Lyre-Back Chair in Carved Wood Lacquered Grey, Louis XVI Period

The rectangular back with a moulded frame, underlined with a carved row of beads, is pierced with a lyre whose foliate body blossoms into acanthus scrolls around the strings figured by stems topped with finials. The moulded apron rests on four tapered, fluted and stop-fluted legs, connected by blocks with rosettes. The whole retains a pearl-grey lacquer with patinated heightening; the seat is upholstered in a saffron-yellow embossed velvet with motifs of flowered garlands, finished with a frieze of gilded nails.

The lyre back is one of the most sought-after models of the repertoire of the chair-makers of the reign of Louis XVI: it combines Neoclassical rigour — beads, fluting, tapered legs — and the grace of a musical motif inherited from Antiquity. This chair, of the period, offers a particularly delicate interpretation of it.

Condition report: Good general condition for a period seat. Old grey lacquer with wear and patina from use, sound structure; embossed velvet upholstery in fine presentation condition. A charming chair, as a single piece beside a dressing table, a secretary or a fireplace.