Pair of large carved and gilded wood curule-shaped ceremonial stools, decorated with interlacing, lotus leaves and rosettes; apocryphal marks, ink inscription and stamp of Château de Saint-Cloud and Jacob-Frères; (accidents including chips in the gilding; minor restorations). First half of the 19th century. H. 47 cm, W. 63 cm, D. 53.5 cm These two large stools are reminiscent of the furnishings found in the salons of Italian palaces in the first half of the 19th century. The overhanging leafy motifs at each corner are reminiscent of the antique repertoire, and can also be found in the form of masks on the sarcophagus of the Muses in the Louvre. A pair of banquettes from the Palazzo Chigi in Rome, inspired by Jean-Baptiste Piranesi (1720-1778), was part of the Alvar Gonzalez-Palacios collection (his sale in Paris, Sotheby's, March 29, 2007, lot 33).