Pair of Mid 20th Century French Parisian Club Armchairs

A Pair of Fine Parisian Club Armchairs, Mid 20th Century In the Style of Jean Royère and Jean-Michel Frank. French most definitely Parisian circa 1940-50. The chairs of deep and comfortable form with cloud-shaped rising seat backs and arm supports of rounded profile. The chairs are fully upholstered in bouclé, including the separate cushions, and stand on square plinth feet. Taking some of their design inspiration from the seat furniture of the Art Deco period, these chairs are of mid century date and undoubtedly of French origin. These chairs are of a peculiarly French form known as the club chair. Chairs of this sort were designed by many of the great French designers of the Art Deco period and later and the present chairs incorporate stylistic elements which relate to designs from two the 20th century's greatest furniture designers, Jean Royère and Jean-Michel Frank. Royère's Ours Polaire or Polar Bear chair is a design classic of the late 1940s and there are certainly elements in common between that landmark design and the present pair of armchairs. Equally relevant however and Frank's designs. One of those, still in production via luxury brand Hermès today, is known as the "comfortable club" chair and, barring the straight back to the seat rail and the arm supports, our chairs are remarkably similar to this design. Although it is not possible to say with certainty who might have designed these fine chairs, they would certainly have been made in Paris by one of the major makers of the period. Seat height 16 1/2 inches - 42cm