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Napoleon III Furniture

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
French Napoleon III Bronze Umbrella Stand with Hunt Motifs
Located in Antwerp, BE
Decorate a hunting lodge with this fine antique umbrella or cane stand, crafted in France, circa 1900, the freestanding stand features a hunting theme including a horn at the top, a ...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

French Napoleon III Glazed Ormolu Bookcase
Located in Newark, GB
A magnificent 19th century glazed bookcase from the period of Napoleon III, this piece is of exceptional quality. In line with French practice of the time, it is designed to be disma...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Mahogany, Glass, Wood

French Napoleon III Style 'The Hunter' Fireback / Backsplash
Located in Amerongen, NL
20th century French Napoleon III style fireback with a hunter. The fireback is made of cast iron and has a natural brown patina. Upon request it can be made black / pewter at no ext...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Iron

Antique Paintings, Coast With Beach And Bathing Women, Oil On Board, 19th.
Located in Breganze, VI
The antique paintings category, Quadri Mare features a glimpse of Marina with Rocky Coast and a beach where women are found.  The work depicts a glimpse of the sea with people on v...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Wood

19th Century French Napoleon III Burl Walnut Marquetry and Bronze Plant Stand
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a room with this elegant antique jardinière. Created in France circa 1870, and oval in shape, the planter stands on cabriole legs decorated with acanthus leaf motifs at the ...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Worked and decorated ceramic plate, Capodimonte, 19th-20th century
Located in Monza, IT
The plate is worked in relief and painted by hand, it has a white base, golden decoration with floral motifs in the center, with coat of arms, and a rich workmanship along the contou...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Limoges Porcelain Coffee Service Mid 20th Century
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
SET OF 10 COFFEE CUPS AND SAUCERS IN WHITE PORCELAIN WITH RED AND GOLD DECORATION. A COFFEE POT, A SUGAR POT AND A MILK JUG. THESE PIECES BEAR THE STAMP “Limoges S J France” Origin: ...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Sèvres Blue Porcelain Cassolettes, Napoleon III Period, 19th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of Sèvres blue porcelain cassolettes, Napoleon III period, 19th century. A pair of Sèvres blue porcelain cassolettes with Louis XVI style ormolu mounts, late 19th century. H: 5...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Goldsmith Christofle - Table Centerpiece In Silver Bronze And XIXth Crystal Cup
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Centerpiece in silvered bronze composed of a cut crystal cup placed on a pedestal and supported by two puttis Dimensions: length 44 cm - cup diameter 22 cm height 16.5 cm Material: b...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Goldsmith A. Aucoc Suite Of Four Cups In Sterling Silver Nineteenth
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Model mounted on a round pedestal decorated with a laurel leaf and surmounted by a poly-lobed cup whose inner edge is chiselled and pierced with grooves and surrounded by a laurel fr...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Christofle - Important Table Centerpiece In Sterling Silver Nineteenth
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Solid silver centerpiece in a round shape, placed on rolling clog feet. The subject is a decoration of sheep as well as heads of bulls framing a sculpture of a Shepherd dressed in th...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Goldsmith Cardeilhac - Table Top 3 Cups In Sterling Silver And Crystal Nineteent
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Table set formed by three cups in solid silver and cut crystal. The rockery-style tripod base with acanthus leaves and arabesque decoration supports a cut crystal cup. on each side a...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Goldsmith Odiot - Vegetable On His Platter In Sterling Silver Nineteenth
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Goldsmith ODIOT - Vegetable dish on its platter in solid silver XIXth Legumier in solid silver, round in shape, the plain body with pinched ribs, is bordered at the neck by a frieze ...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

A. Aucoc - Important Table Center In Sterling Silver Late Nineteenth
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Important centerpiece in solid silver represented by a covered tureen mounted on four winding feet and placed on its tray. Richly decorated with Bérain engravings, edging of gadroons...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Goldsmith Roussel - Rafraichissoir In Sterling Silver XIXth
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Solid silver cooler mounted on an ogee pedestal. The plain body is decorated with applique seashells, flanked on either side by a zoomorphic grip represented by a lion's head holding...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

