Mobilier De Salon, Suite De 4 Fauteuils Gondoles d'époque Consulat Par Jacob Frères

Empire salon furniture, comprising 4 solid mahogany and mahogany veneered gondola armchairs. Lion-shanked front legs surmounted by a winged swan bust, saber-shaped front legs. They are covered with beautiful Leopard velvet. Jacob Frères, Consulate period circa 1803-1805, not stamped.

The sculpture of these chairs is admirable for its quality and knowledge of feline anatomy. While the Directoire and Consulate eras brought Etruscan-style chairs with sheathed feet ending in lion's paws into fashion, the Jacob brothers stood out for the quality of their sculptures, which precisely reproduce the bone structure and musculature, and even the "pads" under the feet. The swan busts are equally precise in their beaks and wings. In our personal collection, we have a set of 11 pieces of salon furniture stamped Jacob Frères with beautiful lion shanks. When we took possession of this set, we realized that the sculpture is of even higher quality than our own salon. The attribution to Jacob Frères is therefore beyond doubt.

For this salon furniture, we sought an amateur finish worthy of their quality and opted for this beautiful leopard-print velvet, which evokes antique furniture, both the purist decorations of the Empire, such as the Empress's dining room at Compiègne, and the taste of Madeleine Castaing. A perfect blend of classic sophistication and modernity for a contemporary interior.

The Jacob brothers are the sons of Georges Jacob, one of the greatest chair carpenters of the 18th century. After training them, he left them his workshop in 1796. Georges fils and François-Honoré founded the Jacob Frères company on rue Meslée, producing furniture and seating in the Directoire and Consulat styles. In view of their success, Georges interrupted his retirement to help his son supply furniture for Napoleon I's imperial residences. The Jacob dynasty continued under the Empire and Restoration, supplying Imperial and Royal furniture.

When the First Consul moved to the Tuileries in 1800, he called on the same cabinetmakers to refurnish the former royal residences devastated by the Revolution. Having previously produced works of very restrained taste, valued above all for their character and purity of style, the Jacobs began to produce pieces more richly adorned with sculptures and bronzes, of which our seats are a good example.

NB: from the same set, we also have a pair of gondola chairs, currently in the final stages of restoration and soon to be completed.

A fine amateur ensemble, the gondola seats are very comfortable.
Our seats have been completely restored to new, disassembled, reassembled, pad varnished, upholstered in the old-fashioned way on straps, and covered with new leopard velvet (Osborne & Little).

Width 58cm
Depth 50cm
Seat height 42cm
Back height 83cm

Ref: WU6NEQ5P97