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Sphinx Chair

ca. 1795, with some later additions
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 553
Although mahogany was long a popular timber for furniture making in England, it became only fashionable for French furniture in the late 1770s, and its use lasted well into first decades of the nineteenth century. Designed to project authority and echo classical and Egyptian antiquities, this unique, and sculptural armchair features symbolic motifs such as the sphinx arm rests, a traditional symbol of power, wisdom and strength. Furthermore, the lower part of the throne-like chair recalls an X-shaped folding stool or curule seat, which served as a portable symbol of power and status used by elite, military commanders, and Roman officials.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Sphinx Chair
  • Date: ca. 1795, with some later additions
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Mahogany, with painted simulated marble panels, lacquered brass mouldings, mounted with bronze sphinxes and paw feet
  • Dimensions: 36 1/4 × 23 1/4 × 22 7/16 in. (92 × 59 × 57 cm)
  • Classification: Woodwork-Furniture
  • Credit Line: On loan from H. Woody Brock, 2017 [Gift of Horace W. Brock, in memory of Helen Fowler, 2026]
  • Object Number: 2026.426
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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