Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
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.
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
19th Century European Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Pine
Late 20th Century Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Glass, Cherry
1820s Danish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
1980s Italian Vintage Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood
20th Century French Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
1810s Austrian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany, Oak
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century British Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Leather, Upholstery, Satinwood, Lacquer
1880s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
1820s Danish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Gold Leaf
1890s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Leather, Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Stone, Bronze
19th Century Russian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass, Ormolu
20th Century Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Onyx
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble, Brass
1810s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Carrara Marble
1850s Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
20th Century Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Tulipwood, Wood
Late 18th Century German Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood, Mahogany, Softwood
Early 19th Century German Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
1850s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Early 1800s Dutch Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Mid-19th Century Danish Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Oak, Walnut
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Walnut
1810s German Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Cherry
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Iron
1820s Italian Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Beech
1810s Dutch Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
1920s Italian Vintage Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Ormolu
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Mahogany
Early 1800s German Antique Empire Case Pieces and Storage Cabinets
Wood