A Louis XVI mahogany fauteuil à lyre, circa 1785

The lyre back splat became an iconic element of the late Louis XVI neoclassical ornamental repertory and was exploited by many leading menuisiers of the period, notably Georges Jacob (1739-1814), seen on a chaise voyeuse bearing his stamp (ill. in P. Kjellberg, Le mobilier français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris 2002, p.462 fig.c), and a mahogany armchair supplied to the Grand Trianon (ill. M. Jarry, Le siège français, Paris 1973, p.257 pl.410).