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.
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Stone
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Fruitwood, Walnut
1940s Russian Vintage Empire Furniture
Crystal
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Furniture
Belgian Black Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Metal, Brass, Bronze, Copper
20th Century Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Velvet, Walnut
Mid-19th Century American Antique Empire Furniture
Mahogany
1920s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Empire Furniture
Brass, Steel
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
1830s French Antique Empire Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Ormolu
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Furniture
Paper, Wood
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
1890s Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Walnut
1890s Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Walnut
19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Porcelain
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Brass, Ormolu
1810s Austrian Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1950s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Metal, Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
1980s American Vintage Empire Furniture
Brass
1890s North American Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Furniture
Wood, Mahogany, Giltwood, Burl
20th Century French Empire Furniture
Porcelain, Paint
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century German Empire Furniture
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Porcelain, Paint
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Brass, Iron
1820s French Antique Empire Furniture
Porcelain
1810s Antique Empire Furniture
Wood, Rosewood
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Empire Furniture
Brass
1860s French Antique Empire Furniture
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary European Empire Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century Empire Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 19th Century Spanish Antique Empire Furniture
Mirror, Mahogany
1950s French Vintage Empire Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1920s Italian Vintage Empire Furniture
Crystal, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Furniture
Marble
17th Century North American Antique Empire Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Furniture
Porphyry, Ormolu