Empire Console Tables
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 Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
1840s French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Ormolu
1980s Vintage Empire Console Tables
Marble, Bronze
1810s French Antique Empire Console Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Metal, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Bronze
Mid-19th Century American Antique Empire Console Tables
Mahogany, Ebony
20th Century European Empire Console Tables
Sapele Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Console Tables
Quartz, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Carrara Marble
Early 1800s French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Console Tables
Malachite, Ormolu
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
19th Century Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
1950s French Vintage Empire Console Tables
Ormolu
19th Century European Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century Antique Empire Console Tables
Belgian Black Marble, Metal
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
1820s English Antique Empire Console Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century Sicilian Antique Empire Console Tables
Walnut
Early 1900s European Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Brass
Late 19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Console Tables
Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Empire Console Tables
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Console Tables
Carrara Marble
Late 19th Century American Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
2010s Italian Empire Console Tables
Onyx, Marble, Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Metal, Brass
19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Mahogany
19th Century Italian Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
19th Century Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
1810s Italian Antique Empire Console Tables
Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Giltwood
1810s French Antique Empire Console Tables
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Empire Console Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Mahogany
1950s French Vintage Empire Console Tables
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Bronze
1820s French Antique Empire Console Tables
Granite, Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Empire Console Tables
Glass, Wood
1810s Spanish Antique Empire Console Tables
Rosewood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Empire Console Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Fruitwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Marble
19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century French Antique Empire Console Tables
Walnut