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.
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century German Antique Empire Furniture
Metal, Brass
Late 18th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Carrara Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Unknown Empire Furniture
Bronze, Brass
Mid-19th Century Russian Antique Empire Furniture
Malachite, Ormolu, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Carrara Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
20th Century Italian Empire Furniture
Brass
1810s Scandinavian Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Metal, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
Early 19th Century British Antique Empire Furniture
Wool, Feathers
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
Late 20th Century North American Empire Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Plaster
Mid-19th Century American Antique Empire Furniture
Walnut, Upholstery, Paint
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Late 18th Century English Antique Empire Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Spanish Empire Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze, Tôle, Tin, Wire
1920s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Murano Glass
1940s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Gold Leaf
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
1970s Spanish Vintage Empire Furniture
Wood
1980s Vintage Empire Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Ebony, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble
1920s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu, Bronze
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Crystal, Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Crystal, Metal
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Giltwood
15th Century and Earlier European Antique Empire Furniture
Stone, Travertine
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Pine
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Paper
1950s Danish Vintage Empire Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
1940s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Porcelain
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1860s Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Marble





