Master Art

The top rail of the slightly coved back-rest is segmentally arched in the centre "en anse de panier". The front seatrail is slightly bowed and rests on four tapering and fluted legs adorned with pendant acanthus leaf capitals.
The downward curving arms break forward from each end of the top rail where they are each surmounted by a pinecone finial.
They are padded and terminate above each outer leg in an acanthus scroll resting against a fluted half column carved with "chandelles" rising directly from the foreleg.
The frame is carved throughout with a frieze of entrelacs. However, instead of simple entrelacs, usual at the time, these have flowers in their centres, in accordance with a concept which was to culminate in 1787 with the famous frieze on Georges JACOB S furniture for the "Salon des Jeux" at the Château de Saint Cloud.

Jean Baptiste Bernard DEMAY, received Master in 1784, had his workshop rue de Clery. He was a supplier to the Queen Marie Antoinette. Two chairs with the monogram of Marie Antoinette, stamped DEMAY, are in the Petit Trianon. His works are exhibited in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Musée Carnavalet and the Château de Versailles.
A set of identical arm chairs also stamped by J. B.B. DEMAY is in the Wrightsman Collection.
Similar arm chairs stamped J.B.B. DEMAY were formerly in the Collection of the Princesse Murat.