This entry is being amended (08/07/2014)
The naturalistic, asymmetrical carving of this armchair, and the manner in which the structural elements flow into each other without separation, reflect the influence of the important French designer Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (1695-1750). Its virtuoso execution has been compared to the work of the joiner Nicolas Tilliard (1676-1752) and his better-known brother Jean-Baptiste Tilliard (1686-1766). But the chair bears no maker's mark, and it probably dates from before 1743 when Parisian furniture makers were first required to stamp their work. Other matching armchairs and stools survive, indicating that it must once have formed part of an imposing suite, probably in a Parisian salon. Yet nothing is known of this distinguished chair's history until shortly before the V&A acquired it in 1914.
The armchair was probably gilt originally, but it has been stripped and redecorated, leaving no trace of the original scheme. The present painted decoration and upholstery were introduced in 1968-70.