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The Empire Period Antique Chair
The Empire Antique Chair
Unlike some design periods, Empire is relatively easy to pin down as it relates to a specific series of expeditions and government changes. The expeditions would be Napoleon’s discoveries in Egypt and the government changes refer to Napoleon’s changing of the French Republic in to an Empire. But we are here to discuss chairs not governments.
The Empire antique chair would have been built around Napoleon’s First Empire 1804 – 1815. This very stylistic antique chair will contain one or more of a few typical images and design traits. Unlike previous French styles, an Empire antique chair would seem more masculine and have straighter lines and an overall heavier feel. When thinking Empire, think the Arc de Triomphe. Very straight lines with Egyptian motifs and some Roman influence as well as military images related to the Egyptian campaigns of the time. The woods tended to be on the darker, heavier side – often Mahogany. These are some of the common traits but perhaps unexpectedly there is a great variety among the chairs. We find straight backs, curved backs, turned legs, straight legs, with and without ormolu.
Some of the Motifs and Traits that will be found on an Empire antique chair include:
- The letter N – as in Napoleon
- Acanthus Leaf – (from ancient Greece and rome symbolizing enduring life)
- bees
- cornucopia (horn of plenty)
- The Roman Eagle
- Lyre
- paws for the feet
- Rosettes
As with much of Napoleon’s personal furniture the Swan (Empress Josephine’s favorite) and Dolphin make a few appearances and joining them on more than one antique chair are the more unusual sphinx and griffin.
Napoleon actually visited many French artists and craftsmen and encouraged them to spread the word of great French victories via their crafts. This is why we see the head of a sphinx adorning the armrest of a beautiful antique chair.
Many of the motifs I have seen are either bronze mounted or gilded, replacing the more refined carvings and inlays of previous periods. They often have an odd appearance as if the designer spontaneously decided that the piece needed a little more bling. Another note is that this period marks the decline of the golden age of French woodwork. The guilds dried up and factories began to make themselves known, all leading to the decline of appreciations of the real craftsmen.
Discovery Terms:
antique swan chairAntique Empire Chairempire tuoliempire chairsfrench swan empireTopics: Empire Period