It is extremely rare for seating furniture to retain its original upholstery and survivors are therefore valuable documents of both style and techniques. This large and throne-like armchair was said to have come from Paris in about 1871, after the Siege of Paris. Certainly, it is likely that it was made in that city, where upholstery was a particular skill at the time, providing comfortable seating for a society newly awake to the idea of lounging. Upholsterers created furniture which relied almost entirely on the splendour of the upholstery and its trimmings for its effect, although here it is framed in ambitious carving. The red and gold scheme on this chair would have been reflected or complemented in its original setting by the heavy draped curtains on windows and doors, perhaps by silk hangings on the walls, and certainly by a soft and colourful carpet. The style of the chair reflects interest in the historic styles of the 18th century but, as a comfortable chair for relaxing, was not in any sense a reproduction, but a wholly new furniture type. It may have stood in a room with more upright chairs and settees in the rococo style of Louis XV, but also perhaps with some matching chairs and perhaps with a matching sofa.