Louis XVI Médaillon Oval Back Side Chair – Dark Walnut with Linen Seat

About this object

The médaillon back is the defining silhouette of Louis XVI Neoclassical seating—an upholstered oval frame suspended between fluted column stiles like a portrait in wood. This chair executes the form with complete authority, crafted by a Jodhpur master atelier that has upheld 18th-century French furniture traditions for over a decade. The oval back is ringed with brass bead trim and crowned by a hand-carved floral crest, while shaped acanthus carving connects the back to the seat rail in a quiet display of joinery mastery. The dark walnut finish provides a rich, warm contrast to the ivory oatmeal linen upholstery, making every carved detail—from the fluted tapered legs to the rosette capital blocks—read with unusual clarity. Brass nail-head trim runs the full perimeter of the seat rail, echoing the bead border above. Every element converses with every other: the fluted stiles mirror the legs, the carved crest balances the acanthus rail, and the oval back panel becomes the compositional anchor of the entire piece. Produced by the same atelier behind the Lyre Chair, this médaillon has been in continuous production for twelve years. The craftsman who carves the oval frame has devoted nine of those years to perfecting this single form—never completing a chair in less than three days. For designers and collectors seeking authentic French Neoclassical craft executed in India's finest solid wood tradition, this chair represents both heritage mastery and contemporary accessibility.