Set of seven Directoire period chairs by Jacques-Laurent Cosson

Exceptional set of seven Directoire period chairs, from the Tuileries Palace and the Château de Compiègne.

Signed by Jacques-Laurent COSSON, Master Craftsman, on September 4, 1765.

Dimensions: H 35.5 inches x W 17.7 inches x D 14.6 inches

Made of molded and carved wood, re-lacquered in cream and green, this beautiful Directoire period set has the very rare distinction of benefiting from a prestigious provenance. The many marks it bears, labels and inventory numbers, testify to its long history within the royal and imperial collections.

We can see marks made with fire and iron “Pls des TUILES” (Palais des Tuileries), three fleurs-de-lis in an oval, “TH,” “CP” under a crown (Château de Compiègne), stencil marks including C8357, 38059, 8557, 1342, and also labels “Des Tuileries OFers Salle à manger,” “Château des Tuileries 1829,” and “Palais Impérial des Tuileries.”

All these marks attest to an inventory record certifying their prestigious provenance. We know that they were in the collections at the Palais des Tuileries in the first third of the 19th century, then were mentioned in the 1855 inventory of the Château de Compiègne (8357) in the national archives AJ/19/1112 to 1124, which describe:
“Six walnut chairs, square legs, board backs, horsehair upholstery, green morocco leather covers, braid and gilded nails.”
They were placed in the dining room of the palace adjutant's quarters on the second floor (No. 1-143, staircase E).
Five chairs left the collections on December 7, 1880, completing the history of this exceptional set.

The rectangular straight backs are openwork on the sides and in the center of an oval medallion, decorated with a central panel featuring stylized green foliage branches, framed by a green border.
The seats, with antique green studded leather upholstery, rest on a molded belt decorated with green rosettes, in connecting dice. They are supported by front legs with arched spandrels ending in rounded ends and rear legs in saber style.
The backrest frame, belt, connecting dice and arches are edged with green borders.
This rather rare and highly refined model stands out for its understated elegance.
The lines are straight, architectural and refined, seeming to break away from the Louis XVI style to mark the beginning of Neoclassicism.
Their presence in official inventories, combined with the multiple original marks, gives them a museum-like character and rare heritage value.

Parisian work from the very end of the 18th century.
Prestigious provenance from the Tuileries Palace and then the Château de Compiègne.