Pair of Folding Stools (pliants)

These stools were part of an order of sixty-four for the French queen Marie-Antoinette's salles de jeux (gaming rooms) at the palaces of Fontainebleau and Compiègne. Originally covered with painted satin, they were delivered with twelve matching fixed-leg stools (tabourets), a folding screen, and a fire-screen. Their carved decoration consists of typical Neoclassical motifs: oak wreaths, scrolling ribbons, beading, and rosettes.

The wooden X-frame base, a traditional design that originated in classical antiquity, allowed each stool to fold easily once its cushion was removed. Thus they could be easily transported from room to room.