A. Aucoc - Tea/coffee Service 6 Pieces In Silver And Its Tray - Nineteenth
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Important TEA/COFFEE service in solid silver, model with a flat bottom, with pinched ribs, each piece is chiseled with a berain decoration, interlacing on amati background and gadroo...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Napoleon III Gilt Wood & Silk Fire Screen
Located in London, GB
Napoleon III gilt wood & silk fire screen. Magnificent faux bamboo and hand embroidered silk screen in the Japanese style circa 1860. In very ...
Category

1860s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Silk, Giltwood

Antique French Napoleon III 'Rural Scene' Fireback / Backsplash, 19th Century
Located in Amerongen, NL
19th century French fireback with a rural scene. The style of the fireback is Napoleon III and it is from that period. The fireback is made of cast iron and has a natural brown pati...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Iron

French Napoleon III Style 'Salamander' Fireback / Backsplash
Located in Amerongen, NL
20th century French Napoleon III style fireback with the salamander. The salamander is symbol of King François I, who was King of France from 1515 till 1547. The fireback is made of...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Iron

Goldsmith Odiot - Double Sauceboat On Tray In Sterling Silver Late Nineteenth
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Double sauce boat in solid silver plain decor, mounted on four foliated legs, monogrammed, placed on a adherent tray. Dimensions: width 26 cm - depth 20 cm - height 12 cm Material: s...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Centerpiece In Sterling Silver On Its Dormant Germany Late Nineteenth
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Very important TABLE CENTER in solid silver mounted on a pedestal and placed on an openwork frame, the sockets are largely foliated; Medallion decoration and Louis XVI ribbon. Dimens...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Quadri Antichi Marina, Olio Su Tavola, Costa Rocciosa E Barche, Del XIX Secolo.
Located in Breganze, VI
This is a Marine Oil Painting, which represents a Marina with Rocks and Small Boats.  The work represents a glimpse of a rocky coastline with a village in the background. It is an ...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Wood

Goldsmith A. Aucoc - Sterling Silver Oval Tray 19th Century
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Large oval scalloped platter in solid silver with a belt of strong threads radiating decoration, in the center a stylized cartridge with an interlaced "MC" monogram. Hammer mounted. ...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

French Empire Napoleon III Double Flip-top Work Table with Compartments
Located in Savannah, GA
This handsome Napoleon III slightly rectangular mahogany side table with two flip tops doubles as a work or utility table with another curved shelf at the bottom. The inside features...
Category

1850s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Mahogany

19th Century French Napoleon III Gilt Bronze Ebonized Side Cabinet / Sideboard
Located in New York, NY
Antique (mid/late 19th century) ebonized side cabinet from the Napoleon III period measuring 45 by 58 by 17 inches, featuring gilt brass mounts and charcoal colored marble top.
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Napoleon III Fireplace Set with Bronze Greek Gods and Black Marble
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Beautiful antique fireplace set consisting of a clock and a pair of cassolettes. The black marble clock rests on lions' feet and is surmounted by a bronze engraved Medici vase with eight faces of Greek...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Pair of Mid-Century French Painted Tole Two-Light Candle Holders
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a console or buffet with this pair of elegant antique candle holders. Created in France, circa 1960, the table lamps sit on a wooden round base decorated with two candle arm...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Tôle

Silversmith Souche Lapparra - Solid Silver Basket Circa 20th Century
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Oblong silver basket, hemmed edge, body decorated with pierced braces, has a plain cartouche on each side and rests on a molded base. Dimensions: length 30 cm - width 20 cm - height...
Category

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

19th Century French Imperial Eagle Brass Badge Napoleon III Period
Located in Sofia, BG
19th Century beautiful imperial eagle badge from Napoleon III period. Crowned eagle with spread wings, standing on an orb cut out with the number 30. Two fixing parts at the back of ...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Brass

19th Century French Colonial Glass Cave à Liqueur Tantalus
Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB
A fabulous French 19th century colonial, ormolu and bevelled glass cave à liqueur. The decorative case has bevelled glass panels on all sides and top, raised on 4 legs with sculpture...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Metal

