Jacob Desmalter – Empire-style mahogany chair – stamped

Empire-style parlor chair in mahogany and mahogany veneer, featuring a straight, slightly curved backrest and baluster legs. Our chair is richly upholstered in gold-yellow and white silk with a rosette pattern on the seat and a palmette motif surrounded by a laurel wreath on the backrest (Maison Lelièvre). Late Empire period, early 19th century, 1810s. Stamped by Jacob Desmalter and Co. JACOB. D. R. MESLEE, used between 1803 and 1813. Below the waistband, a handwritten label from a château, illegible.

The Jacob dynasty is likely the most prestigious of French cabinetmakers and woodworkers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, having enjoyed immense success as a supplier, notably to the Imperial Furniture Depot (as well as to the Crown both before and after the Empire). Seats produced in the Jacob workshop are recognizable, in particular, by the very high quality of their craftsmanship, their consistently perfect proportions, and great originality in the creation of new forms and designs.

It is interesting, when analyzing the Jacobs’ production, to note that the chair models produced by this prestigious workshop are very often a combination of decorative motifs, leg shapes, armrests, and armrest-to-backrest connections found across various pieces of living room furniture, thus ensuring the client a unique model while allowing for productivity gains at the Jacob workshop, which employed up to 350 workers during the Empire.

A beautiful piece with generous proportions; the chair is comfortable thanks to its curved backrest. A sturdy model, perfectly suited for use as an office chair

In very good overall condition; the chair was reupholstered and covered anew with this beautiful, lustrous silk 10 years ago. The fabric is in very good condition, with no stains and only a few slight signs of wear. The original varnish on the mahogany has been cleaned and re-polished by our cabinetmaker.

Width: 47.5 cm
Height: 91.5 cm
Seat height: 46 cm

Ref: BSP7A7DT52