Pair of Antique Louis XIV Style, Needlepoint-Upholstered Side Chairs

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This exquisite pair of antique French side chairs is executed in the majestic Louis XIV Style, blending grand Baroque structure … Read more This exquisite pair of antique French side chairs is executed in the majestic Louis XIV Style, blending grand Baroque structure with rich, almost abstract tapestry upholstery. Given their fine construction and state of preservation, they date to a late 19th-century or early 20th-century revival period when French high-style furniture experienced a monumental renaissance.

DESIGN: The front seat rail boasts a beautifully carved, centered scallop shell motif flanked by scrolled acanthus leaves. This classical symmetry is highly characteristic of the Sun King’s obsession with balance and opulence. The chairs rest on elegant, carved cabriole front legs decorated with beautiful foliate acanthus carvings along the knees. They terminate in small, sculpted hoof-style or scrolled feet typical of the late 17th-century court style.

Moving down the frame, the base of the chairs features a highly distinct, serpentine "Os de Mouton" (mutton bone) X-shape stretcher. The fluid, S-curves meet seamlessly at a central turned finial, a hallmark structural element that provides immense stability.

MATERIALS: The frames are carved from a premium, tight-grained European hardwood—most likely walnut or fine oak—which has aged into a rich, deep honey-brown patina. The seats and backs are upholstered in dense, hand-woven needlepoint tapestry. The weave utilizes a sophisticated, muted palette of sage greens, earthy terracotta reds, ochre yellows, and deep blues—colors that blend in beautifully with today’s interiors.

The backrests depict highly stylized pastoral or courtly figural scenes. Two figures dressed in historic garments are seated closely together on a grassy knoll, surrounded by an abundance of large-scale Baroque flora, swirling acanthus leaves, and dense foliage. The tapestry fabric is securely affixed directly to the wooden frame using closely spaced, patinated brass nailhead trim. This provides a clean, tailored border that outlines the shape of the seat and backrest. The reverse side of the backrests is finished in a contrasting, dark fabric.

USE TODAY: These side chairs are excellently sized for modern utility. While originally built for grand salons, their upright ergonomics and standard 18" seat height make them exceptionally well-suited as elegant accent or hall chairs flanking a console table, a doorway or window, or as host and hostess end chairs for a formal dining room.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Unframed dimensions: inches high x inches wide. See less