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Napoleon III Footstools

NAPOLEON III STYLE

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.

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Style: Napoleon III
Napoleon III Fauteuil and Foot Stool Covered in Blue Band Antique Hemp
Located in Washington, DC
A Napoleon III fauteuil and foot stool covered in blue band antique hemp and castors. Foot stool dimensions: 14" H x 26" W x 32.13" D
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Footstools

Materials

Hemp, Wood

Napoleon III Stool
Located in Houston, TX
Napoleon III stool, circa 1870-1889: ebonized frame newly covered in white linen. Note: Regional differences in humidity and climate during shipping may cause antique and vintage wood...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Footstools

Materials

Linen, Wood

19th Century French Napoleon III Period Walnut Needlework Footstool
Located in Birmingham, AL
A lovely French Napoleon III period footstool handcrafted of walnut in Normandy having a beautiful floral needlework seat embellished with a velvet trim and brass nailheads, circa 18...
Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Footstools

Materials

Walnut

French Decorative Napoleon III Style Giltwood Rope Stool with Animal Fabric
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A French decorative Napoleon III style giltwood rope stool in the manner of A.M.E Fournier, with a circular seat upholstered in a modern jaguar vel...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Footstools

Materials

Upholstery, Giltwood

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Fully Restored George III Style Hand Carved Bench Stool with Lion Hairy Paw Feet
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Jindrich Halabala Stool in Decorative Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jindrich Halabala for UP Závody, footstool, tabouret, ottoman, fabric, wood, Czech Republic, 1930s. This poetic pouf is designed in the 1930s when the Art Deco Period was at its hig...
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Leopard Vintage Stool, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. Beautiful soft velvet leopard print upholstery. The stool consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, cha...
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Mid-20th Century Polish Napoleon III Footstools

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Leopard Vintage Stool, 1960s
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H 15.75 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Leopard Vintage Stool, 1960s
Located in 05-080 Hornowek, PL
Stool from the turn of the 1960s and 1970s. Beautiful soft velvet leopard print upholstery. The stool consists of an upholstered part, a seat and wooden legs narrowing downwards, cha...
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Leopard Vintage Stool, 1960s
Leopard Vintage Stool, 1960s
H 15.75 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Decorative ISO Phillip Lloyd Powell Stool
Located in Dallas, TX
The Brendan Bass Estate Collection is an homage to the beauty of vintage and antique pieces, each artfully concealing endless stories collected through the generations in which they...
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Decorative ISO Phillip Lloyd Powell Stool
Decorative ISO Phillip Lloyd Powell Stool
H 15.5 in W 14.5 in D 9.5 in
Jindrich Halabala Stool in Decorative Upholstery
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Jindrich Halabala for UP Závody, footstool, tabouret, ottoman, fabric, wood, Czech Republic, 1930s. This poetic pouf is designed in the 1930s when the Art Deco Period was at its hig...
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Antique Hand Woven Rug Upholstered Foot Stool
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Funky foot stool made of wood, upholstered with beautiful hand woven antique Kurdish bag face collectable rug , repeating geometric Diamond motifs . firm, and great decorative small ...
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1960s American Vintage Napoleon III Footstools

Materials

Wool, Faux Leather, Wood

Russell Stool
Located in Greenwich, CT
The Russell stool, a handcrafted recreation of one of Gordon Russell's earliest and most successful Cotswold School designs, crafted in white oak by Wooster and Essex having an uphol...
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21st Century and Contemporary American Napoleon III Footstools

Materials

Oak

Russell Stool
Russell Stool
H 16.25 in W 15.25 in D 15.25 in
Small Swedish 19th Century Brown Leather Footstool
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Small Swedish 19th century brown leather footstool with great patina and burn branded initials underneath.
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19th Century Swedish Antique Napoleon III Footstools

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Small Swedish 19th Century Brown Leather Footstool
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Free Shipping
H 6.3 in W 19.3 in D 13.78 in
Perriand Style Tripod Stool
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic wood stool from France in the style of Charlotte Perriand. Made in the 1960s with three legs. No hardware. Good vintage condition.  
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Perriand Style Tripod Stool
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H 14.75 in Dm 11.5 in
Previously Available Items
Napoleon III Giltwood Bamboo Stool
Located in Houston, TX
Napoleon III giltwood bamboo stool newly upholstered in a Yves Klein blue silk with orange welt detail.  
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Footstools

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Napoleon III Giltwood Bamboo Stool
Napoleon III Giltwood Bamboo Stool
H 15 in W 18.5 in D 18.5 in
French Napoleon III 1870s Petite Footstool with Floral Needlepoint Upholstery
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Napoléon III period petite footstool from the late 19th century, with floral needlepoint upholstery. Created in France during the third quar...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Footstools

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Tapestry, Wood

Pair of 19th Century, French, Carved Mahogany Foot Stools with Aubusson Tapestry
Located in Dallas, TX
Incorporate neoclassical beauty into your home with this exquisite pair of colorful Napoleon III carved bombe footstools. Crafted in Paris, circa 1860, and made in mahogany wood, the...
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Napoleon III Foot Stool
Located in Chicago, IL
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Napoleon III Foot Stool
Napoleon III Foot Stool
H 17 in W 26 in D 26 in
Fournier Style Napoleon III Gilt Rope Ottoman, circa 1860
Located in Houston, TX
A.E.M. Fournier style pouf à cordes shows his true mastery of skilled Parisian craftsmanship exemplified by the open rope knots and gilding. This stool has been newly upholstered in ...
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19th Century French Gilded Tabouret with Upholstered Seat
Located in New Orleans, LA
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French Footstool/Bench Ebonized Finish, 19th Century, Napoleon III
Located in New York, NY
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Napoleon III Ebonized Faux-Bamboo Stool - France, 19th Century
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
A large, round Napoleon III stool with a faux-bamboo, ebonized wood base. The top has been re-upholstered with elegant, vintage chintz.
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Pair of French Napoleon III Bead Work Upholstered Footstools
Located in Hudson, NY
This pair of small footstools is made in France during the reign of Napoleon III, circa 1870-1880. Crafted from ebony and then decorated with ...
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Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Footstools

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19th Century French Napoleon III Upholstered Foot Stool, France
Located in New York, NY
19th century French Napoleon III gold gild spool leg foot stool / newly upholstered seat cushion.
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19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Footstools

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Gold

French Napoleon III Ebonized Wood and Upholstery Ottoman, 19th Century
Located in New York, NY
19th century French Napoleon III ottoman or foot stool. The ebonized wood ottoman has been recently reupholstered in Belgian vintage linen with nailhead trim. The base and legs ha...
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1920's French Spool Leg Foot Stools
Located in New York, NY
Classic turned frame. The stools were recently reupholstered in vintage Belgian linen. A pair available. Priced separately.
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Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Footstools

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Napoleon Iii footstools for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III footstools for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage footstools created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III footstools made in a specific country, there are Europe, and France pieces for sale on 1stDibs. 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 footstools differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,010 and tops out at $4,300 while the average work can sell for $3,400.

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