Harlequin Set of 6 Swedish 18th Century Dining Chairs Original Scraped Back Paint

These magnificent Swedish 18th Century Rococo(1) style hand carved chairs with a padded seat and old calico cover are offered as a Harlequin or Matched Set of 4 + 2 with a barely discernible difference in the designs.  There is very pretty Rocaille(2) hand carving of acanthus leaves and shells to the splat backs and apron front of the chairs.  Two of the chairs are a little different in that there is additional carving to the knee of the cabriole front legs.  The cabriole legs of all the chairs have a carved detail to the inner shape of the wide knee and all have a ball and claw feet.  The legs are joined by a shaped and turned H-shaped stretcher.  There is a dry hand scraped  paint finish which gives a wonderful time worn and aged patina.  The chairs are sturdy and ready for re-upholstery which can be undertaken in house at an additional cost and with client’s own material. 1) Rococo is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding and trompe-l'œil frescoes to create surprise and the illusion of motion and drama.  It is often described as the final expression of the Baroque movement. The word Rococo was first used as a humorous variation of the word rocaille.  Rocaille was originally a method of decoration using pebbles, seashells and cement which was often used to decorate grottoes and fountains since the Renaissance.  In the late 17th and early 18th Centuries rocaille became the term for a kind of decorative motif or ornament that appeared in the late Style Louis XIV in the form of a seashell interlaced with acanthus leaves.  2) Swedish Rocaille Carving is characterised by the use of asymmetrical shapes and curves; these ornate, intricate details and motifs are often inspired by nature and was used during the 18th Century to decorate furniture interiors and other objects.  Rocaille carving is still practiced today by artisans in Sweden and is considered an important part of the of the country’s heritage.