A small mahogany meridienne or daybed with a swan’s neck back and lotus leaf feet. The finesse of the sculpture and the overall elegance of this piece support an attribution to one of the more skilled master furniture makers of the day, such as Pierre-Antoine or Louis Bellange.

The style of this piece demonstrates the graceful influence of the Bourbon Restoration on the previous Napoleonic Empire style. An Empire daybed (circa 1810, for instance) would be more rigid and statuary in form. In the early days of the Restoration (1815-1820), before a style distinct from the Empire style took hold, makers continued creating pieces that were essentially “Empire” but less triumphant and more graceful.

As with this meridienne, the decor and concept remains neoclassical (swan’s being an Ancient Roman symbol of beauty, and the lotus leaves sculpted into the feet alluding perhaps to life along the Nile in Ancient Egypt). The use of military motifs is avoided, however. The edges and corners of the piece are rounded, and sharp angles are replaced with curves.

H: 33.5 inches. L: 55 inches. D: 23.5 inches.

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