Dalva Brothers Antiques, Antique Furniture, New York

French 18th century furniture, clocks, lighting, paintings, porcelain, sculpture and tapestries

Exceptionally rare Louis XVI solid mahogany low bergère. The unusual form of the chair is unique, with no other example known. It was designed never to be upholstered and was probably ordered to afford the owner a comfortable place to sit while his muddy boots were being removed after the Hunt without soiling precious fabrics. The bergère is attributed to Georges Jacob who made a small number of solid acajou chairs designed to be used without fabrics such as those for Marie-Antoinette’s Dairy at Rambouillet. The damp air in the dairy would have caused the fabrics to rot and mildew.

There are two anchor brands each with an “A” and a “4”, probably an inventory brand for one of the four chateaux beginning with the letter “A” which were owned by the duc de Penthièvre, the Grand Amiral de France. The most probable is a hunting lodge that is a dependency of the château d’Anet,  the Pavillon du Carré, (the Pavilion of the Square) which is located near Anet in the Dreux forest. There are also two single fleur de lis brands.

Illustrated: Le Style Louis XVI: Philippe Jullian; Baschet et Cie., Paris. Page 181, Nº 6.

                  France Antiquités Magazine: March, 2001. Page 15

For a more detailed description of this extraordinary piece, please go to the Essays page