Directoire chairs are either constructed in mahogany, or in painted French wood: in the latter case it has carved camaieu decorations, as used in Pompeii. During the Revolution, seats were made with a curved back, whose top rail rolls over in a scroll. This slender top rail is sometimes complemented by another bar, to make it easier to move the chair. When it is flat, it contains an ornamental motif that represents two facing sphinxes, or a low, wide vase with handles: a sort of crater with a cover. The back of the Directoire chair comprises tracery of tall narrow lozenges containing a rosette, reminiscent of webbed backs, or the design of a tripod bearing a cassolette (incense burner). And the fauteuils inspired by the Louis XVI style are characterised by their baluster arm supports that are no longer directly mounted on the join cube that supports the seat rail, but on an additional element, which is the same height as the upholstery. The master cabinetmakers of this era were Georges Jacob and his sons, and Antoine Bruns
