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Napoleon III Canapes

NAPOLEON III STYLE

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.

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Style: Napoleon III
Blackened Wood Napoleon the 3d Sofa
Blackened Wood Napoleon the 3d Sofa

Blackened Wood Napoleon the 3d Sofa

$6,044Sale Price|25% Off

Blackened Wood Napoleon the 3d Sofa

Located in Marcq-en-Barœul, Hauts-de-France

This very nice and unique sofa is made of blackened wood and fabric. It has a very nice shape. This canape must be re-upholstered (what we can arrange if you wish with fabric of your choice). This is a French work Napoleon the 3...

Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Fabric, Wood

French 19th Century Napoleon III Button-Back Salon Canapé or Settee
French 19th Century Napoleon III Button-Back Salon Canapé or Settee

French 19th Century Napoleon III Button-Back Salon Canapé or Settee

Located in London, GB

A French salon canapé dating from the Napoleon III period, with a curved, buttoned back and integrated arms, designed for comfort and balance within Second Empire interiors. The ful...

Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Textile, Upholstery, Wood, Hardwood, Beech, Softwood, Pine

Napoleon III Canapé with Braided Boudin Crest Rail, Ready for Upholstery
Napoleon III Canapé with Braided Boudin Crest Rail, Ready for Upholstery

Napoleon III Canapé with Braided Boudin Crest Rail, Ready for Upholstery

Located in London, GB

A delightful mid-19th century French canapé, dating to the Napoléon III period, circa 1830, showcasing the epitome of Napoleon III decorative vocabulary. The form is defined by its...

Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Calico, Beech, Upholstery, Cotton, Burlap

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French Louis XV Style Settee or Canape with Floral Upholstery in Red & White
French Louis XV Style Settee or Canape with Floral Upholstery in Red & White

French Louis XV Style Settee or Canape with Floral Upholstery in Red & White

Located in Plainview, NY

A lovely French Provincial Louis XV style settee or canapé recently upholstered in a gorgeous floral red and white fabric with 4 matching pillows two square and two tufted round pill...

Category

20th Century French Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Antique French Directoire Style Settee ~ Canape
Antique French Directoire Style Settee ~ Canape

Antique French Directoire Style Settee ~ Canape

$2,590Sale Price|30% Off

H 27.5 in W 57 in D 23.5 in

Antique French Directoire Style Settee ~ Canape

Located in Dallas, TX

Antique French Directoire style Settee ~ Canape is ideal for a light and airy look, with a minimal footprint for more cozy seating arran...

Category

Mid-20th Century French Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Fabric, Sycamore

The 'Verneuil' Mohair Sofa by Design Frères
The 'Verneuil' Mohair Sofa by Design Frères

The 'Verneuil' Mohair Sofa by Design Frères

$14,000 / item

H 31 in W 83 in D 35 in

The 'Verneuil' Mohair Sofa by Design Frères

By Jean-Michel Frank

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The 'Verneuil' sofa is the latest addition to our exclusive Design Frères line. inspired by Jean-Michel Frank's timeless Art Deco aesthetic, it is built to the highest standards of c...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Steel

Vienna Secession Canape No. 6214 by Otto Wagner for Thonet, 1904
Vienna Secession Canape No. 6214 by Otto Wagner for Thonet, 1904

Vienna Secession Canape No. 6214 by Otto Wagner for Thonet, 1904

By Otto Wagner, Thonet

Located in Beograd, RS

In this listing you will find an elegant and rare bentwood canapé, model no. 6214, designed Otto Wagner and produced by Thonet in the early 20th century. This refined settee exemplif...

Category

Early 1900s Austrian Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Fabric, Bentwood

Biedermeier Canape
Biedermeier Canape

Biedermeier Canape

$6,800

H 35.5 in W 69 in D 29 in

Biedermeier Canape

Located in Hudson, NY

An Austrian Biedermeier style small pedestal sofa in fruitwood represents the high point in this design form. Amazing in its day the style is sleek and dramatic and still is to this ...

Category

1940s Austrian Vintage Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Wood

Early 20th-C. French Louis XV Style Painted Canapé Settee Or Sofa In Velvet
Early 20th-C. French Louis XV Style Painted Canapé Settee Or Sofa In Velvet

Early 20th-C. French Louis XV Style Painted Canapé Settee Or Sofa In Velvet

Located in Kennesaw, GA

This is an early French carved and painted fruitwood canapé in vintage velvet. The frame has peg construction. There is wear throughout the piece that does not detract from its beaut...

