Antiquary & Expert CNES

This small carved and gilded wooden armchair is a fine example of the 19th-century Italian taste for Rococo and Baroque forms. Its elegant curves, its violin-shaped backrest adorned with a shell, its armrests decorated with scrolls, and its arched legs recall the grand ceremonial armchairs, here reduced to a miniature size.

The velvet upholstery, which is very worn, is probably original and adds to the charm of this piece.

At 58 cm high, this armchair is neither a real adult seat nor a simple doll's piece of furniture. It is most likely a Madonna chair (sedia della Madonna) , intended to hold a statue of the Virgin in a chapel, a domestic altar or during a procession. These miniature thrones were very common in Italian churches and convents, where the Virgin was presented as a queen seated on a gilded seat.

Another hypothesis remains that of a child's armchair or a piece of furniture for demonstration, but the richness of the ornamentation and the gilding point towards a religious use.

A rare and highly decorative object, it bears witness to the blend of religious fervor and artisanal virtuosity specific to 19th-century Italy.