Curule Stool

Curule stool Painted beech wood, "faux horsehair" fabric from the Lelièvre house (Paris) Directoire period (1795-1799) The stool presented takes the so-called curule form, inherited from Roman Antiquity where it symbolized the power of magistrates. Its X-shaped base, both sober and monumental, embodies the neoclassical taste that dominated French decorative arts at the end of the 18th century. Under the Directoire, a period of transition between the Revolution and the Consulate, furniture was characterized by a return to the rigor of antique forms, favoring purity of lines and balanced proportions. Made of painted beech wood, this stool combines the architectural severity of its base with the refined elegance of its seat. This is upholstered in a "faux horsehair" fabric published by the Lelièvre house, a Parisian house founded in 1914 and renowned for the quality of its upholstery fabrics. The gold braid that outlines the edge of the seat adds a precious touch, in keeping with the decorative spirit of the late 18th century. A utilitarian object as much as a status symbol, the curule stool reflects the Directory's admiration for Antiquity and illustrates the search for a new artistic identity, both republican and timeless.