Set of six armchairs

In the 1600s this chair, known as a sillon de fraileroor friar's chair because of its austere shape, was one of the most common types of chair throughout Europe. This pair, from a set of six, displays several distinctive features, such as the way that the legs splay outwards and widen as they reach the floor, creating a sense of stability. The inventive and elegant geometric inlay patterns of colorful and exotic hardwoods are also unusual. The six chairs once formed part of a larger suite of seating furniture, which was probably used around a dining table or in a grand salon.