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Empire Barrel Chairs

Set of Four Empire Barrel Chairs
Located in Belmont, MA
This set of 4 Empire Barrel chairs dates back to around 1810-20. They come from France. The chairs
Category

Antique 1810s French Empire Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Walnut

Set of Four Empire Barrel Chairs
Set of Four Empire Barrel Chairs
H 32.68 in W 17.72 in D 17.72 in
Set of 6 Empire Barrel Chairs, 1810-20
Located in Belmont, MA
This unique and original set of 6 early 19th century Empire barrel chairs stands out for its
Category

Antique 1810s French Empire Chairs

Materials

Walnut

Set of 6 Empire Barrel Chairs, 1810-20
Set of 6 Empire Barrel Chairs, 1810-20
H 34.26 in W 18.9 in D 20.87 in
Huge Pair of Barrel Form Mahogany Chairs
Located in Stamford, CT
Late French Empire mahogany barrel form chair with turned legs, along with a modern copy. Very deep
Category

Antique 1840s French Chairs

Materials

Mahogany

1940s Carved Gilt Wood Swan Barrel Chairs, Set of 2
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
On offer on this occasion is one of the most stunning and rare, carved wood swan club chairs on
Category

Vintage 1940s English Empire Club Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Recent Sales

Pair of Italian Barrel Chairs
Located in Kirkland, WA
Pair of Italian Barrel Chairs This is a pair of Italian Barrel or "Tub" chairs. They are very
Category

Antique 19th Century Italian Empire Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut, Wood

Pair of Italian Barrel Chairs
Pair of Italian Barrel Chairs
H 29.75 in W 22.75 in D 23 in
19th Century Empire Revival Barrel Back Leather Chair
Located in Houston, TX
A 19th century Empire Revival black barrel back fauteuil with bronze ormolu and nailhead detail
Category

Antique 1890s French Empire Revival Chairs

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

French Antique Empire Style Barrel Chairs
Located in Austin, TX
Early 19th century French antique set of chairs with the original golden colored velvet upholstery
Category

Antique 1820s French Empire Side Chairs

Materials

Brass

French Antique Empire Style Barrel Chairs
French Antique Empire Style Barrel Chairs
H 29.125 in W 22.5 in D 21.5 in
Pair Late Empire Barrel Back Chairs
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a very desirable pair of period Lat Empire Barrel Back Bergeres that date to c. 1810-1820
Category

Antique Early 19th Century French Directoire Bergere Chairs

Materials

Walnut, Velvet

Pair Late Empire Barrel Back Chairs
Pair Late Empire Barrel Back Chairs
H 32.25 in W 22 in D 19.5 in
19th Century French Empire Single Barrel Back Chair, France
Located in New York, NY
19th century French Empire single barrel back chair. Mahogany wood. Newly reupholstered in
Category

Antique 19th Century French Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Mahogany

English Regency Empire Style Wood Barrel Back Side Chairs, a Pair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
English Regency Empire style wood Barrel back side chairs - a pair. Item features curved barrel
Category

Late 20th Century Asian Empire Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Wood

Pair Barrel Back Ram Goat Head Empire Neoclassical Style Tuffted Lounge Chairs
By Maison Jansen
Located in Stafford, TX
2 beautiful chairs both in great condition! These are heavy solid chairs and can be left as is or
Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Neoclassical Lounge Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Hardwood

French Empire Style Parcel Gilt Carved Mahogany Swan Chair
Located in West Hartford, CT
Elegant French empire style carved mahogany barrel back chair with exquisite gold details and the
Category

Late 20th Century Empire Club Chairs

Materials

Silk, Mahogany, Giltwood

Pair of Antique French Empire Barrel Back Chairs
Located in Bellport, NY
Pair of French Empire 1860s Barrel back chairs or of the La Belle Epoque Period (The Gilded Age
Category

Antique 19th Century French Armchairs

Materials

Velvet, Upholstery

Pair of French 19th Century Empire Chairs
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A superb pair of Empire-Style barrel back chairs. These classically styled mahogany chairs have
Category

Antique 19th Century French Empire Armchairs

Materials

Mahogany

Pair of French 19th Century Empire Chairs
Pair of French 19th Century Empire Chairs
H 30 in W 23.13 in D 22.38 in
English Faux Calamander Barrel Form Chair with Bronze Lion's Head Mounts
Located in Stamford, CT
Mid-20th century English faux calamander veneer barrel chair with bronze lion's head hand rests. In
Category

