Gondola Slipper Chair in Walnut, Napoléon III Period, To Be Reupholstered

The gondola back, of a particularly successful enveloping curve, is girdled with a moulded walnut hoop that descends, flaring out, to form the armrests, joining the sinuous apron of the seat. The chair rests on two finely shaped cabriole legs at the front and sabre legs at the rear. The upholstery has been stripped to the burlap, revealing the sound structure and the original webbing — ready to receive the fabric of your choice.

The slipper chair, a low seat intended for sitting near the fire, is one of the emblematic seats of bourgeois comfort under Napoléon III: a low, deep seat, an enveloping back and dark wood compose a timeless silhouette, which decorators today like to redress in contemporary fabrics, washed linen, velvet or prints.

Condition report: Walnut structure sound and stable, with a fine patina; upholstery to be entirely redone, allowing total personalisation. Once reupholstered, this slipper chair will work wonders by the fireside, in a bedroom or as additional seating in a drawing room.