Category

1820s European Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Pine and Oak Storage Bench or Settle
Located in Baltimore, MD
What an outstanding Box Bench! The oak and the pine contrast beautifully to create a deep rich warmth perfect for this piece. For most of its length the top rail is flat, only follo...
Category

Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Oak, Pine

Empire Sofa, America circa 1880
Located in Culver City, CA
America, 1880 Mahogany and veneer with inlay of two birds on a branch. Rolled arms with carved plumes and inlaid rosettes, straight seat rail, rolled and carved legs. Newly upholster...
Category

1880s Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Wool, Mahogany

Small 19th century Swedish empire birch sofa
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Small 19th century Swedish empire birch sofa circa 1860 Good quality Swedish empire period birch sofa upholstered in kalim woven fabric. Small sofa or a very comfortable single cha...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Birch

Dutch Empire Style 19th Century Tall Chest
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A tall Dutch Empire style chest crafted from mahogany and ebonized wood, made during the first half of the 1800s. This impressive case piece has six drawers, sharing a key between th...
Category

19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Brass

1840s Empire Veneered Mahogany Wood Sicilian Round Tilt-Top Table
Located in Catania, Sicilia
This Sicilian tilt-top table is a distinctive piece of furniture, reflecting the design aesthetics of the Empire style popular during the early to mid-19th century, it's a testament ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Sicilian Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Wood

Pair 1930’s Empire Cut Crystal Table Lamps
Located in New York, NY
Pair of very nice cut crystal table lamps with bronze fittings, French Empire style. newly UL rewired
Category

1920s French Vintage Empire Furniture

Materials

Crystal, Bronze

Vintage Dinky Toys Autocar Chausson Méccano – 15 cm Long - 2Y02
Located in Bordeaux, FR
Explore a piece of history with this vintage Dinky Toys model, featuring the classic Autocar Chausson by Méccano. Perfect for collectors and vintage toy enthusiasts, this model car showcases the timeless design and craftsmanship that Dinky Toys is renowned for. Details: Type: Vintage Model Car...
Category

Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture

Materials

Metal

French 1st Empire Armchair with Carved Dolphins Heads
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
A fine Empire armchair with four elegant saber legs, upholstered in vertical cream and crimson stripes, and featuring ornately carved dolphins' heads at the base of each shaped arm r...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Wood

Italian Empire-Style Chandelier in Gilt Brass and Bohemian Crystal
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant 1950s Empire-style chandelier crafted in gilt brass and richly adorned with hand-cut Bohemian crystal beads. The piece features a classic basket form with a tapered upper sec...
Category

20th Century Italian Empire Furniture

Materials

Crystal, Brass

Montgolfièr Empire Chandelier Crystal Classic traditional Brass Glass NEW
Located in Berlin, DE
A Piece of History Recreated – Timeless Beauty, Faithfully Reborn Every now and then, you come across a piece that leaves a lasting impression. For me, it was this chandelier a stu...
Category

2010s German Empire Furniture

Materials

Crystal, Brass

Pair 19th Century Ebonized Empire Style Black Hair Hide Armchairs
Located in Houston, TX
Pair of 19th Century ebonized mahogany Empire style fauteuil with winged caryatids, newly upholstered in a deep espresso hairhide.
Category

Late 19th Century European Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Antique French Empire Solid Mahogany Ball Foot Curule Bench Seat Low Stool
Located in West Chester, PA
Wonderful antique bench with curved seat and solid mahogany curule frame on ball feet.
Category

Early 20th Century American Empire Furniture

Materials

Upholstery, Mahogany

Empire Bureau Plat, France, Early 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Elegant Empire writing desk (Bureau Plat) in mahogany. The desk stands on tapered, smooth legs with ball feet and brass sabots, and features three drawers and two pull-out side exten...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Brass

19th Century French Antique Gilded Pinewood Wall Glass Mirror
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique French rectangular wall mirror made of hand carved gilded Pinewood with its original mirror glass, in good condition. The arched mirror is particularized by detailed flower carvings and fittings. The Parisian décor piece represents the First French Empire...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Pine, Giltwood

