Antique Napoleon III Needlepoint Tapestry Ladies Fireside Chair

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Antique Napoleon III, ebonized wood Ladies Fireside Chair with allegorical needle pointed and woven wool tapestry upholstery. This lovely, low-sitting … Read more Antique Napoleon III, ebonized wood Ladies Fireside Chair with allegorical needle pointed and woven wool tapestry upholstery. This lovely, low-sitting chair, originally made to accommodate seated ladies wearing full skirts of the period has nicely turned wood accents on the arm handles and bottom feet and a curved top seat back and rounded seat. The upholstery consists of pieces of fabric made of needle pointed and petit pointed fine wool on canvas backing. This upholstery finished off with a brass nail head trim. Colors are typical of older tapestries of the time - blues, reds, greens, pinks on a tan/brown ground. (It is possible that the fabrics used in this chair pre-date the chair itself as the style of the images are more like those of 15th-16th century tapestries.) The allegorical scene on the seat back appears to be the visitation of Mary by the angel Gabriel, an appropriate image for a lady's chair. The scene shows the figures in period attire surrounded by architectural accents of the period as well as foliage and flowers typical of European gardens of the time. A crown sits below the figures to harken to the coming of the "king". The seat is an extension of the scene with a center motif of a dove, also symbolizing the coming of Christ. The arms are upholstered in woven wool tapestry pieces in colors and foliage motifs that match the needle pointed back and seat and are also surrounded with brass nail head trim. The back and the bottom of the seat are covered in a newer black mesh fabric. This lovely chair measures 33.5" high at the back and is 23" wide and 20" deep. The arms stand 24.5" off the floor and the seat is 16" high to suit a comfortable position for lounging. A fabulous decorative accent chair! See less