Directoire Mahogany Architect’s Table Attributed to Jacob Frères

A Directoire Mahogany Bergère Attributed to Georges Jacob, its curved back and padded armrests with finely carved baluster-shaped supports raised on turned front legs and sabre back legs. With a spurious Jacob stamp to back rail. The term "Directoire" refers to a historical period following the French Revolution (1789) and preceding the First Empire when Napoleon reigned, but also to a style of furniture and decoration covering a longer period from 1789 to 1804. It is characterized by the production of furniture with simplified forms and ornaments, inspired by antique decorations. The profound social and political upheavals that marked this period had a direct impact on the production of Directoire furniture. The stripping down of furniture pieces, which had begun in the 1780s under the influence of Greek art, was accentuated during this period. The abolition of guilds by the revolutionaries also forced manufacturers in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine to simplify shapes and materials. Elegant and graceful, the furniture is generally small-scale. They retain the Louis XVI structure. The Directoire style adopts clean shapes, straight lines, simple curves, flat surfaces and right angles. Lines accentuate geometric shapes inspired by Antiquity. A typical trait is the pronounced rolled-over back, similar to a scroll illustrated in our bergere, evocative of the klismos chair. Only the more luxurious pieces of furniture use mahogany, an exotic and expensive wood. Despite his humble origins, Georges Jacob rose to become one of the most renowned menuisiers of his day. Unlike many artisans who joined their fathers or brothers in the middle-class family trade of furniture making, Jacob was from a peasant family and moved to Paris at sixteen to begin his career. He apprenticed in a joinery workshop and eventually became a master in 1765. He developed a reputation for producing inventive designs for chairs, beds, and screens carved with such motifs as twisted ribbons, guilloches, beading, and fluting. Jacob's reputation grew quickly, eventually spreading outside France; the future King George IV of England, Gustavus III of Sweden, and several German princes...

The rectangular cocuswood cross-banded satine top above a central frieze drawer flanked to either side with three further drawers around a recess on foliate-carved cabriole legs with...

Each upholstered backrest with backscrolled top rail above an upholstered seat flanked by arm rests, raised on ring-turned legs; each stamped JACOB FRERES / RUE MESLEE on back rail, three with old inked inscription M Julien...

The hinged fall front opening to reveal a fitted interior with drawers above a slide enclosing a concealed well with two drawers, raised on cabriole legs headed by scrolling chutes r...

Mahogany table with ebony accents and inlaid brass. Top is hinged with wooden supports to elevate writing surface into standing position. Interior storage includes one drawer on the ...

Period Georgian architect's table or desk --Metamorphic --Cuban mahogany --Writing surfaces and racheted book supports --A very well construction ver...

Late 18th Century Mahogany Veneered Architect's Table, Stamped France, 1790-1800 A late 18th century Directoire mahogany architect's table also called as table Tronchin...

A rare George II mahogany architect's desk/chest, circa 1750. The desk/ top slides forward, thus allowing the sitter to work, the top having a drafting table that has an easel support to place the top at three different heights, the highest being 47" floor to top. The chest having a plan drawer which is flanked by two pen drawers...