Broken Grand Duchess Louis XVI Period

Broken Grand Duchess Louis XVI period, around 1780, in carved and gray lacquered wood, tapered legs with rudent grooves, fabric upholstery with floral decoration, wear to the upholstery. It is in 2 parts, in shepherdess and e gondola. Note a crossbar changed under the seat. WHAT WE THINK: the advantages of this broken duchess are its size (217cm in length is extremely rare) and its well patinated and homogeneous lacquer. It is a very beautiful model from the Louis XVI period. DID YOU KNOW ? : The reign of Louis XV is marked by an era of artistic proliferation. If the century of his predecessor Louis XIV was an exclusively male reign, that of Louis XV, unlike him, was led by women. Among the many seats made at the time, the broken duchess is thus entirely reserved for them. The duchess is the old name of the piece of furniture which designates a daybed called "bed à la duchess". In the 18th century, the Duchess was also a chaise longue with a backrest, a cousin of the sofa (its contemporary), fashionable under Louis XV. Most often used by women, the duchess is presented as a shepherdess, with a seat deep enough for a seated person to stretch out their legs. A popular model, the Duchess, longer than 1.60 m, has been widely available. Among the best-known models, there is the so-called “boat” or “boat” model, which always has two backrests with a low backrest at the end of the seat. The sultana, a daybed with two backrests, was also considered in 1774 as a variety of duchess. Singular, the "broken" duchesse, a composite seat, established itself as the feminine seat in vogue from the years 1745 to 1780.