19th Century Regency Ebony Inlaid Cross-Banded Crotch Mahogany Fold Top Table
Located in Germantown, MD
19th Century Regency Empire Ebony Inlaid Crotch Cross-Banded Mahogany Fold Top Table. Measures 36" in width, 17.75" in depth and 25.75" in height. Closed. Open, it is 35" in. Depth.
Category

Mid-19th Century American Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Mahogany, Ebony

Vintage French Empire Brass Italian Black Marble Column Table Lamps (B), Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage French Empire Style Italian Black Marble & Polished Brass Column Table Lamps With Black Textured Shades - a Pair. Circa Late 20th Century. Measurements: 27.5" H (to finial) x...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Empire Furniture

Materials

Marble, Brass

Antique French Empire Fruitwood Console Table with drawer, Early 20th Century
Located in Miami, FL
Antique French Empire- Biedermeier fruitwood console table with drawer and bronze details In good original condition with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beaut...
Category

Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Elegant Table Lamp in bronze. Originally an Empire candlestick from the 1820s
Located in Knivsta, SE
Elegant Table Lamp in bronze. Originally an Empire candlestick from France made during the 1820s. The middle part in the form of a column. Richly decorated with leaf and period Empir...
Category

1820s French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Vintage West Kéramik Grand Vase with Knight Decoration – W. Germany - 2Y195
Located in Bordeaux, FR
Add a touch of vintage elegance to your collection with this grand vase from West Kéramik, featuring a charming knight decoration. Made in West Germany, this piece showcases a classi...
Category

20th Century French Empire Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

French 19th Century Painted Empire Commode
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A French Empire commode from the 19th century, updated more recently with paint in layered & scraped faux finish that wouldn’t look out of place with Gustavian style furnishings. The...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Marble, Brass

C 20th Empire Style Malachite Box
Located in London, GB
A Very Fine Empire Style ormolu Mounted Box Lovely Quality and very fine Ormolu mounted This Box Stands at 40cm in Height and is truly Magnificent
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Empire Furniture

Materials

Malachite

C 20th Empire Style Malachite Box
C 20th Empire Style Malachite Box
$16,873 Sale Price
35% Off
Christofle "Malmaison" Silver Plated Flatware in New Box, Set of 49
Located in Ross, CA
Forty nine piece flatware set made by Christofle in France, in the Malmaison pattern. The service for twelve was made around 2000. All the pieces are hallmarked and come in a new box...
Category

Early 2000s French Empire Furniture

Materials

Silver Plate

Early 20th century empire revival Swedish birch bookcase
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Early 20th century empire revival Swedish birch bookcase circa 1900. Superb quality piece of Swedish made furniture with influences from Biedermeier and empire periods. Stepped top...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Empire Furniture

Materials

Birch

Antique early 20th century small oval gold leaf and paint gilt French mirror
Located in Casteren, NL
This is a beautiful small oval mirror that was crafted in France in the early 20th century, around 1910. The mirror features a frame made of lime wood and is adorned with plaster mol...
Category

Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture

Materials

Gold Leaf

Dinky Toys Peugeot 403 - Vintage Toy Car - 2Y40
Located in Bordeaux, FR
Add a touch of classic automotive history to your collection with this vintage Dinky Toys Peugeot 403. This small but charming toy car is a classic example ...
Category

20th Century French Empire Furniture

Materials

Metal

A Pair of Empire Style Sterling Silver Three Arm Candelabras
Located in San Juan Capistrano, CA
A pair of Empire-style removable arms, weighted sterling silver three-arm candelabras by Gorham. Nice patina to the silver, dating to the 1930's.
Category

1930s Vintage Empire Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Early 19th Century French Mantel Clock, signed Ferey au Havre, Ormolu
Located in Greven, DE
Small mantel clock with bas-relief France Bronze, enamel early 19th century Dimensions: H x W x D: 33 x 19 x 9 cm Description: Antique, fire-gilt portal clock with figurative, Gre...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu

119-Piece Silver Plated Flatware for 12 Persons by SFAM Model Sans-Gêne Empire
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
Beautiful set of silver plated tableware from the French brand SFAM (Société Française d'Alliage de Métaux). The cutlery is beautifully decorated in Empire style. SFAM ceased to exis...
Category

Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture

Materials

Silver Plate

Brass Basket Empire Sac a Pearl Chandelier Crystal Lustre Lamp Antique Gold
Located in Berlin, DE
Introducing a stunning Brass Basket Empire Sac a Pearl Chandelier, an exquisite piece adorned with captivating crystals, reminiscent of the classical style of the Empire era. This is...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Furniture

Materials

Crystal, Brass, Wire

19th Century Russian Antique Veneered Mahogany Secretary by Heinrich Gambs
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An antique Russian secretary with a writing flap made of hand crafted shellac polished, partly veneered Mahogany, designed and produced by Heinrich G...
Category

Early 19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass

Gardener’s Delight, Antique French Empire Gilt Bronze Beehive Model Encrier
Located in New York, NY
Great fun for a gardening afficionado - a delightful desk accessory wether you're planning a beautiful garden, tending a beehive, ordering new seeds for the season or wish for a an uplifting reminder at your work space of the bounty and beauty of nature... France, 19th century This fabulous antique French gilt bronze inkstand has a beehive central well with a hay stack cover, several bees on the surface, flanked by two bronze baskets with covers laden with fruit, flowers and wheat sheaves, at the base of one sits a bird leaning over a large basket with a container for sand in the shape of a large bunch of wheat tied with a rope and a bird perched on top as a cover. The back of this fantasy is composed of a group of garden implements which include a sickle, a spade, a trowel, a scythe, ring pliers and a pitch fork tied with an attractive bow and hung with garlands of flowers, masses of grapes, wheat forming a support for a quill. The base designed as naturalistic wood logs topped with rustic wood...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Antique Mahogany Jewelry Box with Mother of Pearl Inlay, Denmark, 1825
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Danish Rectangular Empire Mahogany Jewelry Box On Brass Ball Feet with Mother of Pearl Inlay With Mirror, 1825. This small period trinket box in veneered mahogany and brass panels on...
Category

Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Brass

Royal Copenhagen Blue Fluted Plain. Antique gravy boat in porcelain.
Located in København, Copenhagen
PRE-OWNED GOODS ARE EXEMPT FROM IMPORT TARIFFS FOR U.S., UK, AUSTRALIAN & CANADIAN CUSTOMERS. THEREFORE, NO IMPORT TARIFFS WILL BE APPLICABLE TO YOUR PURCHASE. Royal Copenhagen ...
Category

1820s Danish Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

1930s White Opaline Huge Murano Flowers Drops Green Beads Empire Chandelier
Located in Firenze, Toscana
ONE OF A KIND!! Housing 4 lights, will be rewired with certified UL US sockets for the Unites States and appropriate sockets for all other countries and ready to hang. One of a kind...
Category

1930s French Vintage Empire Furniture

Materials

Crystal

19th Century French Hand Painted Room Divider 4 Panel Leather Screen
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fantastic leather four panel room divider hand painted and hand crafted screen from the latter part of the 19th century France. Hand painted cherubs with floral accents in outstandin...
Category

1870s French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Brass

French Empire Mahogany Bureau Plat, 19th C.
Located in Astoria, NY
French Empire Mahogany Bureau Plat, 19th century, with gilt-tooled tan leather top with central frieze drawer flanked by two short drawers on each side with faux partners desk back o...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Leather, Mahogany

Antique French Billiard, Snooker or Kitchen Island Brass Chandelier, 1850s
Located in Wiesbaden, Hessen
A huge and impressive French Empire brass chandelier for billiard/snooker or kitchen island. Lamp socket: 2 x E27 or E26 ( US) for standard screw bulbs. France, circa 1840 - 1860s....
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Brass

20th Century Black Ebonized Empire Style Swan Bench
Located in Houston, TX
20th Century Empire style bench featuring Neoclassical style carved swan frame newly padded and upholstered in a Chanel style chuncky tweed.
Category

20th Century Empire Furniture

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Vintage Tapestry With Birds 7X5
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

Early 2000s Unknown Empire Furniture

Materials

Wool, Cotton

French Empire Round Table or Gueridon of Mahogany with Marble Top
Located in Austin, TX
A handsome French round table or gueridon in the Empire style, featuring a circular top of figured black marble (25.5" diameter), set upon a tripod column support of mahogany with or...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Marble, Metal, Brass

