Openwork side chair (one of a pair) 1780 - 1795

Curator: Here we have a remarkable example of late 18th-century design: an openwork side chair, one of a pair crafted by Georges Jacob between 1780 and 1795. Editor: It has such an air of… constraint, doesn't it? Not like sitting, per se, but more like being perched, almost formally presented. It seems almost too pretty to be used! Curator: Indeed. This chair embodies the neoclassical style popular during that period. Note the delicate openwork of the back, incorporating motifs that recall classical architecture and geometric forms. The circles remind me of stylized oculi. Editor: Oculi—perfect! I see what you mean about geometric, especially on the seat. All those tiny woven circles are like tiny jewels of textile. This little chair feels steeped in significance far beyond just… sitting. It reminds me of a tiny throne! Curator: Consider its possible function, beyond the utilitarian. A chair like this would have been placed within a salon, carefully positioned to facilitate conversation and display refined taste. Its openwork design would have allowed light to pass through, creating dynamic shadows and further enhancing the room’s ambiance. It would be placed to be observed, its presence denoting style. Editor: And observed it would be! Each detail practically vibrates, demanding attention from the delicate carving along the legs, to the restrained elegance of the crest rail, with that curious almost nautical embellishment right at the top. I bet its owner wouldn’t sit there; this chair has too much class! Curator: Precisely. It functions as an emblem of status and sophistication. These objects hold stories and symbols layered with intentions of past owners; this chair still exudes those traces even after so many years. Editor: That really shifts my perspective. It stops being merely an item and transforms into something with, as you said, "status" – a conversation piece literally! What's amazing is how much can be conveyed through seemingly mundane things, isn't it?