French leather club chairs – probably reproduction, but could they be older?

Front legs are integrated into the frame, as you would want them to be. Think these have some age to them. 40s-50s seems about right to me.

 

Fascinating. Such a shame that club chairs cant speak... Wonder what they have seen through the years.

I guess i have a club chair mini museum in my house now! Such a shame that i cant buy more of them...

 

And thanks for all the guidance @verybrad ! Ill try to give back by helping in further threads on these type of topics on the forum

 

I always think that about my Regency and Georgian sewing boxes, if only they could tell me about their past and previous owners...

 

I recently received an expert assessment from one of Norway’s foremost auction houses, based in Oslo. According to their antique furniture specialist, the chairs are likely from the period 1910–1930 and of French origin!

Excerpt from a written assessment (translated from Norwegian):

“The chairs are upholstered leather club chairs, and appear to be built using a traditional eight-way hand-tied spring system (guindage suspendu à ressorts ligaturés huit directions), a method typically associated with high-end upholstery from that era. The seating construction includes ressorts du tapissier—biconical coil springs considered the finest choice among traditional upholsterers—tied by hand with hemp twine over jute webbing, and housed in a mortise-and-tenon solid hardwood frame. This type of suspension is known for balancing softness with support while distributing pressure evenly.

This form of craftsmanship has roots in the Faubourg Saint-Antoine district in Paris—historically home to ébénistes (fine cabinetmakers), selliers (leatherworkers), and tapissiers-garnisseurs (upholsterers responsible for the internal spring work and stuffing). The construction follows what is referred to as artisanat d’excellence, and the seating system—known as a guindage suspendu—was designed for longevity and comfort.

The leather is likely basane, a full-grain, vegetable-tanned sheepskin traditionally sourced from southern France. It’s known for being breathable, durable, and for developing a rich patina over time. These characteristics, combined with the internal build, suggest the chairs were intended to endure extensive use and remain serviceable across generations.”