Category

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Velvet, Fruitwood

Stylized Walnut Sofa from the Early 20th Century with New Upholstery
Stylized Walnut Sofa from the Early 20th Century with New Upholstery

Stylized Walnut Sofa from the Early 20th Century with New Upholstery

$1,506Sale Price|20% Off

H 31.7 in W 73.63 in D 25.2 in

Stylized Walnut Sofa from the Early 20th Century with New Upholstery

Located in Opole, PL

Stylized Walnut Sofa from the Early 20th Century with New Upholstery We present you a two-person walnut sofa that resembles Biedermeier furniture...

Category

Early 20th Century European Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Art Deco Sofa
Art Deco Sofa

Art Deco Sofa

$11,500 / item

H 34.5 in W 99.75 in D 42.75 in

Art Deco Sofa

Located in Westwood, NJ

An Elegant Art Deco Kidney Sofa. With an iconic kidney shape, this sumptuous sofa offers enveloping comfort in a warm caramel-colored velvet. Its gracefully flowing form features a smooth back and bowed bench seat, with French seams for a distinctive accent. Bronze sabre-style legs elevate its curved wood base, finished in Duty Silver for a touch of luxe. Toss pillows...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Asian Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Fabric

Canapé Christian Liaigre
Canapé Christian Liaigre

Canapé Christian Liaigre

$6,684

H 29.53 in W 59.06 in D 34.26 in

Canapé Christian Liaigre

By Christian Liaigre

Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR

Ce canapé, emblématique du style de Christian Liaigre, incarne un luxe discret où la pureté des lignes prime sur l'ornement. Sa silhouette minimaliste se distingue par une assise et ...

Category

Late 20th Century French Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Louis XVI Style Canapé Upholstered with Aubusson Tapestry, circa 1880
Louis XVI Style Canapé Upholstered with Aubusson Tapestry, circa 1880

Louis XVI Style Canapé Upholstered with Aubusson Tapestry, circa 1880

By Aubusson Manufacture

Located in Brighton, West Sussex

A Louis XVI style Canapé, upholstered with Aubusson tapestry depicting a scene from Aesop’s Fables. French, circa 1880. The small town of Aubusson, on the River Creuse in France, had a long history of producing elaborate and costly tapestries. They were known for their elegance and delicate colouring and often depicted romantic pastoral scenes derived from artists such as Boucher; historic scenes, inspired by classical mythology; or more formalized architectural vistas. Aubusson was particularly noted for its finely balanced compositions of garlands and bouquets which became famous and sought after throughout Europe. Aesop was by tradition a labourer who was a contemporary of Croesus and Peisistratus in the mid-sixth century BC in Ancient Greece. The various collections that go under the rubric "Aesop's Fables" are still taught as moral lessons and for centuries have been influential subject matter for artistic endeavour. The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf: In a village was a young boy who had a job watching the village's sheep. Two times he called out, "Wolf! Wolf!" Each time the villagers came running to help the boy. And both times the boy just laughed at the villagers and called them names. But then the wolf really did come and start eating the sheep. The boy called, "Wolf! Wolf!" but the villagers just ignored his calls. They thought he was just trying to trick them again. The wolf took his time and had a huge meal of the entire flock of sheep. The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Once upon a time there was a wolf who decided to disguise himself so he could get some food without working too hard. He took a sheep's skin and hung it over his body. Then he went into the sheep pasture and pretended to graze with the sheep. He fooled everyone. Even the shepherd didn't realize she had a wolf grazing with her sheep. Soon the shepherd moved the sheep into the barn and the wolf went with them. The barn door was closed and locked and the wolf was just about ready to have a nice meal when the shepherd came back. She decided she wanted some food for her meal. She grabbed the wolf who was still disguised as a sheep and killed him for her meal. The Wolf and the Crane: One day a wolf had a bone stuck in his throat. He called to a crane and hired him for a large sum of money to put her head in his mouth and remove the bone. The crane did as she was hired to do and got the bone out and then asked to be paid. The wolf just grinned and said, "Ha! You've already been paid. I let you take your head safely out of my mouth when I could have crushed you with my powerful jaws”. The Wolf and a Mountain Goat: One day a wolf looked up and saw a mountain goat eating on a ledge high up on the side of a steep mountain. The wolf called out to the goat, "You should come down here to eat, you might fall if you stay up there. And the grass is very tender down here." But the mountain goat was too smart for the wolf and called back, "I don't think you are worried about my dinner. You are just looking for your own food!" The Wolf and the Lamb...

Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Tapestry, Giltwood

Previously Available Items
Napoleon III Sofa Corbeille grey oak washed oak France
Napoleon III Sofa Corbeille grey oak washed oak France

Napoleon III Sofa Corbeille grey oak washed oak France

Sold

H 37.41 in W 57.88 in D 21.66 in

Napoleon III Sofa Corbeille grey oak washed oak France

By Napoléon III

Located in Valladolid, ES

Amazing and Unique French Corbeille Sofa The Corbeille sofa is a two-seater sofa with a curved profile. It curves slightly inward, almost closing off ...

