Grand bookcase from France in the Empire style. This piece is made of Cuban flamed mahogany and solid oak as a secondary wood. There are four doors that open to interior wood shelving. The two side doors are wood, while the two central doors are clear glass. The glass doors are framed with brass. All have working locks and keys. Finely cast bronze detailing in the shape of stylized acanthus leaves decorate the tops of each column and centered on the top of the bookcase. Each column also features a bronze lion paw at the bottom. The bookcase is supported by bun feet. This large bookcase is in excellent antique condition – the photos accurately depict the condition.

After many years of political instability, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor of France in 1804 and began the Empire period. As the Empire period began, the economy was booming and there was a strong desire for fine furniture and decoration from the new bourgeois aristocracy. The Empire style drew most of its inspiration from the Classical world, especially the Roman Empire and often incorporated large architectural elements such as columns and pilasters. Ancient Egypt also started to be an influence after a French military campaign there awakened new fascination for this civilization. The characteristic furniture types were imposing: their flat surfaces and sharp corners, together with their lack of moldings, produced an effect of grandeur that was not without beauty. Antique forms and ornament, already seen in the Louis XVI style, blended with Napoleon’s imperial symbols for a strong impression.