Swedish Gustavian Polychrome Sofa With Sphinx Masques, Early 19th Century

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Gustavian Polychrome Box Sofa or Settee. This sofa is generously proportioned and features architectural, rectilinear silhouette characteristic of Swedish furniture. … Read more Gustavian Polychrome Box Sofa or Settee. This sofa is generously proportioned and features architectural, rectilinear silhouette characteristic of Swedish furniture. The painted wood frame retains a wonderfully aged pale cream polychrome surface accented with contrasting dark green-black details. The fronts of the upright arms are decorated with carved Egyptian-inspired sphinx masques. Below, the long paneled front apron is centered by an applied carved fruit-and-flower basket motif, while a repeating a decorative border that runs horizontally along the lower edge. The deep-box from seat is upholstered in a muted patterned dark green Fortuny textile and accompanied by a long cylindrical bolster upholstered in moss-green velvet with decorative Fortuny fabric bands. Sofa is raised on four carved legs that terminate on paw feet.
With its 79 inch width, this sofa has enough presence to function as a major statement piece while remaining visually lighter than many fully upholstered sofas. This sofa would work well in a library or large entry hall or living area. This unique sofa combines the quiet elegance associated with Gustavian design with the more exotic Egyptian-inspired vocabulary of the early Empire period. See less