Category

1990s French Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Fabric, Velvet, Wood, Oak

Napoleon III Sofa Corbeille grey oak washed oak France
Napoleon III Sofa Corbeille grey oak washed oak France

Napoleon III Sofa Corbeille grey oak washed oak France

Sold

H 37.41 in W 57.88 in D 21.66 in

Napoleon III Sofa Corbeille grey oak washed oak France

By Napoléon III

Located in Valladolid, ES

Amazing and Unique French Corbeille Sofa The Corbeille sofa is a two-seater sofa with a curved profile. It curves slightly inward, almost closing off ...

Category

1990s French Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Fabric, Velvet, Wood, Oak

Napoleon III Period 19th Century Méridienne.
Napoleon III Period 19th Century Méridienne.

Napoleon III Period 19th Century Méridienne.

Sold

H 31.5 in W 86.62 in D 27.96 in

Napoleon III Period 19th Century Méridienne.

Located in Saint-Ouen, FR

Napoleon III period 19th century méridienne. 19th century Napoleon III period pedestal table. H: 80cm, W: 220cm, D: 71cm

Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Fabric, Wood

19th Century French Louis XV Giltwood Canape or Sofa
19th Century French Louis XV Giltwood Canape or Sofa

19th Century French Louis XV Giltwood Canape or Sofa

Located in Dallas, TX

19th Century French Louis XV giltwood canape or sofa displays the grandeur and opulence of the Rococo style during one of its revivals of the Napoleon III era. The gracious, naturali...

Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Silk, Giltwood

19th French Walnut Armchair  White and Black Fabric  Armchair Loveseat
19th French Walnut Armchair  White and Black Fabric  Armchair Loveseat

19th French Walnut Armchair White and Black Fabric Armchair Loveseat

Located in Valladolid, ES

Stunning Napoleon III French canapé in walnut wood and newly upholstered with "Cole & Son" Fabric, new collection 2020, in a amazing black and white Art Deco motif giving a timeless ...

Category

1880s French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Beautiful Napoléon III Period Circular Couch, France, Circa 1860
Beautiful Napoléon III Period Circular Couch, France, Circa 1860

Beautiful Napoléon III Period Circular Couch, France, Circa 1860

Located in PARIS, FR

Beautiful circular couch, completely covered with a “red opera” silk velvet. It consists of three benches attached to a central shaft. Based on gilt wood fluted legs.

Category

1860s French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Velvet, Wood

Pair of 19th Century Napoleon III Settees
Pair of 19th Century Napoleon III Settees

Pair of 19th Century Napoleon III Settees

Sold

H 36 in W 79 in D 27.5 in

Pair of 19th Century Napoleon III Settees

Located in New Orleans, LA

Pair of painted and gilded Empire French canapés.

Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Napoleon III Painted and Gilded Canapé
Napoleon III Painted and Gilded Canapé

Napoleon III Painted and Gilded Canapé

Sold

H 38.5 in W 77 in D 21 in

Napoleon III Painted and Gilded Canapé

Located in New Orleans, LA

Pair of painted and gilded 19th century canapés. Can be sold individually-$3800.  

Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Napoleon III Canape Sofa
Napoleon III Canape Sofa

Napoleon III Canape Sofa

Sold

H 37 in W 70 in D 26 in

Napoleon III Canape Sofa

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

France, circa 1870. French Canape sofa on small sliding wheels refurbished and upholstered with antique French grain burlap striped linen and the back is upholstered in another more raw looking burlap. Two antique burlap...

Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Burlap, Wood

Second Empire Recamier, France, circa 1850
Second Empire Recamier, France, circa 1850

Second Empire Recamier, France, circa 1850

Sold

H 39 in W 71 in D 23.5 in

Second Empire Recamier, France, circa 1850

Located in INTERLAKEN, NY

Second Empire fainting couch, circa 1850 de-acquisitioned from Svaneholms castles inventory in 1936. Svaneholms castle is located near Lund in the Provence of Skåne (southern) Sweden...

Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Materials

Mahogany

Antique French Napoleon III Period Canape
Antique French Napoleon III Period Canape

Antique French Napoleon III Period Canape

Sold

H 36 in W 78.5 in D 26 in

Antique French Napoleon III Period Canape

Located in Dallas, TX

The artisans who created this Antique French sofa, or canapé, during the waning years of the reign of Napoleon III showed the court's obvious leanings towards Victorian tastes, with...

Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Canapes

Napoleon Iii canapes for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III canapes for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 19th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage canapes created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III canapes made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Austria pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original canapes, popular names associated with this style include and J.&J. Khon. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for canapes differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,984 and tops out at $9,750 while the average work can sell for $6,307.