A pair of carved giltwood and Beauvais tapestry upholstered marquises each stamped C.Sené, en suite with lot 44 Louis XVI, circa 1780

each with an arched padded back within a giltwood frame carved with guilloche, above padded arms and a loose cushion seat, the downscrolling arms carved with a lotus leaf, on fluted tapering legs surmounted by paterae, the ivory ground Beauvais tapestry depicting garlands hung with floral musical trophies and futher floral panels; regilt

Adélaïde Lalive de La Briche (1755-1844), Château du Marais, Seine-et-Oise, see figs.1, 2 and 3.
Hôtel de Maisons, 51 rue de l'Université, Paris, see fig. 4.
Christie's New York, 30th October 1993, lot 372.

P. Verlet, French Furniture and Interior Decoration of the 18^th Century, London, Barrie and Rockliff, 1967, pp.17-18, fig. 12.

Overall minor surface wear to carved giltwood and some tiny chips to the gilding. Hairline construction cracks at joints commensurate with age. In overall very good conserved condition. Tapestry: Overall is in very good condition, with balanced colour overall when looked at by the naked eye (the white in the photograph is the effect of the photographic lighting). They are very finely woven. The inside of each arm has a floral tapestry panel of floral swags in husk surrounds, all of which are in good condition. There are some small splits and joins. Some minor areas of wrinkling and minor repairs for example to the cream grounds, some minor wear to the centres of the cushion seats. Both have a slightly distressed area at base of the back, with other small rewoven areas. Some minor areas of dirt. Some repair to the arm pads. Top of seat backs faded, but stable condition. Reverse of the seat backs upholstered with plain yellow silken material. Both chairs have new professionally applied linen lining, in the seat, on which the removable cushion seat is placed, and to the underneath of the cushion seat. Cushion applied with modern complimentary coloured (pink, cream and golden) braid, and the edges of the other panels with(yellow/green and speckled sparkling gold) braid.
"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."

Château du Marais, Seine-et-Oise:
These chairs, which are part of a larger suite, are illustrated by Verlet, op. cit., in the grand salon of the old Hôtel de Maison, Paris (fig. 4).  They came from the Château du Marais, one of France's greatest neo-classical palaces, and may well have been part of the original furnishings.  The Château was built between 1772-79 by Jean Benoît Vincent Barré (d. 1824) for Jean Le Maître de La Martinière, then Paymaster-General to the Royal Engineers and Artillery. Its lavishness shocked contemporaries, one of whom described it as "fit for a Prince of Royal blood".  It remained in Le Maître's family until 1897 when it was bought by the politician and dandy Boniface, Comte de Castellane, who added superb gardens. The Château then passed to the Duchess of Talleyrand and is now partly a museum. The personality of its first owner Madame de La Briche (see p. 154) can be summed up by the judgement of a collector, ` le château du Marais n'est point un château mais un vaste et superne hôtel à dix lieux de Paris '(`Memorial de Norvins,' Paris, 1896, Vol. I.).

The Tapestry:
The distinctive Beauvais tapestry decorated with musical trophies relates to a very similar marquise stamped by Henri Jacob illustrated in G. Janneau, Les Sieges, Paris, 1977, plate XXX. Related tapestry is also illustrated by M. Jules Badin, La Manufacture de Tapisseries de Beauvais, Paris, 1909, p.97.

The Royal factory at Beauvais was founded in 1664 under the sponsorship of Louis XIV.  At the end of the eighteenth century, despite the neo-classical demand for tapestries with serious historical themes,  it continued to specialise in the kind of bucolic or exotic scenes that were fashionable in the rococo period.  Furniture covers were often made en suite with sets of wall hangings.    

Claude II Sené:
He was received maitre in 1769 and also known as Claude Sené le Jeune  and came from a dynasty of chairmakers. Like his father Claude I and brother Jean-Baptiste, he enjoyed aristocratic patronage and became highly successful in his own right.  Almost all of his known furniture postdates Louis XV stylistically, and is characterised by assured carving and graceful lines. See also the footnote to lots 12, 13 & 14.