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.
Napoleon III Giltwood Pier Mirror, Italian, Circa 1880
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Magnificent 19th century Napoleon III giltwood pier mirror, crafted in Naples, Italy, circa 1880. This impressive mirror showcases the finest Italian craftsmanship of the period, wit...
Mirror, Giltwood
Antique White Washed Faux Bamboo Cheval Mirror, circa 1870
Located in Sheffield, MA
French freestanding cheval mirror, late 19th century. Walnut wood has been turned and white washed to resemble faux bamboo, the posts are capped with baluster finials. Featuring a fu...
Faux Bamboo
Napoleon III Period Giltwood Mirror with Ornate Crest, 19th Century
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
This splendid 19th century French mirror exudes opulence and grandeur, with a richly carved and gilded wooden frame showcasing the finest craftsmanship of the Napoleon III period. Th...
Mercury Glass, Mirror, Giltwood
French Napoleon II Carved Gilt and Painted Console Mirror
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
French Napoleon II carved gilt and painted console mirror This is a very attractive Mirror, the top of the mirror has scalloped Arch shape, bordered wit...
Giltwood
$2,760 / set
H 36.25 in W 47.75 in D 17 in
Baroque Style 19th Century Carved Gilt Wood Mirror and Matching Console
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A very impressive ensemble including a large Gilt Wood Mirror and a Gilt Console with Marble Top. Provenance: the Dodge estate near Tuxedo Park, NY. Both in matching elaborate Baroqu...
Marble
19th Century Faux Bamboo Cheval Mirror
Located in High Point, NC
FABULOUS 19th century faux bamboo chevalier mirror from France. The mirror has rounded corners at the top and square corners at the bottom, and the c...
Mirror, Cherry
$2,960Sale Price|56% Off
H 63.78 in W 33.86 in D 5.12 in
19th Century Napoleon III Giltwood Mirror with Beveled Glass
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
An exceptionally fine Napoleon III parclose giltwood Mirror, with its original bevelled mercury glass mirror plate. The design is extremely decorative, its outsize crest featuring ...
Giltwood, Mercury Glass, Mirror
French 19th Century Napoleon III Giltwood Wall Mirror
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Smaller scale rectangle giltwood wall mirror, late 19th French Napolean 111. 19" tall x 16" widest x 2" deep, mirror portion 13" x 10". The glass mirror is newer.
Wood, Mirror
Large and Impressive Louis XV Mirror
Located in Norwood, NJ
Large and Impressive Louis XV mirror. Painted and gilt mirror of large scale with areas of silver gilding.
Silver Leaf
French Victorian Faux Bamboo Triptych Cheval Mirror
Located in Queens, NY
French Victorian faux bamboo maple (triptych) cheval mirror with fluted sides.
Faux Bamboo, Mirror
$5,500
H 66 in W 38.5 in D 21 in
French 1880s Napoléon III Faux Bamboo Walnut Cheval Mirror with Turned Finials
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Napoléon III faux bamboo walnut cheval mirror from the late 19th century, with turned finials. Created in France a decade after the end of Emperor Napoléon III's reign, this...
Faux Bamboo, Mirror, Walnut
$952Sale Price|58% Off
H 72 in W 33 in D 26 in
1980s Regency Dressing Mirror by Marquis Collection, Tessellated Stone
By Maitland Smith, Marquis Collection of Beverly Hills 1
Located in Chattanooga, TN
A spectacular Hollywood Regency mirror from the Marquis Collection of Beverly Hills, this monumental piece embodies the glamour and sculptural artistry for which the brand is renowne...
Stone
$7,890Sale Price|20% Off
H 92.92 in W 30.32 in D 6.3 in
Antique 19th century Louis XVI gold leaf gilt French Pier mirror with crest
Located in Casteren, NL
On offer here is a stunning and rare tall pier mirror that was made in Southern France in the mid-19th century, circa 1850. The mirror frame is lavishly adorned with many natural orn...
