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 Hand-Carved Marble Column Pedestal, Empire Style
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A fabulous late 19th century carved marble display pedestal from France, to elevate precious artwork, décor, or greenery in your interior. Geometric elements distinguish the capital ...
Marble
Pair of Antique Swedish Neoclassical Late Empire Pedestals
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pair of antique Empire Neoclassical Swedish pedestals painted ebony with gold accents.
Wood
Neoclassical Empire Mahogany Pedestal Plant Stand
Located in Germantown, MD
Early 20th Century Neoclassical Empire style Mahogany Pedestal Plant Stand. Measures 15" in diameter at the base, 12" in diameter at the top and stands 55.75" tall.
Mahogany
Antique French Empire Neoclassical Green & Gold Painted Wooden Column Pedestal
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Please message us with your zip code to request a more reasonable domestic U.S. shipping quote. Antique Italian Neoclassical French Empire Style Green & Gold Painted Wooden Column P...
Wood, Paint
Pedestal Column Plant Stand, French Gilt Bronze, Empire Style
Located in New York, NY
A substantial French gold gilt bronze pedestal column plant stand, in the Empire design style, circa 20th century, France. Round top is a copper gilt bronze, pillar and tripod hoof b...
Bronze
Antique Breccia Pontifica Marble Columns, Italian, Circa 1910
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of architectural columns from Italy, circa 1910. This pair is made of Breccia pontifica marble, a rare multicolored stone from Sicily, Italy. The colorful marble was used extens...
Breccia Marble
Marble and Brass Round Pedestal Lion Paw Feet Plant Stand
Located in New York, NY
A substantial European round marble and brass pedestal with Lion paw feet base in the Empire style, circa 20th century. Images #5 and 6 show size comparison. Marble top is a combinat...
Marble, Brass
Early 20th century Scandinavian gilt pedestal column
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Early 20th century Scandinavian gilt pedestal column circa 1900. Good quality decorative pedestal in original gilt finish. Roman doric style with white painted top, fluting down th...
Pine, Paint
Late 18th Century Empire Walnut Column or Bedside Table
Located in Brescia, IT
The walnut column is a piece from the Empire period, handmade in Italy. The piece is a true piece of furniture, as the frame conceals a door that opens to reveal a compartment entire...
Walnut
Early Nineteenth Century Grand Antique Marble Column
Located in London, GB
An early nineteenth century Grand Antique Marble column, the dramatic brecciated shaft on turned socle base. Likely French.
Marble
$8,600 / set
Pair of Empire Style Pedestals, 19th Century
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of Empire style pedestals with gilt bronze and flame mahogany wood, France, 19th century.
Mahogany
$14,500 / set
Pair of Torcheres
Located in Atlanta, GA
A very fine pair of Torcheres in Empire style. These are contemporary composite reproductions of the best quality. CW3566
Composition
$2,850 / set
Vintage Ormolu Stone Top Pedestals - A Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This magnificent pair of vintage Italian pedestals represents the height of Neoclassical sophistication and Empire-style elegance. Masterfully crafted in Italy, each pedestal feature...
Stone, Brass
$4,569 / set
Empire columns, France, ca. 1880.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Empire columns, France, ca. 1880. Wood: mahogany dimensions height 103 cm. top 30 cm x 24 cm
Wood, Mahogany
Pair of French Empire Style Ormolu, Wood and Marble Pedestals
Located in London, GB
Pair of French Empire style ormolu, wood and marble pedestals French, 20th Century Height 83cm, diameter 52cm This superb pair of French 20th century pedestals celebrates the ver...
Marble, Ormolu
Pair of Empire Style Verde Antico Marble and Gilt Bronze Pedestals
Located in San Francisco, CA
If you have a puppy or puppy-like children who customarily race through the house, move on. These slender marble and gilt bronze pedestals were typically crafted for more peaceful se...
Marble, Bronze
$3,945 / item
Royal Empire column with malachite and gilt bronze
Located in Berlin, DE
Royal Empire column with malachite and gilt bronze Impressive and regal wooden column with bronze mounts in Empire style. Solid wood coated with malachite painting technique. Such a...
Malachite, Brass, Bronze
Late 20th-century Empire Style Fruitwood Pedestal Side Table.
Located in Germantown, MD
A Late 20th-century Empire Style Fruitwood Pedestal Side Table with bookmatched top. Measuring 18" in width, 14" in depth and 29.25" in height.
Fruitwood
Pair of Sculptural Bronze & Steel Stands by Marcello Mioni, Italy, 1970s
By Marcello Mioni
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Exceptional pair of sculptural stands designed and manufactured in Italy in the 1970s by Marcello Mioni. Crafted in patinated steel with cast bronze elements, these striking stands...
Bronze, Steel
French 19th Century Empire St. Ormolu and Marble Pedestal
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An exceptional and high quality French 19th century Empire st. ormolu mounted on Alabastro Sardonico and black Belgian marble pedestal. The pedestal is raised by a protruding square ...
Marble
19th C. French Empire Onyx & Bronze Ormolu Revolving Statue Column Pedestal
Located in Philadelphia, PA
19th C. French Empire Onyx & Bronze Ormolu Revolving Statue Column Pedestal. Item features a revolving top, bronze ormolu, beautiful green and beige onyx stone, and timeless classica...
Onyx, Bronze
Continental 19th century Empire st. Mahogany and Giltwood pedestal
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An elegant Continental 19th century Empire st. Mahogany and Giltwood pedestal. This handsome rectangular shaped pedestal is raised by fanciful toupie shaped supports with palmette le...
Mahogany, Giltwood
Two Neoclassical Empire Style Bronze and Marble Pedestals
Located in London, GB
Two neoclassical Empire style bronze and marble pedestals French, 20th century Dimensions: Height 100cm, width 48cm, depth 48cm This pa...
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
French 19th Century Empire St. Sèvres Porcelain, Gilt, Onyx, And Ormolu Pedestal
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A stunning and high quality French 19th century Empire st. Sèvres Porcelain, Gilt, Onyx, and Ormolu pedestal. This beautiful pedestal is raised by a square stepped Onyx base with fou...
Marble, Ormolu
Original Empire Pedestal, Pear-Wood, Gilded Carvings, Austria, 1800s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
Conceived in the spirit of Austrian Empire style, this extraordinarily elegant and rare pedestal dates from the early 19th century in Austria. The aesthetic and structural concept is...
Wood, Pearwood, Lacquer
$1,720Sale Price|20% Off
Empire Style Marble-Top Giltwood Pedestal
Located in Dallas, TX
Empire style marble-top giltwood plant stand, having square top over four carved foliate columns, rising on marble base, ending in paw feet.
Marble
Restored Empire Pedestal, Mahogany, Brass, Revived Polish, France, 1820s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This exclusive Empire pedestal, which thanks to its construction and proportions can also be used as a standalone side table, originates from France in the first half of the 19th cen...
Brass
$85,000 / set
Pair of Amethyst Empire Style Columns
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Amethyst columns. Gilt bronze capitols.
Amethyst, Bronze
Italian imperial style green ceramic columns pedestals bows and flowers, 1930s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian imperial style green ceramic columns pedestals bows and flowers, 1930s Pair of pedestals with a round base. The tapered structure narrows at the top and then widens at the ba...
Ceramic
Gilded Classical Wooden Column Pedestal, 20th Century
Located in Lisbon, PT
This exquisite hand-carved wooden column, adorned with gleaming gilted, exudes timeless elegance and grandeur. Standing at an impressive 43.9 inches (111.5 cm) tall, the column feat...
Chestnut