Why are French chairs so often sold in pairs?

Chairs for formal French rooms were made in matching pairs and larger suites, and they have largely stayed together. That shows in the listings: more than half of all titles say "pair". Singles do come up, but two at a time is the norm.

Are most French chairs really 18th century?

No. Only 47 of 2,385 listings carry an 18th-century date, which makes pre-1800 French seating the rarest thing in the category by period. The bulk of what trades is late 19th century to inter-war. Where decades are given, the 1920s, 1900s, 1930s and 1880s carry the most weight.

What does Louis XVI style mean on a chair?

It describes the taste: straight fluted legs and neoclassical lines. Louis appears in 289 titles, Louis XVI in 100. The counts show most of that material is written as style or revival rather than period, so the phrase points at the design rather than the date.

Which timber is commonest in French chair frames?

Walnut, named in 351 titles, ahead of oak and mahogany. Cherry, elm, beech, fruitwood, rosewood and satinwood all surface, but as one-offs rather than a steady seam.

How big do French dining chair sets get?

Well beyond the usual four or six. Sets of eight, ten and twelve all appear on Sellingantiques. The matched runs of twelve dining chairs sit at the very top of the range.

Do leather club chairs count as French chairs?

They do, and they form a distinct branch. Leather appears in 179 titles and club in 100, many of them reading c1920 or c1930. The club chair is a later development than the salon forms, low and deep and fully upholstered, made for lounges and smoking rooms. Art Deco turns up alongside it in the titles.

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Antique French Chairs

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French chairs are seating made across the Channel for the salon, the dining room and the smoking lounge, and they arrive on the market two at a time more often than one.