Gold Leaf
Italian Carved and Gilt Tall Console Mirror
Located in Rochester, NY
Antique carved and gilt paneled mirror. Side panels are smoked mirror glass. Great quality, early 20th century. Measures: 58.5" high. See our other...
Mirror, Giltwood
Large Faux Bamboo Cheval or Dressing Mirror from France
Located in Austin, TX
A fine large French faux bamboo cheval or full-length dressing mirror, c.1870-1910, featuring a mirrored glass panel framed in turned wood with a bamboo design, mounted to a rolling ...
Metal
$11,950
H 66 in W 45.25 in D 5.75 in
French Whimsical Art-Nouveau Style Mahogany and Parcel-Gilt Wood Carved Mirror
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A fine and rare French Whimsical Art-Nouveau style mahogany and parcel-gilt wood carved mirror. The ornately carved frame with leaved sun-flowers and tropical fruits emanating from a...
Mahogany
Sold
H 25.2 in W 51.19 in D 1.58 in
1850s Gold Leaf Rectangular Console Fireplace Mirror, Italy 1850's
Located in Ceglie Messapica, IT
Antique Gold Leaf Mirror – Italy, 1850s A rare and exquisite 19th-century Italian mirror, this stunning piece features a solid wood frame adorned with an elegant gold leaf finish, m...
Gold Leaf
Superb 19th Century French Gilt Pier Mirror
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Superb 19th century French gilt pier mirror This is a beautifully decorative gold frame mirror it is an unusual shape with gilded carv...
Giltwood
Antique Napoleon III Style Gilt Wood Mirror
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Antique Napoleon III style gilt wood and gesso mirror, circa 1900.
Gold Leaf
Sold
H 75.99 in W 55.91 in D 2.96 in
19th Century Large Rectangular French Napoleon III Giltwood Mirror
Located in Miami, FL
Alluring French Napoleon III giltwood mirror with lovely carved frame and egg and dart trim. Having wonderful aged gilt finish, of desirable size and proportion, and with clean lines.
Giltwood
Napoleon III White Patinated Ornamented Mirror
Located in High Point, NC
Contrasting the usual opulence of the Second Empire style, this pared down white frame charms in spaces simple or ornate. From France, circa 1880. Finely crafted with traditional tec...
Mirror, Plaster, Hardwood
Grand 19th Century French Louis XIV Gilded Mirror
Located in Dallas, TX
Grand 19th century French Louis XIV gilded mirror was handcrafted during the Napoleon III period and stands over six feet tall, and will command an instant presence in any room! Boas...
Giltwood
19th Century Rectangular French Napoleon III Giltwood Mirror
Located in Miami, FL
Alluring French Napoleon III giltwood mirror with lovely carved frame and egg and dart trim. Having wonderful aged gilt finish, of desirab...
Giltwood
Sold
H 55 in W 33 in D 7 in
Large French Napoleon III Ebonized and Gilt Wall Mirror, Torch and Quiver Crest
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
Large French Napoleon III ebonized and gilt wall mirror, torch and quiver crest This is a very attractive piece, the mirror is ebonised with gilt decoration, in the centre at the ...
Mirror
19th Century Neoclassical French Napoleon III Period Gilded Mirror
Located in Dallas, TX
Impeccable 19th century antique neoclassical French gilded mirror boasts a crest motif as a cartouche centered on the top, with olive branches emanating from the crest. Handsome acan...
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century French Neoclassical Gilded Mirror with Dragons
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century French neoclassical gilded mirror with dragons features a resplendent level of detail all around the frame, but especially on the crown...
Mirror, Giltwood
Stunning Large Napoleon III French Cushion Mirror
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A stunning large Napoleon III French cushion mirror This is an exquisite piece and a very fine example of mirrors of this type, the centre gla...
Sold
H 49 in W 29.5 in D 5 in
19th Century Napoleon III Period Hand-Carved and Painted Louis XV Style Mirror
Located in Fayetteville, AR
Originally hung above a fireplace mantle, this mid-19th century Napoleon III period painted mirror features hand carving of Louis XV inspired motifs that include a scalloped shell an...
Mirror, Wood