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An extremely fine pair of Louis XV carved beechwood bergères à la Reine, each with a padded cartouche shaped back and sides, padded arm rests, serpentine seat and cushion covered in a floral patterned damask, the finely carved channelled frame with toprail centred by flowers and foliage, the straight elongated arm rests with scrolled terminals above shaped channelled supports and a shaped and channelled apron centred by flowers and foliage, on floral-headed cabriole legs terminating in acanthus-wrapped scroll feet
Paris, date circa 1750-55
Height 100 cm, width 78 cm, depth 76.5 cm. each.
Literature: Pierre Kjellberg, “Le Mobilier Français de XVIIIe Siècle”, 1989, pp. 165 and 607, illustrating very similar Louis XV bergères à la Reine by the Parisian menuisiers Louis Charles Carpentier (maître 1752 d. 1787) and Charles François Normand (maître 1747). Giacomo Wannenes, “Eighteenth Century French Furniture”, 2000, p. 155, illustrating a pair of very similar Louis XV bergères bearing the stamp of the Parisian menuisier Nicolas Heurtaut (1720-71; maître 1753).
The present bergères are of the finest quality and in addition to those made by the Parisian menuisiers share similarities with bergères and other seating by Pierre Nogaret (maître 1745). Nogaret worked in Lyon but only after first serving his apprenticeship in Paris. In keeping with the period, the chair frames are made from beechwood, which with walnut, was the main wood used for plain carved wooden framed seats until its popularity was replaced by mahogany during the reign of Louis XVI.
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