Mid-20th Century English Empire Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Pair of Empire Style Chairs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
pair of stylized french empire barrel back chairs with upholstered seats and tapered legs
Category

20th Century Unknown Armchairs

Materials

Wood, Upholstery

Pair of Empire Style Chairs
Pair of Empire Style Chairs
H 32.5 in W 26 in D 24 in
Continental Empire Klismo Antique Arm Chair, Early 19th Century
Located in Shippensburg, PA
CONTINENTAL EMPIRE MAHOGANY KLISMO BARREL BACK ARM CHAIR First half of the 19th Century Crafted
Category

Antique 19th Century Unknown Armchairs

Pair of Swedish Empire Style Armchairs
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Pair of late 19th century Swedish Empire style barrel back armchairs. The chairs have been stripped
Category

Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs

Materials

Wood

Pair Empire Style Animal Leg & Ram's Head Armchairs
Located in Chicago, IL
Empire style barrel back arm chairs. Each chair has a pair of hand carved ram's heads at the peak
Category

Vintage 1960s American Armchairs

Materials

Cane

Pair Empire Style Animal Leg & Rams' Heads Armchairs
By Tomlinson
Located in Chicago, IL
Empire style barrel back arm chairs. Each chair has a pair of hand carved ram's heads at the peak
Category

Vintage 1960s American Armchairs

Materials

Leather

Set of Empire Style French Barrel Swan Chairs
Located in Austin, TX
Empire style set of charming chairs made of mahogany and featuring hand-carved swan neck details on
Category

Antique 1890s French Empire Side Chairs

Materials

Gold Leaf

Set of Empire Style French Barrel Swan Chairs
Set of Empire Style French Barrel Swan Chairs
H 30.325 in W 19.5 in D 19.5 in
Antique French Empire Style Walnut Barrel-Back Chairs Restored in France
Located in Chicago, IL
Magnificent pair of French Empire Style walnut barrel-back chairs, that was beautifully restored in
Category

Antique 1870s French Empire Chairs

Materials

Wood, Walnut

Set of 8 French 19th Century Empire Style Barrel Back Dining Chairs
Located in Benington, Herts
A charming set of 8 French 19th century Empire style barrel back mahogany dining chairs. French
Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Empire Revival Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Linen, Mahogany

19th Century French Empire Cherry Wood Desk Barrel Armchair with Gilt Mounts
Located in Dallas, TX
with decorative brass nail head trim. The comfortable barrel desk chair is in excellent condition
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century French Empire Office Chairs and Desk Chairs

Materials

Bronze

Pulaski French Empire Regency Figural Carved Dolphin Barrel Back Club Chair Seat
By Pulaski Furniture Corporation
Located in Dayton, OH
Late 20th century Pulaski Furniture barrel back arm chair. Features a mix of French Empire and
Category

Late 20th Century Empire Armchairs

Materials

Upholstery, Birch

Barrel Back Rams Goat Head Empire Neoclassical Style Cheetah Fabric Lounge Chair
By Maison Jansen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Late 20th century barrel back ram's head bergere chair with cheetah fabric in the neoclassical
Category

Late 20th Century Regency Armchairs

Materials

Wood

French 19th Century Empire Chair
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A handsome Empire barrel back chair. This mahogany chair has a brown/tan antique leather
Category

Antique 19th Century French Empire Armchairs

Materials

Mahogany

French 19th Century Empire Chair
French 19th Century Empire Chair
H 30.13 in W 24.13 in D 22.5 in
Belle Epoch Empire Style Barrel Chair
Located in Alexandria, VA
This chair is of beautiful mahogany with excellent ormolu mounts - excellent for a desk or as an
Category

Early 20th Century French Office Chairs and Desk Chairs

Materials

Mahogany

Belle Epoch Empire Style Barrel  Chair
Belle Epoch Empire Style Barrel  Chair
H 28.5 in W 23 in D 20 in
Pair of Viennese Late Empire Barrel-Back Bergeres
By Johann Hertel
Located in Long Island City, NY
A pair of comfortable late Empire barrel-back bergeres, attributed to Johann Hertel, Vienna
Category

Antique 19th Century Austrian Empire Bergere Chairs

Materials

Upholstery

Elegant French Empire barrel back bergere
Located in Long Island City, NY
Elegantly shaped and very comfortable French Empire barrel back bergere in mahogany. Down-swept
Category

