A gilt-wood chair with its torch-shaped back columns and quiver-shaped feet by Georges Jacob, a famous furniture maker of the second half of the 18th Century, fetched a world record price of 2 300 000 FF ($ 343,283) (Not inclusive of buyer premium) during a sale organised at Drouot on March 6th 2000; The 91.5 cm high and 50 cm wide chair, which carried a top pre-sale estimate of 500,000 FF, had been ordered for the apartments of Queen Marie-Antoinette in Versailles. This chair was sold in September 1793 after France's revolutionary rulers decided to empty all royal palaces. It then belonged to Queen Louise of Prussia and passed into the collection of Count de Greffulhe around 1890.
Excepted Jacob's label, this chair did not bear any marking that might have proved its royal provenance. Despite such uncertainty, bidders were more interested in the magnificent quality of Jacob's work instead.
Six other gilt-wood chairs by Georges Jacob, sold for 3,9 million FF ($ 582,090) during the same sale.
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