Dalva Brothers Antiques, Antique Furniture, New York

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

Fine Régence à chassis gilded armchair carved with shell motifs and with hoofed feet. The chair is covered in period floral needlepoint depicting poppies and foliage. The original gilding, rare in a chair this early, is in remarkably good condition. (The back seat-rail is replaced and some gilding missing).

A very similar armchair frame, also with original gilding, though more distressed, and certainly from the same workshop, is in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The major difference is the carved back in the Museum’s example. It is said to be one of the earliest Régence armchairs and one of the earliest with à chassis upholstery. That chair figured in the 18^e, aux sources du design exhibition (# 11) held at Versailles from October 26, 2014 - February 22, 2015. A drawing for a very similar chair is in the collection of the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.