Offered by GSLR Antiques
Pair of lacquered wooden chairs, stamped of Jacob Frères Rue Meslée. They also bear the marks of the Palais des Tuileries with the inventory numbers 315 and 310, and the stencil marks of the Château de Bizy (B1634 and B514), with the monogram of Louis Philippe under the Royal crown.
The Jacob brothers are the sons of Georges Jacob, one of the greatest seat carpenters of the 18th century. The latter, after having trained them, left their workshop in 1796. Georges Jr and François-Honoré, who created the company Jacob Frères rue Meslée, manufacturing furniture and seats in the Directoire and Consulate style. Faced with their success, Georges interrupted his retirement to help his sons in providing the furniture for the imperial residences of Napoleon I. The Jacob dynasty continued its activity under the Empire and the Restoration as a supplier of Imperial and Royal furniture.
Our seats bear the stamp of Jacob Frères, used between 1796 and 1803. When settling in the Tuileries in 1800, the First Consul ordered the refurnishment of the former royal residences devastated by the Revolution. After having produced works of very sober taste, which were especially valuable for their character and purity of style, the Jacobs began to manufacture pieces more richly decorated with sculptures and bronzes. Our chairs are typical of the first category of these productions of the Maison Jacob Frères, simple and sober models for furnishing the secondary apartments of the Tuileries Palace. They were probably made around 1801, 1802 being marked with this Palais des Tuileries iron which is rarer than the TU or TH stamps that we usually know. Then they received their inventory numbers most probably under the Empire since they do not bear the arms of France from the Restoration inventories. Under Louis XVIII they must have been attributed to the Duke of Orléans house, future King Louis Philippe for his castle of Bizy. The Château de Bizy, which is now owned by the descendants of Marshal Suchet, was under the Restoration a private property of the Orléans family and then not descendants of the man who became King Louis Philippe. The property of the house of Orléans having been confiscated by Napoleon III, Bizy's furniture was put up for auction and sold by the State after 1848. It was at this time that our chair had to leave the castle.
Our chairs have a horsehair upholstery on straps, called knife blade, typical of these Empire models. They have been covered with duck blue velvet (Maison Lelièvre), which has been "struck" or "embossed" by the Bonvallet house (Laetitia motif in semé), we have had it enhanced with old gold braid, studded. Beautiful historical collector's item, our seats are interesting for their imperial and then royal historical provenance and bearing the stamp of the most legendary manufacturer of the Empire.
Our chairs are in excellent condition, no damage or lack. old use reinforcements below.
Back height: 90cm Seat height: 46cm Width: 47cm Depth: 41cm
