287 - ~ TWO RARE PAIR OF CURULE ARMCHAIRS

~ TWO RARE PAIR OF CURULE ARMCHAIRS Made of mahogany, with a rectangular backrest adorned with two small scroll-shaped consoles at the bottom, and armrests supported by cornucopias topped with balls. One is stamped “Jacob-Frères, rue Meslée,” and the other is attributed to the same maker. Directoire period, circa 1795. Height: 89 and 92 cm - Width: 64 and 66 cm - Depth: 45 and 47 cm (Minor visible imperfections, restorations). Swietenia mahagoni (II/B). Pre-Convention specimen. Provenance: – Le Fuel Collection and descendants. – Osenat Fontainebleau auction of May 6, 2021, lot no. 250. – Private collection. Bibliography: – Léon de Groër, *Les Arts décoratifs de 1790 à 1850*, Fribourg, Office du Livre, 1985, p. 23, fig. 30 (reproduction of one of these armchairs). – Denise Ledoux-Lebard, *Les Ébénistes du XIXe siècle, 1795–1889*, Paris, Les Éditions de l’Amateur, 1984, pp. 283, 331, and 369. Description: Made according to a design by Charles Percier (1764–1838), these armchairs are a remarkable example of the neoclassical style developed by Georges Jacob (1739–1814) toward the end of his career. This stylistic direction was continued by his sons, Georges II and François-Honoré-Georges Jacob, who operated under the business name Jacob Frères; their mark appears on one of these examples. Their work exemplifies the fruitful collaboration between the great architect-decorators of this period and the finest Parisian craftsmen, which gave rise to some of the most iconic furniture designs of the Consulate and the Empire periods. The uniqueness and quality of this model are attested to by several examples preserved in public and private collections, as well as by the numerous publications devoted to it. One of these armchairs is notably reproduced in Léon de Groër’s book, *Les Arts décoratifs de 1790 à 1850* (1985).