This chair (one of a set of four and two armchairs) bears the stamp of the most fashionable Paris chair-maker of the late 18th century, Georges Jacob. One of his principal patrons was Louis XVI's queen, Marie-Antoinette, and he supplied her with several sets similar to this one in the 1780s, for various French royal palaces. The history of the present set is not known, but the carved decoration -- including Cupid's bows with quivers of arrows, and wreaths of flowers -- suggests that it was made for a lady's bedroom or boudoir.
The upholstery dates from the 1960s (although the webbing under the seat may be original), but its square profile is based on the style of upholstery fashionable in late 18th-century Paris.