M. Markley Antiques
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Antique Chairs - Item 4111
Gothic Armchair

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Item 4111	Gothic Armchair
Dimensions	Width 25, Height 45, Depth 19 (in inches)
Wood	Oak
Country	France
Date	Circa 1900
Description	This solid oak, heavily carved chair is a tribute to Gothic design elements, including one of our favorite themes, the ermine tail (also known as the "ermine cross" or the "ermine spot" based on the animal's pure white coat and the black tip of its tail). Blazon of Brittany Cabinet 9452 Cabinet 3091  Symbolic of the Brittany region of France, the ermine tail is the predominant motif on this chair - both in the structure of the back and on the leather-embossed seat.  Particularly associated with the ermine tail in her personal heraldry is Claude de France (1499-1524), the daughter of King Louis XII and Anne de Bretagne (who also used the symbol), and the Loire Valley Chateau at  Blois where they all lived and where the ermine tail is preserved in much of the architectural decoration as a field or background for other symbols such as the salamander (symbol of François I) and the porcupine or porc-épic (symbol of Louis XII).  Because the crown of France could not pass to a woman when King Louis XII died without a male heir, the son of his cousin became King François I.  Claude was betrothed to the presumptive heir and produced the future King Henri II, the monarch for whom an entire 19th century style of French Gothic Revival and Renaissance Revival furniture is named. The overall structure of this chair is a basic armchair with the design of the back in open fenestrage or tracery.  The central panel, made up of five arches topped by quatrefoils is unique in that each of the arches, instead of being open, is filled with the intricately carved design of the ermine tail.  Above and below the panel is typical Gothic decoration including an openwork border (frise à jour) at the top and half-moon shapes enclosing spandrels. In keeping with many Breton pieces we have seen, the front of each arm of the chair has an intricately carved face, presumably a woman on the left and a man on the right, and may have commemorated a marriage.  Additional, smaller carved faces are at the top left and right of the back, instead of finials (in-laws, perhaps?).  While we would like to suggest that the larger faces are of François I and Claude de France and the smaller ones Louis XII and Anne de Bretagne, the lack of royal trappings makes it more likely that the chair is simply a bourgeois commemoration of a wedding in Brittany. The leather covering of the seat appears to be original, and while not flawless, including a tear, is worth preserving as is because of the design incorporating ermine tails around a central, diagonal sash with elaborate tooling of garlands and leaves.  Supporting the chair is a basic H-shaped stretcher with intricately carved legs.  In keeping with traditional French furniture design, the back of the chair is less elaborate, with the expectation it would be placed against a wall when not in use.
Reference	Charles, Corinne, Visions d'Intérieurs, du Meuble au Décor (Paris-Musées, Paris, 2003); Oliver, Lucile, Reconnaître les Styles Régionaux (Editions Massin, Paris, Undated); Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène, Le Mobilier Médiéval (Georges Bernage, editor) (Editions Heimdal, 2003)
Uses	This chair would work well as a head chair for a dining table, as an occasional chair in a living room or as the focus of attention in an entryway.