Antique 19th Century French Bergere Chairs

Materials

Mahogany

Pair of 20th Century Empire-Style Chairs
Located in Washington, DC
Pair of Empire-style barrel back chairs. Black base with gold leaf detail and cane back. Newly
Category

Mid-20th Century Hollywood Regency Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Cane, Wood

Pair of 20th Century Empire-Style Chairs
Pair of 20th Century Empire-Style Chairs
H 27.25 in W 26.25 in D 26.25 in
Early 19th Century French Empire Barrel Back Armchairs in Walnut with Leather
Located in Uppingham, Rutland
Fantastic and rare pair of early 19th century French Empire barrel back library chairs, desk chairs
Category

Antique 1830s French Empire Armchairs

Materials

Walnut

Pair of Ebonized Barrel Back Chairs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This pair of ebonized barrel back chairs are made out of mahogany wood and have been fully restored
Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Empire Armchairs

Materials

Brass

People Also Browsed

Pair of Petites Bergeres Armchairs
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
Enhance your interior with this stunning pair of Empire-style Bergères chairs dating back to the early 20th century. These elegant armchairs feature gracefully curved gondola-shaped ...
Category

Early 20th Century French Bergere Chairs

Materials

Fruitwood

Pair of Petites Bergeres Armchairs
Pair of Petites Bergeres Armchairs
H 32.09 in W 23.23 in D 23.23 in
French Louis XVI Style Dining Chairs Hand-Made in France Armchair Available
Located in Chicago, IL
Shown in our listing here, is a set of six French Louis XVI handmade dining chair, but we also have sets available in any quantity through 1stdibs. We had been looking for a proper ...
Category

2010s French Louis XVI Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Beech, Upholstery, Leather

Set Of Four 19th Century Biedermeier Dining Room Chairs, Sweden
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Swedish Biedermeier dining chairs in birch wood from circa 1820-1840, set of four. Lathed front legs, nice warm patina, plentiful carved back and removable sits.
Category

Antique 1820s Swedish Biedermeier Chairs

Materials

Birch

Vintage Inspired Handcrafted Fluted Farmhouse Porcelain Pendant Light
By DBO Home
Located in Sharon, CT
Classic, elegant, with a perfectly imperfect touch. We just love our new porcelain Parasol Fluted Pendants. Inspired by a vintage pie cover, we designed them to hang over our kitchen...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Bohemian Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Brass

Set of 8 Biedermeier Style Dining Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Set of 8 Biedermeier style dining chairs. The chairs are cherry and have walnut burlwood backs.
Category

Vintage 1980s Biedermeier Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Cherry, Walnut

Set of 8 Biedermeier Style Dining Chairs
Set of 8 Biedermeier Style Dining Chairs
H 35 in W 19.25 in D 21.5 in
Set of 6 Regency Style Dining Room Chairs
Located in Norwood, NJ
Set of 6 Regency Style Dining Room Chairs. Set of 6 fruitwood and ebonized Regency styled dining chairs. Black upholstery with off white square dot pattern. Very fine quality carving...
Category

1990s Italian Regency Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Fruitwood

Pair of Modern Walnut Side Tables
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Pacific walnut side table, the square top with rounded corners and a reeded edge above a similar under tier, on bobbin turned legs. Dimensions: 26" W x 26" D x 28.5" H.  
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Modern End Tables

Materials

Wood

Pair of Modern Walnut Side Tables
Pair of Modern Walnut Side Tables
H 28.5 in W 26 in D 26 in
Swedish Biedermeier Dining Chairs Set of 2 Flame Golden Birch Honey Colour 1800s
Located in Lewes, England
Delicious and unusual set of 4 antique Swedish flame golden birch Biedermeier dining chairs from C1870-1900 with the distinctive curved seat back, carved central motif and gracefully...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Birch

1930s Hickory Chair Empire Klismos Mahogany and Upholstered Seat Side Chairs
By Hickory Chair Furniture Company
Located in Germantown, MD
1930s Hickory Chair Company Empire Klismos style Mahogany and Upholstered Seat Side Chairs. Measure 18" in width, 21" in depth 34.5" tall. Seat height is 18".
Category

Early 20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Mahogany

Set of Twelve Baker Regency Style Burl Wood Klismos Armchairs
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Magnificent set of twelve English Regency style klismos armchairs or dining chairs made by Baker Furniture. Featuring handcrafted frames covered with dramatic burlwood veneers. The k...
Category

20th Century American Regency Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood, Burl

