A Pretty Pair of French Rosewood & Pink Velvet Upholstered Tub Armchairs c.1890-1900

SOLD

Origin: French
Period: 3rd Republic
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1890-1900
Height: 34” or 13” at seats
Width: 29”
Depth: 22” (each & at extremities)

The attractively shaped pair of French tub armchairs being coil sprung and horsehair stuffed, both with good rosewood dwarf cabriole legs, each with scrolled arms and curved backs, in vintage dusty salmon pink velvet upholstery with braiding, now faded beautifully with age, the pair surviving from the last quarter of nineteenth century France.

The condition of the chairs is mainly good with no structural flaws to report. They are comfortable and stable. It is possible they once had castors, now having ring brass and white metal plated pad feet. The rosewood to each is in fine fettle with just a few minor scuffs as one would expect and a good overall colour. The pink velvet has some issues in terms of abrasion marks, primarily to the backs and a little to one or two other areas, we have steam cleaned them to minimize this but further work could be done; in any case we don’t feel this is overtly detrimental to the wholes.  There are two very small snags but no holes, rips or tears. Please see the photographs as a visual reference.

It is rather difficult to say when the fist tub chair came into use but they have certainly been around since the sixteenth century as they could be found at British and French royal courts who used them when holding court. As the name suggests the traditional tub chair got its name from the idea of a tub, but in the form of a chair. What defines a tub chair is the way the chair curves around you as you sit in it.

Very much of the moment, shimmering in a pink hazed allure.

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