BY JEAN-BAPTISTE BERNARD DEMAY, LATE 18TH CENTURY

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A LOUIS XVI MAHOGANY CHAISE A LA MONTGOLFIERE
BY JEAN-BAPTISTE BERNARD DEMAY, LATE 18TH CENTURY
The arched and chanelled back with balloon-shaped pierced splat centred by a circular medallion carved with the monogram 'LD', the circular padded seat covered in pink and cream-striped floral silk, on turned tapering stop-fluted legs headed by floral paterae and terminating in brass toupie feet, stamped 'J.B.D...' and with remains of paper label inscribed 'CETTE CHAISE A APPARTIENT MAR... FRANCOIS DELAISLE ...'
36½ in. (93 cm.) high

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Lot Essay

Jean-Baptiste Bernard Demay, maître in 1784.

The first public demonstration of a lighter-than-air machine took place on 4 June 1783, when the brothers Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier, sent up an unmanned hot-air balloon. It was a highly important event; jewelers, clockmakers and porcelain manufactories created pieces where such a balloon featured as main ornament. Two menuisiers decided to use the shape of the balloon to create fashionable chairs: Jean Baptiste Demay and Georges Jacob; and in 1784 the latter delivered to the château des Tuileries balloon-carved chairs destined for the apartements of Queen Marie-Antoinette. A pair of closely related chairs is in the musée Carnavalet in Paris (illustrated A. Foray-Carlier, Le Mobilier du Musée Carnavalet, Dijon, 2000, no. 75).

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