Jacob Desmalter - mahogany and silk velvet Desk armchair a chassis

Armchair Solid mahogany, mahogany over beech for two crossbars
Stamped “IACOB” twice on the rear crossbar
Dimensions: H. 90; Seat H. 42; W. 55; D. 52 (cm.)
Paris, 1813–1825

Provenance: Christie’s Monaco auction, June 18, 1989, lot 73 (part of lot)

Important English-style armchair in mottled and flamed mahogany. It rests on four saber legs. Smooth crossbars, connecting medallions on the sides, armrests with volutes and palmettes. Openwork backrest with molded drapery.

Comparable to neoclassical models produced by the famous firm Gillows.

Jacob-Desmalter during the Restoration
Following the economic crisis of 1811, the firm Jacob Desmalter & Co. went bankrupt in 1813. Orders intended to support the imperial regime were not enough to save the company, as they were paradoxically offset by the government’s late payments. Georges Jacob withdrew from the business and died shortly thereafter, in 1814. His son, François-Honoré-Georges, opened a new firm that supplied both private clients under the Bourbons and the ruling regime. Obviously, there is genuine technical and stylistic continuity between the two entities. Note, however, the gradual disappearance of gilded bronze ornaments, as well as the increase in the production of items made from native woods. In homage to his father, François Honoré Georges Jacob-Desmalter used a mark “. IACOB,” identical to the one used under the Ancien Régime, while omitting the first letter “G.”

Condition report: fully restored in our workshops; upholstered in silk velvet by the Venetian firm Bevilacqua with matching trimmings.

Available in Paris. Free shipping within France and to neighboring countries. Contact me for the rest of the world.