Empire Period Antique Chairs
The Empire period of furniture design is one of the most stunning and dramatic periods due to the discoveries and appreciation of the ancient Egyptian and Roman (and to a lesser extent Greek) designs. Patterns taken directly from ancient tombs begin to make an appearance in the new furniture of the day.
Some of the most beautiful examples of antique chairs come from the Empire period or more precisely the time of Napoleon I’s first French Empire of the early 1800s. The majority of influence on the French design stems from antiquities unearthed in Egypt. Napoleon had just conquered the North African country and was eager to showcase his war efforts by integrating the newly discovered designs in the artistic representations of furniture, painting, architecture and more. When the world sees an Empire period antique chair, with its strong back, symmetrical lines, dark wood, and proudly carved N – they see Egypt and the see the conqueror. At least that’s the premise.
Concerning the chairs, they are some of the most elegant yet strong pieces we can find over the last couple of hundred years. The Chairs were obviously very masculine and heavy in appearance. Starting from the bottom we find many ball and claw feet, very powerful symbols of domination. The refined cabriole leg of earlier periods becomes stronger, resembling more of a lion or griffin than the earlier feminen legs. Although the seats may have upholstery and light curves, the arms and backs tend mainly to be quite straight and stiff. Many pieces were decorated with what is known as ormolu which is roughly translated as soft gold. It was basically bronze gilt ornaments molded onto the knees and backs of the antique chairs. Symbolism can be found on many pieces incliding the Dolphin and Swan, ancathus leaf, the Roman Eagle (another Napoleonic conquest of the time) as well as bees and the previously mentioned letter N.
One final note on the Empire period. It is during this time that we see some of the old guilds coming to an end and the shops of real master craftsmen being replaced by factories. Industrialism is begining to take hold in Europe.