The pair of imposing armchairs were crafted in the late 19th Century in the fashionable French Empire style.
The chairs stand on four short, straight legs, the front two of which are set with ormolu paw feet. Ormolu palmettes are mounted onto the upper parts of each of the four legs, and horizontal laurel leaf motifs, with rosettes at their centre, are set onto the chairs' aprons. Ancient Egyptian style sphinxes — mythical creatures with womens' heads and lion bodies — serve as the armrests, their wings extending back to support the upholstered arm-pads. The top rail of each chair is mounted with a second central, ormolu laurel leaf, rosette motif, flanked on each side by an oblong leaf form.
This pair of armchairs are of an identical design to the following three piece furniture suite, comprising a single sofa and two armchairs. The only difference between the three-piece set and these two chairs is the way they have been upholstered. While the former has been upholstered in a black and gold striped fabric, the arms, seats and backs of this pair are covered in a fabric that is cream-coloured, with pale green, yellow and fine black stripes. The two armchairs can be purchased, either as an independent pair, or as part of a larger furniture suite when combined with the other three pieces.