Pair of Jacques Philippe dining chairs

An exceptional pair of 1930s dining chairs by French carpenter Jacques Philippe, who was associated with the Seiz Breur artistic group. The carved wooden chairs have a leather webbing and a decorated backseat.

The neo-regionalist 'Seiz Breur' ('seven brothers') movement in Brittany, which was influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. The movement started in 1923 and was named after a Breton folk-tale. It mainly focused on the visual arts, but it also included writers and composers. Inspiration was drawn from Celto-Breton mythology and decorative motifs like the Celtic knot.

Jacques Philippe (1896-1958) was a ‘sculptor-decorator’, who established his Atelier d'Art Celtique in Rennes in 1925. He produced furniture for private clients as well as liturgical furniture. For his designs he combined the modern taste with Celtic and oriental influences. Apart from his furniture, he created several earthenware items with relief decorations for the Henriot factory. Several of his works are exhibited in the Musée de Bretagne in Rennes and the Musée Départemental Breton in Quimper.