Oliver Cornish
Sale Coordinator for Furniture, Sculpture, Rugs & Tapestries
Lot 65TP
A set of four Empire ebonised and parcel gilt fauteuils by Francois-Honore-Georges Jacob and Georges Jacob (also known as Jacob Desmalter et Cie.) Circa 1810
3 December 2025, 13:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£2,500 - £3,500
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Thomas Moore
Head of Department
A set of four Empire ebonised and parcel gilt fauteuils by Francois-Honore-Georges Jacob and Georges Jacob (also known as Jacob Desmalter et Cie.)
Circa 1810
Each with a square back and scrolled dished toprail, flanked by anthemia mounted stiles, with lotus leaf clasped and channelled square section arms, on winged sphinx bust headed herm tapering square section front supports each capped by a brass mounted roundel, terminating in lion paw feet, with square splayed rear legs, re-decorated or re-ebonised, two armchairs stamped: 'JACOB. D.R. MESLEE', one armchair of slightly narrower proportions than the others, 58cm wide; seat depth: 52cm; approximately 89cm high. (4)
Each with a square back and scrolled dished toprail, flanked by anthemia mounted stiles, with lotus leaf clasped and channelled square section arms, on winged sphinx bust headed herm tapering square section front supports each capped by a brass mounted roundel, terminating in lion paw feet, with square splayed rear legs, re-decorated or re-ebonised, two armchairs stamped: 'JACOB. D.R. MESLEE', one armchair of slightly narrower proportions than the others, 58cm wide; seat depth: 52cm; approximately 89cm high. (4)
Footnotes
Comparables to the offered lot include; a pair of fauteuils also by Francois-Honore-Georges Jacob and Georges Jacob, each bearing the same stamp as on two of the present armchairs, sold Christie's, New York, 26 October 2001, Arts of France, lot 366; a set of similar, albeit ormolu mounted, seat furniture sold Christie's, New York, 26 November 2002, Roger Prigent's Malmaison, lot 120; and a single giltwood example, also with the identical stamp that appears on the above, sold Christie's, Paris, 17 June 2022, Hubert de Givenchy - Collectionneur: Hotel D'Orrouer I-II, lot 222.
Two of the current set of chairs have the same stamp that is recorded as being used by the firm of Jacob Desmalter et Cie. during the period, 1803-1813, D. Ledoux-Lebard, Le Mobilier Francais du XIXeme Siecle, 1795-1889, 1984, Paris, p. 268.
A further related model of fauteuil, albeit one of a marginally earlier date (c.1800) and executed by the previous iteration of Jacob freres, appears illustrated in Ibid, p. 316. Just as on the above, this open armchair has comparable Egyptian winged bust-headed square tapering herm front supports, although on the latter male Pharaoh figures are depicted rather than the female sphinx-like ones which surmount the offered examples.