Henredon Custom Giltwood Lion-Mask Curule Benches - Pair

Details

Description

An exceptionally uncommon pair of sculptural giltwood curule benches by Henredon, created with the substantial construction, richly layered ornament, and … Read more An exceptionally uncommon pair of sculptural giltwood curule benches by Henredon, created with the substantial construction, richly layered ornament, and polished theatricality associated with the finest American decorator furniture.

These are not ordinary X-base stools. Each bench is conceived almost as a piece of upholstered architecture: a continuous, deeply bowed saddle seat rises between dramatic scroll-ended standards, creating a throne-like silhouette with remarkable presence from every angle. The form is compact enough to place almost anywhere, yet visually strong enough to establish the character of an entire room.

The benches are extremely well made and reassuringly substantial. Robust wood frames, rigid crossed supports, full-width stretchers, carefully fitted upholstery, and richly modeled ornament create the sense of custom furniture built for an important interior. Every surface has been considered, including areas that would ordinarily receive little decoration.

Sweeping reeded supports cross beneath each seat, meeting at boldly modeled classical lion-mask bosses before extending into broad volute feet enriched with foliate flourishes. Continuous scrolling foliage travels across the raised end rails, while dark floral patera medallions punctuate the rolled terminals. The warm antiqued-gold finish settles into the recesses and rises across the sculptural details, emphasizing every mask, leaf, channel, and scroll.

Softly gathered ivory-champagne upholstery provides an elegant counterpoint to the architectural frames. The textile has a refined woven dot motif, subtle reflective quality, and coordinating self-welted borders that follow the complete curvature of each seat. The upholstery is integral to the design rather than applied as a conventional loose cushion, allowing the fabric to sweep continuously between the raised back and lower front rail.

The silhouette is rooted in the historic curule and Renaissance cross-frame chair, a form associated for centuries with authority, ceremony, and prestige. Henredon transformed that historic vocabulary into dramatic late-20th-century decorator seating, preserving the distinctive X-shaped profile while introducing a more generous, body-contoured upholstered seat.

Founded in North Carolina in 1945, Henredon became one of the most respected names in premium American furniture, recognized for substantial construction, carefully selected materials, sophisticated finishes, and historically informed design. This pair carries labels from The Henredon Upholstery Collection together with factory tags documenting manufacture by the Henredon Upholstery Division in High Point, North Carolina.

The order-specific factory paperwork and highly specialized design give the pair the character of custom decorator furniture. No exact example of this lion-mask sling-form model was located during extensive public catalog and marketplace research. The benches are therefore best understood as an exceptionally uncommon and seldom-seen Henredon design rather than a familiar production-line form.

As a matching pair, they offer extraordinary placement possibilities. Position them opposite a fireplace, facing one another across a cocktail table, at the foot of a bed, beneath a pair of windows, or on either side of a console or commode. They would also make memorable sculptural seating in a library, dressing room, grand entry, or collected guest room.

Their combination of antiqued gilding, lion masks, pale upholstery, and classical ornament is particularly compelling in an English country, Continental, Hollywood Regency, Palm Beach, grandmillennial, or traditional maximalist interior. They would be exceptional in a Ralph Lauren–inspired room layered with leather, dark wood, tartan, old portraits, antiquarian books, and collected objects.

The micro-details are what make this pair extraordinary: the deeply modeled lion masks, reeded curule supports, carved foliate rails, dark paterae, rolled terminals, volute feet, tailored welting, and nuanced antiqued finish. Together, these elements transform functional seating into a pair of small architectural statements.

The factory law label identifies the interior filling as 90% polyurethane foam and 10% polyester fiber and records order number 58445. The exterior upholstery’s exact fiber content and the benches’ formal Henredon model name remain unidentified.

Sold together as one matching pair.

FACTORY LABEL AND ATTRIBUTION DETAILS

Manufacturer: Henredon Upholstery Division of Henredon Furniture Industries, Inc.
Manufacturing location: High Point, North Carolina
Sewn label: The Henredon Upholstery Collection
Registration number: CA 4461 (NC)
Order number: 58445
DF code: 1614438
UPC: None
Additional visible codes: 59015, 08-18 and 99-6096-2
Interior filling: 90% polyurethane foam and 10% polyester fiber
Cleaning code: S

The factory codes are documented exactly as found but have not been used to claim an unsupported model number or manufacturing year.

KEYWORDS
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