Napoleon III-style Nursing Chair In Blackened Wood, With Burgauté Decoration And Painted Flowers – 19th Century

Antique Napoleon III nursing chair, made of blackened wood, featuring burgauté inlay and polychrome paintwork.

Burgauté, a decorative technique of Asian origin involving the inlaying of fine pieces of mother-of-pearl into a lacquered surface, enjoyed great popularity in Europe during the 19th century, particularly during the Second Empire, with the growing appreciation for Far Eastern arts.

The backrest features an oval medallion with a painted floral design, surrounded by mother-of-pearl inlays and gilded ornamentation. It is framed by two twisted side rails and topped by an openwork crown, also adorned with mother-of-pearl.

The cane-seated chair rests on four curved legs, whose crossbars feature the same burgauté decoration.
Restored chair; cane work in good condition.

The reduced height of this chair reflects its function as a nursing chair, designed to facilitate the care of young children.

Period: second half of the 19th century
Style: Napoleon III
Materials: blackened wood, mother-of-pearl, painted and gilded decoration
Decorative technique: burgauté
Seat: cane work