Exceptional pair of Venetian grotto side chairs from the late 19th century. The silvered surface with brown overpaint imitates the iridescent sheen of marine life. The chairs rest on stylized oyster-form legs and feature shell-shaped seats and backs. The backs are sculpturally adorned with seahorses. The pair is conceived as mirror images, allowing the asymmetrical backs to form a harmonious and balanced ensemble. Notably, Venetian firms such as Pauly et Cie and Remi & Cie specialized in the production of such grotto furniture. Comparable examples are held in the National Gallery Berlin, the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin, the MAK Vienna, the Victoria and Albert Museum London, and the Bavarian National Museum Munich. See: Bruce M. Newman, Fantasy Furniture, New York, 1989, pp. 60–64.

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