French Pair Louis XV Style Carved Armchairs or Fauteuils à la Reine with Gilt Accents and New Upholstery

Set of six French Louis XV style fauteuils or armchairs, believed to date from the mid-20th century, with carved frames in a warm honey finish highlighted in gilt. Each chair has the classic Louis XV silhouette: an arched, serpentine back crowned by a carved cluster of flowers and leaves, open arms with padded manchettes curving down onto scrolled supports, and a shaped seat rail centered on a carved floral spray. Cabriole legs with leaf-carved knees end in neat scrolled feet, and fine gilt lines trace every molding so the frames catch the light. All six have been freshly upholstered in a textured ivory fabric with self piping, clean, neutral and ready to use.

The fauteuil à la reine, with its flat back and open arms, was perfected under Louis XV (1715-1774), when French chairmakers traded the stiff formality of the previous reign for curves, comfort and flowers carved from nature. The form has never gone out of fashion, and French workshops have made it for salons and dining rooms ever since. Finding a matched set of six armchairs is genuinely difficult, and that is the charm of this group.

Gather all six around a dining table for a room with real presence, split them into two conversation groups in a large living room, or set a pair by the fireplace and use the rest throughout the house. The ivory upholstery and soft gilt suit a classic French interior and a pared-back modern room equally well. From Avignon, France!

KEY FEATURES

• Style / Period: Louis XV style fauteuils à la reine, believed mid-20th century
• Wood / Materials: Believed to be beech, in a honey finish with gilt highlights on the moldings
• Construction: Carved floral crest rails, floral seat-rail cartouche and leaf-carved cabriole legs
• Pieces: Six matching armchairs
• Upholstery: Newly upholstered in textured ivory fabric with self piping and padded arm rests

DETAILS

• Country: France
• Condition: Very Good
• Year: Midcentury
• Dimensions: H 36.75” x H seat 17” x H arm 24.5” x W 27” x D 23”