Chinese Armchair With Decors Of European Influence 19 Centuries

very rare chair and armchairs with a backrest richly carved with dragons, we find Léon de Beylié's taste for furniture with abundant decoration already noticed in his office furniture. However, their style stands out in relation to all the furniture in the collection and once again underlines its eclectic character. Despite the difficulty in determining with certainty the origin of these objects, the shape of the chair, unusual in Vietnam, and above all the style of the decorations suggest a piece of Chinese furniture. We find here the classic motif of dragons, two of which confront each other and surround a third inscribed in the central panel of the backrest. The bat motif is also present. More astonishing are the elements of the seat and the feet which affirm a decoration of Western influence: plant decoration of berries and flowers underlined by a frieze of "denticles". These elements and the exuberant style of the whole are reminiscent of European-influenced furniture that appeared in 18th century China, but whose production mainly developed from the second half of the 19th century. This furniture is characterized by a very rich decor, mixing traditional Chinese motifs with others of Rococo inspiration. armchairs " height 100 cm width 48 cm depth 42 cm chair " height 100 cm width 38 cm depth 48 cm