Royal armchair by Jacob at the Chateau d'Eu Empire period Restoration stamp & inventory number

Empire living room armchair in mahogany and mahogany veneer. Model with straight back, armrest with palm leaves and baluster legs. Our armchair is richly covered in green and tobacco yellow silk decorated with large rosettes and stars (Tassinari and Chatel). It is enhanced with old braids (in gold thread?). End of the Empire period, beginning of the 19th century, 1810s. IACOB stamp of Georges-Alphonse Jacob known as Jacob-Desmalter, used between 1813 and 1825. Our headquarters bears the inventory number 526 stencilled and a paper label " Château d'Eu, ground floor, new aide-de-camp lounge, 1 armchair.

The Château d'Eu in Normandy is a private residence of King Louis Philippe, for summer stays. In the Orléans family since the 17th century, Louis Philippe, then Duke of Orléans, inherited it in 1821 and then launched major restoration work to give it its current configuration. Our furniture, intended for camp aides, in the new wing on the ground floor, is probably the furnishing of a main apartment and not secondary apartments under the roof.

We would like to thank the Château d'Eu for confirming the origin of this seat, in this case a living room which was destroyed during the castle's restoration project in the 1870s.

François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter (1770-1841) was the most fashionable cabinetmaker and seat carpenter between 1796 and 1825. He was the son of Georges Jacob, the most talented seat carpenter of the Ancien Régime with Senna. Trained by his father, he joined forces in 1796 with his brother Georges II to create Jacob Frères rue Meslée and supply the imperial family. The two brothers created the Empire style by sculpting in wood the models imagined by the painter Jacques Louis David and the architects Percier and Fontaine. After the death of Georges Jacob fils in 1803, François Honoré continued his activity under the brand Jacob Desmalter rue Meslée.
The firm supplies the Imperial family and notables of the Empire but remains, due to its size (300 workers), very dependent on official orders.
Jacob went bankrupt in 1813 and François Honoré Jacob resurrected it, this time using his father's stamp, erasing the G in Georges to leave only the .IACOB. His activity extended until 1825 when he handed over to his son Georges Alphonse.

Our armchair therefore dates from the period 1813 – 1825. It is interesting to understand the Jacob dynasty and the coherence of their production. The seat models that left the workshops are a combination of decorative elements found on several models. ours are still very Empire and may date from before 1821, or even from 1813.

Beautiful royal provenance for this collectible seat.

Ref: KHW1OQOONA