An elegant bed in mahogany from the restoration period, circa 1820. The rigid, Empire form seems to have been softened to meet the tastes of the Bourbon restoration. The cubic feet have nevertheless remained from the previous style, but the theme of the gilded bronze ornamentation is typical of the post-napoleonic aesthetic (Neoclassical but devoid of military motifs, for instance).

Thus, this bed demonstrates how makers adapted the empire style, adding curves and eliminating right angles, in their search for something new. The Restoration style can be understood as the union of the Ancien Régime’s graceful Louis XVI style and Napoleonic Empire’s monolithic mahogany furniture.