A carved giltwood lit à la polonaise stamped G. Jacob Louis XVI, circa 1785

the canopy with projecting demi-lune sides carved with an egg and dart border above an alternating band of acanthus and lunettes supported by four reeded s-scrolled supports carved with ribbon- tied berried  laurel with similarly carved supports above a rectangular padded head-and-footboard with concave corners, the frame carved with ribbon-tied laurel leaves, the ends carved with a band of lunettes and acanthus on fluted tapering feet; regilt; with later upholstery; the headboard with an octagonal paper inventory label  with a Count's crown and the letter P in ink and No. AR 10922

By repute François Alexandre Frédéric, duc de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt (11-January 1747-27 March 1827)
Thence by descent to a European Noble family

 

In overall very good condition. There are minor losses and rubbing to the gilded decoration throughout.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature:
Anne Forray-Carlier, Le Mobilier du Musée Carnavalet, Dijon, 2000, pp. 202-203, no. 77, (inv. MB 311), for a related lit à la polonaise by the same maker.
Also see Daniëlle Kisluk-Grosheide and Jeffrey Munger,The Wrightsman Galleries for French Decorative Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2010, pp. 98-99, where they illustrate a Louis XVI carved giltwood `lit à duchesse en impériale' by Georges Jacob (23.235a,d.). It was documented as originally in 1791 standing in the large bedchamber of the duchesse de Choiseul-Praslin (1727-1806), in her Parisian home, the Hôtel de Belle Isle. The illustrated bed differs from this bed in that its full sized canopy is suspended from the ceiling rather than suspended on posts.

French 18th century beds tended to be lofty and they were often piled high with three or four mattresses filled with straw, horsehair or feathers. Tobias Smollett (1721-1771), noted in 1766, `French beds are so high, that sometimes one is obliged to mount them by the help of steps'.  During the 18th century it was customary to for aristocratic women to receive visitors whilst reposing in a large and elegently fitted out bed.

The most popular model of bed in the 18th century was the lit à la polonaise as witnessed by the number of plates depicting them by Liard, Delafosse, Ranson, Radel and Lalonde. designs.

Georges Jacob (1739-1814), received Master in 1765.

François Alexandre Frédéric, duc de la Rochefoucauld-Liancourt (1747 – 1827):
Born at La Roche Guyon, the son of François Armand de La Rochefoucauld, duc d'Estissac and grand master of the royal wardrobe, the duc de Liancourt was both married and an officer of the Carabiniers by the age of seventeen.

A staunch monarchist and confidant of Louis XVI, Liancourt was elected to the Estates-General of 1789, attempting in vain to support the King's tenuous grip on power. After the Tuileries Palace was stormed on 10^th August 1792, Liancourt fled to England and then on to Philadelphia in 1794. On his return to Paris in 1799, Liancourt was treated with dignity by Napoleon and at the Restoration in 1814, he entered the House of Peers. His continual opposition to the government from this position led to his removal in 1823 and he was pursued by governmental hostility until his death in 1827.