Rare suite of five mahogany and mahogany veneered armchairs; the backs with wide curved bands and bars embellished with a wide brass fillet; the armrests with stylized ibis heads holding the fluted connection; saber feet with tables. The front crosspiece and umbilical ribs are in gilt bronze. One from the Directoire period, fire-stamped by Georges Jacob (restorations, backband redone, slight differences). The other four, three stamped or with traces of the Georges Jacob stamp, from the early 19th century, by the Jacob workshop (accidents and restorations). Georges Jacob, master in 1765. Upholstered in beige fabric adapted to placet or cream and red chenille fabric. H. 83 cm - W. 58 cm - D. 62 cm H. 92 cm - W. 57 cm - D. 63 cm Provenance : Collection of Mr. Jean Lefèvre, established in the 1950s; By descent to the current owner. Bibliography: Le décor d'aujourd'hui, n°89, 1954. Imperial souvenir badges (rep. P. 294-295). Presented as coming from the Hôtel Marbeuf and, more precisely, from the Salon of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain and brother of Napoleon. To counter British ambitions in the East, France led an expedition to Egypt in 1798 and 1801, with the aim of seizing the country and dominating the region politically and economically. Led by General Bonaparte, and later by his successors, this military operation, better known as the "Egyptian Campaign", was accompanied by a research mission involving eminent scientists, historians and artists. Back in France, the repercussions were exceptional, particularly in the field of decorative arts. As early as 1802, Baron Vivant-Denon published his highly successful Voyage dans la Basse et la Haute Égypte. Later, architects, painters and craftsmen began to interpret Egyptian models in their own way. and incorporated them into their own creations. In the particular field of joinery, some chairs feature motifs more or less directly inspired by ancient Egypt, particularly the examples we offer whose armrests take the form of the head of an ibis, the sacred bird associated with the god Thoth. The model is extremely rare, and it is highly probable that these chairs were specially commissioned from Georges Jacob and his workshop by a major Parisian connoisseur to furnish an Egyptian salon. A possible provenance, mentioned in the magazine cited in the bibliography, would be the salon of King Joseph of Spain at the Hôtel Marbeuf. This probable origin suggested by the author of the article could be explained by the presence at the time of a handwritten label on the Directoire armchair bearing the fire mark of Georges Jacob, a trace of which is visible on the inside of the back rail. on the inside of the back rail. This label, unfortunately removed by the restorer when the seat was reupholstered, could indeed have provided valuable indications as to its provenance. It should also be noted that the manufacturing disparity between the Directoire seat and the other four slightly later seats tends to prove that an existing set was completed in the very early years of the 19th century. Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, rented the Hôtel Marbeuf in 1801, then acquired it from Cambacérès in 1803. In so doing, he refurbished and refurnished the hotel, and may well have asked the Jacob workshop to complete an existing set of furniture. Georges Jacob (1739-1814) was clearly the most important Parisian upholsterer of the second half of the 18th century. His work is distinguished from that of his colleagues by the number of chairs bearing his stamp, as well as for the inventiveness of his compositions and the unrivalled quality of his workmanship. His early career with Louis Delanois, one of the main promoters of neoclassicism in seating, had a profound influence on his style. After his his master's degree on September 4, 1765, he set up shop on rue de Cléry, quickly moving to rue Meslée in 1775. He enjoyed an exceptional career, extending beyond the borders of the kingdom. Alongside a clientele of wealthy individuals, he was actively involved in supplying seats and consoles for members of the royal family and their entourage, including Marie-Antoinette, Louis XVI, the Counts of Artois and Provence, the Prince of Condé, the Marquise de Marbeuf, the Prince of Wales and the Elector of Bavaria. Today, its seats feature in most of the world's major private and public collections.