Elegant Mahogany Empire Secretary Desk with Satinwood Intarsia
Located in Kastrup, DK
This small charming Empire secretary desk, crafted in Copenhagen around 1810, consists of three sections. The upper section has three doors: a l...
Category

Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Bone, Leather, Mahogany, Maple, Satinwood

Empire Gilt Bronze Sphinx Paperweight on Marble Base, France, Early 19th Century
Located in Knivsta, SE
Empire Gilt Bronze Sphinx Paperweight on Marble Base, France, Early 19th Century A charming Empire-period paperweight featuring a finely cast gilt bronze sphinx resting on a rectan...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Early 19th Century Empire Trumeau Mirror
Located in Houston, TX
An early 19th century painted and parcel-gilt Empire trumeau mirror with horse and chariot scene.
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Wood

19th Century Empire Sofa Schumacher Sabi Tiger Velvet
Located in Houston, TX
Early 19th Century Empire sofa. This handsome burl veneer sofa features ebonized and gilt columns, urn finials, with two hidden drawers, all newly upholstered in Schumacher abstract ...
Category

Early 19th Century Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Wood, Burl

A Pair of custom Empire style crotch mahogany console tables.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Elegant and finely crafted, this pair of custom console or pier tables showcases the bold symmetry and classical influence of the Empire style. Each table features richly figured cr...
Category

20th Century French Empire Furniture

Materials

Mahogany

Crystal Chandelier Empire Sac a Pearl Big Large Palace Lamp Chateau Lustre
Located in Berlin, DE
Montgolfière Style Chandelier - Empire Elegance with Customizability Introducing a new Montgolfière style chandelier that exudes the charm of the Empire era, reimagined with modern ...
Category

2010s German Empire Furniture

Materials

Crystal

English Caviar Dish
Located in New York, NY
An English gold metal over silver plate and glass caviar covered dish with lion paw feet, in the Empire style, circa mid-20th century, England. Piece has an easy rolltop lid with cut...
Category

Mid-20th Century English Empire Furniture

Materials

Metal, Silver Plate

Baker Furniture French Empire Cherry Wood and Parcel Ebonized Sideboard Credenza
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous French Empire or Neoclassical style sideboard, credenza, or bar cabinet By Baker Furniture USA, circa 1980s Carved cherry wood, with ebonized columns and feet, an...
Category

1980s American Vintage Empire Furniture

Materials

Brass

French 19th Century Chest of Drawers - Commode
Located in Greenwich, CT
A French Empire Period Fruitwwod commode or chest of drawers of rectangular shape, the three drawers raised on gilt wood paw feet, with Empire bronze escutcheons and pulls , having ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Fruitwood

BVIZ Pair of Antique Ottoman Empire Gold Embroidery Pillows
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Recently made toss pillow pair from antique, Ottoman Empire raised gold metallic embroidery depicting scrolling vines in linear orientation, on mint green velvet. Hand trimmed with ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Empire Furniture

Materials

Velvet, Feathers

Empire Style Gilded Tole Toleware Mirror Vintage, Italy, 1950s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Stunning Empire style toleware mirror. The gilded resin or plastic frame surrounds a glass mirror. Made in Italy, circa 1950s. Beautiful mirror for any room or your hall entry. Nice ...
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Resin

Antique 18th Century French Tapestry Aubusson Pillow 18 X 18
Located in Los Angeles, US
Antique 18th century French tapestry aubusson pillow. 18'' x 18''
Category

18th Century French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Wool

Swedish Empire Karl Johan Wood Sofa 19th Century Sweden
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Swedish Empire Karl Johan style sofa dating c. 1830
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Upholstery, Wood, Birch

Circa 1860 Antique French Aubusson Tapestry Pillow
Located in Los Angeles, US
Ca.1860 Antique French Aubusson Tapestry Pillow
Category

1860s French Antique Empire Furniture

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Empire furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Empire furniture 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 furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, decorative objects, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Empire furniture 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 furniture, popular names associated with this style include Modenese Gastone, Europa Antiques, Baker Furniture Company, and Gherardo Degli Albizzi. 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 furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $56 and tops out at $955,603 while the average work can sell for $4,296.