Pair Of Swiss Neoclassical Curule Stools, Bern, First Half Of The 19th Century

Pair of Swiss Neoclassical Curule Stools, Bern, First Half of the 19th Century

Description:
This pair of walnut curule stools revives the form of the seat reserved for magistrates in ancient Rome: two X-shaped supports with broadly curved legs cross at the center beneath a turned patera and scroll up under the seat into volutes adorned with rosette medallions. They are joined by a baluster-turned stretcher. The gently curved seat rail is underlined by stacked molded reeds that accentuate its movement.

The seat is upholstered in a sky-blue and gold silk with a trellis pattern, laurel wreaths, and sprays, edged with a twisted cord and a matching braid.

Brought back into favor by Neoclassicism, the curule seat became one of the emblematic models of Empire furniture and spread throughout Europe in the early 19th century. Bern, home to a renowned cabinetmaking tradition since the 18th century, offers here a restrained and elegant interpretation, in which the beauty of the blond walnut and the purity of the curves take precedence over ornament.

Technique:
Solid walnut, molded and turned. X-shaped supports with turned paterae and rosettes, baluster-turned stretcher. Reinforcements beneath the base. Sky-blue and gold silk upholstery, twisted cord and braid. Attributed to Carl Franz Hossfeld (1807 - ?).

Dimensions:
Height: 14 9/16 in (37 cm)
Width: 15 3/8 in (39 cm)
Depth: 16 1/8 in (41 cm)

Condition:
Good overall condition. Attractive patina to the walnut, minor wear and rubbing from use. Reinforcements beneath the base. Silk upholstery in good condition.