ATTRIBUTED TO GEORGES JACOB OR JEAN-BAPTISTE DEMAY, LATE 18TH CENTURY

Details

A SET OF TEN LOUIS XVI MAHOGANY SEAT FURNITURE
ATTRIBUTED TO GEORGES JACOB OR JEAN-BAPTISTE DEMAY, LATE 18TH CENTURY
Comprising four armchairs and six side chairs, each with mongolfière-shaped open back and black leather seat
The armchairs: 36 ½ in. (93 cm.) high; 22 in. (56 cm.) wide; 19 ¾ in. (50 cm.) deep

Literature

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE:
P. Kjellberg, Les Ebénistes Français du XVIIIè Siècle, Paris, 1998, p. 425, fig. d.
A. Foray-Carlier, Le Mobilier du Musée Carnavalet, Dijon, 2000, no. 75.

Special notice

These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction. This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage and our fees for storage are set out in the table below - these will apply whether the lot remains with Christie’s or is removed elsewhere. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Christie’s Park Royal. All collections from Christie’s Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.

Brought to you by

Paul Gallois

pgallois@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2260

Lot Essay

The design of the present set of dining-chairs derives from the montgolfière or hot air balloon, launched by brothers Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier in 1783. Such a highly important event inspired jewellers, clockmakers and porcelain manufactories to craft pieces with the balloon featured as the main ornament. Two of the foremost menuisiers of the Louis XVI period, Jean-Baptiste Demay (maître in 1784) and Georges Jacob (maître in 1765), incorporated the novel Montgolfière creation into their latest chair models, Jacob having in 1784 delivered balloon-carved chairs for the appartements of Queen Marie-Antoinette at the château des Tuileries.

A fauteuil à la montgolfière by Demay was sold from the Wildenstein Collection, Christie's London, 14-15 December 2005, lot 179 (£26,400), while a pair of closely related chairs by the menuisier is in the Musée Carnavalet in Paris (illustrated A. Foray-Carlier, Le Mobilier du Musée Carnavalet, Dijon, 2000, no. 75). The design of the present set of chairs, however, relates more closely to an adapted version of the montgolfière model, which was also produced by Jacob and illustrated in P. Kjellberg, Les Ebénistes Français du XVIIIè Siècle, Paris, 1998, p. 425, fig. d.

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