19th Century French Louis XV Style Cluny Tapestry Armchair
2602-544 (Click to Inquire About This Item)
42H x 28W x 32D; seat 20H
Location: Dallas
Inspired by the celebrated Renaissance tapestry cycle La Dame à la licorne, preserved at the Musée de Cluny in Paris, this 19th century French Louis XV style armchair carries one of the most historically interesting images in European decorative art. The original Cluny tapestries, woven around 1500, depict a noble lady with a unicorn and a lion, surrounded by animals, flowers, and rich symbolic detail. Five of the tapestries represent the senses of touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight, while the sixth, À mon seul désir, has long been associated with love, desire, and deeper spiritual interpretation.
The tapestry upholstery on this antique armchair draws from that Renaissance world of allegory and imagination. The lady, unicorn, lion, flowering ground, and intertwined animals create a narrative surface filled with medieval symbolism and French historical reference. The imagery gives the chair a distinctive presence, connecting 19th century decorative taste with the enduring fascination for the Renaissance and the romance of Cluny textile art.|
The carved walnut frame is shaped in the Louis XV manner, with graceful arms, cabriole legs, carved floral accents, and a warm patina. Nailhead trim outlines the arched back and seat, framing the tapestry and emphasizing the elegant silhouette of the chair.
A refined French antique armchair, this piece brings together carved craftsmanship, tapestry tradition, and the timeless story of the Lady and the Unicorn.
Circa late 1800s
Measures 42H x 28W x 32D; seat 20H
This piece is available at Inessa Stewart’s Antiques, Dallas Design District, Dallas, Texas.
