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M. Markley Antiques 281.748.2266

       


     
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Chairs - Item 9361 4
Renaissance
Dining Chairs

(scroll
down for additional photos)
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Item 9361
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4 Renaissance Dining Chairs
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Dimensions
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Width 18½, Height 37½, Depth
17 (in inches)
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Wood
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Walnut
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Date
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France
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Country
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Circa 1890
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Price
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$2,395
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Description
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These four Henri II style chairs date from the
late 19th century when intricately detailed carving and affection for Gothic
and Renaissance motifs, inspired by ancient architecture, were at their height
in France. The base is an H-shaped curved stretcher uniting the four legs,
distinctive for their three elaborate variations on the boule aplatie or
flattened bun shape. This shape is also
repeated in the vertical posts forming the sides of the back of each chair. Architectural origins are seen in the so-called
broken pediment atop the back of each chair as well as the fluted columns of
the side posts. The central decoration
of the back, S-shaped scrolls framing an intricately carved half-moon shape,
add the graceful elegance of curves to what is otherwise a rectilinear
design. The interlocking design or
entrelacs at the base of the posts and the seat also has its roots in the
Renaissance, in this case the decoration of Italian ceramics from Faenza (and
also seen in the Italian-inspired ceramics of Gien in France). The chairs have been reinforced for
stability and the cushions and springs have been replaced. They have been refinished and reupholstered
in a striking period design with red, navy, and green stripes in order to
enhance the overall look without distracting from the intricacy of the carving
and design. It is not clear why, but
the walnut backs of the chairs are not all of precisely the same hue,
particularly the central, scrolled sections.
We have attempted to show this in the photos, but we do not view it as a
detriment to the beauty and function of the set. |
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Reference
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Boussel, Patrice, Les Styles du Moyen Age à Louis XIV (Baschet et Cie, Paris, 1979); Quette,
Anne-Marie, Le Mobilier Français Louis XIII et Louis XIV (Editions Massin,
Paris, 1996); Rousseau, Francis, Le Grand Livre des Meubles (Copyright Studio,
Paris, 1999)
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Uses
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These chairs would work well as dining chairs in a formal
dining room or as side chairs in a library or study.
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