Ex-Nancy Lancaster 19th Century Painted Bergere Armchair

An extremely rare and elegant cream and green painted armchair of George III period, attributable to the renown firm of Gillows of Lancaster and London. English, circa 1805–10. Truly...

A very elegant and rare 19th century Adam style armchair or desk chair of very generous proportions, newly recovered in splendid Italian archival silk and linen damask, exquisitely f...

A superb quality pair of open armchairs, after late 18th century designs by Gillows of Lancaster and London, the manufacture attributable to Gillow & Co. English, circa 1880. Why we like them Wonderfully elegant model, looking very delicate but in fact unusually strong – the sign of a skilled craftsman. Interestingly, chairs of this exact model can be seen in a painting by Walter Dendy Sadler (British, 1854-1923), The After Lunch Conversation, 1889, sold at Doyle, New York, 21 May 2024, lot 83. Design These chairs correspond to Gillows’ 'Garforth pattern' - a rare and highly desirable design - which first appeared in 1795 and was probably an adaptation of Georges Jacob's design of circa 1792 for Marie-Antoinette's dairy at Rambouillet. Gillows made the chairs not only in mahogany but also japanned, and they appear to have been particularly popular among the genteel, professional, and merchant classes in the north of England. In 1796, the Earl of Strafford purchased six white and green japanned chairs for Wentworth Woodhouse...

A very rare 'curule' settee, late 19th century after a design by Jean-Joseph Chapuis. Provenance: Madeleine Castaing, Maison de Lèves, Chartres, France. Why we like it Besides the iconic provenance, this bench is a great example of the 19th century design, informed by classical antiquity. Decorated in the exotic 'Etruscan' style to simulate patinated bronze, with its dramatically exaggerated curves, evoking the ancient Roman 'sella curulis' - a symbol of magisterial power, this settee is truly a special example of its kind. A squab cushion covered in a fabric complimenting other textiles in the existing interior will complete the look of this super-stylish bench. Provenance – Madeleine Castaing Together with a pair of armchairs en-suite (sold by us in may 2022), this settee was photographed in the vestibule at Maison de Lèves near Chartres - country house of the iconic French interior designer and antiques dealer Madeleine Castaing (1894–1992). Madeleine married the heir and art critic Marcellin Castaing – the legendary love of her life – who in the 1920's acquired a neoclassical gentilhommière at Lèves, that she had been admiring since her days in a convent school nearby, for her to "unwind" as he explained. The house would become one of her masterpieces as she discovered her own vocation for interior design. Extant photographs reveal a number of changes that had been made to the interiors over time. The writer Maurice Sachs once wrote about Madeleine's passion for her home: “The constant transformations she made to the estate kept her as busy as the world can keep a socialite…”. The contents of Maison de Lèves as well as Castaing's Rue Jacob...

Magnificent 19th century French armchair.

Italian or French in the Louis XVI style. Originally carved dark wood in later deep gray paint overall. The square backs with ribbon and beaded crest rails and wide carved lyres deco...

Large Victorian or early Edwardian solid mahogany open armchair of superb quality. This sturdy substantial chair has an unusual cresting rail with curving horns over a lovely shaped ...

This reclining armchair presumably was initialy designed for the Italian military, perhaps the navy. It would have been custom made for the barber on board to seat its clients. Beautifully cast it has great curves and proportions. The wide spread legs...