Footnotes

Provenance
Purchased Koller, Zurich, 16 September 1994, Collection Dino Fabbri, Paris, lot 583.

A related pair of Empire armchairs by Jacob-Desmalter sold Christie's, London, 7 July 2005, Important European Furniture, lot 449. These latter examples incorporate similar winged lions, albeit in the form of self-contained figural arm supports rather than the larger winged lion busts terminating in monopodiae as on the offered lot. However it is notable that the upwards scrolling element of the wing tips on all of these carved winged lions are certainly closely comparable.

Another fauteuil with this same self-contained figural winged lion arm support is the Imperial example made in 1804 by Jacob-Desmalter for Napoleon's Throne Room at the Palais de Tuileries, which sold Sotheby's, London, 7 July 2009, Important Furniture, lot 66.

The bold carving of the wings with their up-scrolled tips on the present chairs also recall the sphinx supports on a suite of seat furniture, which includes six fauteuils, supplied by Jacob-Desmalter for the Chambre à Coucher of Empress Joséphine in 1809. These are now located in the Chambre de la Reine des Belges at the Grand Trianon, which was redecorated by Louis-Philippe in 1845, D. Ledoux-Lebard, Le Grand Trianon, Paris, 1975, p. 186. This set is illustrated in P. Arizzoli-Clementel & J-P. Samoyault, Le Mobilier de Versailles, Chefs-D'Ouevre du XIXeme Siecle, 2009, Dijon, fig. 58, pp.'s 186-189.

Included among the four Imperial thrones made by the Jacob-Desmalter partnership, on behalf of Napoleon for various politically significant locations, is the one supplied to the Palais du Corps Legislatif in Paris (now the Assemblee Nationale). This particular throne chair, which is housed today at the Parisian Musee des Arts Decoratifs, was executed circa 1805 by Jacob-Desmalter following designs by Bernard Poyet. Its massive winged lion bust supports terminating in monopodiae are arguably closer in both spirit and proportions to those on the offered model than any of the previously referenced versions.

The three other thrones are located at Fontainebleu, the Palais des Tuileries and the Senate, inside Luxembourg Palace. However the throne provided by Jacob-Desmalter for the Senate employs again the distinctive up-scrolling to the wing tips of its sphinx supports which are evident on most of the former comparables, but is nonetheless a feature notably absent from the Corps Legislatif example.

'Jacob-Desmalter'
Georges Jacob (1739-1814), renowned cabinet maker active during the late 18th century, sold his business in 1796 to his two sons, who then renamed the firm Jacob Freres. The Jacob brothers, Georges II (1768-1803) and Francois-Honore-George, produced furniture directly inspired by Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquity following the fashionable Neoclassical taste of the period established by Charles Percier and Pierre Fontaine in their 1801 publication, Recueil des Decorations Interieures.

Francois-Honore-Georges, who added Desmalter to his family surname in 1803, provided over 330 pieces for Napoleon including most importantly the imperial throne in advance of Napoleon's coronation, which took place the following year. Throughout the reign of Napoleon (1804-15), Jacob-Desmalter was the predominant and favoured cabinet maker to the Imperial Garde-Meuble, responsible for supplying furnishings at Fontainebleau, Grand Trianon, Saint Cloud, Rambouillet and of course the Tuileries. In fact, it is noted in D. Ledoux-Lebard, Le Mobilier Francais du XIXeme Siecle, 1989, Paris, that between 1803 and 1813, the cost of works produced by Jacob-Desmalter for the Palais des Tuileries alone amounted to 541,765 Francs.

The stamp found on the present lot, 'JACOB.D.R.MESLEE', is one recorded as being used during the period 1803-1813 by the unique 'Jacob-Desmalter' combination of François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter and Georges Jacob, D. Ledoux-Lebard, Ibid, p.268.