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Sedan Chair

ca. 1785

Not on view

Characterized by its elegant, restrained outline, this portable chair bears the coat of arms of France and Navarre encircled by the chain of the Order of the Holy Spirit. It would have carried courtiers or members of the royal family. Visitors could also make use of sedans, the so-called chaises bleues (blue chairs) named for the color of the porters’ uniforms, for travel within the town of Versailles and to the palace.

Sedan Chair, Carved and gilded wood; gilt bronze; leather; velvet, gold galloon; silk taffeta; carved, painted, and gilded wooden poles, French — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Sedan Chair

Date: ca. 1785

Culture: French

Medium: Carved and gilded wood; gilt bronze; leather; velvet, gold galloon; silk taffeta; carved, painted, and gilded wooden poles

Dimensions: 58 1/4 × 33 7/16 × 40 9/16 in. (148 × 85 × 103 cm)

Classification: Woodwork

Credit Line: Musée National des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon (T 765C)

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European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at The Met

The Met's comprehensive collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century.