Pair of Louis XIV Armchairs in Tooled Leather and Gilt Wood, Late 18th C.

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A pair of Italian tooled leather and gilt armchairs in the Baroque / Louis XIV style. mid to late 18th … Read more A pair of Italian tooled leather and gilt armchairs in the Baroque / Louis XIV style. mid to late 18th Century.

This particular armchair design, called "fauteuil à la reine", or Queen's armchair, was introduced by the end of the 16th Century, and became a popular design which continued to be made, with several modifications, until the 19th Century.

Borrowing from the Italian Baroque, the chairs of the early Louis XIV style had legs in a form called "en balustre", lavishly decorated with sculpted and often gilded ornaments called "cannelures" and "feuillages". The legs were connected for support by a horizontal stretcher. The upholstery was mostly leather or tapestry, with fabric on the back. These chairs are a very well preserved example.

The intricately tooled leather upholstery in these chairs is very well preserved, with wear signs very mild for its age. The back is yellow silk, possibly reupholstered at an unknown date. The giltwood frame is painted in gesso as a base, with a layer of red pigment and a final layer of gilt. The frames present signs of age and use, including old insect activity and small finish losses, but their structure and integrity are intact. See less