19th Century Limoges Game Bird Set
Located in High Point, NC
Late 19th century game bird set with 12 plates, all measuring 9.25 inches in diameter x 1.25 inches in height, and a large platter measuring 18.25 inches long x 12.5 inches wide x 2....
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Pair of Italian 19th Century Napoleon III Lacquered Tin Lidded Vases with Scenes
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of Napoleon III period Italian lacquered tin vases with lids from the 19th century with monochrome village and ruins scenes in landscapes. This captivating pair of Napoleon II...
Category

Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Tin

French 19th Century Large Jewelry Casket After Clodion
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Large Napoleon III Jewelry Casket In chiseled and silvered bronze, decorated with putti scenes in the style of Claude Michel dit Clodion (...
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Large Travel Trunk, Antique Travel Trunk in Leather, Wood and Fabric, XIXth.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Large travel trunk, antique travel trunk in leather, wood and fabric, 19th century. Large travel trunk, leather, wood and fabric travel trunk,...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Leather, Fabric, Wood

French 19th Century Slipper Chair
Located in Buchanan, NY
This elegant French Napoleon III slipper chair is upholstered in a plush floral patterned gold velvet with tassel adornments and matching bullion fringe. The beautifully curved back...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Upholstery

Silversmith Odiot - Cruet / Vinegar In Solid Silver/Crystal Late 19th Century
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Oval-shaped solid silver cruet/vinegar, terrace mounted on four spinning tops, comprising four crystal bottles, a sprinkler and a mustard bottle surrounded by a frame decorated with...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Napoleon
By Napoléon III
Located in Grenoble, FR
Very beautiful mirror in black lacquered wood and floral pattern with gold leaf. Very nice achievement. The mirror has been changed
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Gold Leaf

Regule Sculpture by Auguste Moreau, Marble Base, Early 20th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Regule sculpture by Auguste Moreau, marble base, early 20th century. Sculpture by Auguste Moreau in regule representing a child carrying a jar (1834-1917), marble base, early 20th c...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Marble, Composition

20th Century Inlaid Wood Marble Top French Napoleon III Style Sideboard, 1960s
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
French sideboard from the second half of the 20th century. Moved and rounded piece of furniture, richly inlaid and adorned with gilded and chiseled bronze and brass, in Napoleon III ...
Category

1960s French Vintage Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Wood

Small Antique French Mirror In Carved Blackened Wood, circa 1870
Located in Paris, FR
Small French antique mirror in blackened carved wood, circa 1870. Antique frame in carved and blackened fir wood, decorated with rais-de-coeur, and pearl rosaries in trio. Frame widt...
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Glass, Wood

Second Empire Fine Mahogany & Gilt Bronze Canapé—Napoleon III, 1860
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A fine and well preserved mahogany & gilt bronze canapé from the Second Empire Period under the reign of Napoleon III. Absolutely wonderful condition, seat cushion has been redone in...
Category

1860s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

19th Century French Napoleon III Marquetry Walnut, Porcelain & Bronze Jardinière
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a dining table or a buffet top with this elegant, antique oval planter with zinc liner. Crafted in France circa 1870, and decorated with marquetry and parquetry motifs, the ...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Maison Boudet - Important Pair Of XIXth Vermeil Salerons
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Exceptional pair of vermeil salerons represented by a newt blowing in a conch, in the middle of two large shells placed on an oval base with leafy outlines. Here the marine theme is...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

19th Century French Napoleon III Iron Lantern with Painted Stained Glass Panels
Located in Dallas, TX
For a unique lighting feature, look no further than this beautiful, antique Gothic lantern. Created in France circa 1870, the lantern is decorat...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Iron

Goldsmith: j.b. Francois - important 19th century solid silver planter
By Francois-Jacques Boeri
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Oblong silver planter, resting on four claw feet in foliate crosier. The body is decorated with repoussé with a frieze of grooves. On the long sides is a rocaille cartouche surmounte...
Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Sterling Silver

