Category: side and dining chairs

Pierre Paulin Curule Chair

By the beginning of the Eighties, Pierre Paulin had created an astonishing collection of unusual prestige pieces, amongst which the Curule chair. In 1983, this was taken into the collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. First produced as a prototype for the Mobilier National (the French national furniture collection), the Curule chair was then manufactured as a limited edition by Pierre Paulin SARL, and in 1988 was put into production by Artcurial.

Originally in light sycamore and amaranth wood, Ligne Roset's 2009 re-edition of the chair is in natural beech and black beech. Its meticulous handcrafted finish, with the intricate assembly of many pieces of solid wood, cut together, are what gives this piece its extraordinary character, that of a rare and precious piece of furniture: almost like a journeyman's masterpiece.

In ancient times the curule chair was a seat of honour with an x-shaped base, reserved for prominent titled people. The particular requirement in terms of creating the folding Curule chair was to do away with outdated embellishments, thus drawing out the formal quintessence of such an archetypal piece, in order to create a timeless yet contemporary chair.

Curule is also an exercise in style, comparing the abilities and technical methods of the craftsmen of our time with the historical experience of our distant ancestors. "I wanted to absorb the past, their technical drawings, even the names of the objects, amongst which the curule chair, which embodied the seat of power in the Western world. It is an exercise, a translation from the Latin, my translation of the past into a contemporary language".

Each Curule chair bears the signature of Pierre Paulin on the lower part of the rear of the frame.

Construction: Domed wood slats in solid beech, held together by steel threaded pins and rivets.
Comfort: Seat and armrests in beech; small backrest in soft pigmented full-grain cowhide. Folds in the middle of the seat section.
Finishes: Natural beech with matt clear lacquer and small backrest in grey-beige hide, or black tinted beech with matt clear lacquer and small backrest in black hide.

Dimensions:
Width / Depth / Height / Seat height
Folding armchair: 56 / 35 / 67 / 42 cm

Design:
Pierre Paulin

Manufacturer:
Roset S.A.