Settee, manufacturer Savonnerie Factory, before 1717 (carved wood, Savonnerie knotted-pile (symmetrical rug knot) upholstery; wool,...

Elegant Savonnerie furnishings were made for the kings of France and the royal family beginning in the 1600s. Colorful, sophisticated designs were woven in the Savonnerie knotted-pile technique, adopted from Turkish carpets. Painters often created large cartoons that weavers copied. The yellow ground was the color preferred by Louis XIV (1638-1715). Suites of Savonnerie furnishings filled the anterooms outside the king's chambers where courtiers waited. They set the royal standard by providing luxurious elegance, sturdy furniture, and protection against cold drafts.This Savonnerie suite was ordered as a royal gift for the marriage of Isabella Maria de Merode to Count Francois Joseph Czernin in 1717. Their families' coats-of-arms appear in the panel Spring. The furniture displays themes from Aesop's Fables within Louis XIV architectural designs.