Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 13

Set of Eight French Directoire Side Chairs, Attributed to Jacob, Circa 1800

$9,500per item
£7,241.07per item
€8,351.81per item
CA$13,492.84per item
A$14,499.48per item
CHF 7,779.81per item
MX$170,794.97per item
NOK 97,822.49per item
SEK 89,360.21per item
DKK 62,418.14per item
Quantity

About the Item

Set of Eight Directoire Side Chairs France, circa 1795–1805 This refined set of eight French Directoire side chairs exemplifies the restrained neoclassicism that emerged in the years following the Louis XVI period. Crafted from beechwood and retaining a softly patinated painted finish, each chair features a rectangular open back centered by a finely carved anthemion (palmette) motif—an emblematic decorative element of the Directoire style inspired by ancient Greek and Roman ornament. The clean architectural lines, straight tapering legs, and sparing use of decoration reflect the period’s emphasis on clarity, balance, and classical revival. Delicate painted detailing along the seat rails adds subtle refinement while preserving the chairs’ disciplined aesthetic. Notably, one chair bears a faint, partially legible maker’s stamp reading “Jac,” likely attributable to the furniture maker Jacob, a name associated with prominent Parisian ébéniste workshops active during the Revolutionary and Directoire periods. While the stamp is lightly impressed and only partially visible, it provides compelling evidence of workshop origin and enhances the historical significance of the set. The chairs retain their original seat frames and are presently upholstered in early burlap, consistent with period construction and offering an excellent foundation for restoration or reupholstery. A rare surviving set of this scale, well suited for a formal dining room, library, or salon, and highly versatile in both traditional and contemporary interiors. Dimensions (each): 14.25 in. depth × 16.5 in. width × 34.75 in. height Seat height: 18 in.
  • Attributed to:
    Georges Jacob (Maker)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 34.75 in (88.27 cm)Width: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)Depth: 14.25 in (36.2 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
  • Style:
    Directoire (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    Late 18th Century
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1531248340102

More From This Seller

View All
Whispers of the Salon: A Neoclassical Set of Four Turned Side Chairs
Located in New York, NY
Set of Four Turned Wood Side Chairs with Caned Seats Late 18th century This elegant set of four late 18th-century side chairs features finely turned vertical back spindles, gently c...
Category

Antique 18th Century French Side Chairs

Materials

Cane

Blue Peacock Rattan Side Chair by Creel and Gow
By Creel and Gow
Located in New York, NY
Blue Peacock Rattan Side Chair by Creel and Gow: Measures: 19" x 21" x 38"H Seat Height: 18" Introducing Creel and Gow's exclusive wicker and rattan collection, designed by Marco ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Side Chairs

Materials

Rattan

Rare Set 6 Oak Carved Gilt Dining Chairs C.1940 Attributed to Jansen
By J.C. Jansen
Located in New York, NY
A rare set of six oak painted, carved and gilt dining chairs attributed to Jansen circa 1940.
Category

Vintage 1940s French Other Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Oak

Dark Frame Juliette Rattan Chair by Creel and Gow
By Creel and Gow
Located in New York, NY
Creel and Gow Juliette Rattan Chair: Measures: 19" x 21" x 35.5"H 18" seat height (Dark Frame. It also exists in a lighter frame) Introducing Creel and Gow's exclusive wicker and ra...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Moroccan Side Chairs

Materials

Wicker, Rattan

Hunting Scenes in Ceramic: A Set of Eight Mid-Century Panels
Located in New York, NY
Set of Eight Mid-Century Framed Ceramic Tile Panels Depicting Game Animals Circa 1950s–1960s This striking set of eight mid-century ceramic tile panels features animated depictions ...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Animal Sculptures

Materials

Ceramic

Directoire Period Oxblood Salon Suite w/ Saber Legs and Scrolled Backs, Late 18C
Located in New York, NY
This remarkable salon suite from the Directoire period (circa late 18th century) includes a finely crafted small sofa paired with two matching chairs, embodying the restrained elegan...
Category

Antique Late 18th Century French Directoire Living Room Sets

Materials

Wood

You May Also Like

Late 18th Century Set of 6 Directoire "Etrusque" Side Chairs, Manner of G. Jacob
By Georges Jacob
Located in Berlin, DE
Set of six sidechairs raised on circular front legs and square curved back legs, backrest with carved pierced latticework, the intersections of which are decorated with stylised rosettes, the top rail curved backwards. All side chairs are upholstered with elegant yellow / golden paisley pattern jacquard fabric by RUBELLI. The set of 6 Directoire side chairs with its shape "à l'Étrusque" and its characteristic backrest design is closely related to chairs made by Georges Jacob (1739-1814): Georges Jacob was one of the most prominent Parisian chair...
Category