Bohemian Cut Crystal Box, 19th Century, Napoleon III Period.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Bohemian cut crystal box, 19th century, Napoleon III period. Bohemian cut crystal box, brass mounting, late 19th century, Napoleon III period. H: 15cm, W: 19cm, D: 11cm
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Crystal, Brass

Pair of Napoleon III Style Mirrors, 20th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of Napoleon III style mirrors, 20th century. Pair of modern mirrors in the style of 19th century Napoleon III mirrors, contemporary production of fine quality, 20th century. Ea...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Mirror

Paul Sormani Marquetry Token Box, 19th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Paul Sormani marquetry token box, 19th century. Precious wood and bone marquetry token box, Napoleon III period, 19th century. H: 10cm, W: 36cm, D: 26cm
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bone, Wood

20th Century Palisander Mahogany Wood Marble French Napoleon III Bureau, 1870s
Located in Vicoforte, Piedmont
French bureau from the end of the 19th century. Finished for the center furniture from the Napoleon III era, finely veneered in palisander and mahogany. Slightly rounded and moved bu...
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Marble

Table en bois laqué noir à décor central marqueté de laiton, Napoléon III
Located in ROYÈRE-DE-VASSIVIÈRE, FR
Table en bois laqué noir à décor central marqueté de laiton, Napoléon III elle ouvre à un tiroir en façade (serrure mais absence de la clé) Repose sur quatre pieds fuselés et cannelé...
Category

1870s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Wood

Pair of Porcelain Candelabra, Late 19th Century, Napoleon III Period.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of porcelain candelabra, late 19th century, Napoleon III period. Pair of porcelain candelabra, 3 branches, late 19th century, Napoleon III period. H: 49cm, D: 28cm
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

French Napoleon III Style 'Flower Basket' Fireback / Backsplash
Located in Amerongen, NL
20th century French Napoleon III style fireback with a flower basket. The fireback is made of cast iron and has a natural brown patina. It can be made black / pewter at no extra cos...
Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Iron

A Patinated Bronze Sculpture of a Stag and Hunting Dogs, 19th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
A patinated bronze sculpture of a stag and hunting dogs, 19th century. Sculpture by A.Laplanche in patinated bronze representing a stag and hunting dogs, 19th century. H: 49cm, W: 6...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Petite table de forme rognon en bois laqué noir et riches décors peints
Located in ROYÈRE-DE-VASSIVIÈRE, FR
Petite table de forme rognon en bois laqué noir et riches décors peints, formant porte-revues. Fin XIXe Le plateau à décor d’une scène galante dans un cartouche et de fleurs est cein...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Wood

Grande paire de vases en porcelaine à décor de fleurs
Located in ROYÈRE-DE-VASSIVIÈRE, FR
Grande paire de vases en porcelaine à décor de fleurs Roses et volubilis. Défaut de cuisson (cols gondolés) et un fêle (voir photo) Hauteur : 42 cm
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair 19thc Qajar Dynasty Crystal Table Lamps/ Candle Holders by Baccarat 1870
Located in Opa Locka, FL
Pair 19thc French for Qajar Dynasty Amber with Hand Painted Floral Enamelled Table Lamps / Candle Holders with Crystal Shades. Manufactured by Baccarat. The amber body is floral deco...
Category

1890s French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Art Glass

Antique French Napoleon III French Rouge Marble & Bronze Ormolu Mantel Clock 20"
Located in Dayton, OH
An antique 19th Century mantel Clock. Made from Rouge marble with bronze ormolu. Ornately designed with gold filigree face, a stepped base, footed over downswept legs. Features ornat...
Category

19th Century Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Marble, Bronze

19th Century Lacquered Small Cabinet
Located in Paris, FR
Petite 19th-century armoire in ebony veneer, adorned with brass inlay decoration. 
It opens with two doors with panels of Chinese lacquer from the 17th century, featuring birds on fl...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Furniture

Materials

Granite, Brass

Napoleon Iii furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III furniture for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, building and garden elements, case pieces and storage cabinets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III furniture made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Europa Antiques, Baccarat, Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, and Ferdinand Barbedienne. 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 furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $49 and tops out at $2,500,000 while the average work can sell for $3,313.

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