Jacob Desmalter: pair of Empire period mahogany chairs, horsehair - stamped

Pair of mahogany and mahogany veneer chairs. Still very much inspired by the Directoire and Consulate periods, they stand on spindle legs at the front and Etruscan saber legs at the back. The scrolled back is adorned with a carved openwork palmette. Our chairs are richly upholstered in black horsehair. Late Consulate or early Empire period, circa 1803-1805.

One of the two chairs is stamped Jacob Desmalter et Cie JACOB. D. R. MESLEE, used between 1803 and 1813.

The Jacob dynasty was probably the most prestigious of the French cabinetmakers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with immense success as suppliers to the Garde-Meuble Impérial (as well as to the Crown before and after the Empire). The chairs produced by Jacob's workshop are characterized by their high quality of execution, consistently perfect proportions and originality in the creation of new shapes and models. It is interesting to note, when analyzing the Jacobs' production, that the chair models produced by this prestigious workshop are very often a combination of decorative motifs, leg shapes, armrests and belt-back armrest connections that can be found from one piece of salon furniture to another, ensuring a unique model for the client, while at the same time increasing productivity at the Jacobs' workshop, which hired up to 350 workers during the Empire.

A fine model, collector's and amateur's item, in very good condition. The horsehair cover, in good used condition, is a real plus. Woven by hand on handlooms, this luxury fabric is now produced by only one company in France and the rest of the world. The pad varnish has been cleaned and repolished by our cabinetmaker.

Width : 45cm
Height: 91cm
Depth: 52cm
Seat height : 43cm

Ref: ZACXPWUCSQ