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).