Antique 1790s French Directoire Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

Set of Six Directoire Mahogany Dining Chairs Attributed to Georges Jacob
By Georges Jacob
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A set of six period Directoire dining chairs carved in Honduras mahogany. Identical chairs are shown in the reference book "Ebenists of the 18th century". While unstamped, this set comes with written documentation and attribution to George Jacob by a leading antique dealer in Paris from where they were purchased. Georges Jacob (6 July 1739 – 5 July 1814) the most prominent furniture maker in 18th century Paris. He produced carved, painted and gilded beds and seat furniture and upholstery work for the French royal châteaux, in the Neoclassical style that is associated with Louis XVI furniture. In his workshop he employed numerous specialist carvers and gilders. In 1785, Jacob produced the first mahogany chairs à l'anglaise, for the Comte de Provence similar in many ways to the ones on offer here. When he retired in 1796, Georges Jacob left his workshop in the hands of his two sons, one of whom was François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter who went on to become a leading French Empire Furniture...
Category

Antique Late 18th Century French Directoire Chairs

Materials

Mahogany

Set of Eight French 1938 Sycamore Side Chairs, Attributed to André Arbus
By André Arbus
Located in Queens, NY
Set of eight French midcentury 1938 sycamore side chairs with a shaped upholstered back and seat with scroll form legs, by Andre Arbus. (ref: ARBUS, by Brunhammer, pg. 155). André A...
Category

20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Side Chairs

Materials

Sycamore, Upholstery

Pair of 18th Century French "Chauffeuse" Chairs, Georges Jacob Attributed
By Georges Jacob
Located in Doylestown, PA
An important pair of Louis XVI Period "Chauffeuse" or low fireside chairs, in original grey painted finish, with lyre backs and upholstered seats, on fluted legs. Provenance: From the Estate of noted collector, Paul W. Doll, who purchased the chairs in 1952 at Park-Bernet Auction from the estate of Mrs. Theodore Havemeyer. (see photo of catalog). Attributed to Georges Jacob, circa 1780. Georges Jacob (6 July 1739-5 July 1814) was one of the two most prominent Parisian master menuisiers. He produced carved, painted and gilded beds...
Category

Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XVI Chairs

Materials

Beech

Directoire Mahogany Bergère Attributed to Georges Jacob
By Georges Jacob
Located in Kittery Point, ME
A Directoire Mahogany Bergère Attributed to Georges Jacob, its curved back and padded armrests with finely carved baluster-shaped supports raised on turned front legs and sabre back legs. With a spurious Jacob stamp to back rail. The term "Directoire" refers to a historical period following the French Revolution (1789) and preceding the First Empire when Napoleon reigned, but also to a style of furniture and decoration covering a longer period from 1789 to 1804. It is characterized by the production of furniture with simplified forms and ornaments, inspired by antique decorations. The profound social and political upheavals that marked this period had a direct impact on the production of Directoire furniture. The stripping down of furniture pieces, which had begun in the 1780s under the influence of Greek art, was accentuated during this period. The abolition of guilds by the revolutionaries also forced manufacturers in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine to simplify shapes and materials. Elegant and graceful, the furniture is generally small-scale. They retain the Louis XVI structure. The Directoire style adopts clean shapes, straight lines, simple curves, flat surfaces and right angles. Lines accentuate geometric shapes inspired by Antiquity. A typical trait is the pronounced rolled-over back, similar to a scroll illustrated in our bergere, evocative of the klismos chair. Only the more luxurious pieces of furniture use mahogany, an exotic and expensive wood. Despite his humble origins, Georges Jacob rose to become one of the most renowned menuisiers of his day. Unlike many artisans who joined their fathers or brothers in the middle-class family trade of furniture making, Jacob was from a peasant family and moved to Paris at sixteen to begin his career. He apprenticed in a joinery workshop and eventually became a master in 1765. He developed a reputation for producing inventive designs for chairs, beds, and screens carved with such motifs as twisted ribbons, guilloches, beading, and fluting. Jacob's reputation grew quickly, eventually spreading outside France; the future King George IV of England, Gustavus III of Sweden, and several German princes...
Category

Antique Late 18th Century French Directoire Bergere Chairs

Materials

Mahogany

Set of 6 1940s French Sycamore Silk Side Chairs Attributed to Arbus
By André Arbus
Located in Queens, NY
Set of 6 French 1940s sycamore side chairs with scrolled back upholstered in tufted beige silk on saber legs. (Attributed to ANDRE ARBUS).
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs

Materials

Sycamore