This stool was designed in 1805 by the architect Bernard Poyet as part of a set used by the French emperor Napoleon I for his reception by the <i>corps législatif</i> after his coronation. The set, which included chairs, couches and a throne, was made by the firm of Jacob-Desmalter, who were to become large-scale suppliers to the new imperial court. They stamped their mark on the underside of the stools.
The crossed sword motif was particularly appropriate for the new power, which had been founded on military success. The bills for the stools list them as ‘à sabres antiques’. Mameluke sabres of this type were very fashionable in the Empire period. The stools are also marked underneath with inventory marks for the royal Château de Saint Cloud, just outside Paris, where they were presumably moved during the 19th century. The elegant silk upholstery was at one time thought to be original but is now believed to have been added during the reign of Napoleon III (1852–1871).