Set of 4 Biedermeier Chairs, South German, 1820
Located in Belmont, MA
This set of 4 Biedermeier chairs dates back to around 1820 and comes from southern Germany. The chairs feature a pretty cherry veneer. The back shows a very unusual interlacing eboni...
Category

Antique 1820s German Biedermeier Chairs

Materials

Cherry

Set of 4 Biedermeier Chairs, South German, 1820
Set of 4 Biedermeier Chairs, South German, 1820
H 34.65 in W 18.51 in D 18.51 in
Set of Four Dining Chairs by Pietro Costantini
By Pietro Costantini
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This stylish set of Italian modern dining chairs by Pietro Costantini features lacquered wood finish, sculpted seat backs, and upholsters seats. Elegant and impressive set of four ch...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Hollywood Regency Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Upholstery

Set of 3 Early 19th Century Sabre Leg Klismos Form Side Chairs
Located in Kenilworth, IL
Three sabre leg Klismos form side chairs of European beech and mahogany with seats upholstered in suede. Denmark, circa 1820.
Category

Antique 1820s Danish Biedermeier Side Chairs

Materials

Suede, Beech, Mahogany

Set of Ten French Empire Mahogany Caned Dining Chairs
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Glorious set of ten mahogany dining chairs made in the neoclassical French empire taste. The chairs feature decorative bronze mounts and hand-caned seats crafted from radiant-grained...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Empire Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Bronze

"The Imperial Chair" Set of Eight by Weiman/Warren Lloyd for Mastercraft
By Mastercraft
Located in Dallas, TX
Set your interior space up for drama and infuse style into your dining room with this gorgeous set of classically styled modern dining chairs. Known as the 'Imperial Chair' series mo...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Hollywood Regency Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Brass

Antique Empire Chairs from Around 1810-1815
Located in Berlin, DE
Antique Empire chairs from around 1900 Solid wood mahogany. Seat upholstered and covered with black fabric. Very stable and robust built. Hind legs in classic Empire saber shape. ...
Category

Antique 19th Century German Empire Chairs

Materials

Mahogany

Antique Empire Chairs from Around 1810-1815
Antique Empire Chairs from Around 1810-1815
H 34.26 in W 19.3 in D 18.12 in
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Empire Barrel Chairs For Sale on 1stDibs

At 1stDibs, there are several options of empire barrel chairs available for sale. Each of these unique empire barrel chairs was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, fabric and mahogany. There are all kinds of empire barrel chairs available, from those produced as long ago as the 19th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. Empire and Regency empire barrel chairs are consistently popular styles.

How Much are Empire Barrel Chairs?

The average selling price for at 1stDibs is $3,657, while they’re typically $800 on the low end and $6,500 highest priced.

Finding the Right Seating for You

With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.

Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.

Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.

The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.

Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.

With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.

Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.

No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.

Questions About Empire Barrel Chairs
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Barrel chairs are accent chairs that feature a curved back shaped like half of a barrel. In some cases, the back slopes down at the sides to form arms. Other pieces are armless or have separate rolled arms at the sides. You'll find a variety of barrel chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 16, 2019

    Barrel chairs have high, semicircular backs which form a single piece with the arms.

  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 26, 2021
    An Empire chair refers to a piece of seating furniture created in the Empire style. A phase of the neoclassical style, the Empire style gets its name from the rule of the Emperor Napoleon I. The furniture is colossal, weight-wise, and richly adorned with bronze and marble. Shop a collection of antique, vintage, and contemporary Empire chairs from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023
    The earliest barrel chairs are from is the era of the early 19th century. However, Frank Lloyd Wright created one of the most famous barrel chairs in 1937 as a part of his design for Wingspread, a home in Wind Point, Wisconsin. On 1stDibs, find a collection of barrel chairs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023
    No one knows who invented the barrel chair originally, or even where the chairs appeared first. They became popular during the mid to late 19th century, but it was Frank Lloyd Wright who made them famous when he designed an iconic version for Wingspread, a home he designed in Wind Point, Wisconsin. Wright also used his Taliesin Barrel chair to furnish his own home in Wisconsin. Shop a selection of barrel chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Reupholster a barrel back chair by first removing the old upholstery from the chair. Use the old pieces of material as a guide to help you cut the new upholstery into properly sized pieces. Reupholster the chair by using a furniture stapler to re-secure the new upholstery in the same manner that the old upholstery was attached. Shop a range of vintage and contemporary barrel back chairs on 1stDibs.