French Louis XVI Giltwood Five Piece Salon Parlor Set With Aubusson C. 1890s

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Description

Measures: Arm chairs measure 38 3/4" h x 25 5/8" w x 21" d. Seat height 16". Settee measures 41 … Read more Measures: Arm chairs measure 38 3/4" h x 25 5/8" w x 21" d. Seat height 16". Settee measures 41 1/2" h x 52 1/2" w x 23 1/2" d. Seat height 16".


There is a certain hush that falls around a proper French salon set — the kind that seems to remember candlelight, polished parquet floors, and the murmur of distant conversation. This late 19th century French Aubusson upholstered giltwood salon set carries that hush with it, as though it has been waiting patiently for another grand room to inhabit.

Comprising an elegant canapé and four matching fauteuil armchairs, this ensemble is a faithful celebration of Louis XVI–inspired neoclassical form as interpreted in the Belle Époque. The frames are finely carved giltwood, their oval backs crowned with delicate ribbon crests and bordered by precise beading. The legs are fluted and tapering, terminating in carved toupie feet — refined, balanced, and unmistakably French.

The gilt finish has mellowed with time into a warm, buttery gold. It is not brash. It glows. In the crevices of the carving, the gold deepens to shadow; along the high points, it catches the light with a soft sheen. Minor wear consistent with age — gentle rubbing at armrests, subtle thinning along edges — only confirms its authenticity and lends character rather than detracts.

The upholstery is where the set breathes poetry. Each chair back and the sofa crest rail are adorned in Aubusson tapestry, handwoven with pastoral vignettes and garlands of flowers. Children gather in quiet countryside scenes; a young shepherd leans thoughtfully on his staff; a girl carries blossoms; swans glide across a tranquil landscape on the seat panels. The palette is delicate — faded rose, muted sage, pale blue, soft cream — all harmonizing in that unmistakable Aubusson manner.

The tapestry shows age appropriate wear. There is gentle fading to the silk highlights, minor thinning in select high-contact areas, and light surface wear that speaks to decades of dignified use. The overall integrity remains strong; the imagery is intact and legible, and the fabric retains its charm and narrative clarity. The seats are firm and structurally sound, the frames solid and stable.

As a French giltwood Aubusson salon set from the late 19th century, this ensemble is both decorative art and functional seating. It commands presence in a formal living room, library, or grand entry hall. Placed beneath a chandelier or against paneled walls, it becomes the architectural heart of the space.

This is not merely furniture. It is atmosphere. It is gold leaf and woven story, wood shaped by careful hands and tapestry threaded with quiet romance. It carries with it the spirit of a French parlor — refined, intimate, and enduring — waiting once again for conversation to gather around it. Unfortunately due to age, there will be tears and wear and dry rot to the upholstery. See less