This chair formed part of the collection of John Jones, the London military outfitter, who bequeathed his large collection of French decorative arts to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1882. Chairs were rare in his collection. He much preferred the veneered cabinet furniture made in 18th-century Paris by the ébénistes (cabinet-makers) to the carved chairs, tables and stands made by the menuisiers (joiners). We do not know which menuisier made this chair, but the back of the front rail is heavily chamfered, in a manner usually only found on chairs made by two of the top Parisian chair-making workshops – that of Georges Jacob, who made chairs and carved furniture for Marie-Antoinette, and that of of Jean-Baptiste Sené. Although the design of the chair is relatively simple, the workmanship is of high quality. The chair is exceptional in retaining its original upholstery shape, and possibly the original covers. The shape is formed with a 'stitched edge', made by stitching diagonally through the thickness of the stuffed pads, from the sides to the top of the seat (or to the front of the back) in two or three rows. By this means the horsehair stuffing was pulled tight to the sides, ending in a sharp top edge. Typically of French upholstery, the sides are slightly sloped, whereas English upholstery of similar form had strictly vertical sides.