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Lot Essay
Armchairs of this type are usually referred to as chaize bras, chaire basse or chaire bas dossier in French sixteenth-century inventories for their low backs. These did not really appear until the second half of the Century while the ram's heads were a popular terminal for the arms, often supported on leaf-decorated scrolled supports.
An armchair with nearly identical back, arms and legs is in the Muse du Louvre (M. Jarry, Le Sige Franais, Fribourg, 1973, p. 36, fig. 23), while three chairs with similar legs, arm-supports and ram's heads are in the Frick Collection, New York (J. Focarino, ed., The Frick Collection, New York, 1992, V, pp. 173-183). Another with similar ram's heads and legs is in the Muse du Louvre (G. Janneau, Les Siges, Paris, 1967, p. 11, fig. 15) while similar arm-supports and legs are on a chair in the Muse des Arts dcoratifs (Janneau, op. cit., p. 17, fig. 24).
An armchair with nearly identical back, arms and legs is in the Muse du Louvre (M. Jarry, Le Sige Franais, Fribourg, 1973, p. 36, fig. 23), while three chairs with similar legs, arm-supports and ram's heads are in the Frick Collection, New York (J. Focarino, ed., The Frick Collection, New York, 1992, V, pp. 173-183). Another with similar ram's heads and legs is in the Muse du Louvre (G. Janneau, Les Siges, Paris, 1967, p. 11, fig. 15) while similar arm-supports and legs are on a chair in the Muse des Arts dcoratifs (Janneau, op. cit., p. 17, fig. 24).
