Empire Furniture
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.
16th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Feathers
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Empire Furniture
Crystal
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Glass, Birdseye Maple, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Belgian Antique Empire Furniture
Bentwood
Early 19th Century European Antique Empire Furniture
Silver, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wood
1840s Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
19th Century Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary French Empire Furniture
Composition
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Giltwood
1880s Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Wool
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Cherry
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century American Antique Empire Furniture
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Empire Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century American Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century American Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary English Empire Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Wood
1890s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Gold
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Gold
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Gold
1880s French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Empire Furniture
Mahogany
Early 19th Century British Antique Empire Furniture
Leather, Upholstery, Satinwood, Lacquer
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary English Empire Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Antique Empire Furniture
Wood, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
1980s Hungarian Vintage Empire Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1910s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1860s French Antique Empire Furniture
Onyx, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Cherry
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Giltwood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Walnut, Giltwood





