Pair of Empire style ormolu mounted amethyst side chairs

The magnificent side chairs in this pair are crafted from ormolu and amethyst in the Empire style. The chairs feature front legs wrought from ormolu and modelled as winged sphinxes—a decorative form popular in Empire style art and design—with each leg terminating in a paw foot. The substantial rear legs of the chairs are crafted from amethyst, as are the seat rails—which are mounted with ormolu stars and other Empire style emblems. The backrests of both chairs feature amethyst frames flanked by twin ormolu foliate columns, and the amethyst surfaces of the backrests are mounted with classicising ormolu motifs, including profile busts, winged goddesses, and stylised vases, while the centres of the backrests feature ormolu crossed arrows with Apollo masks within laurel wreaths.