Pair Of 17th-century Venetian Armchairs

In the 17th century, chairs and highchairs began to be made from folders with some enrichments such as front legs and shaped or turned armrest supports.

The carving of the wood and folders became more vigorous with curls or scrolls and crumpled leaves.

These two marvellous armchairs, made of carved walnut wood, with a high rectangular back, rigid but slightly inclined, moved only at the top by a slight curvature, have two rails completely covered by the thin upholstery and are the extension of the rear legs, turned and worked in a sumptuous and powerful way with a wood carving in the middle that is really rigorous, but above all elegant repeated, in a more delicate way, also at the sides.

The two front legs are also joined by two overlapping crosspieces, also turned; all the legs have well-crafted feet like the armrests, while the seat band is completely covered by the upholstery fabric.

The structural and decorative characteristics of this piece of furniture denote the typical Venetian influence; this is evident in the sculptural exuberance mitigated by a greater moderation, typically Lombard, in the movement of the armrests, very harmonious and delicate, in the decoration of the crossbeams and in the shape of the backrest slightly inclined so as to confer dignity and importance to the seated person as well as the necessary comfort.

These two armchairs are definitely for representative salons, in fact their size and elegance express the courtly and imposing manner typical of the importance they were meant to confer on the family, quite unlike those less large and less proportionate armchairs we find for more intimate and family environments.

Measures: 137 x 90 x 60 cm